Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro is one of the most interesting and controversialpersonalities of our time - he has become a myth and an icon.He was the first Cuban Caudillo - the man who freed hiscountry from dependence on the USA and who lead his people torediscover their national identity and pride. Castro has outlived generations of American presidents andSoviet leaders. He has survived countless assassination attempts bythe CIA, the Mafia, and Cubans living in exile. He has become oneof the greatest politicians of the 20th Century. His biography, andthe history of his country exemplify the tensions between East andWest, North and South, rich and poor. As Castro's life draws to a close, the question as to what willbecome of Cuba is more important that ever. Will Castro open Cubato economic reform and democratization, or stick to his old slogansocialism or death? In this remarkable, up-to-date reconstruction of Castro's life,Volker Skierka addresses these questions and provides an account ofthe economic, social, and political history of Cuba since Castro'schildhood. He draws on a number of little-known sources, includingmaterial from the East German communist archives on Cuba, whichwere until recently inaccessible. This is an exciting, painstakingly researched, and authortiativeaccount of the life of one of the most extraordinary politicalfigures of our time.