Overview
A pictorial biography of one of our most colorful and controversial public figures.The first photography book to chronicle Fidel Castro's career through hundreds of compelling images accompanying an authoritative text, this volume traces the life of the notorious leader from his childhood through his most recent years, revealing the influences in Castro's life and the events that shaped his long and controversial political career. Over 300 photographs from a wide range of sources, including press pictures and private archives, evoke the many faces of Castro: the law student at the University of Havana who quickly became embroiled in the political culture of the university; the young activist who joined the Partido Ortodoxo, which had been formed by his mentor, Eduardo Chibás; the new prime minister of Cuba who assumed power in 1959, after successfully leading the revolution to overthrow Fulgencio Batista. We witness through these images the powerful leader who saw his country through the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a changing world culture as the Soviet Union dissolved.
Photographs showing Castro embracing former Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev and smilingly holding up a newspaper with the headline PLOT TO KILL CASTRO provide readers with fresh insight into this ever-fascinating world leader. Whether he is swinging a baseball bat or brandishing a cigar, orating before an enormous crowd or intently discussing issues one-on-one, the images in this book convey the charisma, passion, and intensity that propelled Castro to a reign that has lasted through five decades.
Synopsis
A pictorial biography of one of our most colorful and controversial public figures.
The first photography book to chronicle Fidel Castro's career through hundreds of compelling images accompanying an authoritative text, this volume traces the life of the notorious leader from his childhood through his most recent years, revealing the influences in Castro's life and the events that shaped his long and controversial political career. Over 300 photographs from a wide range of sources, including press pictures and private archives, evoke the many faces of Castro: the law student at the University of Havana who quickly became embroiled in the political culture of the university; the young activist who joined the Partido Ortodoxo, which had been formed by his mentor, Eduardo Chibás; the new prime minister of Cuba who assumed power in 1959, after successfully leading the revolution to overthrow Fulgencio Batista. We witness through these images the powerful leader who saw his country through the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a changing world culture as the Soviet Union dissolved.
Photographs showing Castro embracing former Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev and smilingly holding up a newspaper with the headline PLOT TO KILL CASTRO provide readers with fresh insight into this ever-fascinating world leader. Whether he is swinging a baseball bat or brandishing a cigar, orating before an enormous crowd or intently discussing issues one-on-one, the images in this book convey the charisma, passion, and intensity that propelled Castro to a reign that has lasted through five decades.