The Motorcycle Diaries

By (author) Guevara, Ernesto Che; Translated by Che Guevara Studies Center
Description:

''A Latin American James Dean or Jack Kerouac'' Washington Post

''It''s true; Marxists just wanna have fun... a revolutionary bestseller'' Guardian

At the age of twenty-three, Ernesto ''Che'' Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado set out from their native Argentina to explore their continent, with only a single 1939 Norton motorcycle to carry them, nicknamed La Poderosa (''the powerful one'').

They travelled not to visit the usual tourist attractions, but to meet ordinary people and understand Latin American life. In amidst the tales of youthful adventures - of women, wine, thrilling escapes and the power of friendship - the young Che also learns first-hand about poverty, philosophy and philosophy and forms himself into the man who would become the world''s most famous and admired revolutionary and freedom fighter.

''For every comic escapade of the carefree roustabout there is an equally eye-opening moment in the development of the future revolutionary leader. By the end of the journey, a politicized Guevara has emerged to predict his own legendary future'' Time

Review quote:
It''s true; Marxists just wanna have fun...A revolutionary bestseller
Review quote:
For every comic escapade of the carefree roustabout there is an equally eye-opening moment in the development of the future revolutionary leader. By the end of the journey, a politicized Guevara has emerged to predict his own legendary future
Review quote:
The vision of the noble loner, whether freedom-fighter or biker...gives hope to world-weary revolutionaries and non-revolutionaries alike.
Review quote:
A Latin American James Dean or Jack Kerouac
Biographical note:
Ernesto Che Guevara was born into a middle-class family in Argentina in 1928 and trained as a doctor, but became radicalized by the poverty and hunger he witnessed in South America. He played a key role in the Cuban revolution and served in Fidel Castro''s government. He then travelled to Congo to support the rebellion there, and finally to Bolivia, where with a small, committed group he initiated a revolutionary movement and was captured and executed by Bolivian and US military forces in 1967.