Latin America Diaries: Otra Vez or a Second Look at Latin America

By Ernesto Che Guevara

Book Overview

A wonderful glimpse into the maturing mind of a great man and a vital companion to the previous Che diaries.--Michael McCaughan, The Irish Times

Guevara . . . chronicles labor uprisings and resistance against the influences and interests of the US and its intelligence operations. Guevara's passions for history, archaeology, and science are also apparent in this absorbing glimpse of the development of a legendary revolutionary figure.--Vanessa Bush, Booklist

This second volume of travel diaries by revolutionary icon Guevara (after Motorcycle Diaries) shows the 25-year-old rebel wandering around South America in the latter half of 1953.--Publishers Weekly

This sequel to The Motorcycle Diaries includes letters, poetry, and journalism that document Ernesto Che Guevara's second Latin American journey following his graduation from medical school. After traveling through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Central America, Ernesto witnesses the 1954 US-inspired coup in Guatemala. He flees to Mexico where he encounters Fidel Castro, marking the beginning of a political partnership that profoundly changes the world and Che himself.

This new, expanded edition has been fully revised especially for Ocean Press by Che's widow Aleida March, meticulously correcting her own work of checking Che's handwriting. Includes thirty-two pages of unpublished photos, including photos taken by Che's son Ernesto as he retraces his father's footsteps. Features a prologue by Alberto Granado, Che's traveling companion in The Motorcycle Diaries.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0980429277
• ISBN13: 9780980429275
• Release Date: April 2011
• Publisher: Ocean Press
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

back on the road: a journey through latin america

A diary that is rambling but compelling to read. Hard to put down. Shows transformation of Motorcycle Diaries Earnesto (Che) Guavera into soon to be Commandante Che of Cuban Revolution--the endearing kitten who grows up to be the feral and rather large cat in the living room. It starts out as a story of a young man with itchy feet who cannot tolerate boredom (ADHD comes to mind). Soon, however, he becomes embroiled in an intense politcal struggle which begins in Guatemala. The outcome of the Guatemala struggle develops Che's adult vision of a united Latin America, free of United Fruit and "Yanqui" domination, which continues for the rest of Ernesto (Che) Guevara's brief life. This book shows a part of United States and Central American history of which few North Americans are aware. I know I wasn't.

FINDING CHE IN PARIS

I found Back on the Road at Shakespeare & Co. in Paris. I had not know about this book and it is a splendid companion to his Motorcyle Diaries, in fact reading both books let's you look into Che's mind and what made him a Revolutionary. His style of writing appeals to me, he writes about what he sees, how he feels, and best of all, his friends and lady friends, he seems to have been catnip to women, but, he writes in a style that does not talk down to either sex and this makes him easily the best revolutionary writer of his time. Che is very popular in Europe and not just with the younger generation. Buying this book will open your eyes to what Che was really like.

You are better off reading "Motorcycle Diaries"

Having just read "Motorcycle Diaries" and loving it, I was eager to read this book. The problems with it are two-fold. It was edited by his widow and not by Guevara himself as the first book was. In the preface it is noted that she extracted parts of the original text. The second fault is that it is a journal but it is written with very few dates. There are no breaks between daily entries so as you read along from paragraph to paragraph several days worth of entries are present. It makes the text hard to follow. His writing is still interesting but also several times he writes that nothing new is happening. It seems that his "heart" is not in this journal. There is some very interesting information included though ranging from the disaffected tone about which he writes to his mother about his first marriage to his firsthand observation of the overthrow of the Guatemalan government. The highlights of the book are the letters he wrote home to family and friends. It is a short book and definetly worth a read but don't have the expectation that it will be as good as "Motorcycle Diaries".