Che Guevara, by David Sandison (oversize TPB, ?, $3)
As I skimmed this book, I pondered the question of who Che really was, and what did I think of him. I had learned a lot. That he liked Faulkner and Verne. That he was a medical doctor. That he was Castro's second in command, and eventually even the head of the Cuban Bank. That his quests to bring Marxism to the Congo and to Bolivia failed. And that his picture on various stuff, including bikinis, sells almost as well as Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. So what do I make of all this? He was probably admirable, because he fought for the rights of the poor. He was evil, because he wished nuclear missiles had been used against American cities. He is to be thought of both as a revolutionary, and as an icon adopted by the capitalistic masses. He read both Marx and Robert Frost. He was a man of many layers. Read this book, and come to your own conclusions. Look for it on the new non-fiction table, avail. 1/4. (Later: biog. section)
