Description
Book SynopsisCountry by country, historians follow the routes taken by Che Guevara on his two trips across Latin America in the early 1950s.
Trade Review“This is a well-written study and enjoyable to read. . . . [T]he book is easy to follow . . . . The best destination for this book is probably undergraduate Latin American history classes, because it offers both a comprehensive study of 1950s Latin America and a scholarly overview of pre-revolutionary Che.” - James C. Knarr,
The Americas“
Che’s Travels is a noteworthy success. The analytical framework laid out at the beginning of the book yields a cohesive volume that enriches our understanding of the social, political and economic contexts that shaped one of Latin America’s most influential personalities.” - John R. Bawden,
The Latin Americanist“This is a fascinating collection which ... attempts to build around the itineraries of Che Guevara’s two famous journeys through Latin America (in 1951 and 1953) a series of snapshot pictures of the relevant countries of that time, judging both the extent of their impact on him and his subsequent impact on them. . . . a revealing and detailed, if not complete, picture of the Latin America of 1951-3.” - Antoni Kapcia,
Journal of Latin American Studies“
Che’s Travels offers a needed analysis of 1950s Latin American social and
political conditions, which, by using Che’s travels as a guide, makes the analysis clear and easy to follow. It could be an excellent way to introduce college students to the difficult conditions and political circumstances that transformed some middle class Latin Americans into revolutionaries.” - Alejandro Quintana,
History: Reviews of New Books“Written in a clear and engaging manner, the essays locate Guevara’s observations in his diaries within broader historiographical and historical frameworks. Indeed, one of the book’s achievements is its appeal for a wider audience. While more general readers may be interested in the personal details of his travels and the sense of intimacy they convey about one important historical figure, historians and social scientists can engage with several of the themes advanced by the authors. . . . [A]n innovative and highly readable perspective on the life of one of Latin America’s most famous historical figures.” - Jorge Nállim,
Labour/LeTravail“Paulo Drinot’s edited collection
Che’s Travels is an important contribution to [the] voluminous literature [on Che Guevara], and it would be an excellent text for any course on Guevara or twentieth-century revolutionary traditions in Latin America. It also fills some important research gaps by bringing together a collection of short essays that focus on the 1950s, a formative period in Guevara’s life and a period in Latin American history that has been neglected by scholars.” - Barry Carr,
Hispanic American Historical Review“
Che’s Travels is superb. Following the always interesting Che and his motorcycle across 1950s Latin America is a great way to cover most of the region and an absolutely crucial moment in Latin American history.”—
Steve Striffler, author of
In the Shadows of State and Capital: The United Fruit Company, Popular Struggle, and Agrarian Restructuring in Ecuador, 1900–1995“Readers will follow the legendary itinerary, stopping along the way to learn a great deal about both Ernesto Guevara de la Serna and the countries he motored through in the early 1950s. A brilliant and perfect companion to
The Motorcycle Diaries, this book provides sustained commentary on what Che saw, and importantly, on everything he missed. The authors combine impeccable research with piercing analysis as they move through terrain strewn with traces of Guevara’s hubris, misconceptions, and compassion.”—
Alejandra Bronfman, author of
Measures of Equality: Social Science, Citizenship, and Race in Cuba, 1902-1940“
Che’s Travels is a noteworthy success. The analytical framework laid out at the beginning of the book yields a cohesive volume that enriches our understanding of the social, political and economic contexts that shaped one of Latin America’s most influential personalities.” -- John R. Bawden * The Latin Americanist *
“
Che’s Travels offers a needed analysis of 1950s Latin American social and
political conditions, which, by using Che’s travels as a guide, makes the analysis clear and easy to follow. It could be an excellent way to introduce college students to the difficult conditions and political circumstances that transformed some middle class Latin Americans into revolutionaries.” -- Alejandro Quintana * History: Reviews of New Books *
“This is a fascinating collection which ... attempts to build around the itineraries of Che Guevara’s two famous journeys through Latin America (in 1951 and 1953) a series of snapshot pictures of the relevant countries of that time, judging both the extent of their impact on him and his subsequent impact on them. . . . a revealing and detailed, if not complete, picture of the Latin America of 1951-3.” -- Antoni Kapcia * Journal of Latin American Studies *
“This is a well-written study and enjoyable to read. . . . [T]he book is easy to follow . . . . The best destination for this book is probably undergraduate Latin American history classes, because it offers both a comprehensive study of 1950s Latin America and a scholarly overview of pre-revolutionary Che.” -- James C. Knarr * The Americas *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii
Introduction / Paulo Drinot 1
Point of Departure: Travel and Nationalism in Ernesto Guevara's Argentina / Eduardo Elena
Beauty and Bounty in Che's Chile / Patience A. Schnell
Awaiting the Blood of a Truly Emancipating Revolution: Che Guevara in 1950s Peru / Paulo Drinot
"Putting Up" with Violence: Ernesto Guevara, Guevarismo, and Colombia / Malcolm Deas
Che Guevara and Venezuela: Tourist, Guerrilla Mentor, and Revolutionary Spirit / Judith Ewell
The National Revolution and Bolivia in the 1950s: What Did Che See? / Ann Zulawski
"Not in All of America Can There Be Found a Country as Democratic as This One": Che and Revolution in Guatemala / Cindy Forster
Between Bohemianism and a Revolutionary Rebirth: Che Guevara in Mexico / Eric Zolov
Contributors
Index
