Fidel Castro (PDF)

Fidel Castro is one of the most interesting and controversial
personalities of our time - he has become a myth and an icon.
He was the first Cuban Caudillo - the man who freed his
country from dependence on the USA and who lead his people to
rediscover their national identity and pride.

Castro has outlived generations of American presidents and
Soviet leaders. He has survived countless assassination attempts by
the CIA, the Mafia, and Cubans living in exile. He has become one
of the greatest politicians of the 20th Century. His biography, and
the history of his country exemplify the tensions between East and
West, North and South, rich and poor.

As Castro's life draws to a close, the question as to what will
become of Cuba is more important that ever. Will Castro open Cuba
to economic reform and democratization, or stick to his old slogan
socialism or death?

In this remarkable, up-to-date reconstruction of Castro's life,
Volker Skierka addresses these questions and provides an account of
the economic, social, and political history of Cuba since Castro's
childhood. He draws on a number of little-known sources, including
material from the East German communist archives on Cuba, which
were until recently inaccessible.

This is an exciting, painstakingly researched, and authortiative
account of the life of one of the most extraordinary political
figures of our time.