An outstanding new anthology of one of history’s greatest orators

Here, at last, is a comprehensive anthology presenting the voice of one of history’s greatest orators, Fidel Castro. Love him or hate him, there is no denying he is a “master of the spoken word,” as Gabriel García Márquez has described him.

Emerging in the 1960s as a leading voice in support of Third World anticolonial struggles and continuing to play a role in the antiglobalization movement of today, Fidel Castro remains an articulate and penetrating—if controversial—political thinker and leader, who has outlasted ten hostile US presidents.

His direct, forthright approach, his incredible grasp of diverse economic, historical, and cultural topics, and his idealism stand in stark contrast against the spin and superficiality of most political leaders.

Covering five decades of Fidel’s speeches, this selection begins with his famous courtroom defense (“History will Absolve Me”), and also includes his speech on learning of Che Guevara’s death in Bolivia, his analysis of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and his response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. With his declining health and the emergence of new leaders such as Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia, this book sheds light not just on Castro’s mighty role in Latin America’s immediate past, but also on his legacy for the future.

The Fidel Castro Reader includes a chronology of the Cuban Revolution, an extensive glossary and index as well as 24 pages of photos. As the first anthology of Castro’s speeches to be published in English since the 1960s, this is an essential resource for both scholars and general readers.

“Fidel’s devotion to the word is almost magical.” — Gabriel García Márquez

“Fidel is the leader of one of the smallest countries in the world, but he has helped to shape the destinies of millions of people across the globe.”
—Angela Davis

“Fidel Castro is a man of the masses… The Cuban revolution has been a source of inspiration to all freedom-loving people.”
—Nelson Mandela

“Fidel’s is a singing and dancing intellect.”
—Alice Walker

“The editors] have done an admirable, even heroic, job of editing and excerpting this reader [which] serves a purpose for both historians and politicos.”  —Foreword magazine

In response to the American administration’s attempt to isolate Cuba, Fidel Castro delivered a series of speeches designed to radicalize Latin American society. As Latin America experiences more revolutions in Venezuela and Bolivia, and continues to upset America’s plans for neo-liberal imperialism, renowned radical writer and activist Tariq Ali provides a searing analysis of the relevance of Castro’s message for today.

“Fidel’s devotion to the word is almost magical.”—Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The most comprehensive selection of the most famous speeches of Fidel Castro is now available in the original Spanish language.

An articulate and incisive, if controversial, political figure on the world stage for five decades, Fidel Castro is undoubtedly one of history’s greatest orators.

Beginning with his eloquent courtroom defense speech (“History will absolve me”) and concluding with his reflections on the prospects for the Cuban Revolution “post-Fidel,” this book sheds light on the future of Cuba and Latin America as well as their past.

This book is available in English as the Fidel Castro Reader.

Chile y Allende is Fidel Castro's analysis of the Chilean road to socialism in the 1970s. In 1971, Castro spent a month in Chile, addressing public meetings and discussing with President Salvador Allende Cuba's experience in combating US-inspired counterrevolutionary forces. On departure, he handed Allende a rifle. The book includes Castro's speech following the US-sponsored coup by Augusto Pinochet in 1973, in which Allende lost his life.