Fidel! - 9780367011154

Taylor & Francis

The author of this book takes a highly original approach to understanding the past three decades of Cuban history\u2013he offers an analysis and interpretation of the prolific writings and speeches of Fidel Castro and of numerous interviews with him. Through Castro\u2019s own words, Sheldon Liss examines the evolution of the Cuban leader\u2019s political and social ideas and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the Revolution. Liss first illuminates how intellectuals and political activists, including Jos\u00C3\u00A9 Marti, Antonio Guiteras, and Ernesto \u201CChe\u201D Guevara, influenced Fidel\u2019s ideological development. Next, he examines the Cuban and European origins of Castro\u2019s political philosophy, probes his views on the deficiencies inherent in capitalism, and details why he established a vanguard Communist party. Throughout the book, Liss places Fidel\u2019s ideas in international perspective, outlining, for example, his views of the Cuban-Soviet relationship, hs