Author(s): Simon Reid-Henry

Biography

FIDEL AND CHE: A REVOLUTIONARY FRIENDSHIP is the story of the peasant's son, scholar, and rebel -- Fidel Castro, and his fateful meeting with the itinerant doctor Ernesto (Che) Guevara. Not yet thirty, and both in exile, they met in Mexico City in 1955. By 1967 Che Guevara was dead. But over the course of their twelve year friendship they became two of the twentieth century's most compelling figures. The book follows Fidel and Che on their dramatic journey from Mexico's political underground, to war in the Cuban mountains, and ultimately into the heart of the Cold War. Drawing on extensive research, including recently declassified material, Simon Reid-Henry interviews key personalities across three continents. He takes us to the heart of Fidel and Che's unique relationship as what began as a political association became the most profound friendship of their lives. FIDEL AND CHE is set against the tide of revolution. It is the story of two men who shared a common dream; who became friends, comrades and brothers-in-arms and who, finally, would make an epic choice between their friendship and their beliefs. Review: 'Two big figures, one fine debut: It is quite a task to make your first book a lucid, pulsating study of not one but two huge figures, but Simon Reid-Henry pulls it off ... The two men's early lives are skilfully drawn, with playground anecdotes ... subtly deploying his own extensive travel and recently declassified sources, Reid-Henry produces a taut history of two men who brought out the best in each other and came to embody the very notion of modern-day protest.' -- The Economist's Intelligent Life 'absorbing account of their friendship' -- Sunday Times 'Simon Reid-Henry is a fluid writer and this, his first book is well-paced.' -- Financial Times