Category: Biographies

Remembering Che: My Life with Che Guevara – Aleida March

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13236911In 1967, Ernesto Che Guevara (1928-1967) left Cuba for the last time as he engaged in his plan to spread social revolution across Latin America. Fueled by his beliefs in Marxist-Leninist ideology, he was determined to see Latin America free from the grip of Yankee capitalism.  On October 8, 1967,  he was executed by the Bolivian military following his capture several days later.  His death pushed him into martyrdom and to this day, he is by far, the most iconic revolutionary, both loved and loathed. His actions on the battle field and later as part of the Cuban Government have produced enough material for several books.  But what was often overlooked was his role as a husband and father. When he departed Cuba and began his final expedition, he left behind a wife and five children from two women.  His youngest child was an infant when he left.  His widow Aleida and his children have carried his legacy, never letting us forget who he was and what he stood for.

Che Guevara continues to arouse interest and actor Benicio Del Toro took on the role of Che in the 2008 biopic of the same name.  And as Cuba slowly moves closer to social reform and the end of the Castro regime, his name will arise in discussions about Cuba’s difficult past.  Many of the figures that took part in the Cuban Revolution are no longer with us, having departed this world for the next life.  Raul Castro remains one of the few from the old guard and carries the spirit of the revolution as he oversees the country that his brother transformed.

As much as I could go on about Che, the story at hand belongs to his widow Aleida and these are her recollections of her life with him.   The two met during the guerrilla campaign and were married in 1959 following Che’s divorce from his first wife Hilda Gadea (1921-1974) with whom he had a daughter, Hilda Guevara (1956-1995). Aleida would go on to give him four children, all of whom resemble their iconic father.  To the public, he was the key piece to the battle at Santa Clara which changed the war and to others, the man responsible for the executions at the La Cabana prison.  At home, he was dad and as Aleida shows us, a typical father trying to be a good husband who adores his kids.   Following the expulsion of Fulgencio Batista, Che took on several jobs, typically working from Monday through Saturday.  It has been said that he sometimes slept in his office. And even on Sundays, he worked for several hours before going home to his family.   For most women, this would have been too much, but for Aleida, she remained dedicated to her husband, his beliefs and the revolution they both took part in.

Those who might be looking for a revelation will not find it here.  The book is mainly about their life together as they bring several children into the world.  Che was dedicated to his cause and revolution is a part of their daily lives. Aleida’s anecdotes highlight many instances where his rigid beliefs interfered with their daily lives.  And to her credit, she never stopped loving him nor did she remarry after his death.

Undoubtedly, the crux of the book is how Che came to leave Cuba for the last time and how Aleida handled his decision.   Her disclosures about her feelings regarding Che’s decision to leave might surprise some readers.   She is very frank and clear in her thoughts but I could not help to think that she was beyond dejected to see him leave.  And for Che, leaving his family must have been one of the hardest decisions he had ever been forced to make.  Aleida very vividly and thoughtfully, explains how Che came to make that fateful decision.  Today we have the luxury of asking what if?  What if he had never left Cuba and stayed there with his family?  Would he have become the revolutionary icon that he is today?  We will never know those answers but through Aleida’s fond memories, we can see the other side of Ernesto Che Guevara.

ISBN-10: 0987077937
ISBN-13: 978-0987077936

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League-Jeff Hobbs

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20180603_0035370On May 24, 2011, police responded to calls reporting gunfire on a quiet street in Newark, New Jersey. Inside the basement apartment, the found a young man slumped over from several gunshot wounds.  He was already deceased and at the time, his life and accomplishments were unknown to the officers. His name was Robert DeShaun Peace (1971-2011).  He was 30 years old.  Following his death, his short and tragic life began to come to light with the publication of this memoir by his former college roommate and friend, Jeff Hobbs, and even Hollywood. On October 6, 2014, Antoine Fuqua, the director of the award-winning ‘Training Day’, announced that he would direct a biopic about Peace.

But just who was Robert DeShaun Peace? He was born in East Orange, New Jersey and defied the odds, leaving the inner-city to graduate a degree in molecular biochemistry from Yale University.  He was raised by a single mother and struggled with his feelings toward his father, who was incarcerated for the majority of his son’s life.  Fate and luck combined to give the young man for East Orange a golden opportunity to attend Yale University. And it was here that he and Hobbs formed the friendship that produced this interesting yet tragic story of a brilliant young man.  Peace was described as nearly a genius in the things that he did and his life even took him as far as Croatia.  Sadly, he would return to the very streets he sought to escape which would later claim his life.

The story of Robert Peace is one that could be told in any number of cities across America. Millions of young men and women face the same struggle and demons as Peace as they attempt to find their way in life.  Some of them will make it and accomplish their goals but tragically others will fall victim to the very streets they wish to escape.  Peace’s mother worked a variety of jobs as a single mother.  The tragedy of his father’s incarceration adds to the mix of conditions that have plagued inner-city homes for decades.  From the time of his birth, the odds were not in his favor.  But perseverance, fortune and an incredibly brilliant mind, transformed this young man’s life and for him, the sky was the limit.

Peace’s return to Newark and the actions that lead to his death force us to question why is it that an Ivy league graduate returned to the very streets which threatened his daily existence and engaged in activities that are prone to end in incarceration or even death?  Typically, graduates of Yale go on to bigger and better things.  Peace is no longer with us to give us an explanation and we can only speculate as to where he saw his life heading.  If he had lived and followed down the path of molecular biochemistry, perhaps he would be a Nobel Peace Prize winner.  His untimely death speaks to us all reminding us of the shortness of life and the value of a great mind.  With this book, Hobbs has done a great service to the life and memory of an exceptionally gifted young man.

ISBN-10: 1476731918
ISBN-13: 978-1476731919

The Mayor Of Castro Street – Randy Shilts

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harveyOn November 27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk were shot and killed by former Supervisor Dan White. The New York born Milk had relocated to San Francisco, taking up residence in the Castro section.  He and lover Scott Smith opened Castro Camera before Milk set his eyes on politics.  After several tries, he was finally elected as a City Supervisor and in the process became the first openly gay man to serve in public office in San Francisco.  His efforts at City Hall and community activism earned him the nickname “The Mayor of Castro Street“.  In recent years, there has been a revival of interest in Milk and in 2008, director Gus Van Sant took the reigns in the biopic about Milk starring Hollywood veteran Sean Penn in the leading role.  It was an incredible performance and one of Penn’s best.  However, there was much more to Harvey Milk than we saw on the silver screen.  Randy Shilts, author of And the Band Played On, looks back on Milk’s life in this definitive biography of the late activist.

It is critical to remember that Milk died at only forty-eight years of age.  In less than five decades, he went from a former sailor working for the Great American Insurance Company to the face of the gay rights movement in San Francisco.  The native of Woodmere, New York had done something that was unheard of at a time in which the LGBT community was in a fierce struggle to protect their very lives.  The Stonewall riots in 1969 and Proposition 6 by then Senator John Briggs, became defining moments in the movement for equality.   As homosexuality became more scrutinized and in some cases accepted, thousands of young men flocked to San Francisco where they were able to live openly without fear of persecution.   But even there, the fight continued against a brutal police department and the political establishment that had no use of time for what many called “the others”.  In Milk, the movement found its voice but as he said himself he was not the candidate, the movement was the candidate.  But he did have the vision, determination and skill to inspire the invaluable feeling of hope. Shilts did a masterful job of telling Milk’s story and it is evidently clear how and why he became the “Mayor of Castro Street”.   But the story is not all happiness and even the darkest moments in his life are re-told as they were showing the disarray and tragedy that composed Milk’s private life.  And from the moment he became a political figure, the threat of death was never far away.  But through it all, Harvey continued to push forward until he finally achieve the goal that had eluded him several times. And at the time of his death, he had come to assert substantial influence in San Francisco politics.

Dan White was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. The light sentence triggered the ” White Night Riots”, after a jury apparently believed White’s “Twinkie” defense.  In 1984, after serving the five years, White committed suicide at the age of thirty-nine.  The trial, conviction and the riots are covered by Shilts and at times caused me to shake my head in disbelief.  I do believe that had Mayor Moscone been the only one killed, White would have received a much harsher sentence.  He lives on in infamy as the murderer of two politicians who had the promise and skill to change the course of history for the City of San Francisco.  Shilts provides an inside view of the political climate that existed at the time and the uphill battle Harvey faced as he broken into politics.

In the film Milk, we come to learn about two of Harvey’s lovers, Scott Smith and Jack Lira.  What the film did not show, were Harvey’s other love interests which were an integral part of his life story.  I do not hold anything against Gus Van Sant for 90 minutes is not nearly enough to cover any person’s life in full detail. And such is the beauty of a good book.  Shilts was always one to present a complete picture and he does not disappoint here. The book picks up speed from the beginning and never slows down.   I think it is to be expected that the worst moment is Moscone and Milk’s murders.  By the time I reached the trial of Dan White, I fully came to understand the legacy of Harvey Milk.   For those who want to know his complete life story, this is the book for you.  And I also recommend that you watch Rob Epstein’s incredible documentary  ‘The Times of Harvey Milk’.

ISBN-10: 0312560850
ISBN-13: 978-0312560850

Yes I Can -Sammy Davis, Jr. with Burt Boyar and Jane Boyar

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sammyOn May 16, 1990, Sammy Davis Jr. succumbed to his battle with throat cancer at the age of 64.  His health had continued to decline following his release from the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center earlier that year on March 13.  His death is felt in Hollywood and in the African-American community where Davis is viewed as one of its greatest performers.  His friendship with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis stood out in Hollywood during a time when integration was not permitted in many parts of the United States. The four friends known as the Rat Pack became legends on the Las Vegas strip.   To the public, Davis is seen as pioneer for other young African-American performers seeking fame and fortune in the music industry.  Davis remains firmly implanted in our minds with his performances of ‘Bo Jangles’ and acting roles on the silver screen.  His final film performance in the late Gregory Hines’ ‘Tap’ is both nostalgic and sad for the deterioration in Davis’ physical condition can be seen in the film.  As incredible as his performances were, the story of his life as told by Davis in this phenomenal autobiography is even more fascinating and key to understanding the many directions in which his life took him.

Davis begins by recalling his childhood in which he started as an entertainer and the stormy relationship between his biological parents, both of whom were also entertainers and separated when he was young.  His grandmother is enlisted to oversee his well-being but time and time again he goes on tour with Will Mastin, who serves as his second father at times.  As World War II comes around, he enlists in the U.S. Army which at the time was infamous for racial prejudice and segregation.  His memories of the treatment and lessons he learned in the service are both heartbreaking and eye-opening.  Following the military he once again follows the show business path, the path on which he would travel for the rest of his life.  Behind the scenes, his life became a rollercoaster ride.  He lost an eye in a car accident, married May Britt in 1960 in the face of miscegenation laws, converted to Judaism and even carried a loaded gun on stage as he performed.  He was a vocal supporter of the movement for civil rights, many of which he was denied himself throughout his life.

His marriage to May Britt in 1960 caused both shock and outrage.  The reactions of the press and even ordinary citizens is repulsive at times during the book but also critical to understanding the times in which Davis lived and how bold their actions were.  Miscegenation was not struck down by the Supreme Court until 1967, and even then, interracial marriage was strongly discouraged and treated with hostility.   Davis’ ability to move forward in life and the struggles he faced within himself while married to Brit are key to seeing through to the real Sammy Davis, Jr.   The book closes with the birth of his daughter Tracy.  We now know that he was married several more times and had two additional children in his lifetime.   When he died, he did not leave behind a mass of wealth as would be expected.  But what he did leave behind is a legacy that continues to this day.   If you want to know more about the real Sammy Davis, Jr., this is the place to start.

ISBN-10: 1477611924
ISBN-13: 978-1477611920

 

 

The Diary of a Young Girl-Anne Frank

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index1The stories of those who survived the Holocaust have been read by millions and their words a reminder of one of history’s darkest times. Their will to live and courage in reliving their experiences have given the world invaluable treasures in books that have stood and will continue to stand the test of time.  Among them is the story Annelies Marine “Anne” Frank (1929-1945), whose diary kept while hiding from the Third Reich, became one of the most popular books in the world.  In June, 2013 while visiting The Netherlands, I paid a visit to the Anne Frank Museum. As I entered the museum and made my way up to the attic, I was overcome by chills at just how small it really is.  Pictures and words do not suffice, it is something to be seen in person.  And it continues to boggle my mind that several people lived in such a compact space.  But their will to survive kept them focused on their surroundings and remaining in the attack for as long as possible.  Their hiding place was eventually discovered and for many years it was believed that the family was betrayed. However, historians have never found conclusive proof that the family’s location was given to the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) in the form of an anonymous phone call as is widely believed.  The truth may remain lost to history.   Frank was sent to the Bergen-Belsen camp where she died of Typhus in February, 1945, several days after her sister Margot and would have been simply another victim of the Final Solution if not for her father Otto, who survived the war and returned to Amsterdam where he found her diary.  Believing his daughter’s words to be important to future generations, he found a publisher willing to put the words in print.  And the result is a literary masterpiece that is read each year by growing numbers of young students across the world.

The diary is fascinating and shows the musings of a typical teenage girl living in atypical times.  Her account of daily life in the annex and thoughts about her family, war and her feelings towards the other occupants in the annex are interesting and at times humorous.  Her sharp wit and analytical observations of those around her, show that she is wise beyond her years. And her ability to maintain a sense of humor even as they are hiding in the attic, is a testament to her character and that of those around her. We the readers know that eventually she falls victim to the Nazis and is sent to the camp where she will die.  But as the book moves forward, it is impossible not to become drawn to her through a vivacious personality and blossoming mind.  We are even introduced to her paramour, Peter whose family is in hiding with the Franks.  Her story really is the diary of a young girl.

When I finished the book, I found it incredibly difficult to come to terms that such a young woman was sent to her death simply because of her religious faith.   It forced me to ask myself why humans do the things they do to each other.  We have an uncanny ability to cause the destruction of ourselves and those around us.  Anne Frank, never finished high school, went to a university, met the love of her life and started a family.  During the Second World War, she and the occupants of the hidden attic fell victim to Nazi terror formulated by Nazi ideology.  But in death, Frank has become a martyr of the Holocaust and one its brightest voices from beyond this world.  Today, more than seventy-three years after her death, this book remains on the shelves of bibliophiles, libraries and teachers throughout the world as new generations of students learn about the Third Reich and the quest of Adolf Hitler to accomplish world domination.

Anne Frank’s story is one that will remain with you long after you have finished the book.  Although it is recommended reading to young adults, I find that even older adults can find meaning in this captivating journal recorded by a young woman whose life was changed permanently in the country she called home as the Austrian menace pushed Germany in a world conflict. And until the end of time, people will continue to read and cherish this diary of a young girl.

ISBN-10: 9780553296983
ISBN-13: 978-0553296983

The Private Life of Chairman Mao – Dr. Li Zhisui

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chariman-maoOn September 9, 1976, Mao Zedong (1893-1976) died in Beijing, China at the age of eighty-two. The late Chairman served as ruler of the People’s Republic of China following the defeat of Chiang Kai-Shek’s Kuomintang (KMT) party in 1949. The People’s Liberation Army, under the guidance of Mao, pushed the KMT to complete physical exhaustion before claiming victory. To some, Mao represented the face of a new frontier for the people of China. To others, his regime was viewed as an expansion of Soviet influence as Communism became embraced in Europe and Asia. His failed policy of the Great Leap Forward resulted in mass starvation and is viewed as an epic failure in planning at the highest levels. Over time, many became disillusioned with the “Cultural Revolution” as the reality of a Communist government drearily set in. Mao, seemingly impervious to the deadly effects of his actions, continued to live the opulent lifestyle he had created for himself as the new leader of China. And the “Closed Door” policy afforded him with a shield to protect his empire from the prying eyes of the western hemisphere. But Mao’s meeting with President Richard M. Nixon in 1972 offered a glimmer of hope that the two world powers could form a bond that would in turn bring the two countries together through mutual understanding. Today relations between China and the United States remain tense and show no signs of changing in the foreseeable future. China continues to go through social change but the nation remains haunted by the legacy of Mao Zedong.

Propaganda plays a pivotal role in any ruler’s playbook. Mao created a very carefully crafted image of the supreme leader, unfazed by foreign governments and determined to change China by any means necessary. The public facade largely worked and even today, decades after his death, his name alone is enough to cause a change of expression during conversation. But behind the public facade, there existed another Mao who lived a life that could only be described as unorthodox. He had hired a personal physician, Dr. Li Zhisui to monitor his health and make any recommendations and/or changes when needed. Unbeknownst to the Dr. Zhisui, his left would never be the same again as he took a ringside seat to watch the show that was the private life of Chairman Mao. By his own admission, his wife urged him to write the book before her death. Knowing ahead of time that the publication of the book would require that he leave China, he embraced the project and pulls no punches, revealing the daily insanity that was Mao’s administration. From the beginning it becomes clear that Mao rules with an iron fist and those that serve him do so not out of low but mainly fear. To Mao, nearly all were talked tough were what he called “paper tigers” and he was not afraid to use force when necessary. His ruthless nature and shrewd mind tricks created a climate of suspicion and distrust that gripped everyone working in his inner circle. And as the doctor explains, the wrong words or even suspicions were enough for removal and in some cases far worse.

No story about Mao is complete without a word regarding his widow, Jiang Qing (1914-1991), who served as the Spouse of the Paramount Leader of China from 1949 until Mao’s death in 1976. A former actress, she married Mao on November 28, 1938 becoming his fourth wife. Their marriage and the tribulations contained therein, serve as the back story to the topic at hand. Mao’s infidelities and Qing’s insecurities are key issues in the book and a constant source of tension between her and his chosen physician. She serves as the books antagonist and a mental game of chess develops as she seeks out any chance to put the doctor in the cross hairs of suspicion. At times, the scenes are nothing short of comical and reveal the desperation in Qing’s actions. Her rage at Mao’s philandering were typically directed as other for she lacked the backing or resolve to directly challenge and change the nation’s leader. Following Mao’s death, she was convicted as part of the “Gang of Four” for treason and initially sentenced to death before her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. She died in 1991 after taking her own life while suffering from the effects of throat cancer.

If there is one section of the book that hits home with the reality of Mao’s callousness, it is the doctor’s comments about Mao’s true purpose behind the Great Leap Forward. In fact, it might seem unreal to some readers at first but Dr. Zhisui was there next to Mao witnessing firsthand the Chairman’s erratic behavior. And there is a high probability that Mao never intended for the Great Leap Forward to succeed in any shape form or fashion. There are many cold hard truths in this book but to understand Mao Zedong, his public and personal life must be examined and it is here that Dr. Zhisui has written the best account of crazy, unorthodox and complicated life of Mao Zedong. Highly recommended.

ISBN-10: 0679764437
ISBN-13: 978-0679764434