The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey (Movie tie-in edition) [B1638]

2004 PB revised and expanded 'movie tie-in' edition of the 1992 original, in excellent condition. The Motorcycle Diaries is Che Guevara's diary of his journey to discover the continent of Latin America while still a medical student, setting out in 1952 on a vintage Norton motorcycle together with his friend Alberto Granado, a biochemist. It captures, arguably as much as any book ever written, the exuberance and joy of one person's youthful belief in the possibilities of humankind tending towards justice, peace and happiness. After the release in 2004 of the exhilarating film of the same title, directed by Walter Salles, the book became a New York Times and international bestseller.

This edition includes a new introduction by Walter Salles and an array of new material that was assembled for the 2004 edition coinciding with the release of the film, including 24 pages of previously unpublished photos taken by Che, notes and comments by his wife, Aleida Guevara March, and an extensive introduction by the distinguished Cuban author, Cintio Vitier. "A journey, a number of journeys. Ernesto Guevara in search of adventure, Ernesto Guevara in search of America, Ernesto Guevara in search of Che. On this journey, solitude found solidarity. 'I' turned into 'we.'"-Eduardo Galeano. "As his journey progresses, Guevara's voice seems to deepen, to darken, colored by what he witnesses in his travels. He is still poetic, but now he comments on what he sees, though still poetically, with a new awareness of the social and political ramifications of what's going on around him."-January Magazine. "Our film is about a young man, Che, falling in love with a continent and finding his place in it."-Walter Salles, director of the film version of The Motorcycle Diaries

"All this wandering around 'Our America with a Capital A' has changed me more than I thought."-Ernesto Che Guevara, from The Motorcycle Diaries

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Guevara has a matter-of-fact writing style with flourishes of brilliance. Entertaining throughout, I came away with an appreciation for his artistic spirit though there are quite a few instances of him and Alberto being scumbags...I hope some of these stories are embellished for the entertainment value. Well-paced and quite a short read considering it covers over six months. Lots of searching for the next free drink and meal, mixed with some gross depictions of Indians and Blacks living throughout South America, this is fascinating to read since it gives insight into who Guevara was and why he became a Communist guerilla leader that the U.S. poured everything into stopping."; "This is a sketchy and superficial book overall, at times reading like a travel brochure. Things don't really come to life, perhaps they do in the movie, but it is mildly interesting. It ends with a revolutionary coda that seems tacked on and incongruous, not to mention rodomontade and somewhat hokey."; "Ok so, many 20 year olds leave their super privileged lives to backpack and to live that nomadic life - viewing poverty and systemic hardships without having to actually live through them - and then return to said life of privilege (literally me). HOWEVER - when Che got home he decided to actually fight the fight and became one of the biggest revolutionist icons of all time. lol."; "A pivotal narrative of Che's youth, his travels from his native Argentina to Central America. The undeniable premises regarding the ideological origins of his turbulent revolutionary life, which ultimately redeemed him."