Book Recommendations

The Motorcycle Diaries

By Ernesto Che Guevara

Travel, Essays & Travelogues, Literary Collections, Diaries & Journals, South America, General, Political Science, Political Ideologies, Communism, Post-Communism & Socialism, History, Latin America, Letters, Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies) | 176 pages
1 recommendation

'A Latin American James Dean or Jack Kerouac' Washington Post

'It's true; Marxists just wanna have fun... a revolutionary bestseller' Guardian

At the age of twenty-three, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado set out from their native Argentina to explore their continent, with only a single 1939 Norton motorcycle to carry them, nicknamed La Poderosa ('the powerful one').

They travelled not to visit the usual tourist attractions, but to meet ordinary people and understand Latin American life. In amidst the tales of youthful adventures - of women, wine, thrilling escapes and the power of friendship - the young Che also learns first-hand about poverty, philosophy and philosophy and forms himself into the man who would become the world's most famous and admired revolutionary and freedom fighter.

'For every comic escapade of the carefree roustabout there is an equally eye-opening moment in the development of the future revolutionary leader. By the end of the journey, a politicized Guevara has emerged to predict his own legendary future' Time

Latest recommendations
Judith Rich
20th Sep 2024
"Whenever I travel, I love to take a book set in the country I'm visiting. This was my choice when I travelled with Explore to Bolivia some years ago. Unlike the Cuban war diaries (my choice for my Explore trip to Cuba, which gave me a big headache - although the mojitos and Cristal may have contributed), this book is easy to read while giving a real insight into why Che Guevara became the man he did. Visiting the silver mine at Potosi in particular, we saw the kind of hardship depicted in the book.

Also check out the wonderful film adaptation starring Gael Garcia Bernal."