Giovanni

I did have some moments when my resolve faltered, but overall this book met my "made-me-think, would re-read-if-I-had-the-time" criteria for 4⭐️. Chilling descriptions of addiction and depression. Loved the irony/sarcasm, and the prose (albeit often showy). Occasional sexism, racism, ableism etc, not always ascribable to the characters. Erudite, encyclopedic. Learned of many online resources about the book, at least one podcast and an entire community of enthusiasts.

Very interesting perspective. Not sure what the state of affairs and overall awareness of Cuba in 1970 were, but obviously proposing Cuba as a solution has not aged well, and paradoxically it makes Galeano’s point even better, as it makes the overall situation—if anything—darker.

fascinating and heartbreaking.

I loved this book! It’s passionate, detailed, and engaging (an engaging history book, I guess). Yes, it’s opinionated—but it's the right opinion, in my opinion! This has inspired me to continue my journey through Latin American history. I’ve expanded my original list of three books to include three more: Silver, Sword, and Stone and LatinoLand by Marie Arana, and Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano. If you have more suggestions with English audiobooks, please let me know!

Always fun to review some medieval history with Dan Jones!