Against All Hope

Rating:
Summary: Monumental, Irrefutable, Unforgettable.
Review: In this monumental testimonial of his twenty-two years as a Cuban political prisoner, Valladares graphically recounts the executions, beatings and sadistic tortures that are a commonplace in Cuba's prisons. During his "travels" within the vast Cuban prison complex, Valladares crosses paths with the "Plantados," the brave men and women who refused "reeducation" inside Castro's jails, and who paid a terrible price as a result. More than a recounting of the horrors of the Cuban gulag, this book is an inspiring testimonial to the capacity of faith and love to overcome hatred and utter moral depravity. Sixteen years after its original publication, Against All Hope remains the authoritative English-language account of the depredations committed by the Castro regime. It adds yet another devastating chapter to the growing body of documentation on the crimes of totalitarianism in the 20th century. No one who reads this book will ever again see Fidel Castro and his revolution in the same light.

Rating:
Summary: A Heart-Wrenching Experience!
Review: My cousin was also imprisoned by Castro following the Bay of Pigs Invasion in the 60's. He refused (and still refuses)to speak about his experiences, so my aunt loaned me the Spanish version of this book several years ago. I was fascinated but must admit that I was totally unprepared for the brutality and cruelty that those prisoners must endure. I cried the entire time, and the memory of what that book described will haunt me for the rest of my life. Now I want my children to read this account so that they will appreciate their heritage and the freedom that we enjoy in the United States.

Rating:
Summary: A hard book to read
Review: When I read this book I had to put it down at least seven different times; the barbaric cruelty of the jailers was that upsetting. For little more than a token show of distaste for Marxism, Valladares was imprisoned under the harshest conditions imaginable. The mind numbing sadism goes on chapter after chapter until you can't imagine how a man could put up with it. Valladares, thru sheer faith and belief that he'll survive, finds a way to survive the drawer cells, the white room, the extended solitary confinement in total darkness, the sleep deprivation, the horrible food, the immersion in a lake of human excrement, the brutal beatings and having to witness fellow prisoners maimed and killed.

His health, particularly his lung tissue, was permanently damaged. The description of his injury and its aftermath in the wake of his attempt to escape made me wince repeatedly. Having been on crutches 15 times myself I could feel his pain. God bless Amnesty International for helping to spring this guy.

When I read about the excoriation that Ron Radosh and David Horowitz endure from their former communist comrades I want to suggest that the complinants go live in Cuba and ply their demogoguery there. Then they can do time in Castro's jails and give us their opinion about his glorious revolution.

Read "Guerilla Prince" by Geyer as a compliment to this book; it's the story of Castro's life. Fidel, whatta guy. Valladares adds to the extensive record of what a horrifying sadist we have ruling an island prison 90 miles from our shores. All American communists-progressives-socialists should read this book, for perspective if nothing else.