This is not a review by a great(or heroic) book reviewer, it's just a book reviewed by a child of his environment. I'm not the same person before I read this book, or even the same person while reading this book. First off, thank you Ernesto for such an exquisite piece of literature and my apologizes for taking some of your words and not being able to express them with as much feeling and conviction as yours on be written. This is an excellent book to read about two men on a journey to North America who on the way and through there troubles, find themselves along the way. Whether there trying to sneak wine or just drinking mate, this is an adventure that I could envision in my head throughout the book. All I can say is if you want to see a little glimpse of the beginning of a legend then you must read this. I can't wait to read more by Ernesto.

As much as I wanted to understand the molding of Che into the revolutionary myth that he was, and his outlook on the world when he was young, this book was a disappointment. Not because it doesn't offer what it promises, it does. This is Che's dairy written when he traveled across Latam, (at least most of it; the last chapter - 'A note in the margin' was clearly written much later. Perhaps after Che's assent from a marginal university student toward the global myth that he had later become.)
Unfortunate there is very little in this work - aside from his love for mate and the vivid descriptions of the hobby style in which Che and his buddy traveled across Latam that allows the reader to get a clear portrait of a blooming and passionate revolutionary that he was later to become. If truth be told, I am very much surprised that he followed a revolutionary path after seeing the condition of the workers. According to his own words he doubts that any man would ever want communism - "...we will see whether one day, some miner will take up his pick in pleasure and go and poison his lungs with a conscious joy. They say that's what it's like over there, where the red blazes that now lights up the world comes from (USSR). So they say. I don't know."
In summary; this is a worthy book for anyone who wants to learn about Che and his biography, but don't be surprised, this work might disappoint you and force you to re-think the myth of this 'idealistic revolutionary.'
One more interesting thought. - Che had spend his entire adult life fighting capitalism and showing contempt for monetary gains and exploitation. Now that he is dead, his work is being printed and sold. You are about to buy this book.
Interesting; what would Che say if he was to find out that his work is now being used for profit by editors, publishers and book stores...
Just something to think about, don't you agree?

This moving diary written by the great revolutionary leader and translated by his daughter, will pull you away to South America. You will catch your breath at his wonderfull description of the beauty of South America as he starts off on his first journey from home. His descriptive writing captures you and holds you prisoner right up to the last page. You will laugh with him as he journeys around his continent and you will cry with him over the plight of the poor and ill. You will not want to put this book down. I went on to read all of his books after this one and each one is just as compelling and riveting as Motorcycle Diaries.