Comandante: Hugo Chávez's Venezuela - Rory Carroll

An impressively well-researched and readable portrait . . . a useful reminder of what el Comandante did and didn't achieve, how he got away with it, and the danger of statesmen-as-showmen whose promises are too good to be true. --The New York Times Book Review \nA deeply informative, sprightly chronicle of Venezuela's dizzying journey. --The Washington Post \n \nIn Comandante, acclaimed journalist Rory Carroll tells the inside story of Hugo Chávez's life, investigates his time as Venezuela's president, and assesses his legacy. Carroll examines the almost religious devotion of millions of Venezuelans who regarded Chávez as a savior, as well as the loathing of those who brand him a dictator. Based on interviews with ministers, aides, courtiers, and citizens, this intimate piece of reportage chronicles a unique experiment in power that veered from enlightenment to tyranny, from comedy to farce. In beautiful prose that blends the lyricism and strangeness of magical realism with the brutal, ugly truth of authoritarianism, Comandante offers a cautionary tale for our times.\n