The Motorcycle Diaries
SynopsisPlot
The Motorcycle Diaries is Che Guevara's diary of his journey to discover the continent of Latin America while still a medical student, set out in 1952 on a vintage Norton motorcycle together with his friend Alberto Granado, a biochemist. It captures, arguably as much as any book was ever written, the exuberance and joy of one person's youthful belief in the possibilities of humankind tending towards justice, peace, and happiness. After the release in 2004 of the exhilarating film of the same title, directed by Walter Salles, the book became a New York Times and international bestseller.
Story
About this book
In 1952, a 23-year-old Argentine medical student named Ernesto Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado, a biochemist, set off across South America on an aging Norton motorcycle. The diary Guevara kept during the trip records what they saw and whom they met as they traveled through Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. It is a young person's account of encountering a continent's geography, poverty, and cultural variety firsthand, written before the author became the political figure later known worldwide as Che Guevara.
The book captures small, concrete episodes: breakdowns on the road, encounters with workers and indigenous communities, visits to copper mines and ancient ruins, nights spent sleeping outdoors. Guevara's observations shift between humor and growing awareness of social inequality across the region. The journey lasted several months and covered thousands of kilometers, much of it completed after the motorcycle itself broke down and the two continued by other means.
This edition includes photographs Guevara took during the trip, a preface by his daughter Aleida Guevara, and an introduction by the Cuban poet Cintio Vitier. It was published in association with the Che Guevara Studies Center in Havana. Following the 2004 film directed by Walter Salles, the book became a New York Times bestseller.
