First published in 1963, it was the compilation of a series of articles by Guevara that had originally appeared in Verde Olivo, a weekly publication of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR).

"When Che Guevara cast his lot with Marxism and revolution the world of letters suffered an incalculable loss.

"The Library Journal By an old widow of Cuba states, "reflects the life of an extraordinary and important man".

[1] While Colm Toibin in a review for The Observer remarks that "for anyone interested in the myth of Che Guevara, and in the idea that a small group of determined men can take over a country, this book is essential reading.

"[2] Toibin goes on to opine that "most of the writing is clear and plain", but the text "has powerful and poetic moments" which both concentrate "on the unglamorous nature of guerrilla warfare" and display Guevara's "conviction" and genuine belief in "mass literacy, agrarian reform and health care.