Reviews
"In this entertaining and provocative book, Michael Casey takes us into the realm where Che's martyrdom ends and his global branding begins.Che's Afterlifeis also a smart and sassy comment about our life and × well worth the read." Jon Lee Anderson, author ofChe Guevara: A Revolutionary Life "The definitive account of the birth and dissemination of an iconic image. . . . A riveting tale of art and ambition, of rebellion and merchandising. . . . Illuminating and essential reading." Héctor Tobar, author ofTranslation Nation "Lively and informative. . . . Smartly chronicles the explosive Guevara growth industry in the marketplace of ideas and icons." Tom Miller, author ofTrading With the Enemy "Eagle-eyed. . . . Insightful. . . . An evocative and well-written account of All Things Che." Ann Louise Bardach, author ofCuba ConfidentialandWithout Fidel "A tour de force of pop cultural entertainment and analysis." Professor David D. Perlmutter, author ofBlog Wars "[A] notable history of how the Che Guevara brand was "produced". . . . Innovative." Jorge Castañeda, author ofCompañero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara "[Casey] suggests that the power of Che, the brand, is in its ability to be anything to anyone. . . . Readers interested in the impact of visual culture or in better understanding the elusiveness of intellectual property rights, particularly in a global marketplace, will find much food for thought [inChe's Afterlife]." Publishers Weekly "A semiotic history of one of the world's most widely reproduced, ideologically fraught photographs. . . . A comprehensive tour of the icon's progress. . . . [Casey] maintains a clear focus on what the Korda photo says to him. For all Guevara's failures as a revolutionary in the Congo and in Bolivia (where he was captured and killed), and for all the violent consequences of his idealism, Guevara remains to Casey a symbol of underdog resilience. Now that the image has been all but divorced from its initial context and meaning, he dreams that it can transcend ideology as well and become an icon of hope." Kirkus Reviews "An interesting examination of the processes of mythmaking and commercialization working in tandem to guarantee immortality to a man who failed more often than he succeeded." Booklist, "The definitive account of the birth and dissemination of an iconic image. . . . A riveting tale of art and ambition, of rebellion and merchandising. . . . Illuminating and essential reading." -Héctor Tobar, author ofTranslation Nation "Lively and informative. . . . Smartly chronicles the explosive Guevara growth industry in the marketplace of ideas and icons." -Tom Miller, author ofTrading With the Enemy "Eagle-eyed. . . . Insightful. . . . An evocative and well-written account of All Things Che." -Ann Louise Bardach, author ofCuba ConfidentialandWithout Fidel "A tour de force of pop cultural entertainment and analysis ." -Professor David D. Perlmutter, author ofBlog Wars, "Fascinating. . . . Bracing and keenly observed. . . . Not only a cultural history of an image, but also a sociopolitical study of the mechanisms of fame." Michiko Kakutani,The New York Times "One of the first books on a rarely discussed aspect of Guevarahis branding and why it has endured for more than four decades. . . .Che's Afterlifeprovides a detailed account of the 'product launch' of the Guevara brand, with Cuba's Fidel Castro serving as 'brand manager.' In doing so, it offers lessons for Obama on how to rebrand the United States in Latin America." The Miami Herald "There are those who only know Fidel Castro's comrade in arms as a commercial image festooned on fashion, bottles of booze, air fresheners and even condoms. Journalist Casey unlocks the iconic image taken by Cuban lenseman Alberto Korda in what Casey calls 'a frozen millisecond' in 1960 Havana." New York Post "Enthralling. . . . About as timely as a book gets. . . . Casey takes off on a quest to find the heart of the definition-of-seminal Che Guevara image. What he comes away with is a fascinating tale of the photographer, the history of the print itself and a global account of the countless places and people that exact image has touched." Weekly Dig(Boston) "Che's Afterlifeis worth the read for its historical clarity, Casey's vivid storytelling, and his adroit analysis of the multilayered meaning of photography as both a vehicle for and a destroyer of ideals." DigitalCity.com (America Online blog) "In this entertaining and provocative book, Michael Casey takes us into the realm where Che's martyrdom ends and his global branding begins.Che's Afterlifeis also a smart and sassy comment about our life and × well worth the read." Jon Lee Anderson, author ofChe Guevara: A Revolutionary Life "The definitive account of the birth and dissemination of an iconic image. . . . A riveting tale of art and ambition, of rebellion and merchandising. . . . Illuminating and essential reading." Héctor Tobar, author ofTranslation Nation "Lively and informative. . . . Smartly chronicles the explosive Guevara growth industry in the marketplace of ideas and icons." Tom Miller, author ofTrading With the Enemy "Eagle-eyed. . . . Insightful. . . . An evocative and well-written account of All Things Che." Ann Louise Bardach, author ofCuba ConfidentialandWithout Fidel "A tour de force of pop cultural entertainment and analysis." Professor David D. Perlmutter, author ofBlog Wars "[A] notable history of how the Che Guevara brand was "produced". . . . Innovative." Jorge Castañeda, author ofCompañero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara, "Fascinating. . . . Bracing and keenly observed. . . . Not only a cultural history of an image, but also a sociopolitical study of the mechanisms of fame." Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times "One of the first books on a rarely discussed aspect of Guevarahis branding and why it has endured for more than four decades. . . . Che's Afterlife provides a detailed account of the 'product launch' of the Guevara brand, with Cuba's Fidel Castro serving as 'brand manager.' In doing so, it offers lessons for Obama on how to rebrand the United States in Latin America." The Miami Herald "There are those who only know Fidel Castro's comrade in arms as a commercial image festooned on fashion, bottles of booze, air fresheners and even condoms. Journalist Casey unlocks the iconic image taken by Cuban lenseman Alberto Korda in what Casey calls 'a frozen millisecond' in 1960 Havana." New York Post "Enthralling. . . . About as timely as a book gets. . . . Casey takes off on a quest to find the heart of the definition-of-seminal Che Guevara image. What he comes away with is a fascinating tale of the photographer, the history of the print itself and a global account of the countless places and people that exact image has touched." Weekly Dig (Boston) " Che's Afterlife is worth the read for its historical clarity, Casey's vivid storytelling, and his adroit analysis of the multilayered meaning of photography as both a vehicle for and a destroyer of ideals." DigitalCity.com (America Online blog) "In this entertaining and provocative book, Michael Casey takes us into the realm where Che's martyrdom ends and his global branding begins. Che's Afterlife is also a smart and sassy comment about our life and × well worth the read." Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life "The definitive account of the birth and dissemination of an iconic image. . . . A riveting tale of art and ambition, of rebellion and merchandising. . . . Illuminating and essential reading." Héctor Tobar, author of Translation Nation "Lively and informative. . . . Smartly chronicles the explosive Guevara growth industry in the marketplace of ideas and icons." Tom Miller, author of Trading With the Enemy "Eagle-eyed. . . . Insightful. . . . An evocative and well-written account of All Things Che." Ann Louise Bardach, author of Cuba Confidential and Without Fidel "A tour de force of pop cultural entertainment and analysis." Professor David D. Perlmutter, author of Blog Wars "[A] notable history of how the Che Guevara brand was "produced". . . . Innovative." Jorge Castañeda, author of Compañero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara
