Synopses & Reviews
andldquo;A must-read for anyone interested in Nicaraguaandmdash;or in the overall issue of social change.andrdquo;andmdash;Margaret Randall, author of
SANDINO'S DAUGHTERSand#160;and
SANDINO'S DAUGHTERS REVISITEDand#160;
Sandinista is the first English-language biography of Carlos Fonseca Amador, the legendary leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front of Nicaragua (the FSLN) and the most important and influential figure of the postandndash;1959 revolutionary generation in Latin America. Fonseca, killed in battle in 1976, was the undisputed intellectual and strategic leader of the FSLN. In a groundbreaking and fast-paced narrative that draws on a rich archive of previously unpublished Fonseca writings, Matilde Zimmermann sheds new light on central themes in his ideology as well as on internal disputes, ideological shifts, and personalities of the FSLN.
and#9;The first researcher ever to be allowed access to Fonsecaandrsquo;s unpublished writings (collected by the Institute for the Study of Sandinism in the early 1980s and now in the hands of the Nicaraguan Army), Zimmermann also obtained personal interviews with Fonsecaandrsquo;s friends, family members, fellow combatants, and political enemies. Unlike previous scholars, Zimmermann sees the Cuban revolution as the crucial turning point in Fonsecaandrsquo;s political evolution. Furthermore, while others have argued that he rejected Marxism in favor of a more pragmatic nationalism, Zimmermann shows how Fonsecaandrsquo;s political writings remained committed to both socialist revolution and national liberation from U.S. imperialism and followed the ideas of both Che Guevara and the earlier Nicaraguan leader Augusto Candeacute;sar Sandino. She further argues that his philosophy embracing the experiences of the nationandrsquo;s workers and peasants was central to the FSLNandrsquo;s initial platform and charismatic appeal.
Review
andldquo;Zimmermann does an excellent job explaining the real content of the FSLNandrsquo;s internal differences, going a long way beyond the very schematic and surface readings that have appeared thus far. It is a pioneering effort and our understanding of the Sandinista revolution is substantially enriched by this study.andrdquo;andmdash;Barry Carr, LaTrobe University
Review
andldquo;Good English language historical studies of modern Nicaragua can be counted on one hand. Joining this elite group, Zimmermannandrsquo;s well-researched, -organized, and -written book focuses on the most important (yet oft-misunderstood) figure in the FSLN insurgency of the 1960s and 1970s, Carlos Fonseca. As such, it is welcome, indeed.andrdquo;andmdash;Thomas W. Walker, Ohio University
Review
andldquo;In this century we have had to look hard not only at the great struggles for justice but at the lives of the men who led those struggles. In this well-researchedand#160;biography of Carlos Fonseca, founder and indisputable leader of the FSLN until his death in battle two years before Somozaandrsquo;s defeat, Matilde Zimmermann gives us a compelling portrait of someoneand#160;obsessedand#160;with detail, puritanical but caring, brilliant and determined. Zimmermann asks the difficult questions and her answers are sometimes surprising. A must read for anyone interested in Nicaraguaandmdash;or in the overall issue of social change.andrdquo;andmdash;Margaret Randall, author of SANDINO'S DAUGHTERSand#160;and SANDINO'S DAUGHTERS REVISITEDand#160;
Synopsis
"A must-read for anyone interested in Nicaragua--or in the overall issue of social change."--Margaret Randall, author of
SANDINO'S DAUGHTERS and
SANDINO'S DAUGHTERS REVISITED Sandinista is the first English-language biography of Carlos Fonseca Amador, the legendary leader of the Sandinista National Liberation Front of Nicaragua (the FSLN) and the most important and influential figure of the post-1959 revolutionary generation in Latin America. Fonseca, killed in battle in 1976, was the undisputed intellectual and strategic leader of the FSLN. In a groundbreaking and fast-paced narrative that draws on a rich archive of previously unpublished Fonseca writings, Matilde Zimmermann sheds new light on central themes in his ideology as well as on internal disputes, ideological shifts, and personalities of the FSLN.
The first researcher ever to be allowed access to Fonseca's unpublished writings (collected by the Institute for the Study of Sandinism in the early 1980s and now in the hands of the Nicaraguan Army), Zimmermann also obtained personal interviews with Fonseca's friends, family members, fellow combatants, and political enemies. Unlike previous scholars, Zimmermann sees the Cuban revolution as the crucial turning point in Fonseca's political evolution. Furthermore, while others have argued that he rejected Marxism in favor of a more pragmatic nationalism, Zimmermann shows how Fonseca's political writings remained committed to both socialist revolution and national liberation from U.S. imperialism and followed the ideas of both Che Guevara and the earlier Nicaraguan leader Augusto Cesar Sandino. She further argues that his philosophy embracing the experiences of the nation's workers and peasants was central to the FSLN's initial platform and charismatic appeal.
Synopsis
The life and ideas of Carlos Fonseca Amador, founder of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).
About the Author
“Good English language historical studies of modern Nicaragua can be counted on one hand. Joining this elite group, Zimmermann’s well-researched, -organized, and -written book focuses on the most important (yet oft-misunderstood) figure in the FSLN insurgency of the 1960s and 1970s, Carlos Fonseca. As such, it is welcome, indeed.”—Thomas W. Walker, Ohio University “In this century we have had to look hard not only at the great struggles for justice but at the lives of the men who led those struggles. In this well-researched biography of Carlos Fonseca, founder and indisputable leader of the FSLN until his death in battle two years before Somoza’s defeat, Matilde Zimmermann gives us a compelling portrait of someone obsessed with detail, puritanical but caring, brilliant and determined. Zimmermann asks the difficult questions and her answers are sometimes surprising. A must read for anyone interested in Nicaragua—or in the overall issue of social change.”—Margaret Randall, author of SANDINO'S DAUGHTERS and SANDINO'S DAUGHTERS REVISITED “Zimmermann does an excellent job explaining the real content of the FSLN’s internal differences, going a long way beyond the very schematic and surface readings that have appeared thus far. It is a pioneering effort and our understanding of the Sandinista revolution is substantially enriched by this study.”—Barry Carr, LaTrobe University