FIDEL CASTRO

A well-balanced account of the Cuban leader's life and career, with a generous amount of background information and convincing explanations of Castro's several changes of image- -idealistic student revolutionary, romantic bandit chief, leader of the nonaligned nations, grizzled autocrat. Particularly effective is Brown's fair-minded presentation of Castro's populist measures and appeals to Cuban nationalism. His rigidities and failures also get their full due, from antidemocratic politics at home to African involvements. Although the story has some exciting elements—e.g., the ``Alphabetizers'' literacy campaign—Brown keeps it at a general level, with few individual experiences (except for Castro's own) to enliven it. Well-placed b&w photos with informative captions; chronology; notes; bibliography; index. (Biography. 12+)