My early years

In the twilight of his life, Fidel Castro, one of the century's most controversial figures, reflects on his childhood, youth and student activism. In an unprecedented and remarkably candid manner, the Cuban leader describes his family background, his childhood and education at elite Catholic schools, and the religious and moral influences that led to his involvement in politics from a very young age. This collection of autobiographical sketches gives a glimpse of Fidel Castro, the boy and the young rebel. He recollects his student days at the University of Havana, his early thoughts about armed struggle, his travels in Latin America as an international student organizer, his participation in a popular uprising in Colombia in 1948 and his experiences as a young lawyer and political activist.