Hugo Chavez

July 9, 2007
Veteran Venezuelan journalists Marcano and Tyszka have aimed for rare middle ground with a biography that neither extols nor decries Venezuelan president Chávez. The account mostly moves chronologically, presenting details about Chávez’s humble beginnings in the Venezuelan plains and his ascent through the military ranks. Chávez’s 1992 failed coup attempt is explained in great detail, as is the attempt to oust him in 2002. The authors seamlessly weave in interviews with people who know Chávez well, offering a glimpse into his psychology. The narrative also delves into Chávez’s love life, as well as the dynamics of his relationship with Fidel Castro. Though the pace of the book is inconsistent, with some events receiving a surplus of detail while others feel rushed, it’s generally smart and well-written, making it a good start for those curious about Chávez, and a treat for those who closely follow the Venezuelan leader and yearn for a less biased overview of his life.

October 1, 2007
Castro with oil or modern-day Bolívar? Hugo Chávez is as enigmatic to his critics as he is to the Venezuelans who adore him. In two fascinating new biographies, Chávez is dissected and analyzed like never before, and no world figure deserves the attention more than Chávez, "that monkey," as he is described by Venezuela's elite, or El Comandante, as he is known by the nation's poor. Venezuelan journalists Marcano and Barrera (whose book was published in Spanish in 2004) offer a clear biographical account, effectively skipping back to Chávez's early days. From humble beginnings to his captaincy in the army, Chávez is evenly portrayed as the most influential leader in Latin America. There is a slight pro-Chávez bias, but the authors remind readers that this president has flaws. A "Newsday" reporter well experienced in Venezuelan affairs, Jones follows a similar biographical path, but his more in-depth coverage results in a hard-hitting, insightful exposé. His book includes more documentation (with over 50 pages of notes), and while he is not overly critical, he is not as kind as Marcano and Barrera. Both books review Chávez's failed 1992 coup and the doomed coup to oust him in 2002, arriving at similar conclusions. But Jones takes everything a step further, recounting how Chávez's arrest and imprisonment only strengthened his popularity among the poor and how (as with Fidel) his failure was a critical step in his eventual success. Both books conclude with the return of Chávez to power after the 2002 48-hour coup, which only emboldened the leader to tackle George W. Bush. Balanced, accurate, and readable, these works are each a journalist's dream and certainly dispel many of Eva Golinger's claims in her blatantly pro-Chávez "The Chavez Code". Highly recommended.Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., AL

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2007
Venezuelan husband-and-wife journalists bring an intimate sense of the culture and politics of that nation and the significance that Hugo Chvez plays in its history and that of South America overall. A best-seller in its original Spanish, the English edition includes photographs, fresh material from newly discovered documents, excerpts from Chvezs diary, and interviews. Marcano and Tyszka scored an interview with Herma Marksman, a professor and Chvezs lover for nine years, offering further details about Chvez. The Venezuelan president has gained an international reputation as the provider of low-cost oil topoor people in the U.S. and South Africa, the man who publicly castigated President Bush before the UN, and the man who some say threatens to disrupt Venezuelas political and economic stability even as he seeks to provide social justice to its most impoverished citizens. This is a fascinating biography of a complex and forceful political figure who bears watching.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)