Speaking about the new title were Iraida Aguirrechu of Editora Política, who was responsible for the Spanish edition; Mary-Alice Waters, editor of Making History and president of Pathfinder Press; and Brig. Gen. José Ramón Fernández, who was the field commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) of Cuba in 1961 at the Bay of Pigs, where a U.S.-organized invasion by counterrevolutionary mercenaries was crushed in 72 hours (see talk by Waters on facing page). Fernández is today a vice-president of the executive committee of Cuba's Council of Ministers

Aguirrechu talked about the four Cuban generals interviewed in the book. In addition to Fernández, they are: Div. Gen. Enrique Carreras, considered "the father of revolutionary Cuba's air force"; Div. Gen. Néstor López Cuba, who at the time of his death last October was in charge of political education in the FAR; and Brig. Gen. Harry Villegas, better known as Pombo, who fought at the side of Cuban revolutionary leader Ernesto Che Guevara in Cuba, the Congo, and Bolivia

The interviewers, she said, are leaders and cadres of the U.S. Socialist Workers Party: SWP national secretary Jack Barnes, Waters, and Martín Koppel, editor of Perspectiva Mundial magazine.

Aguirrechu noted that Pathfinder had worked rapidly to bring out the book in time for the Guadalajara Book Fair and to sell in Seattle during the protests around the World Trade Organization summit, which took in late November and early December "It has already been circulating and defending the Cuban revolution, thanks to the work of the comrades of the Socialist Workers Party in the United States," she said. Nearly 1,200 copies had already been sold by the opening of the book fair. A second printing in January, which was launched at the Havana meeting, includes a new preface by Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida.

Both Spanish and English editions of the book, with a virtually identical design, also contain an introduction by Waters, 20 pages of photos, maps, a glossary, a list of further reading, and an index.

Waters talked about the political changes taking place in the United States today and explained why vanguard workers and farmers involved in broadening struggles, as well as revolutionary-minded youth attracted to them, need Making History as they seek answers to explain today's world and examples of how to fight. Especially important is the example of how Cuban workers and farmers made a socialist revolution and have stood down U.S. imperialism for more than four decades.

Through the lives and experiences of the four generals, she said, readers can see the capacity of ordinary working people to change the world and themselves; the leadership strength and consistency exemplified by the generals; and why young people must combine their audacity with "discipline and knowledge of the hard-won lessons of revolutionary struggle by previous generations."

In his brief remarks, Fernández said he felt confident he could speak for all those interviewed in expressing his pleasure with the publication of Making History.

He emphasized that reading and studying the lessons of the Cuban revolution is "essential for the education of the new generations that did not have the opportunity to go through the experiences of the battles" that led to the victory and consolidation of the Cuban revolution.

Fernández told one story of how López Cuba, wounded in battle and hospitalized during the fighting at the Bay of Pigs, slipped out of the hospital to rejoin the front lines

He quoted the remark made by Raúl Castro, minister of the FAR, referring to the Rebel Army combatants and others who made the revolution: "We have been capable of making history, but not of writing it." Now, he said, this living history is more accessible through books such as Making History.

At the end of the meeting, dozens of people lined up to buy the book. All 120 copies of the Spanish-language edition put on sale were gone in less than an hour. Some 73 copies of the English edition were sold at the meeting and from the Pathfinder table during the book fair Fernández was surrounded by young people and others who asked him to autograph their copies of Making History.

Two other books published by Editora Política were introduced at the meeting. Mayra Mendoza, a teacher in Santa Clara, presented her new book Para vivir como tú vives (To live the way you live), a collection of anecdotes about the life of Che Guevara. Also launched was Confiamos en el porvenir (We have confidence in the future), a compilation of speeches by Cuban president Fidel Castro at Ibero-American summit meetings.  
 
 
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