For years people have tried to persuade the leader of the Cuban Revolution to tell his own life story. Here, finally, Ignacio Ramonet, has succeeded. For the first time, in a series of probing interviews, Castro describes his life, from the 1950s all the way up to the present day. He discusses his parents, the beginnings of the revolution, the Bay of Pigs, the Carter years, Cuban migration to the US. And along the way, Ramonet challenges Castro to discuss his views on a number of controversial questions, from human rights to the repression of homosexuality and the survival of the death penalty, and Castro gives his opinion of other leaders, including George Bush and Tony Blair.

Ignacio Ramonet is the editor of the French magazine, Le Monde Diplomatique, one of the founders of ATTAC international and a key player in organizing the first World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. In addition, Ramonet also founded the NGO Media Watch Global.