Praised be our lords : a political education

This is the fascinating autobiography of one of France's leading political activists and intellectuals. Regis Debray is one of France's leading contemporary intellectuals and commentators, whose life has intersected with some of the key moments of the twentieth century. In this elegantly crafted memoir, Debray traces his route from the Parisian lecture theatres of the Rue d'Ulm with Althusser and his students, to Cuba and his deep involvement with the revolution, to the Bolivian jungle where, in search of Che Guevara, Debray was captured, tortured, and imprisoned and only released after an international campaign, and finally to the state offices of the Elysee Palace where he served as an advisor to Francois Mitterrand in the early 1980s. More than simply a fascinating memoir, "Praised Be Our Lords" is also an exploration of the mechanisms of political passion - what leads a person towards and away from commitment and even treachery.