HAVANA, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Former Cuban President Fidel Castro appeared in fine fettle when he presented his 1,000-page memoir to a select audience in Havana.
Castro, 85, wearing a dark track suit over a plaid shirt, smiled and gestured animatedly as he spent 6 hours talking about the two-volume book Friday in Havana, Dominican Today reported.
The official Cuban government newspaper Granma said the book, titled "Fidel Castro Ruz: Guerrillero del Tiempo" (Time Warrior), spans the time from his earliest childhood memories to December 1958, the eve of the Cuban Revolution. It was written with author-journalist Katiuska Blanco.
The Latin American Herald Tribune reported that during his first public appearance since April, Castro spoke on a number of subjects, including calling it a mistake to believe socialism alone would solve all economic problems. He also touched on education policy, advocating free education, and on international matters, saying "nobody has ever done more for the Venezuelan people" that Hugo Chavez's government
CBS News reported Castro, who has recovered from serious illness, said he chose to cover his early years in this book because, "I have to take advantage now, because memory fades."
