This programme examines the personal qualities and motivations of one of the most revered revolutionaries in history. Through written extracts and interviews with contemporaries, a picture emerges of a man who captured many an imagination and continues to do so today. Among those whose memories are discussed are: Jean-Paul Sartre; a fellow member of the 26 July Army; Castro's former lover and a journalist who was one of the last to see him before he was killed.

French philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir visited Cuba and met Fidel Castro along with Che Guevara in 1960. They stayed at the famous Hotel Nacional in Havana. In 2004, in the same hotel, Fidel Castro met Robert Redford, who produced the film 'The Motorcycle Diaries', which was based on Che Guevara's life.

↗ Originally broadcast 30 March 1997.