Customer Reviews
Sloppy research: 'La Paquena Rubena' - By: Jo Bayer, 15 Jan 2008 
An interesting read. However, one piece of sloppy research on Mr Kershaw's part is this rather puzzling title for chapter six. On page 55 Mr Kershaw says that Gerda was "now widely known as 'la Paquena Rubena' (the little red fox)"...
In Spanish, 'little red fox' is actually 'la pequeña zorra roja' or 'la zorrita roja'. I believe that Mr Kershaw got his wires severely crossed somewhere because other publications claim Gerda was affectionately called 'la pequeña rubia' which,in actual fact, means 'the little blonde'. What's more, the word 'zorra'in Spanish, when used to describe a woman, is pejorative sexist slang meaning 'whore' or 'slut'. Somehow, I don't think Gerda was referred to as 'the little red whore' by her many admirers. I wonder if the words 'paquena rubena' actually mean anythingin ANY language (?).
Romantic and Inspiring read - By: Mrs. Sonia Weir, 13 Jun 2003 
Once you start this book you will not be able to put it down. Fortunately it does not go into too much depth about irrelevant childhood details as most biographies do. Instead it concentrates what mattered to Capa. He saw so many horrific things & watched first hand historyin the making & managed to take some amazing photosin the process. This book describes what he was like as a person, he was certainly no saint but you can't help liking him...If you feel like being inspired read this!
The 20th Century's finest photojournalist - By: Penguin Egg, 18 May 2003 The life of Robert Capa is truly fascinating. Bornin Budapestin 1913, he was to die forty years laterin Vietnam after establishing himself as one of the great photojournalists of the 20th Century. He captured on film some of the most memorable picturesin the Spanish Civil War, including the iconic “The Falling Soldier.” A shameless propagandist for the Republican cause, he thought nothing of having combatants “pose” for some of his most dramatic pictures - including, many think, “The Falling Soldier.” Did the republican soldier fall because he was shot or because he tripped? Was it posed? The jury is still out on that one. A Jew at a time when anti-Semitism was rifein Europe, he became a committed anti-fascist & socialist. He established the photographers’ co-operative, Magnum,in order that photographers had control over their own photographs & earnings. This was not so different to the kibbutzim establishedin Israel by highly idealistic settlers whom he so admired. Needless to say, Capa was there to record the birth of the fledgling state of Israelin 1948 & caught on film that nation's birth pains as it battled with its Arab neighbours. War was his medium, even though he hated it. He went overin a landing craft to photograph the D-Day landings & produced some of the most memorable pictures of battle ever taken. This was despite that most of the pictures were ruined during the rushed processingin London & some of those that survived are out of focus.
Capa was talented, generous, humorous, & charismatic. An inveterate gambler, he played poker with the likes of John Huston & Ernest Hemmingway, & inevitably lost. Like most people who don’t care about money, money problems plagued him. Highly sexed, he counted some of the most beautiful women of the age amongst his lovers, including Ingrid Bergman. When lovers were not immediately available, he contended himself with prostitutes. Loving & lovedin return, he was too much of a bohemian to commit himself to a permanent relationship. He could have been rich, but he never was. He could have happily married, but he never did.
Capa’s luck ran out when he went to Vietnamin 1953 to cover the war between the French & the Vietnamese & trod on a landmine.
Alex Kershaw deserves credit for producing such a well-written & researched autobiography.
great read - By: , 17 Apr 2003 Buy it now & have a wonderful romantic, thrilling , heartbraking few days - you won't be able to put it down.
