The first 1,000 books of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro's autobiography "The Strategic Victory" went on sale Wednesday, from a planned edition of 60,000 copies.

The book recounts Castro's guerrilla struggle dating back to the summer of 1958, when a group of 300 fighters led by Castro eventually overthrew the government of dictator Fulgencio Batista.

The 896-page book is comprised of 25 chapters, including many photographs, maps and diagrams on the types of weapons used by both sides. It is priced at 20 pesos (20 U.S. dollars).

The former leader, who turns 84 on Friday, returned to public life after a four-year illness and presented his book to his former comrades last week.

The ceremony was hosted Thursday by then revolution commander Guillermo Garcia, one of the main characters in the book, at Buecito in the eastern Sierra Maestra mountains.

Batista fled Cuba soon after Castro's forces routed thousands of his soldiers in a major battle in Sierra Maestra.

Castro, who wrote the book during his long convalescence, said he intended to write a sequel on the rebel counteroffensive till the final triumph in January 1959.

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