Product Description

Cuba is often perceived in starkly black and white terms—either as the site of one of Latin America’s most successful revolutions or as the repressive regime that is the world’s last bastion of communism. The Cuba Reader multiplies perspectives on the nation many times over, presenting more than one hundred selections about Cuba’s history, culture, and politics. Beginning with the first written account of the island, penned by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the selections assembled here track Cuban history from the colonial period through the ascendancy of Fidel Castro to the present.

The Cuba Reader combines songs, paintings, photographs, poems, short stories, speeches, cartoons, government reports and proclamations, and pieces by historians, journalists, and others. Most of these are by Cubans both on and off the island and many appear for the first time in English. The writings and speeches of José Martí, Fernando Ortiz, Fidel Castro, Alejo Carpentier, Che Guevera, and Reinaldo Arenas appear alongside the testimonies of slaves, prostitutes, doctors, travelers, and activists. Some selections examine health, education, Catholicism, and santería; others celebrate Cuba’s vibrant dance, music, film, and literary cultures. The pieces are grouped into chronological sections. Each section and individual selection is preceded by a brief introduction by the editors.

The volume presents a number of pieces about twentieth-century Cuba, including the events leading up to and following Castro’s January 1959 announcement of revolution. It provides a look at Cuba in relation to the rest of the world: the effect of its revolution on Latin America and the Caribbean, its alliance with the Soviet Union from the 1960s until the collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989, and its tumultuous relationship with the United States. The Cuba Reader also describes life in the periodo especial following the cutoff of Soviet aid and the tightening of the U.S. embargo.

For students, travelers, and all those who want to know more about the island nation just ninety miles south of Miami, The Cuba Reader is an invaluable introduction.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31699 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 736 pages

Review
"An ambitious and impressive anthology, a sweeping collection of source materials by and about Cubans both on the island and living in other countries... What The Cuba Reader does extraordinarily well is to reveal the nuances and complexity of the Cuban experience. All shades of politics are here, and they infuse Cuban dance, music, film and religion." Miami Herald

From the Publisher
"[An] ambitious and impressive anthology, a sweeping collection of source materials by and about Cubans both on the island and living in other countries."--Susan Fernandez, The Miami Herald

From the Back Cover
“What a beautiful journey through five hundred years of Cuban history, culture, and politics! The Cuba Reader is a sumptuous medley of poetry, song, speeches, interviews, and vignettes from novels new and old. You’ll hear the voices of santeros and sugar workers, prostitutes and politicos, revolutionaries and reporters, dissidents and dancers. It’s the next best thing to being in Cuba, so sit back with a mojito and enjoy the masterfully guided tour.”—Medea Benjamin, activist and cofounder of Global Exchange

Customer Reviews

A True Picture of Cuban History
I have always been interested in Cuba, but I have tended to focus on the Health System there and have learned very little about Cuba before Castro and the revolution. This book gives an overall picture of Cuba as it developed through the years from all different perspectives, both positive and negative. Even though the different sections are simply short excerpts from different works, the editors have been able to put everything together in order to show all different aspects of Cuba and its history.

Cuban Documentary History...
This is the best documentary history of Cuba printed recently. It has not only documents, but also pictures, songs, etc. As Cuba is a controversial subject, the authors give broad swath of documents to present Cuban history.

LIKE A TIME MACHINE
I couldn't put the book down. Perhaps because I miss my country so much.
The book is so accurate I actually traveled back in time.
I totally recommend this read especially to those whose nostalgia for the old country continues to glow.


Andrew J. Rodriguez
Award-winning author: "Adios, Havana," a Memoir