Listen, Yankee: The Revolution in Cuba

by C. Wright Mills

C. Wright Mills is the author of two widely read and greatly respected books about the United States: White Collar and The Power Elite.

In August, 1960, he went to Cuba to find out for himself what Cubans were thinking, what their revolution meant.

Listen, Yankee is his report--written in the language of the Cuban revolutionary. I is an angry, outspoken book that says things you will not find in the U.S. press:

* That the Cuban revolution has been misrepresented by ignorance and deliberate lies.
* That Cuban resentment against the United States is based on real grievances.
* That unless we wake up to our mistakes we will lose out in Latin America, Asia and Africa
* That we must not permit our government to make the mistakes of ignorance and arrogance that cost us the respect of the hungry nations of the world.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Sociology, Latin American History

192 pages

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Charles Wright Mills was an American sociologist and a professor of sociology at Columbia University from 1946 until his death in 1962. Mills published widely in both popular and intellectual journals, and is remembered for several books, such as The Power Elite , White Collar: The American Middle Classes and The Sociological Imagination .

Mills was concerned with the responsibilities of intellectuals in post–World War II society, and he advocated public and political engagement over disinterested observation. One of Mills's biographers, Daniel Geary, writes that Mills's writings had a "particularly significant impact on New Left social movements of the 1960s era." It was Mills who popularized the term "New Left" in the U.S., in a 1960 open letter "Letter to the New Left".

Reviews

[Alasdair Pettinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reporting on his 1960 visit to Cuba, C Wright Mills did not write a conventional travelogue or journalistic account. He chose to have his book narrated by a composite Cuban revolutionary, and it consists of a series of letters addressed to his North American readers. 'Most of the words are mine,' Mills writes in his introduction, '– although not all of them; the arguments, the tone, the interpretations, the tang and feel – they are in the main directly Cuban. I have merely organized them – in the most direct and immediate fashion of which I am capable.'

The result is a powerful defence of the revolution, which calls upon its readers in the US to challenge the 'Yankee imperialism' that is being pursued in their name and to support this brave experiment that seeks to pursue a middle way between Capitalism (which 'sacrifices man') and Communism (which 'sacrifices the rights of man') .

The book caused quite a stir at the time and sold close to half a million copies. But it is hardly known today. Listen, Yankee is out of print and has not attracted anything like the critical attention paid to Jamaica Kincaid's A Small Place, an equally passionate challenge from the Caribbean that accusingly fingers a similar audience, and with which it might be usefully compared.

[Jeff Keehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything Mills wrote. He was a radical and he was brilliant. What more could you want? This book taught me the real reason for the US attempting to invade Cuba and then making it an enemy. We had abused the island for decades, propping up whatever dictator played nice with the wealthy businessmen who wanted to do business in Cuba and treat it like a toilet. When the natives revolted then we had to scream Communism and make war. America the great, eh?

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite my initial misgivings about this book (which I thought was going to be too pro-Cuban), I found it to be a very valuable piece of history.

It is basically an open letter written by C. Wright Mills paraphrasing what Cuban revolutionaries in 1960 (including Fidel Castro) told him during interviews he conducted on the island.

It's written in a fresh and informal style, using the "we" (Cubans) and the "you" (Yankees) and giving it an honest and intimate feel. It's not what I expected and it was a very easy yet informative read.

And it raises important questions, like where did the Cuban revolution go wrong and is the USA's aggressive opposition to it part of its failure or are the Cubans trying to cover their mistakes by blaming a country which they say they have no use for (under the imperialistic circumstances that have always existed between the two)?

All in all, the Cuban voices here seem to be very sincere and extremely hopeful (the revolution had just triumphed and was gaining momentum). Perhaps too hopeful. More than once, they're downright naive but, of course, that's hindsight. There was really very little indication that things would go awry shortly thereafter. The only annoying thing about these Cuban voices is how they refer to Castro as "our Fidel" in the same sentence where they swear they abhor the cult of the individual.

A little treasure for those who lean towards sympathy were the Cuban revolution is concerned (knowing, of course, that it was the great white hope which turned into a big red mistake). Definitely something every US citizen should read.

[Peregrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look on the Cuban interpretation of our long-time mutual disagreements. I thoroughly enjoyed it. (I also enjoyed trying to decide which remarks came from which individuals. Differing levels of biases are fun to evaluate. I'm a history nerd.)

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for Tom Hayden's recent book of the same title about normalization of US-Cuba relations. It was interesting to read in light of what we now know about the Bay of Pigs, the Missile Crisis, US intervention all over Latin America, and even Vietnam.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

"La revolución es construir..."

[Julio The Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

C. Wright Mills, the king of American sociology, had a brilliant and witty idea for this 1960 book. Why not explain the Cuban Revolution of the previous year to the American public by channeling the voice of a Cuban revolutionary? Land reform, urban reform, nationalization of U.S. property on the island, elections, and the charismatic leadership of Fidel Castro are all addressed by our anonymous Cuban rebel. Is his voice authentic, or is it really C. Wright Mills speaking? LISTEN, YANKEE comes awful close to a "white man's burden" look at a revolution in the Third World, yet Mills' sympathy for Cuba and his concern that the American government leaves Cuba alone shines through. if you think Mills is an outlier, consider the words of Harry Truman around the same time, speaking rhetorically to Fidel Castro: "Fidel, it seems to me you've had a pretty good revolution down there, and it's been a long time coming. You just tell me what you need and I'll see that you get it". If only "that son of a bitch Eisenhower", as Harry called him, had been so wise.

[Camilo González · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escucha, Yanqui es un libro escrito desde la observación, la lealtad y la esperanza de un hombre que ve una nueva y sincera posibilidad de estar en el mundo: la posibilidad de la Revolución Cubana. Este libro, tal como lo dice la primera advertencia, está compuesta de ocho cartas escritas desde la entraña de la cubanidad, acaso un colectivo (?). Cada carta explica los objetivos sinceros de la Revolución (economía, comunismo, cultura, militarismo, educación) mientras impreca a los Estados Unidos por todas sus cagadas históricas en la isla y su intervencionismo interesado y extractivista en todos los países hambrientos de América del Sur. Me sorprende la claridad de este libro y la ventana que pretendía abrir en el año 61 con su publicación: tenemos aquí a un yanqui tomando posición frente a sus compatriotas y al mundo académico; e intentando entender este gran suceso histórico que solo fue vendido por la prensa yanqui desde la histeria y el odio. Sorprendente libro para comprender el calor, la emoción y la genuinidad de un hecho histórico único.

[Ricardo de la Riva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro, los primeros capítulos son duros, el autor usa correctamente la retórica para evidenciar el sufrimiento del pueblo cubano por parte de EEUU. Si tuviera que describir el libro de forma sencilla diría que: es una forma sencilla, amena y emocionante la revolución de Cuba desde sus inicios.
Llega un punto en que el libro se hace un poco monótono gracias a la misma retórica, sin embargo, esto no hace que se demerite su valor, si tienen la oportunidad léanlo, no se van a arrepentir.

[Adrian Fanaca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written by an American, however the tone if it resembles that of the Cubans and we're not told at any moment what the author believes with regards to the American - Cuban relations. Covers a variety of aspects of socio-political reality of Cuban society in the 1960s, their struggles to be independent and rival of the great USA.