Trading with the Enemy: A Yankee Travels Through Castro's Cuba

by Tom Miller

“Havana knew me by my shoes,” begins Tom Miller’s lively and entertaining account of his sojourn for more than eight months traveling through Cuba, mixing with its literati and black marketers, its cane cutters and cigar rollers. Granted unprecedented access to travel throughout the country, the author presents us with a rare insight into one of the world’s only Communist countries. Its best-known personalities and ordinary citizens talk to him about the U.S. embargo and tell their favorite Fidel jokes as they stand in line for bread at the Socialism or Death Bakery. Miller provides a running commentary on Cuba’s food shortages, exotic sensuality, and baseball addiction as he follows the scents of Graham Greene, José Marti, Ernest Hemingway, and the Mambo Kings. The result of this informed and adventurous journey is a vibrant, rhythmic portrait of a land and people too long shielded from American eyes.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Biography

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 1992

About the author

Tom Miller has been writing about the American Southwest and Latin America for more than three decades. His ten books include The Panama Hat Trail, which follows the making and marketing of one Panama hat, and Trading with the Enemy, which Lonely Planet says "may be the best travel book about Cuba ever written." Miller began his journalism career in the underground press of the late '60s and early '70s, and has written articles for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, Smithsonian Magazine, Natural History, and Rolling Stone. He lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife, Regla.

Reviews

[Darlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have stalled on page 87. An interesting but less than riveting account of Havana's culture and administrative politics under Castro's reign in the late 1980s. I switched gears and enjoyed the pro-Castro biopic "Fidel" (2002), and have begun the absurdly entertaining "Our Man in Havana" by Graham Greene. . . . Still wading through, as each book's repetition of key events helps me retain an enlarging grasp of island history. . . So many books, so little time . . . I am stopping on page 114. Cuba's present political and economic climate are grabbing the spotlight. My Miami friend Hermann suggests this contemporary YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCIk66...

And it is time to move on to another country, namely Vietnam, where I will be biking and barging in December.

[Patrick McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all good travel books, the author, Tom Miller, has done extensive research about Cuba and refers to the research he has done throughout Trading With the Enemy (1996). The introduction to he paperback written in 2008 puts his situation into a more contemporary perspective, but history marches on and I found it most useful for the background information and perspective it gives about Cuba. Miller also makes an effort to get outside of Havana and those sections are among his best in the book in my opinion, especially the section on the American base and the Cuban town of Guantanamo. He also goes to a cigar rolling factory and talks to the workers, including one that reads the newspaper and other books to the rollers to keep their minds occupied as they perform the repetitive and mundane task of cigar rolling. Perhaps the greatest strength and weakness of the book lies in the fact it was written in the early 90s-during the special period. That was an especially difficult time for average Cubans as they lost their main trading partner in Russia and had to deal with austerity measures and rations and shortages for prolonged periods. Generally speaking we had similar interests: the literary tradition as personified by Hemingway and Greene but also Cuban authors and updates of the best selling books many of which were outdated classics (ala Dreiser’s Sister Carrie for example), everyday life of average Cubans, and baseball.
Some others not so much, like the Jewish community and classical music. Miller debunks the myths of La Bodguita del Medio (was thought up to serve as the mojito foil to Hemingway’s daiquiri bar El Floridita), Teddy Roosevelt and the Roughriders at San Juan Hill-actually an afterthought to a battle won by Cuban rebels over the Spanish imperialists. Overall, an entertaining and informative, if not somewhat outdated look at a fascinating country.

[Peter Ellwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I ran out of steam around page 100. To plough on to the end would represent several hours of my life that I won't get back.

I'm intrigued to see several enthusiastic Goodreads reviews. Mostly from Americans I would guess, as part of my sense of being underwhelmed stems from the Americanness of the prose. Fair enough. But more than that, the book felt to me at least as much as being about Tom Miller as about Cuba. I'd be the first to admit I can't give a full assessment of his book, but I do know that I didn't recognise the vibrant and colourful Cuba I know personally from what I read.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating glimpse of life in Castro's Cuba by my favorite travel author. Miller lived in Cuba for a year and presents a very fair and balanced view of life on the island and profiles of many Cuban people. Includes some hilarious Castro jokes, too. If you want to understand what present-day Cuba is like, this is the book.

[Deann Alford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want this book to end. It's beautifully written, subtly funny, full of keen observations on a mysterious, forbidden place.

[Stephen Selbst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Miller spent most of a year in Cuba during 1991, a time when the island was far more remote to Americans. Miller's journalism career began in the underground and anti-war press of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and initially his book reveals a soft and sentimental admiration for the Revolution and the changes it brought to Cuba. But 1991 was a pivotal year in Cuba; the USSR collapsed, and with that collapse, the enormous subsidization of Cuba's economy immediately ceased, leading to deep privation. Slowly Miller is forced to recognize that the government is utterly failing at feeding the population, and that economic conditions were deteriorating deeply. A less credulous observer would have recognized the economic failure more forthrightly. In that respect, TWTE is politically naive to the point of blindness. But TWTE has strengths; Miller's sympathy and curiosity made him want to see the breadth of the island and meet a cross-section of its people. And perhaps his sympathies, which must have been apparent, helped him win the trust the people he met, from apparatchiks to common citizens. They open up to him and provide a candid view of Cuban society at that time. Miller is also enamored of the countryside, which he extols endlessly, albeit with a clunky and somewhat breathless style. TWTE seems dated now, but it's views of Cuba were undoubtedly fresher when it was first published.

[Julio Pino · Rating 5 out of 5]

'C'est pays est trop surrealist pour y viver".---Andre Breton on Cuba.
Tom Miller falls into the category of what Albert Camus called "those who are for the left, despite themselves and in spite of the left". A one-time anti-war activist and journalist during the Sixties by the Nineties he found himself a rebel without a country. He decided to travel to and through Cuba to see if one last bastion of socialism was still standing erect. He loves the Cuban people, alright, and shares their belief that the U.S. blockade is largely responsible for Cuba's multiple travails. Yet, Miller is not one to be easily fooled by either street talk or Cuban government propaganda. He sits through an interminable and insufferable neighborhood meeting "convened by the Cuban Communist Party and calling on all comrades and patriots", and rags on the Official Communist Party newspaper, GRANMA, written in "typical Soviet-puppet language" of bluster and mythification. (I had a colleague in Latin American history, sadly now deceased, who went down to Cuba once and called GRANMA "a dog of a newspaper". Since Cubans can't learn the truth---about anything---from the state-controlled press, radio, television, or film they rely on "radio bemba", or Radio Bigmouth AKA gossip to learn what is really going on in the life of the country. TRADING WITH THE ENEMY is the perfect book for those who want a close-up of Cuba from a leftist but not uncritical friend of the island.

[Theres · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a little out of date by now but I found this a highly readable introduction to Cuba while travelling through it. There are some gems such as when he explains the "July 26th" celebrations in two paragraphs, and I found myself sharing quite a few of his historical anecdotes with my travelling companion. My only criticism would be that sometimes he's too keen to show how much research he's done, which ends up with long lists of examples (and I've forgotten what they were about). There might be more up-to-date books but overall this one was a fun read.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to finish reading this book before I traveled to Cuba, but I didn't. This book is somewhat of a hodgepodge of stories about the author's experiences while traveling through Cuba. Some of the information I found interesting, but it wasn't life shattering. Granted it was written many years before my visit but I found some of it completely different than my experience. This is more of an antidotal read in my opinion.

[Marydale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to Cuba if you're considering going there. Miller touches on the history of the political situation, US-Cuba relations, salsa music, baseball, and movies, and with plenty of input from Cuban artists, writers, and everyday people on the streets and in the fields. I appreciate Miller's style, the way he takes you on his walks and on his travels throughout the island. And he pulls from an impressive number of sources that could only be found through hard work.

[Rick Rapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty comprehensive account of an American journalist's extended visit to Cuba before and after the end of Soviet financial support. It gives good insight into every day life and attitudes. Some of it is laced with humor and some is darker. Only one part (Cuban baseball teams) dragged for me. This was well-written and informative.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at Cuba at the beginning of the 'Special Period' in 1991. Amazing in some ways how similar the world of Havana in 1991 is to the world of Havana in 2018 -- still waiting in line at Coppelia, still picking up hitchhikers along provincial roads, still having amazing conversations with everyone you meet

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book during a trip to Cuba. Because the book was written 20 years ago and because the author first visited Cuba soon after the Revolution, it was really interesting to see the changes that have come to pass between the time the book was written and the present day. I would recommend this book to anyone traveling to Cuba to get a historical perspective.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining but well researched account of Cuba during the height of the Castro years. Those who can remember the official US coverage of Cuba will be delighted to recognize the important names and events but see them from the other side

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been fortunate enough to have traveled to Cuba in 2000, I continue to be fascinated with that beautiful island and love returning, even by book! Miller covers much more than we did, and with much more detail and depth. I would have loved to have traveled with him!

[Flowergarden24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good mixture of the author's accounts of personal experiences and light historical background of major events. It wasn't very exciting , funny or captivating but a nice general writing about the feeling of being in Cuba in the different areas.

[keith koenigsberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended but I found it short on humor and not all that entertaining. Not lively.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insightful account of life in Cuba under Castro during the late 20th century. Things there probably haven't changed much.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in anticipation of my trip to Cuba. I found a lot of it very interesting and I'm very excited to see what has changed in the almost 30 years since Tom Miller's trip.

[R. Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The classic on Cuba and much of it still highly useful.

[experiment · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great travel book to read prior heading to Cuba as it is full of quotes and the results of the author's research, as well as during a stay on the island to compare his 90's perspective with a contemporary one. I enjoyed the Castro's jokes, the interviews with the locals, the descriptions of the cities and countryside, but I'm not a baseball fan so the fifth part of the book was superficial to me (it's already long enough).

As 2016, not much as changed from he author's accounts in "Castro's Cuba". Tourism as intensified (mostly Canadians), ration books kinda disappeared (eg for groceries, but not pharmacy), shortages are now about comfort goods rather than necessities, the architecture hasn't been restored very much (things are really slow), censorship still exist, the same billboards argue for "¡Socialismo o Muerte!", queues are shorter, but most importantly some Cubans still believe in the Castros ability to improve life conditions in Cuba. Most of the changes towards a more capitalistic economy (official vs. black market) happened since 2010 with Raul, since Fidel retired. Yet some Cubans believe that even though US-Cuban relations slowly reopened, they perceive no change and are pessimistic in the future.

Anyway, a better guide to Cuba's historical and cultural tensions than the Lonely Planet!!

[Shweta Ganesh Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extremely balanced book on year 32 of the revolution in Cuba. This is Tom Miller's account of eight months in Cuba during the special period. A wonderfully balanced, unbiased book it is mainly a travelogue about people rather than the place itself.
As the author puts it, it is about seeing, 'Cuba from the inside, the way it would like to be seen from the outside.

I enjoyed the book except for the parts where he obsessively describes the baseball games. This, I feel slowed down the momentum.
As I started reading this book before visiting Havana, it was fun to spot the landmarks mentioned in the book in real life.

That being said Havana in 2014 is markedly different from the place, Tom Miller visited in the 90's. It has developed in a way, you wouldn't believe possible, while reading the book. So, do not use the book as a guide or reference for the present day.
Read it as you would read a book on recent history.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

My roommate in Cuba had found this book on the street in New York City a few months before we met in Havana, he seemed to think there was a lot of meaning in this random find. I don't know if I would agree that it was fate or destiny, but this was a great read.

There is a unique pleasure in reading about someone's journey while you have a similar experience and the author acurately captures the atmosphere.

[Tammie Maloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably a 3 1/2 star for me. I read this as background for an upcoming trip to Cuba. I definitely feel I have a much better understanding of Cuba and its people. I wish it would have been laid out in a more organized fashion but it follows his journeys through the country. You meet interesting people and hear about what the country has to offer. I recommend this to anyone traveling to Cuba.

[Tracy Towley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is by far the most balanced book I've read about Cuba. Basically, Tom traveled through Cuba for around 8 months and told the stories of hundreds of folks he met - with a ton of varying views. He seemed to be a pretty non-biased bystander and effectively portrayed all sides of the debate.

[Tracy Towley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is by far the most balanced book I've read about Cuba. Basically, Tom traveled through Cuba for around 8 months and told the stories of hundreds of folks he met - with a ton of varying views. He seemed to be a pretty non-biased bystander and effectively portrayed all sides of the debate.

[Nico Luchsinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful account of a journalist's travels through Cuba during the "Special Period" in the early 90ies. Read it immediately after returning from Cuba in 2013, which made for an interesting comparison on how the country has changed, and how it hasn't.

[Cold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this, especially in Cuba. Some parts were great and some very dull, but that seems to be the case for travel writing. The Nitza interview and party billboards were my highlights, hated all the baseball stuff.

[Leyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loads of useful information for the first time traveler to Cuba and an excellent complement to the standard lonely planet type guide books. I found it a bit boring towards the end because Miller details too much for the average European the Cuban habits, history and culture of baseball.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book served as our textbook in a class at the Graham School of the University of Chicago. What a fascinating class and book. In January of 2017 I get to visit this island country. I never thought it would be possible.