What do you think?
Rate this book
Grenada: Revolution and Invasion
Revolution and Invasion is a wide-ranging collection of essays by academics in the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States, each with a unique perspective on the revolution and its effects.
278 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2015
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 3, 2021
"Grenada: Revolution and Invasion" is more about the events leading up to the implosion of the socialist New Jewel Movement (NJM), the subsequent invasion that overthrew Grenada's socialist revolution and its legacy rather than a detailed account of the revolutionary period (1979-1983). As someone with no prior knowledge of Grenada and its history, I was looking for the latter, but this is still a remarkable book.
What led to the revolution's downfall? The short answer is an intra-party struggle between Maurice Bishop and Bernard Coard. Bishop's refusal to share power with Coard defied the Marxist-Leninist principle of democratic centralism and created a domino effect which culminated in the arrest and execution of Bishop and other NJM comrades by the anti-Bishop faction of the NJM. It is an absolute and inexcusable tragedy.
Right-wing Caribbean governments (primarily Jamaica and Barbados) saw Grenada’s internal crisis as an opportunity to end the Revolution and invited the US to lead an invasion.
The book goes into great detail on the legitimacy and legality of the invasion. Scholars across the board agree: Jamaica's argument that Grenada wanted to export its revolution (with the help of Cuba) and that its internal crisis threatened the security of other Caribbean states was complete bullshit. Equally nonsensical were the motives given by the US. Ronald Reagan argued that he needed the protect the safety of US university students in Grenada and eliminate the presence of Cuban soldiers who were building military assets in the country. The students were never in danger and there were only Cuban construction workers who were constructing an airport to expand Grenada’s tourism sector. There was no military base. So, not only were the reasons for the invasion nonsense, but it was also illegal as international bodies (the UN and CARICOM) did not sanction a military intervention.
The US invasion left a complicated legacy. There is a collective trauma in Grenada where it seems like Grenadians prefer to not talk about this period. Attempts at truth and reconciliation has not yielded new information or revelations, no opportunities for healing, and no positive results.
Further, the US invasion of Grenada sparked debate about media censorship since the US did not allow the international press to enter Grenada for two days. This censorship applied by the Reagan administration gave them ability to create conditions that allowed them to control the narrative and not give journalists the opportunity to challenge their accounts like in Vietnam. Media complaints led to development of the Sidle Commission, which, in my opinion, seems to comprise the principle of transparency since journalists will essentially be integrated with the military at the outset of war and follow a set of guidelines ostensibly for their safety.
Perhaps the only remnant of the Grenadian revolution that survives today is the relations between Grenada and Cuba. Bishop and the NJM looked at Cuba as a model and developed good relations with Fidel Castro. Cuba provided a lot of aid that materially benefited the Grenadian people in terms of education, health, and infrastructure. With the overthrow of the Revolution, relations were severed. But after the fall of the Soviet Union, relations were re-established and Cuba now plays an important role in the development of Grenada even though the country has been ruled by right-wing and center-right governments since the overthrow of the Revolution.
What led to the revolution's downfall? The short answer is an intra-party struggle between Maurice Bishop and Bernard Coard. Bishop's refusal to share power with Coard defied the Marxist-Leninist principle of democratic centralism and created a domino effect which culminated in the arrest and execution of Bishop and other NJM comrades by the anti-Bishop faction of the NJM. It is an absolute and inexcusable tragedy.
Right-wing Caribbean governments (primarily Jamaica and Barbados) saw Grenada’s internal crisis as an opportunity to end the Revolution and invited the US to lead an invasion.
The book goes into great detail on the legitimacy and legality of the invasion. Scholars across the board agree: Jamaica's argument that Grenada wanted to export its revolution (with the help of Cuba) and that its internal crisis threatened the security of other Caribbean states was complete bullshit. Equally nonsensical were the motives given by the US. Ronald Reagan argued that he needed the protect the safety of US university students in Grenada and eliminate the presence of Cuban soldiers who were building military assets in the country. The students were never in danger and there were only Cuban construction workers who were constructing an airport to expand Grenada’s tourism sector. There was no military base. So, not only were the reasons for the invasion nonsense, but it was also illegal as international bodies (the UN and CARICOM) did not sanction a military intervention.
The US invasion left a complicated legacy. There is a collective trauma in Grenada where it seems like Grenadians prefer to not talk about this period. Attempts at truth and reconciliation has not yielded new information or revelations, no opportunities for healing, and no positive results.
Further, the US invasion of Grenada sparked debate about media censorship since the US did not allow the international press to enter Grenada for two days. This censorship applied by the Reagan administration gave them ability to create conditions that allowed them to control the narrative and not give journalists the opportunity to challenge their accounts like in Vietnam. Media complaints led to development of the Sidle Commission, which, in my opinion, seems to comprise the principle of transparency since journalists will essentially be integrated with the military at the outset of war and follow a set of guidelines ostensibly for their safety.
Perhaps the only remnant of the Grenadian revolution that survives today is the relations between Grenada and Cuba. Bishop and the NJM looked at Cuba as a model and developed good relations with Fidel Castro. Cuba provided a lot of aid that materially benefited the Grenadian people in terms of education, health, and infrastructure. With the overthrow of the Revolution, relations were severed. But after the fall of the Soviet Union, relations were re-established and Cuba now plays an important role in the development of Grenada even though the country has been ruled by right-wing and center-right governments since the overthrow of the Revolution.
Displaying 1 of 1 review