Cuba Libre: A 500-Year Quest for Independence

by Philip Brenner, Peter Eisner

This book presents a concise introduction to Cuba since 1942 by a knockout combination of one American's most respected scholars of Cuba and an award-winning journalist--both known for their clear and engaging writing. This is the first introduction to balance historical and contemporary coverage and to include a nuanced and balanced analysis of important new scholarship in the field.

Genres: History

428 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2017

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a first generation Cuban-American who was born and raised in South Florida, this book provided an interesting and perpendicular view of the Cuban revolution and the relations between the U.S. and Cuba since. While illuminating in its criticism of U.S. policy, it is unmistakably written with a favorable view towards Fidel and the Cuban government. Still, having grown up listening to the rhetoric and propaganda from the U.S. side, it is interesting to hear what those on the other side of the water believe. The truth, no doubt, is somewhere in the middle. Take what is said in this book not as gospel, but as a particular viewpoint on the events that shaped the history of Cuba and all Cuban-Americans.

[Brett Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info but very one sided

Brenner gives an interesting account of Cuba 's history but does not even attempt to hide his pro Castro bias. In many places he borders on full Castro apologist. He describes the kangaroo courts after the revolution as necessary for the public to vent. He also rarely, if ever, criticizes Castro for his oppression. He goes as far as to call Cuba and the Castros altruistic . The most interesting part is probably dealing with Cuba and Soviet Union

[Steven Bragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compact historical review of Cuba, with the bulk of the commentary covering events since the revolution. The text is slanted in favor of Cuba and away from the United States, though some good points are made regarding the author's reasons for doing so. I would have liked to see more about conditions on the ground in various parts of the country, rather than just dealing with general events and providing excerpts from speeches and articles.

[Rick Weiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed and appreciated this history of Cuba written from a sympathetic perspective but know I'll have to look elsewhere to fill in the blanks. That's why I've started reading Leonardo Padura's The Man Who Loved Dogs.

[Shoshana Stubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read. Like most Americans, my total knowledge about Cuba was "Cuba communist, Castro bad, boat people". I learned a tremendous amount about the history of Cuba with tremendous detail on the last 70 years, and there is a whole lot more to it than what I knew! Very thorough, very interesting, and very educational. No bias was detected at all.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what one might need if interested in a brief overview of Cuban history, based on the major historians of the field. Good general introduction for travelers and people new to the history.