The Covert City: The Cold War and the Making of Miami

by Vince Houghton, Eric Driggs

Secret operations, corruption, crime, and a city teeming with spies: why Miami was as crucial to winning the Cold War as Washington DC or Moscow.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was perhaps the most dramatic and dangerous period of the Cold War. What's less well known is that the city of Miami, mere miles away, was a pivotal, though less well known, part of Cold War history. With its population of Communist exiles from Cuba, its strategic value for military operations, and its lax business laws, Miami was an ideal environment for espionage.

The Covert City tells the history of how the entire city of Miami was constructed in the image of the US-Cuba rivalry. From the Bay of Pigs invasion to the death of Fidel Castro, the book shows how Miami is a hub for money and cocaine but also secrets and ideologies. Cuban exiles built criminal and political organizations in the city, leading Washington to set up a CIA station there, codenamed JMWAVE. It monitored gang activities, plotted secret operations against Castro, and became a base for surveilling Latin American neighbors. The money and infrastructure built for the CIA was integral to the development of Miami.

The Covert City is a sweeping and entertaining history, full of stunning experimental operations and colorful characters--a story of a place like no other.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2024

About the author

Vince Houghton is the historian and curator of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. He is also the host and creative director of the Museum's podcast, SpyCast, which reaches a national and international audience of over 2.5 million listeners each year. He is a veteran of the US army and served in the Balkans before receiving his Masters and PhD in Diplomatic and Military History from the University of Maryland. He has appeared on CNN, NBC News, Fox News, NPR and other major outlets as an expert in intelligence history.

Reviews

[Sarah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it’s important for those born in Miami to know about its history and all the clandestine events that happened and are still happening in the places we know so well. The corruption of the city and the immigrant experience of cubans and the governments contributions to it all can open your eyes to what has affected our current state. Especially our parents and grandparents perspectives; Cubans in general have views today and they are def. an effect of what’s spoken about in this book. Not an easy read. but a good one.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you want to have a few chuckles about the Cold War? Well then come on down to read Vince Houghton and Eric Driggs' Covert City. The book looks at the Cold War mostly as it pertains to the city of Miami. I say mostly because the book is a little all over the place.

Let's start with the good. Houghton and Driggs have done a ton of research. In a relatively short book, you will hear about a lot of different people and events related to the Cold War. My favorite part is their humor. There are a lot of quick jokes throughout the book and it keeps the narrative breezy.

The main issue here is that this reads much more like an extended Wikipedia article with the humor turned up to 11. There is no real cohesiveness because there is no central character. Not every history book needs to be narrative non-fiction, but it does need to have a central theme. The subtitle suggests it is Miami but there is no effort to make it real to the reader. There is also a bit too many uses of, "many Cubans felt that," and phrases like that which need to be backed up by hard data if it is to be trusted. For the most part, the authors do this with much of the book, but a few of these non-substantiated claims sneak in.

I wouldn't tell anyone not to read this book as there are good elements and some fun stories. I would caution the reader that if you aren't interested in the Cold War or Miami then there is probably not enough in this book to keep your attention.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and PublicAffairs.)

[Elizabeth Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book full of very useful information! It’s funny and very prescient! Personally found some chunks a bit slow, but the information and the 2nd half more than made up for it. Didn’t expect the full breakdown of how trump was bailed out by the Russian mafia in Miami real estate in exchange for giving Russians US citizenship or laying out the Venezuelan coup situation before it happened!! The research is excellent and very funny. Some people will probably take umbrage at the anti Castro sentiment, but it’s throughly documenting Cuban sentiment in Miami and pretty fair to both sides. The US was and is extraordinarily incompetent with Cuba and Cuba is superb with espionage. Many Cubans wanted out from Cuba that’s very well documented. A fascinating and informative read

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking forward to this book ever since Vince described the concept on a podcast 4-5 years ago and it was everything I was hoping for.
Would love to see this concept of intelligence history wrapped around other cities such as New Orleans or Vegas that have rich stories to tell and aren't as well known as London or moscow.

[Ashley Wise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covert City by Vince Houghton and Eric Driggs explores Miami's pivotal role in the Cold War, focusing on espionage, criminal operations, and secret CIA missions. The authors’ extensive research and humorous tone make for an easy read, with witty moments that add some levity to the subject matter.

However, he book lacks structure, jumping between events and people without a central focus. Despite the promise of a Miami-centric narrative, the city doesn’t feel as central as expected, and some generalizations could use more supporting evidence.

While the book offers intriguing anecdotes, Covert City will likely appeal more to readers already interested in the Cold War or Miami’s history. It's entertaining, but may not capture the attention of casual readers.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley)

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my goals this year is to read and learn more about my new home city of Miami. This book was interesting in the sense that I did learn a lot, though didn’t retain a lot of specifics, regarding different events in the history of Cuba and Miami and how they related to other Cold War events and countries. Some of it I was alive for, like the situation with Elian Gonzalez which was interesting to hear about from my adult perspective (I was 17 when that situation happened). The book didn’t blow me away though. It was a casual read (I listened on audio and the narration was great), but it was basically a chronological order of different people and organizations and the things they did. I did find it somewhat enlightening to learn about how varied the political beliefs and philosophies were of all the Cuba exiles. A good, short, book of you have interest in the topic.

[Seth Petok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living in Miami, the book clarifies for me the Cuban migration history to this city from 1959 to the present day. Regime change from the Castros to representative democracy has always been an objective, but never achieved. At least, immigration has occurred with the implicit and explicit assent of the welcoming U.S. Factoid: Tony Montana of "Scarface" was an outlier, and represented maybe 1% of the Mariel era migration. But the popular notion holds otherwise.

Moving to the 2000 Presidential election, the Miami Elian Gonzalez incident cost Gore 50,000 Cuban community votes in Florida, the Florida electoral college votes, and the presidency. Forget the butterfly ballot and the hanging chads; and the Ralph Nader influence.

Today, Miami is the last outpost of the Communist v West Cold War. No doubt contra revolutions are planned here, not only against Cuba, but also for Nicaragua, Venezuela, Haiti, and other Latin America countries that threaten democratic principles.

More chapters of the story await.

[Blane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dry and generally uninspired survey of Cold War-related incidents that (for the most part) emphasize the interconnections between Miami and Fidel's Cuban regime from roughly the late 1950s and the early 21st century. Most of these I knew from other prior research and just paying attention to the news.

I especially liked the very brief section on Sunny Isles Beach, FL, (where I do own a very, very old & relatively inexpensive condo) and their connection to its reputation as "Little Moscow" due to its role as a money laundering operation for Russian oligarchs in the US (many linked to the various Trump Towers in town). Connect the dots, folks!

I found Houghton's attempts at clever witticisms throughout the book to fall flat, adding nothing to the narrative.

[Jose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Starts off well then decides to take grievances with Bosch who contrary to the authors assertions even to this day is NOT frowned upon but hailed and rightfully so. Book cannot decide whether it is sympathetic to the cause or just another "study" on Cuban exiles despite one of them being of Cuban descent they don't get it. I am young and even I get it. It has some good coverage on the raids some which already known but just another "History" about Cuba i.e. one that probably uses same sources as the other so-called "histories" albeit in perhaps a psuedo-sympathetic approach but anyone can read between the snarky lines.

[Tony]

The Covert City is a concise, readable history of the Cold War as seen through the Magic City. As the authors explain, there was very little that transpired in South or Central America during these years that was unconnected to Miami. The resettlement of the Cuban exile community in south Florida, and the differences between the first wave and those who followed, are expertly explained. Ending with the attempted Venezuelan coup headed by a former member of the American armed services, The Covert City also has the benefit of being up to date.

[Jesse B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Florida has a propensity for the over the top. See an insane headline in a US newspaper? It would be a safe bet to say it took place in Florida. So it makes perfect sense that this rollickingly fun little history of the Cold War (and beyond) in Miami is suffused with the ridiculous. I was expecting to learn about the skullduggery of CIA operations, Castro spies, Anti Castro dissidents, etc. but I was not expecting to laugh as much as I did. Hougthon and his cowriter chronicle the absurdity in such a humorous manner.

Recommend for fans of espionage, Miami, and Latin American history.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

When speaking about the Cold War, many don’t think of Miami, FL, but the South Florida city played a huge role in being so close to Cuba. Miami was filled with secret operations, corruption, crime, and spies.

The book was well-researched and read like an excellent research paper, but with personality! I enjoyed it! Cuban spies are top-notch!

Thank you, Netgalley and PublicAffairs, for feeding my obsession with CIA and spies.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…One of the best things about Miami is that it’s so close to the United States.” This is an old joke mentioned in the book, and I found it kind of funny, but there is a bit of truth to it. Even if you already know a lot about the Cold War and Cuba, this book will enlighten you about how Miami, with all its glitz and glamour, has had a long, interesting history serving as a Covert City. It’s a good read!

[M.E. Roche · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at the history and politics of Miami, particularly in its relation to Cuba and South American countries, as well as the involvement of the Mafia. It details the CIA's extensive support of the Cuban rebel groups and why they disintegrated to a large extent. Well worth the read.

[Mike Dial · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a lot about Miami in the Cold War and beyond that put news events that I remember into context. I hadn't considered Miami to be that important a city before I read this book. Given that it's the "Capital of Latin America", I expect that I will see a lot more about Miami in the future and I hope that I will be able to maintain context for what I see, based on what I read here.

[Umar Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would be better as a podcast or series of essays for the Miami Herald Tribune. A book about Miami with no local flavor and no interviews. You're from Miami, and you can't find people to interview for this book?

[Pablo C.]

Anecdotario del exilio cubano en Miami y sus recurrentes planes frustrados de liberación de su patria. Revolotea de lo trágico a lo entretenido pasando por todo el espectro de lo pintoresco y lo prosaico. Interesante y no muy profundo.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eric Driggs does a great job narrating the audiobook, and the history of Miami's relationship with Cuba is something I knew next to nothing about. Not top-of-the-shelf history, but still a pretty good mix of educational and interesting.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I know alot about Fidel's Cuba, I knew little about how it indluenced Miami. That said, the most interesting fact in this book was the claim that Jeff Bezos was adopted by an engineer who was a Cuban emigree.

[Darlene Messenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow on publication date.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and interesting history of the Cold War in relation to Miami. A lot of information is thrown at you in a fairly small book and the author has a good sense of humor.

[Shanna Nye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you want to learn more about the Cuban missile crisis.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Teo smite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a perfect book but chock full of interesting history.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts are really interested me, and some parts I didn’t care about at all. Spies and Russians were like the best parts for me.

[Ana Paulina Maestre Camacho · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best are the last chapters. Easy and fun book for those interested in Cuban espionage in Miami during and after the Cold War.

[Mandy (Zen)]

I hate to be that guy, but man some of the politics in this book are WILD

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

COVERT CITY centers on Miami and is a good place to know about now that Trump has been elected for the 2nd time. It is a very uneven book in terms of pacing and varying degrees of fascination but it is always sincere. It centers on the yearning of Cuban exiles for their home and then veers off into other Latin American political hotbeds.

For some unknown reason, it made me think of CHEF, a wonderful film that highlights (without intention) the wonders of living in Miami. I think if you read this book you will love the flavor of this movie.