History of Cuba: The Challenge of the Yoke and the Star

by José Cantón Navarro

Book by Jose Canton Navarro

Genres: History, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[EreSanzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is giving information about you Cuban history.

[Ernst Roets · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book in Cuba out of curiosity, because it was virtually the only history book on Cuba you could get. I noticed the author is a history professor and a member of the Communist Party, which is fine, because I want to understand the communist narrative on Cuba. Problem with this book is that it is so one-dimensional and oversimplified that it borders on ridiculous. It presents Fidel Castro as an angelic figure who can do no wrong, the Communist Party as flawless saviors, America as unquestionably evil and everyone that isn't communist as bad. There is no introspection or serious consideration of historical events and the consequences of post-revolution government policies. The book contains a lot of information though, which is useful to obtain an overview of big events in Cuban history.