Product Description
In The Cuban Missile Crisis: A Concise History, Don Munton and David A. Welch distill the best current scholarship on the Cuban missile crisis into a brief narrative history. The authors draw on newly available documents to provide a comprehensive treatment of its causes, events, consequences, and significance. Stressing the importance of context in relation to the genesis, conduct, and resolution of the crisis, Munton and Welch examine it from the U.S., Soviet, and Cuban angles, revealing the vital role differences in national perspectives played at every stage.While the book provides a concise, up-to-date look at this pivotal event, it also notes gaps and mysteries in the historical record and highlights important persistent interpretive disputes. The authors provide a detailed guide to the literature and film for those who wish to explore further. The Cuban Missile Crisis is ideal for undergraduate courses on the 1960s, U.S. foreign policy, the Cold War, twentieth-century world history, and comparative foreign policy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Executive Summary of the Crisis

This is an interesting little book (103 pages of text).In effect, it is an executive summary of the thousands of pages of memoirs, histories, records and other materials that describe the thirteen days in October 1962 that have become known as "The Cuban Missile Crisis."It is written in an interesting style and takes into account the actions and motives of the three main decision-makers, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro.Less helpful are the authors' opinions that Khrushchev, Kennedy and Castro indulged in "mirror-imaging," i.e., assuming that others saw the world in the same way that they did, and thereby seriously miscalculated the consequences of their actions.

The scope of Khrushchev's plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Cuba is presented in detail.The deployment called for 60 medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles, 49 tactical nuclear warheads, 80 fighter and bomber aircraft, some of which were accompanied by nuclear bombs, 14,000 combat soldiers, and other more conventional weapons, patrol boats and support personnel.The plan was hatched in May; and by mid-July, the deployment had begun.By the end of August, the United States knew that something was happening between Russia and Cuba, but the movement of men and material was a closely guarded secret.On October 15, 1962, a high altitude U-2 spy plane provided the United States with photographic proof of the construction of Soviet missile sites in Cuba.

President Kennedy chose not to make public the disclosure, but instead formed an executive committee to study the situation and to make a recommendation of what should be the response of the United States.Several possibilities were discussed, including a blockade, a "surgical" air strike, a general air strike and a full-scale invasion of Cuba.Kennedy chose a blockade as the most desirable response, and identified a settlement with Russia removing its missiles from Cuba and the U.S. removing its missiles from Turkey as the most desirable end result.There followed one week of negotiation that resulted in the settlement that Kennedy sought.The book also describes the problems encountered in carrying out the settlement, and the disposition of the tactical nuclear weapons, of which the U.S. was unaware.

The authors are university professors, so it is not surprising that in their conclusion they pose "the question of what we can learn about world politics, and indeed about history from this pivotal event."They conclude that the most significant lesson is "that Great Powers ignore the needs, desires and perspectives of smaller countries at their peril," and stretch to apply that concept to present day Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.That is quite a stretch.Ironically, in resolving the Cuban Missile Crisis, both the Soviets and the United States ignored the desires of Fidel Castro.

As Advertised
This book did exactly what the authors set out to do: identify and examine the main points of the Cuban Missile Crisis.For those looking for an in-depth historical examination, buy something different.If you are interested in understanding the events surrounding the Crisis and the Thirteen days of the event itself, buy this book.

Also interesting are the parallels drawn between Kennedy's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis and our current administration's disastrous foray into Iraq.Maybe someone should send Dubya a copy... it would probably be a quick read even for him. ... Read more

Product Description
From the first amateur leagues of the 1860s to the exploits of Livan and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, here is the definitive history of baseball in Cuba. Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria expertly traces the arc of the game, intertwining its heroes and their stories with the politics, music, dance, and literature of the Cuban people.What emerges is more than a story of balls and strikes, but a richly detailed history of Cuba told from the unique cultural perch of the baseball diamond.
Filling a void created by Cuba's rejection of bullfighting and Spanish hegemony, baseball quickly became a crucial stitch in the complex social fabric of the island. By the early 1940s Cuba had become major conduit in spreading the game throughout Latin America, and a proving ground for some of the greatest talent in all of baseball, where white major leaguers and Negro League players from the U.S. all competed on the same fields with the cream of Latin talent.Indeed, readers will be introduced to several black ballplayers of Afro-Cuban descent who played in the Major Leagues before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier once and for all.Often dramatic, and always culturally resonant, Gonzalez Echevarria's narrative expertly lays open the paradox of fierce Cuban independence from the U.S. with Cuba's love for our national pastime.It shows how Fidel Castro cannily associated himself with the sport for patriotic p.r.--and reveals that his supposed baseball talent is purely mythical. Based on extensive primary research and a wealth of interviews, the colorful, often dramatic anecdotes and stories in this distinguished book comprise the most comprehensive history of Cuban baseball yet published and ultimately adds a vital lost chapter to the history of baseball in the U.S.Amazon.com Review
The "national" in "national pastime" is a relative term inYale literature professor and former semi-pro catcher Roberto GonzalezEchevarria's meticulous examination of baseball in the land of hisbirth. A respected scholar, Echevarria is also a fan, and he managesto weave both objectivity and appreciation throughout a carefullyresearched and multi-layered narrative that draws from numerousfirst-person reminiscences. If Echevarria's prose is dry at times, itmanages to cover plenty of interesting territory as he threads thegame through the fabric of Cuban history, culture, and lore.

Theisland's romance with baseball has remarkable parallels andinterconnections with America's embrace of the game. Ballplayers fromthe United States loved to barnstorm during the off-season inwide-open Havana, the Dodgers used to train there, the CubanLeague--alums include Brooks Robinson, Tommy Lasorda, Don Hoak, andDon Zimmer--was a major force in the vibrant spread of baseballthrough the Caribbean, and, not surprisingly, several Major and NegroLeague standouts--Martin Dihigo, Bert Campaneris, Mike Cuellar, LuisTiant, Minnie Minoso, Camilo Pascual, Tony Oliva, and, more recently,the Hernandez brothers--were stars in their homeland first. But thereare also stunning and powerful differences, as stunning and powerfulas the differences between the two countries since Castro's rise topower.

Castro's own obsession with the game plays prominently,though Echevarria is quick to strike out the myth that Fidel himselfwas once a prospect. "Let it be known here," he emphasizes, "thatFidel Castro was never scouted by any major-league team, and is notknown to have enjoyed the kind of success in baseball that would havebrought a scout's attention to him." He had to settle for the world'sattention instead. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Cuban Baseball
It's an excellent and very well documented book and easy to read.
It relates Cuban Baseball History from its begining.

The Pride of Havana:A History of Cuban Baseball
Although the book offers a TON of information on the history of baseball in Cuba, there is definitely way too much reading and not enough pictures!I would have liked to see pictures along with the reading.

Bestbook on Cuban baseball!
I loved this book! From the very beginning Gonzalez Echavarria had me smelling the air in a Cuban baseball satdium and feeling the tension in the crowd as the pitchers winds up.

But what this book truly delivers, is a history lesson to those who think they know Cuban baseball, which has often been "presented" through American eyes (such as PBS specials or even through Ken Burns' documentary on Baseball).

Cubans not only exported baseball through Latin America, but because of the paradox of the intense Cuban racism at the amateur level and integrated leagues at the professional level, many young black Cuban players found fame and fortune in Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and other places (including the Negro Leagues in the US), while many US professional Negro Leagues got to play alogside white US teammates in professional Cuban teams. Even the virulent Ty Cobb!

It also tells the stories of Cuban legends - such as Adolfo Luque - who played in the US Major Leagues in the 20's through the 60's - both as pitcher and manager in a time when white Cubans were allowed to play US professional baseball while their talented black countrymen couldn't.

This is a must read - from a Cuban perspective - for fans of baseball - not just Cuban baseball!

Canseco Over Linares or Tony Oliva?
In the months that have passed since the publication of RGE's monumental book on Cuban baseball history the nature and value of his work has slowly come more clearly into focus. The dedicated scholar-author is to be praisedfor his valuable contribution in providing rich detail on the early yearsof Cuban baseball not found in other English-language sources. But as DavidSkinner has pointed out in a recent on-target review in the scholarlyjournal NINE (Canadian Scholars' Press), Professor Gonzalez has throughoutengaged in a good deal of mythmaking of his own. While RGE provides manydelighful nuggets about early Cuban baseball and Negro league barnstormingon the island, and while he also does service for monolingual baseballenthusiasts by translating into English accounts and statistics from earlyseasons heretofore found only in Spanish-language books like those of RaulDiez Muro and Angel Torres, Skinner emphasizes rightly that there are manyshortcomings in PRIDE OF HAVANA as a comprehensive history of Cuba'snational pastime. RGE's heavy anti-Castro's politics causes him to lace the40s and 50s era "Golden Age" with a thick coat of unwarrantednostalgia (baseball was actually near its death-knell in Cuba at the time),to dismiss the exciting and competitive brand of Cuban League baseballplayed after the revolution as totally worthless and unworthy of detailedchronicle, and to ignore the crucial fact (which should be central to anycomprehensive history of island baseball) that the sport has only beennational in its scope in Cuba after 1962 (the professional league whichended in 1961 was restrict to the city of Havana). Skinner's review alsounderscores other shortcomings: facts of Negro League barnstorming in Cubaare often presented without documentation and sometimes even inaccurtate;abilities and accomplishments of recent defectors and Cuban-born majorleaguers are highly exaggerated (especially the claim that one-dimensionalslugger Jose Canseco is perhaps the best-ever Cuban born player, ratherthan Martin Dihigo or Tony Oliva or Luis Tiant Jr.); legitimate islandstars like Omar Linares, Jose Ibarand Jose Contreras are taken lightlybecause "they have not played against major leaguers," and theoutright dismissal of the past forty years of Cuban baseball development(about one-third of the time frame covered by the saga of Cuban baseball)undermines any claim for a full-scale comprehensive history of the subject.THE PRIDE OF HAVANA has its many merits. But if one wants to see the truecoloration of RGE's approach and discover what is missing in this ratherincomplete history of Cuban baseball, an excellent start is David Skinner'sperceptive review (NINE, Vol. 8, No. 2, Spring 2000).

Papa Montero Says...
This book filled many voids for me with regard to the history of Cuban baseball. It is especially good in discussing the heyday of Cuban baseball in the twenties and thirties. Like one of the other reviewers, though, I was dissappointed that the author did not discuss baseball since therevolution in greater detail. ... Read more

Product Description
Afro-Cuban Diasporas in the Atlantic World explores how Yoruba and Afro-Cuban communities moved across the Atlantic between the Americas and Africa in successive waves in the nineteenth century. In Havana, Yoruba slaves from Lagos banded together to buy their freedom and sail home to Nigeria. Once in Lagos, this Cuban repatriate community became known as the Aguda. This community built their own neighborhood that celebrated their Afrolatino heritage. For these Yoruba and Afro-Cuban diasporic populations, nostalgic constructions of family and community play the role of narrating and locating a longed-for home. By providing a link between the workings of nostalgia and the construction of home, this volume re-theorizes cultural imaginaries as a source for diasporic community reinvention. Through ethnographic fieldwork and research in folkloristics, Otero reveals that the Aguda identify strongly with their Afro-Cuban roots in contemporary times. Their fluid identity moves from Yoruba to Cuban, and back again, in a manner that illustrates the truly cyclical nature of transnational Atlantic community affiliation. ... Read more

Product Description
1927. Contents: The Pearl of the Antilles; The Old Regime, to 1895; The United States and Cuba, to 1895; The Cuban War of Independence, 1895-1898; The United States Military Government, 1898-1902; The Establishment of the Republic; The Best Years of the Republic: Estrada Palma, 1902-1905; The Reelection of Estrada Palma; The Revolution of August; The Magoon Administration, 1906-1909; The Restoration of Cuban Government; The Most Typically Cuban President: Gomez, 1909-1913; Political Happenings of the Gomez Era; Menocal Begins, 1913-1916; The Elections of 1916; The Revolution of February; Going Down: Menocal's Second Term, 1917-1921; Zayas and Crowder, 1921-1923; Corruption and Remonstrance, 1923-1924; Exit Zayas, 1924-1925; The Constitution and Congress; The Futility of the Law in Cuba; The Cuban Government Lottery; Cuban Election Evils; Social Factors in Cuban Life; Material and Intellectual Conditions; and The Future of Cuba: A Question. ... Read more

Product Description
A chapter in the chronicle of the Cuban Revolution, as told by those on the front lines of that ongoing epic.

Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui, and Moisés Sío Wong—three young rebels of Chinese-Cuban ancestry—threw themselves into the great proletarian battle that defined their generation. They became combatants in the clandestine struggle and 1956–58 revolutionary war that brought down a U.S.-backed dictatorship and opened the door to the socialist revolution in the Americas. Each became a general in Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Here they talk about the historic place of Chinese immigration to Cuba, as well as more than five decades of revolutionary action and internationalism, from Cuba to Angola, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Through their stories the social and political forces that gave birth to the Cuban nation and still shape our epoch unfold. We see how millions of ordinary men and women like them changed the course of history, becoming different human beings in the process.

Also available in: Spanish ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

an important book
This is a great book for university students in the field of history or Latin American politics. Usually we are accustomed to reading only the interviews of Dr. Fidel Castro but rarely do we get a glimpse of others who did battle as well during the Cuban Revolution--1956-58--and these are the three Cuban-Chinese generals. This is a great oral history book on Cuban history as well as Cuban-Chinese relations. It is fascinating to read what these--highly intelligent--generals have to say about their Cuban Government and its role on international relations. A must have for any University student studying Latin American history and/or politics.

A highly personalized yet nonetheless valuable look at the evolution of modern Cuban history and politics
The collaborative work of Armando Choy, Gustavo Chui and Moises Sio Wong, Our History Is Still Being Written: The Story Of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals In The Cuban Revolution is the personal testimony of three individuals of Chinese-Cuban ancestry who became involved in the 1956-58 revolutionary war that ended the America-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, with lasting repercussions for socialist revolution in Latin America. Their stories cover not only the excitement of fifty years ago, but also the years since up to the modern day from problems with food shortages to postmodern wars of ideas. An appendix includes two essays by Fidel Castro and one by Nelson Mandela. Most Of Our History Is Still Being Written is told in interview/narrative format, directly from the mouths of the authors; black-and-white photographs offer glimpses of key turning points in Cuban history. A highly personalized yet nonetheless valuable look at the evolution of modern Cuban history and politics.

If you are at all curious about Cuba, START WITH THIS BOOK
If you are at all serious about fundamental social change in this century, READ THIS BOOK:

Although this book takes the form of interviews with three Cuban generals of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Chinese origins-- yes there are Chinese in Cuba, propotionately the immigration there was many times greater than to the U.S.; three are yes, generals in the armed forces and leaders of the revolution;no, not everyone of Chinese origins fled the Revolution-- the best part is that you get a wide ranging, broad-scope picture of the Cuban Revolution from the war against the Batista dictatorship through the "Bay of Pigs"/Playa Giron imperial invasion ( attempted, anyway) ; theOctober 1962 "missile" crisis; Cuba's role in defending Angola fron then-racist-apartheid South Africa, speeding the democratic revolution throughout southern Africa; the economic crisis of the early to mid 1990s; all the way to Cuba's solidarity aid to Venezuela in the teeth of the Empire's threats to both countries, and the current revolution-within-the-revolution known in Cuba as the Battle of Ideas. All this recounted by fighters who PARTICIPATED in these events ! The Cuban Revolution is not "holding out" or merely "surviving"; it is marching fowardeven if the future is one of struggle amid difficulties...the Cuban people, governemt and Revolution are WINNING. They are beating The Empire everyday. Find out why-- read this book !

Inside view of Cuba's mission in the world
The three Cuban generals interviewed for this book are all of Chinese descent and shed interesting light on the Chinese-Cuban community (proportionately the largest in the Americas). But the heart of this book is the tremendous opportunity the Cuban Revolution has given these men to advance the cause of human solidarity. They have a down-to-earth approach and their reflections include striking examples as well as razor-sharp observations. Although all three are past retirement age, they all play leading roles in the revolution today, which they discuss in these interviews. This is ongoing history, which they are still living. In this book you get an inside look at the tremendous role Cuba played in Angola as well as a picture of the type of critical humanitarian solidarity Cuba is able to extend to Venezuela today. They show why a society based on international solidarity can successfully challenge the fangs-bared, dog-eat-dog example of the U.S.These interviews cover a variety of topics, such as racism, underdevelopment, the environment, agriculture, military strategy, and the role of youth. The photographs in this beautiful book are an education in themselves. While amazon may list this book as not available from time to time, it is always available from the Pathfinder z store listed under "new and used" at the top of this page.

A smorgasbord of insights on Cuba today
Full of unexpected and detailed stories about Cuba in the world today...Yugoslavia could have withstood NATO bombings in the 1990s if army officers had used underground tunnels and the system of reserves put in place during World War II to allow the population to sustain itself, one of the Chinese-Cuban generals interviewed in this book says. He explains that Cuba's defense relies on such a system of reserves (not only food but also pencils and paper to keep schools open!): to give the rest of the world time to come to Cuba's aid and organize solidarity in the event of a military attack. So he spearheaded a wildly successful program in Cuba to develop urban agriculture and increase domestic food production. A part of this effort: convincing Cubans to eat veggies...the generals went to Angola to help fight the South African invasion in the 80s, one lost a leg there; one went to Venezuela on the recommendation of the UN to help them develop a food production program like the Cubans'...they all talk about what it was like growing up Chinese under the Batista dictatorship...Who would have guessed that the number of Chinese who moved to Cuba in the mid1800s was roughly the same as the number who moved to the US? An easy read, and you just never know what the next chapter will talk about.
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Customer Reviews (8)

Cubans in America
An easy to read book that portrays a top-level history and culture of the Cuban people and their contributions to America in diversified areas: from politics and sports to the arts and science. It is well suited from mid-school children to seniors wishing to refresh their knowledge of Cuba. The time span is from the days of Spanish exploration and discovery to the present day Castro dictatorial regime. The narrative from the colonial days, thru the struggle for independence from Spain in the 1800's and into the early years of the Republic on to the Batista and Castro dictatorships is excellent. The various waves if Cuban exile immigration and assimilation within the U.S. are well covered. My only negative critique is that more pages were needed to describe in more detail Castro's acts of repression in the 1959-1960 period: execution and imprisonment of batistianos and other dissidents, the Communist takeovers over the student and labor unions, the suspension of elections and civil liberties, the takeover of private holdings, and the failed Escambray rebellion in the 60's. These events that started in the 1959-1960 timeframe explain why a million plus Cubans are in the U.S.! Nevertheless, this book is a good introduction to the history and culture of the Cuban people.

Good.
This is a solid book. It would give the average non-Cuban American some insight into Cuban culture and influence. It's not the definitive guide. However, it is a starting point. There are many interesting bits of info... such as the Cuban involvement during the American Revolution or the relationship between St. Augustine (first city in North America - founded by the Spaniards) and the Cuban born Spaniards in Cuba. I'd recommend buying this book.

Extremely education and informative.....
A well written story of Cubans, the people, their background, education, character,as well as their unfortunate loss of their country to a regime that still stands. This would be the book to read and have your children read,it would give them a detail about thehistory (I am Cuban/American)of a once great country who liberated themselves from Spain, but have not been able to liberate themselves from Castro....the story of one people touching two worlds.Lilly Gonzalez

Waste of Paper
Misses the point. A vague look at a proud and diversified group of Americans.Fails to detail the contributions in culture, business and society that Cubans have made to the world and the reasons for their success in this country.Obviously written by someone who learned about the Cuban culture from similar books.Save your money.

A Great Disappointment
It seems that the authors of this book know as much about cuban-americans as I do about speaking Eubonics. They take a complex, beautiful culture and in the most simplistic of ways completly miss out on why cubans in america have gained a certain sense of sucess and status. In other words, the book is great at two things: 1. Being a complete waste of time and money 2. Being incredibly mediocre. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1961 at the Bay of Pigs, CIA-trained and organized Cuban exiles aiming to overthrow Fidel Castro were defeated, and most taken prisoner by Cuban armed forces. Fearing another U.S. invasion of its new ally, the Soviet Union sneaked into Cuba strategic missiles tipped with nuclear warheads and Soviet troops armed with tactical nuclear weapons. However, a U-2 flight over Cuba would soon find these Soviet missile sites, thus sparking the missile crisis. For thirteen days the world watched nervously as the two superpowers moved toward escalation and held the world's fate in their hands. Finally, Nikita Khrushchev blinked. He agreed to withdraw the weapons from Cuba in return for John F. Kennedy's pledge not to invade the island.

But what if it had not turned out this way? What if the U-2 flight had been delayed? If the confrontation had set off a nuclear war, what would have happened to the United States and Soviet Union in 1962? What kind of account would a historian have written in a world scarred by nuclear war?

Eric G. Swedin draws on research made available after the Soviet Union's collapse to examine what could have happened. Top U.S. military officers all urged stronger action against Cuba than the naval blockade, including a bombing campaign and even an invasion. Unknown to the Americans, meanwhile, the Soviet Union had tactical nuclear weapons in Cuba and were prepared to use them.

The 1962 crisis had many possible outcomes. Examining an alternate history helps us better appreciate the dangers of that tense time. Such counterfactual speculation shows what the Cuban missile crisis could have wrought and how it was truly one of the most important moments of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The last third is great
The person buying this book would probably have a reasonably good knowledge of the actions and events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Having said that, I found the 1st two thirds of the book rehashing the background of the crisis somewhat tedious.

When the author came to the fictional part of the book describing a possible scenario leading to a general nuclear exchange, it was obvious that he knew his stuff. His command of the facts was obvious and his tale riviting.

I only wish that he would have spent more time describing the exchange from the point of view of the participants.

I feel comfortable suggesting this book to any student of history.

A Good First Novel
This was better than I expected and I read a lot of Harry Turtledove and Peter G. Tsouras, as alternate history is one of my favorite genres.I actually found the back story interesting, although I have read both One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War (Vintage)and DEFCON-2: Standing on the Brink of Nuclear War During the Cuban Missile Crisis.In particular, I thought the author did an excellent job of projecting how Khrushchev would likely have tied together the Cuban situation with Berlin.The author also does an admirable job of integrating the character vignettes with his overall narrative.I rate books by how hard they are to put down, and I read this one in two days.If you like Resurrection Day, which I did, you will like this book.
J.Lenaburg

Enjoyable, but not groundbreaking
When Angels Wept is the story of a third world war stemming from a later discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba than occurred in our history. It does an excellent job of covering all aspects of the history, from the stories of individuals to the overall attack strategies employed by both sides and the aftereffects of such a war. It is written from the point of view of a historian in the alternate history and employs narrative devices to that effect, though not always to full effect.

The first third of the book covers events as occurred in our history, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, the backgrounds of Kennedy and Khrushchev, and the development of atomic weapons and delivery vehicles before the imagined war. The middle third deals with the war, and this section moves quickly; you get caught up in the flow of events and are kept guessing about what comes next, even if you know a big war is on the horizon. The last third deals with the aftermath of the war and includes fairly extensive notes.

If you're not wholly familiar with the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the book does a good job of filling you in on any information you might need to understand the story. The problem is that such a reader isn't likely to pick up this book, in my opinion. It should have been written to appeal to a reader already familiar with the situation and interested in the /alternate/ portion of this alternate history, rather than the /history/ portion of it.

In my case, I came into this book extremely familiar with the history of the Crisis and having even done some alternate history writing on the topic. This book wasn't intended for me. Though the first third contained some nuggets of information new to me, it distracted from the middle third, which was the interesting part. This middle third moves /too/ quickly; instead of talking about the conduct of the war and including more personal narratives (some of the best portions of the story), Swedin explains things at a general level. It doesn't even work from the standpoint of the alternate universe Swedin imagines; If anything, a person living in that universe would be even more familiar with the events that led to the most destructive war in history, and there would be even less call for the extensive background given before the story diverges into the alternate portion of this history. This lack of depth isn't because he lacked the information -- the sources are good ones -- but seems to be a matter of space available between the covers. Again, focusing more on events after the point of departure from our history would have relieved this problem.

The story also leans too much on its sources. Though Swedin picked some very good ones and does a good job citing them (I would have preferred more in-line citations rather than collating them at the end of sections), he seems to draw too heavily on things that occurred in our history for his ahistorical sections. The handful of survivors' stories mentioned are almost identical to those given by survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is little unique flavor, as was given in Brendan DuBois' excellent telling of a Cuban Missile War, Resurrection Day.

This seeming hesitancy to veer too far from the known and into his creative side prevents the story from flourishing. The postwar sections, which could have been much more colorful, instead draw on clinical depictions of radiation sickness and the aftermath of atomic quarantines like that surrounding Chernobyl.

That isn't to say Swedin doesn't have great ideas of his own -- the fact that he casts an alternate version of himself as the author of this history is a good idea, but woefully underutilized. I would have loved to have read more first-person accounts from this alternate author and his exploration of the former Soviet Union, which is sadly glossed over.

I recommend this book if you're a fan of alternate history or if you're familiar with the Cuban Missile Crisis at less than an academic level. Readers more familiar with the history of the crisis are advised to skip the first third and begin directly with the alternate history portions of the story. That's the whole reason I purchased an /alternate/ history, not one written in earnest, and if you can overlook that flaw, you'll enjoy it as I have. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Cuba's geographic proximity to the United States and its centrality to U.S. imperial designs following the War of 1898 led to the creation of a unique relationship between Afro-descended populations in the two countries. In Forging Diaspora, Frank Andre Guridy shows that the cross-national relationships nurtured by Afro-Cubans and black Americans helped to shape the political strategies of both groups as they attempted to overcome a shared history of oppression and enslavement.

Drawing on archival sources in both countries, Guridy traces four encounters between Afro-Cubans and African Americans. These hidden histories of cultural interaction--of Cuban students attending Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute, the rise of Garveyism, the Havana-Harlem cultural connection during the Harlem Renaissance and Afro-Cubanism movement, and the creation of black travel networks during the Good Neighbor and early Cold War eras--illustrate the significance of cross-national linkages to the ways both Afro-descended populations negotiated the entangled processes of U.S. imperialism and racial discrimination. As a result of these relationships, argues Guridy, Afro-descended peoples in Cuba and the United States came to identify themselves as part of a transcultural African diaspora.
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Customer Reviews (1)

New vital information between us!
First and foremsot, I'd would like to thank the author of this book, "Forging Diaspora," with revealing much informative information in the relationship that we,as "African Caribbean" (particularly Cuban) & African Americans, shared in the struggle for respectable citizenship, and equitable treatment of all humans rights.
However, I wonder "why" much of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey campaign of "self economic, self help etc..,' is not mention that some of the population of Cuba (who were of African descent), is not mentioned by other African American scholar's and activist, as a unit as part of the of inclusion in their struggle. Yes, many of African Caribbean Cubans, spoke Spanish. But that was not a fault of theirs, just as African American, speak English. It is not a fault of theirs, neither.

However, as a protagonist to disambiguate our identity as a population of African descent. I am recommending, the term of "Afro Cuban or Afro this-or-that, can now be alternated as "African Caribbean." It will not deracinate from one's birth terrain. But rather, it will coalesce with others from the Caribbean (as well as from Central & South America) as 'one of African descend, no matter what European language we may speak (which also includes English). ... Read more

Product Description
In 1989 the world watched spellbound as the Berlin Walltumbled down, and then looked on as the entire Iron Curtain shookitself to pieces, freeing Eastern Europe after decades of Sovietdomination. But how many observers noticed as the swells andshockwaves of those events slowly crossed the Atlantic Ocean to roilthe waters of the Caribbean and break upon the shores of Cuba?

In Adrift: The Cuban Raft People, Alberto Fernández surveys theturbulence produced an entire hemisphere away by the collapse of theUSSR--and concludes that, ironically, the greatest collateral damagehas been inflicted not on the regime of Fidel Castro but rather uponmen, women, and children seeking to flee his dictatorship. Foralthough U.S. immigration policy changed soon after, Castro's grip onthe Cuban people has remained unyielding, even as extraordinaryeconomic crises have wracked the island. As a result, countlessrefugees seeking freedom have disappeared without a trace into thechurning waters of the Florida Straits. And many of those rescued ininternational waters by U.S. naval vessels have simply been turnedback over to the Cuban authorities.

Focusing especially on the years 1994 through 1996--by which time themagnitude of post-Soviet changes in Cuba had become fullyaparent--Fernández presents a compelling internatinal gallery ofsurvivors, victims, traitors, rogues, and heroes. From the infamousdestruction of two unarmed private planes (sponsored by thehumanitarian grup Brothers to the Rescue) by Cuban MiGs in February1996, to an afterword on the media-driven frenzy over five-year-oldElián González, found alone in an inner-tube two miles off FortLauderdale in November 1999--this is the powerful, true saga of twonations in conflict and the hapless people adrift between theirshores. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A real tear jerker

The first time that I set out to read this book I could not finish it. Not because it is badly written, It was because of the stories. As an American born in Cuba ,I experienced the "Revolucion" first hand, and this book reaffirmed on how bad things have turned out for the Cuban people. Tears welled up in my eyes when I realizedwhat the Cubans are willing to risk to come to "the land of the free". I urge every Cuban to read this book, and Americans too. I cannot believe that anyone, except a raving socialist, can write a pro-Castro or pro-Che book after reading this book. ... Read more

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Provides detailed information on the events that took place during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Includes source notes and timeline. ... Read more

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Wonderful introduction to the Cold War brinkmanship
If you want an entire run down of the Cuban missile crisis, don't look any further.This book presents all you need to know in a very succinct and concise manner.I found it to be a pleasurable read.

The only limitation I'd have to assert is that it's geared toward a younger audience.If you are looking for detail, this isn't the book to buy.However if you want to get introduced to the crisis, there's really nothing else out there that will give you a cogent outline, as author Paul Brubaker provides. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very good first book
I found Bettinger-Lopez's work very impressive, especially considering that the vast majority of her research was conducted for an undergraduate thesis. Bettinger-Lopez clearly spent a great deal of time conducting personal interviews and was able to get "inside" the Cuban-Jewish community. As the daughter of a Cuban-Jewish emigre to the U.S. (to New York) who still has many Cuban-Jewish friends and family members in Miami, I truly enjoyed the author's vivid, detailed portraits of the community. Bettinger-Lopez also provided interesting anthropologic and feminist analysis of the Cuban-Jewish community. I did, however, find one aspect of the book troubling, and that is Bettinger-Lopez's tendency to frequently inject herself and her personal issues into the analysis of the people that she interviews. While this technique is interesting at times, it comes off as mildly self-centered and lacks the detachment required of a primary source researcher. Overall, I recommend the book and especially recommend it to Cuban-Jews and their descendants. ... Read more

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Examines the events preceding, during, and after the confrontation between the United States and Cuba over the presence of Soviet missiles there. ... Read more

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The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, triggered by the intense ideological and military rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War years, pushed the world to the brink of a nuclear war. This anthology highlights the most volatile moments of the standoff and explores the causes, outcome, and enduring legacies of this tense confrontation. (20020901) ... Read more

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In the last two weeks of October 1962, the world came closer to nuclear warfare than it ever has. For 14 tense days, United States President John F Kennedy and Soviet Premiere Nikita Kruschev stood eyeball to eyeball, each with his hand on the nuclear trigger. In the end, both sides blinked. This volume is a collection of declassified documents from American and Soviet archives, detailing the history of those two weeks. Preface gives an overview and timeline of the crisis. ... Read more

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Major League Baseball's 2006 World Baseball Classic shocked an international audience when an amateur team from Cuba met Japan in San Diego for the sport's first true world championship. But those who had paid attention to international tournaments were hardly surprised by Cuba's showing against all-star teams of American, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Venezuelan professionals. Cuban national teams have now reached the finals of 38 consecutive major world tournaments, won better than 90 percent of their international contests since 1939, repeatedly beaten U.S. all-stars at the avowed American national game, and reigned for more than half a century as undisputed champions of global baseball. In this groundbreaking book, expert Peter Bjarkman follows the full arc of Cuban baseball history, including close coverage of the nearly five decades since the Sugar Kings' ejection from the International League. Dispelling the mystery and disinformation that surround Cuba, its leader, and its teams, early and late, Bjarkman gives us the first truly balanced history of baseball on the Caribbean island. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Interesting
Why does Mr Bjarkman write five star reviews on his own books?

Some people may accuse Mr Bjarkman of being vain. I've noticed this on many of his works on Amazon.com, particularly when people write unfavourable reviews. He is then quick to tack on a five star review of his own. A professional Historian or Author wouldn't respond to criticism this way.

However, Mr Bjarkman has put together a valuable history with this book. A reason why this history is important is because of the extensive domination Cuba has had, particularly on amateur world baseball, and this is a form of baseball that is too often overshadowed by professional domestic baseball leagues around the world.

In addition, baseball is the national sport in Cuba and there is daylight between it and the next rival sport. This book provides the history of many facets of baseball in Cuba. For example, Mr Bjarkman provides some helpful insights into Fidel Castro's love for the sport, and explains some of the intricacies of player defections.

The face of international baseball has changed with the sanctioning of professional players, and whilst this didn't slow Cuba's success between 2000 and 2008, we are starting to see perennial (true) world champions Cuba, find winning not as easy as it used to be. Despite this Cuba is a highly successful national team, even against sides stacked with professionals. This was evidenced by Cuba when they faced Japan in the final of the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

The fabric of baseball is deeply woven into Cuban society and we are enriched with knowledge of this thanks to Mr Bjarkman's book. Nicholas R.W. Henning - Australian Baseball Author

Cuban baseball history
The importance and quality of this book is best expressed in a recent review by noted sports journalist Pete Cava, when he writes: "Like opera afacienados, fans of international baseball are passionate, but few and far between.And for any author, writing the definitive tome about Cuban baseball from its origins to the present is like taking vows of poverty.
Therefore,!felicitaciones! to Pete Bjarkman for his latest opus, "A History of Cuban Baseball, 1864-2006", simply the most complete work on the game as it's played just ninety miles away across the Florida Straits.
Bjarkman's book is a dizzying, four-part compilation of hard-to-find material on Cuban baseball- both pre- and post-revolution.Frequently detonating myths along the way, Bjarkman explains how the game took root in Cuba; how the island became a winter hotbed during the 20th Century's first decades for Negro League stars from the U.S. like Oscar Charlseston; and how it was Cuba's amateur ballclubs (and not the winter league teams) that enthralled local fans prior to the ascent of Fidel Castro.
Paying homage to Cuba's legends, Bjarkman devotes time to Adolfo Luque ("the Original 'Pride of Havana'), Orestes Minoso ("the Cuban Comet"), Conrado Marrero and Martin Dihigo ("Baseball's Least-Known Hall of Famer"). He also writes about Cuban players of the Castro era ("The World's Best Unknown Players"): Omar Linares, Orestes Kindelan, Antonio Pacheco, Norge Luis Vera, Victor "El Loco" Mesa- men who would have commanded fabulous big league contracts on the open market, but remain unfamiliar to most North American fans.
A number of tomes on Cuban baseball have appeared over the past decade, written by notables like S.L. Price, Milton Jamail, and Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria.Bjarkman alternately praises and scolds each of them throughout his book.Since he probably spends more time in Havana than Castro and may know more about Cuban baseball than "El Comandante" himself, Bjarkman's criticism can't be shrugged off.
Bjarkman buries once and for all the notion that Fidel was once a pitching prospect (while Castro was a schoolboy athlete in the 1940's, baseball wasn't even his best sport).Bjarkman also puts to rest any notion that Cuba's baseball tradition, like so many Cuban citizens, fled the island after Castro's rise to power.
Istead, Bjarkman argues that the sport reached its zenith during the Castro years- a theory that's bound to act as a lightning rod for criticism. But anyone who claims Bjarkman is soft on Castro's regime ultimately has to concede that this book isn't about Cuba's government; it's about Cuban baseball.And while many readers would disagree with what Bjarkman calls America's "blatant imperialistic policies", few would disagree when he acknowledges Havana's use of baseball as a propaganda tool. (Bjarkman's depiction of Castro's micro-managing of the Cuban national team would have George Steinrenner shaking his head and clucking his tongue).
"A History of Cuban Baseball, 1864-2006" explores baseball to its roots.It provides statistics, records, standings and other nuggets previously found only in the official Cuban league guides.And if there's any disparity, it's best to go with whatever Bjarkman says.

Objective and factual
I have read Mr. Bjarkman's other books on Cuban baseball and this one is the crowning touch.It not only traces the history of Cuban baseball back to its roots but it also follows the nuances of the game through the years in the evolvement of the Cuban game, both pre and post revolution.

Bjarkman;s objectivity will probably run afoul of the Cuban bureacracy in some areas, but no one can argue his resolute following of detail in stating the facts of Cuban baseball.

It is not easy to eliminate references to the political system of Cuba when it is so closely entwined with baseball, but Bjarkman succeeds in telling history devoid of politics.Anyone's statements to the contrary merely show their lack of knowledge: both of Cuban baseball and Cuban history.

This is a must read for those interested in baseball in Latin America and its original, and continuing, hotbed - Cuba.

The same old misinformation
This book is another Pro-Castro pamphlet.It is the same old misinformation told over and over again by the INDER,the goverment baseball department. The same old distortion of cuban history and cuban present reality,this time about baseball history and told by a pro-Castro american for the american public,as part of an all out propaganda effort to influence public opinion about the sanctions against the totalitarian goverment in Cuba. It is an effort to have the sanctions lifted and have the american taxpayers pick up the tab for Cuba's bankrupt economy as the old USSR did from 1961 to 1991 at a price of 4 billions a year.
This "comprehensive" history book does not give any of the more than 100 players who have defected the opportunity to tell their side of the story. The reasons behind their defections, how they escape,the repercussions back in Cuba, how the are followed by cuban security,even to the restroom,when they visit another country.
Mr.Bjarkman sweeps under the rug that cuban players do not have the FREEDOM to choose where they want to play, live and return home ,and make as much money as their talent let them,if that is what they want.Just like,David Ortiz,Johan Santana,Angel Pujol,Miguel Cabrera Ichiro Suzuki,and everybody else.
It is a fact that cuban players live in an apartaid society, and like the rest of any other cuban citizen,they are not allowed to stay in the same hotels nor eat in the same restaurants that foreigners like Mr. Bjarkman himself stay and eat.Does he think they like that?
The Castro era baseball will be seen by real historians the same way the achivements of the Soviet era and East German Olympic athlets are seen today a sad chapter in the history of those nations.

The Definitive Cuban History
Ten years in the works, this is "the complete and definitive" history of Cuban baseball, the most balanced and exhaustive of a number of fine books on baseball's best alternative universe. But unlike earlier histories, this one is the first to thoroughly document and demonstrate that baseball indeed did not flee the "Pearl of the Caribbean" in January 1959 when Fidel Castro arrived on the scene. It was only in the early 1960s that the most important chapter of Cuban baseball actually began and that, for the first time, Cuba could boast a truly national baseball.

The book is jammed with historical detail, season-by-season summaries of both the pre-1961 pro league in Havana and post-1962 amateur league across the island, precise details of all Cuban national team appearances in top international tournaments, profiles of the top Cuban League and national team stars of the past forty-plus years, career league stats for every member of the Cuban national team (1962-2006), and the true story of the mythical pitching career of Maximum Leader Fidel Castro. Hundreds of photos and stats. As Kevin Baxter of the MIAMI HERALD has observed, the statistics alone here are priceless.

Here is what LIBRARY JOURNAL (February 1, 2007) had to say in their Spring 2007 Baseball Literature preview:

"Bjarkman (Baseball with a Latin Beat) delivers the definitive work on Cuban baseball. He looks at four Cuban legends--Martin Dihigo, Adolfo Luque, Orestes "Minnie" Minoso, and Conrado Marrero--before covering Cuba's baseball teams during both the prerevolutionary and Castro eras. He discusses Havana's place as the "amateur baseball capital of the world" and also explores myths surrounding Castro as a ballplayer, as well as such figures as Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. With useful appendixes and statistics. For all baseball collections." ... Read more

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Though Cuba was among the first countries in the world to utilize rail transport, the history of its railroads has been little studied. This English translation of the prize-winning Caminos para el azúcar traces the story of railroads in Cuba from their introduction in the nineteenth century through the 1959 Revolution.

More broadly, the book uses the development of the Cubanrail transport system to provide a fascinating perspective on Cuban history, particularly the story of its predominant agro-industry, sugar. While railroads facilitated the sugar industry's rapid growth after 1837, the authors argue, sugar interests determined where railroads would be built and who would benefit from them. Zanetti and Garc'a explore the implications of this symbiotic relationship for the technological development of the railroads, the economic evolution of Cuba, and the lives of the railroad workers.

As this work shows, the economic benefits that accompanied the rise of railroads in Europe and the United States were not repeated in Cuba. Sugar and Railroads provides a poignant demonstration of the fact that technological progress alone is far from sufficient for development. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Should be read as one eats Fuji fish with due respect to the poison
Zanetti Lecuona, Oscar and Alejandro Garcia Alvarez1998 Sugar & railroads: a Cuban history, 1837-1959. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill and London,(translated by Franklin W, Knight and Mary Todd from Caminos para el azucar 1987 Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, Havana) ISBN-100807823856 ISBN-13 978-0807823859.


This is an interesting book with much useful information on Cuban railroads and Cuba in general.However, it should only be read as one eats Fuji fish with due respect to the poison.This work is a product of an official Cuban government press and thus infused with communist propaganda and factual distortion.For instance the discussion of Horatio S. Rubens completely omits reference to the work Rubens did for Cuban Independence as lawyer for the Mambi Independence fighters (see Liberty: The Story of Cuba (Hardcover) by Horatio S. RubensISBN-10 0404006337;ISBN-13: 978-0404006334). In this Zanetti and Garcia volume the section on Cuban president and then dictator Gerardo Machado (pp. 309-337 and others) much emphasis is given to labor conflict, and yet on p. 337 the tolerance of Machado for the Cuban Communist Party (Stalinist) is strikingly out of context, and the collaboration of this party with the increasingly dictatorial Machado is finessed e.g. p. 321 "With Varona murdered and the Hermandad handed over to traitorous yellow leaders, the railroad proletariat was helpless against the Machado dictatorship"(page numbers are taken from the hard cover edition). And then there is the almost comical ideology of the statement on page 306 "Since the victorious October (Soviet) Revolution had sown panic among the exploiters..." Still the book is useful to track down details of Cuban history such as the map on page 230 which emphasizes the importance of the (Victoria de las) Tunas station in the 1917 Chambelona War (e.g. The New York Times. March 8, 1917, Thursday p 1. "Pablo Menocal, brother of the President and commander of the militia forces in Oriente Province, telegraphed today that General (Calixto Garcia-Iñiguez) Enamorado, hearing that a band of rebels were burning the cars at Dominguez Station, attacked, killing eighteen, including their chief, Capitan José Pantoja.").Thus until, as a historian friend points out, the Cuban files are again open to general inspection one cannot expect objective histories from inside the island.Therefore when one seeks information on the highly developed Cuban railroad system, one must by present necessity refer with great caution to this very flawed book. ... Read more

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