This book is a comprehensive, interpretative history of the Cuban Revolution, from the time of Batista’s 1952 coup to the present. The book offers a balanced perspective on the revolution by recognizing its accomplishments, pointing out its shortcomings, and denouncing its excesses. The book is arranged chronologically in eight chapters, which trace the rebellion against Batista, the rise to power of the Fidelistas, the return to a sugar-focused economy, the Sovietization of the Cuban economy and semi-institutionalization of the structures of power, the rectification process of the late 1980s, ... More

This book is a comprehensive, interpretative history of the Cuban Revolution, from the time of Batista’s 1952 coup to the present. The book offers a balanced perspective on the revolution by recognizing its accomplishments, pointing out its shortcomings, and denouncing its excesses. The book is arranged chronologically in eight chapters, which trace the rebellion against Batista, the rise to power of the Fidelistas, the return to a sugar-focused economy, the Sovietization of the Cuban economy and semi-institutionalization of the structures of power, the rectification process of the late 1980s, the profound crisis of the Special Period, and Cuba’s survival ever since. The book applies seven threads to navigate the revolutionary labyrinth: “many Cubas”; “an island on horseback”; “the longest ninety miles”; “the pendular revolution”; “the art of triangulation”; “the revolution’s third man”; and “the persistent plantation.”