In this acute and profoundly engaged exploration of Cuban history, Richard Gott illuminates the island's entire revolutionary past, from pre-Columbian times to the present. He emphasises little-known aspects of Cuba's early centuries and provides an extraordinary account of Castro's regime, its lonely survival in the post-Soviet years, and its expected future.
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'...intelligent, sprightly and well-researched...a massive achievment'. -- Jo Littler, The Guardian, December 3, 2005
'A comprehensive first-hand account of why Cuba continues to fascinate the world in the 21st century.' -- Willesden and Kingston Times, 14th December 2005
'A comprehensive first-hand account of why Cuba continues to fascinate the world in the 21st century.' -- Willesden and Kingston Times, 14th December 2005
About the Author
Richard Gott, a British journalist and historian with many years' experience in Latin America, first visited Cuba in 1963 and has reported from the island many times since.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
35 of 38 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
This book should be read by everyone interested in Cuba, in Fidel Castro, and in a nation whose history goes back far earlier than its modern manifestation. Richard Gott has brought a lifetime of expertise to the task, and writes, as in all his books, with wit and wisdom. He has an enviable eye for fascinating, and telling detail, and he unravels history's "granny knots" with unerring skill.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By N. Speirs
Format:Paperback
Cuba's history is vast and complex, and Gott does an admirable job in trying to make sense of it all. However, particularly in the first two and a half chapters, he struggles to maintain interest, and at times it can descend into what feels like a list of battles and names, with little overall coherence. Additionally, he constantly looks forward to the future, forseeing revolution 200 years before it happened. Such a teleological approach can be frustrating, and at times does lead to some inaccurate comparisons between historical figures and Raul, Fidel and Che.
However, in the more modern chapters, Gott does a fantastic job of providing a fair-minded review of Cuba's history. His analysis of the 20th century, and particularly the survey of Cuban-American relations, is detailed and wonderfully written. He makes sense of a complex subject, and provides an account which gives a strong sense of impartiality and intellectual analysis, free from moral critique of either side. For the later chapters, Gott really gets into his stride, and the book is very much worth reading for this analysis alone. Struggle through the first couple of dry chapters and you will discover a rich, well-written history.
However, in the more modern chapters, Gott does a fantastic job of providing a fair-minded review of Cuba's history. His analysis of the 20th century, and particularly the survey of Cuban-American relations, is detailed and wonderfully written. He makes sense of a complex subject, and provides an account which gives a strong sense of impartiality and intellectual analysis, free from moral critique of either side. For the later chapters, Gott really gets into his stride, and the book is very much worth reading for this analysis alone. Struggle through the first couple of dry chapters and you will discover a rich, well-written history.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
'Cuba: A New History' is an excellent account of Cuban history up until this books publication in 2004. Gott manages to write in a completely engaging way and draws you in to the rich and diverse history of this amazing Caribbean island. This is in no way a dry and uninspiring read, but one that helps you immerse yourself in the history and developments over the years. From Spanish colonial rule, US intervention and soviet support, Cuba has managed to retain some remnant of it's own identity and this book shows this side perfectly. The first 100 pages (looking at Spanish Colonial rule and the slave trades to Cuba) were the hardest to engage with for me, but as soon as the revolution occurred and the book focused on the Castro government and all that it entails, I became hooked to this masterly text. The author doesn't seem overly biased one way or the other, although you can tell he has respect for this tiny island nation. He doesn't seem to be too sensationalist either, for example when Che Guevara dies it is noted in quite an understated way and not overly hyped to have a greater impact. Two minor flaws with this book are the tiny font which by the end had given me serious eye strain, why academic texts insist on using this size font I'll never know. And the other flaw is a distinct lack of decent photography to add to the package. There are a few pages of grey photos in the middle, but not on good quality paper, or especially relevant to the overall text, i've come to expect better from history books these days. These are minor flaws in what is a brilliant account of Cuban history which leaves you with some indication of what the future may hold as well. If Cuba interests you in the slightest, I'd seriously recommend you take a look at this book.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
accurate depiction of CUBA
This book is well researched. The dates and descriptions are accurate though I'm not a big reader so I'm finding it a tough read. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Simon Mascraenhas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
Have done two University essays on Cuba and this book has been a solid basis for both. Highly recommended for anyone similarly fascinated by Cuba's history.
Published 15 months ago by Handles
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent summary of the history
I didn't read the first 100 pages as I'm really only interested in the Castro history, but I found this book very well researched, informative and well written. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Keith M
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read
Still reading this book after visiting Cuba for the first time his year. Richard Gott's book is a very balanced view of Cuba's history, which is something that is not easy to find. Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2010 by M. B. Layward
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good reference and readable
I read this book after being fascinated by Cuban history and politics during a holiday there. The book has great attention to detail and is very readable. Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2010 by Downthedip2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
cuba
This excellent book must be considered as a definative history of Cuba.It covers the period 1511-2003 but does not include the reapproachment between Cuba and Americawhich appears... Read more
Published on 11 April 2009 by G. I. Forbes
4.0 out of 5 stars
Useful account of Cuba's long struggle for sovereignty
Richard Gott is a British journalist and historian with many years' experience of covering Latin America. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2004 by William Podmore
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