Myra Immell - The Cuban Revolution

Elizabeth Des Chenes, Director, Publishing Solutions

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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

The Cuban Revolution / Myra Immell, book editor.

p. cm. -- (Perspectives on modern world history)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-7377-6366-9 (hardcover)

1. Cuba--History--Revolution, 1959--Juvenile literature. I. Immell, Myra.

F1788.C8277 2013

972.91064--dc23

2012037299

Printed in the United States of America

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 17 16 15 14 13

CONTENTS

Michael Powelson

A professor details the historical background and aftermath of the Cuban Revolution.

Daily Boston Globe

A US newspaper reports on an invasion and student uprising in Cuba and speculates that a revolution might be on the horizon.

Larry Allen

A US newspaper reports that rebels led by Fidel Castro have announced the final stage of their war against the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.

Alistair Cooke

A British newspaper reports that Fulgencio Batista, members of his family, and Cuban military leaders have fled for the United States. Rioting has broken out in the capital city of Havana.

Cal Brumley

A US newspaper reports that, although most Cubans support Fidel Castro, communism is perceived as a growing threat. Many businesspeople fear a counter-revolt and nationalization of the countrys industries.

Economist

A British magazine reports on the popularity of Cuban leader Fidel Castro and cites reasons for that popularity. It also discusses Cubas finances and Cuban relations with the United States.

Bert Collier

A US newspaper reports on Cuban refugees fleeing the revolution and arriving in Florida. It discusses the changes exiles have had to accept in their lifestyles and how the city of Miami is dealing with the influx.

Larry James Bockman

A US military officer contends that there are a number of reasons why Cuban president Fulgencio Batista lost to Fidel Castros revolution. Among these are Batistas failure to realize the extent of the rebellion and his inability to launch a meaningful counter.

Louis A. Prez Jr.

A historian attributes the evolution of Cuban rebels into a strong, disciplined army and political power to their struggles in their mountain stronghold.

Russell J. Hampsey

A US military officer examines the propaganda campaign that Fidel Castro and his followers waged against dictator Fulgencio Batista and says that it helped them win the peoples support, prevented an international backlash, and led them to victory.

Leo Huberman and Paul M. Sweezy

A US socialist writer and a Marxist economist proclaim that the Cuban peasantry is an amazingly revolutionary force.

Theodore Draper

A historian contends that revolutionary leader Fidel Castro went back on many of the political and economic promises he made before he took power.

Fidel Castro

The prime minister of Cuba reflects on the Cuban Revolution after forty years.

Che Guevara

A guerrilla leader argues that although there were a few exceptions, the Cuban Revolution was not that different from other revolutions in Latin America.

W. Raymond Duncan

An international studies professor asserts that Fidel Castros approach to foreign policy im-pacted not only Cuba but all of Latin America.

Isaac Saney

An academic attributes the United States determination to bring down Fidel Castros regime to the losses incurred by US financial and commercial interests.

Julia E. Sweig

A Latin American expert explains why the US-supported exile force that invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs could not have won over Fidel Castros forces.

Peter Winn

An academic contends that the wave of Cuban exiles to Florida in 1980 was motivated more by economic goals than by political concerns.

Fidel Castro and Ignacio Ramonet

A young revolutionary shares his experience as he and his companions sailed to Cuba in 1956 and marched toward the Sierra Maestra Mountains to reach enemy army barracks.

Grayston L. Lynch

A former CIA officer recalls his experience during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion.

Rita Farin

A Cuban American details her first visit to Cuba and how that trip influenced her view of the art world.

Edwin Tetlow

A British foreign correspondent describes the scene in Havana, Cuba, right after President Fulgencio Batista fled the country and rebel leader Fidel Castro took power in 1959.

History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.

Robert Penn Warren, American poet and novelist

T he history of each nation is punctuated by momentous events that represent turning points for that nation, with an impact felt far beyond its borders. These eventsdisplaying the full range of human capabilities, from violence, greed, and ignorance to heroism, courage, and strengthare nearly always complicated and multifaceted. Any student of history faces the challenge of grasping the many strands that constitute such world-changing events as wars, social movements, and environmental disasters. But understanding these significant historic events can be enhanced by exposure to a variety of perspectives, whether of people involved intimately or of ones observing from a distance of miles or years. Understanding can also be increased by learning about the controversies surrounding such events and exploring hot-button issues from multiple angles. Finally, true understanding of important historic events involves knowledge of the events human impactof the ways such events affected people in their everyday livesall over the world.