Cuba: An American History

Beautifully written, consistently illuminating and a must read not only for US citizens but also for all readers who wish to really understand the effects of imperialism.Yes, this is about the impact of US regional power on the history of Cuba and the intimate connection between these societies but it has wider implications not just for the Caribbean and Latin America. I have learned much about the history of Cuba which I previously missed through the common misunderstanding caused by only knowing it in fragments. Seeing history from Cuba is not only essential for the US but also for the rest of us.

"Cuba: An American History" provides quite a detailed history of Cuba from colonial to modern times. The book also focused on its relationship to the US. While I was familiar with figures from Cuban history like Josie Martie, Antonio Maceo, and Fidel Castro and some aspects of the island's fight for independence and the start of US control at the end of the nineteenth century, this book highlights much about the country and its notable figures over the past centuries. Ada Ferrer provided an extensive history of Cuba, over five hundred pages long, with comprehensive notes, references for further reading, and some photographs. Overall, it was a very engaging read for me.

This book provides a detailed look at Cuba’s history since the arrival of the Spaniards. In particular it gives an illuminating account of how the USA has interfered in Cuba dating back to the 19th century. For some reason it misses an extraordinarily important part of Cubas story - life in the country under Castro. The book does look at Cuba’s overseas adventures during those years mostly the intervention in Angola but has nothing to say about life for the people back home.

The real History of Cuba. I enjoy reading this book very much and I got to know many facts of the Cuban History they don't teach you in schools. Congratulations to the author for the Pulitzer prize. Very well deserved.

Bought as a gift. Very detailed but well received.

Well written and captures everything you want to learn about Cuba.

This book was very big on detail of Cuba, perhaps too much for some !

Read this book before my trip to Cuba. It paints a very interesting picture of Cuba’s relationship with the world around it. Would recommend to anyone looking to understand more about this fascinating country.

Enjoying this book. First bought it in Audio but am enjoying a more detailed reading.

Para quem acha que sabe tudo sobre Cuba e pensa que é o pior lugar do planeta, o livro desconstrói esta noção, localizando, historicamente, como os Estados Unidos fizeram com que a ilha remanescesse como umas das localidades na América Latina que, desde a chegada de Colombo, em 1492, até os dias atuais, a opressão colonialista/imperialista fosse a regra.

A powerful and eye-opening history lesson As a lifelong history buff, I was stunned by how much I didn’t know. This book opened my eyes to the deep and often disturbing connections between Cuba and the United States. The chapter on Christopher Columbus was particularly revealing, but what truly shocked me was learning how high-level American politicians and wealthy businessmen played a central role in the transatlantic slave trade—long after it was outlawed. It’s a shameful legacy that made me feel embarrassed as an American, especially given how blatantly these actions betrayed the very ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence. What I appreciated most is how this book helped me see things from a Latin American perspective—something I hadn’t fully grasped before. While I believe the U.S. acted more nobly in the 20th century during the World Wars and the Cold War, the 1800s reveal a predatory, imperialist power that often acted in complete contradiction to its stated values. The writing is superb, and the narrator’s voice (if you’re listening to the audiobook) makes it a pleasure to follow. This book gave me a whole new level of understanding—both of Cuba’s history and of my own country’s role in it.

If you like survey histories and don't know much about Cuba (and you live in the US), I highly recommend this book. Not only does it cover key events and forces inside and outside Cuba that have shaped it, it's very readable and with on-the-ground anecdotes and quotes, brings to life how events probably felt to the people in or around them. BUT - to take it a level beyond "interesting & readable history book," I think this type of book is *important* to read. Personally, Cuban history was not covered in my public k-12 education in the US, except for the Cuban missile crisis. And due to the embargo, my knowledge of the place and its people has been pretty minimal. (And I think that is probably a very common experience.) Which is unfortunate, because Cuba is one of the US's few direct neighbors. Our histories, like with Mexico or Canada, are very intertwined. Havana has been a cultural hub for the entire hemisphere for the last 500 years, due to where it sat on the gulf stream trade routes between Europe and the Americas, with as much of a musical influence as NYC and New Orleans. Our relationship with Cuba even shapes presidential elections, or led to a nuclear missile crisis... To ignore it is to miss an important part of our own history, and how you treat your neighbors can cause tragic boomerang impacts. To that point, Ferrer frames Cuba's history as an "American" one, that it is hemispheric and intertwined with the US. What she brought to light (for me as a US citizen) was how the US has hungrily viewed Cuba as a place where we can extend our influence & economy. In that self-absorbed mindset, we've missed seeing Cuba's distinct history. We elbowed into their revolution from Spain and claimed them as a de facto vassal via the Platt Amendment. Then an era of progressive and revolutionary Cuban activism during the first half of the 20th century gained political "independence" from the US, at first from the Platt Amendment, then also economically with the nationalization of US-owned holdings under Castro. And thus relations deteriorated completely. Obama's effort to reconnect was a step in a new direction, more as partners and neighbors, but that change is doing some zig zags. Ferrer ends on a hopeful note about we all play a part in shaping the future. So as the book wrapped up, I wondered what a voter in the US might do. Even with a rapprochement, the economic imbalance (small poor country adjacent to a juggernaut) yields these high voltage differences that cause shocks when they connect. US investors eagerly bought up land & plantations a century ago when the revolution had suggested opportunity for all Cubans, then there were flash waves of migrants over the last sixty years. In electric systems you need good transformers that step-down the voltage level, and the question is what could those transformers be between the US and Cuba in the coming decades. No matter what, Cuba is our neighbor. And becoming better neighbors requires getting to know them, empathizing with their perspective, understanding how you're viewed and what your impacts are on them. A book like this is an important part of that journey, and it was great to read. Strongly recommend!

Great book to know about Cuba