The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, and Legacy

Rating:
Summary: Inadequate and Biased
Review: Despite attempts to keep an open mind, I grew increasingly annoyed at the omissions, exaggerations and half-truths passed off as researched facts in this book. The author calls Cuba - a country under a dictator which holds no elections - a "democracy" and extols the virtues of the revolution without ever presenting the views and the injustices perpetrated against those who opposed the revolution. It is a shame that a work which could have been an objective scholarly book instead is little better than a propaganda pamphlet.

Rating:
Summary: elections in Cuba
Review: in response to the review on nov 23 entitled "inadequate and biased". YOu should check your facts. Try reading Isaac Saney's Cuba a Revolution in Motion to read how democracy in Cuba works. Or better yet, go to Cuba during elections and see for yourself. It seems that your review is inaccurate and biased.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Book for anyone trying to understand the Revolution
Review: Perez-Stable traces magnificantly the origins and failures of the Cuban revolution to underlying currents in Cuban history. This multifaceted work places an emphasis on the impact of a monocultural sugar economy, and the Imperialist legacy of the United States in the formation of a revolutionary atmosphere in Cuba. She incorporates numerous statistics and raw data to justify her claims. Though impeccably researched, the "Cuban Revolution" is at times difficult to read. The sheer thoroughness of the work at certain points overwhelms the reader, and clouds the lucidity of the work. Nevertheless, the excellent research outshines its periodic unintelligibility, especially in its institutional analysis of Castro's regime's. The book offers a new insight into the functions and paralysis of Cuban political institutions under Castro. In addition, the "Cuban Revolution" makes an important contribution to understanding of womens' role in Castro's consolidation of power. This is a must read for any serious student of Cuban History or Latin American Studies.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Anaylsis of the Cuban Revolution
Review: Perez-Stable traces magnificantly the origins and failures of the Cuban revolution to underlying currents in Cuban history. This multifaceted work places an emphasis on the impact of a monocultural sugar economy, and the Imperialist legacy of the United States in the formation of a revolutionary atmosphere in Cuba. She incorporates numerous statistics and raw data to justify her claims. Though impeccably researched, the "Cuban Revolution" is at times difficult to read. The sheer thoroughness of the work at certain points overwhelms the reader, and clouds the lucidity of the work. Nevertheless, the excellent research outshines its periodic unintelligibility, especially in its institutional analysis of Castro's regime's. The book offers a new insight into the functions and paralysis of Cuban political institutions under Castro. In addition, the "Cuban Revolution" makes an important contribution to understanding of womens' role in Castro's consolidation of power. This is a must read for any serious student of Cuban History or Latin American Studies.

Rating:
Summary: Falls a bit short.
Review: Rarely does one find a book concerning the Cuban Revolution in which the author at least makes an effort to keep there political views out of the analysis. Marifeli Perez-Stable is no exception, as her book will either be praised by the left, or critizied by the right. In writing such a biased account her credibility is jepordized; not only because anyone with half a brain will realize this, but anyone with limited study in regards to the revolution see's many flaws. Amongst the most prevelant is the complete neglect of Cuba's "Counterculture" and the booming tobacco industry in Cuba throughout the 50's (she harbors on sugar as if every Cuban was either a plantation owner or slave). Hopefully Cuban books in the future will steer clear of political biases and present the facts, and only the facts.

Rating:
Summary: Falls a bit short.
Review: Rarely does one find a book concerning the Cuban Revolution in which the author at least makes an effort to keep there political views out of the analysis. Marifeli Perez-Stable is no exception, as her book will either be praised by the left, or critizied by the right. In writing such a biased account her credibility is jepordized; not only because anyone with half a brain will realize this, but anyone with limited study in regards to the revolution see's many flaws. Amongst the most prevelant is the complete neglect of Cuba's "Counterculture" and the booming tobacco industry in Cuba throughout the 50's (she harbors on sugar as if every Cuban was either a plantation owner or slave). Hopefully Cuban books in the future will steer clear of political biases and present the facts, and only the facts.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Book for anyone trying to understand the Revolution
Review: This book provides an excellent background to social dynamics in Cuba before, during and after the Cuban Revolution, and does a good job analyzing its causes and consequences. It is indeed a must for anyone trying to understand the Revolution. The right wing exile community in Florida will not like this book because it is one of the few that consciously tries to be objective, but that should not dissuade other readers from purchasing this book. It is a bit too crammed with charts and statistics in places, which makes it cumbersome, but those sections are skimmable. I will certainly use it in my undergraduate classes.