A History of the Cuban Revolution

Abstract

This book is a useful textbook for undergraduate students and a welcome addition to the historiography on the Cuban Revolution. I would even strongly recommend it to any tourist visiting the island since it is concise, very well written, and easy to digest. Despite Chomsky’s sympathies for the Cuban Revolution, her account provides a balanced history of Cuba after 1959.The book contains an introduction and eight chapters covering a wide range of topics, effectively cultivating a fascinating multidisciplinary approach. Chomsky reminds us that the Cuban Revolution was not only a political event but, equally important, it “was also social, cultural, economic, artistic, and many other things” (p. 6). This of course is easy to say but very difficult to illustrate in a textbook. Chomsky manages to do so in a stylish fashion. Finally, the general context in which the Cuban Revolution takes place is also well established in an engaging way.Most chapters can stand alone. Chapter 1 deals with Cuban colonial history, post-colonial history up to 1959, and the 1959 revolution itself. Chapter 2 deals with the first years of the revolution. Here Chomsky makes it clear that “Cuba’s new leaders vowed to break the island’s historic dependence on sugar exports” (p. 50), but I was unable to discover why, despite this resolution, Cuba remained so dependent on sugar for so long after the revolution. Chapter 3 provides fascinating material on Cuban relations with the United States, in particular for the 1960s, by focusing on the many terrorist attacks against Cuban subjects performed with the support of the CIA and the FBI. The treatment of the Cuban Missile Crisis, albeit brief, provides an up-to-date version of this important event in world history.Chapter 4 is about emigration and internationalism, very different topics indeed, and their juxtaposition is questionable. Regarding emigration, the section on Miami is expressively written, but surprisingly nothing is said about Cubans emigrating elsewhere (e.g., Spain, South America). Indeed, after reading this chapter the reader unfamiliar with Cuba would believe that Cubans have emigrated only to Miami. In relation to internationalism, the section on black internationalism is a significant and impressive contribution to discussion of the topic. Chapter 5 deals with art and culture in revolutionary Cuba. It contains very useful reviews of Cuban literature, dance, film industry, sport, food, and music (although there is no mention of the hugely popular Los Van Van). It also contains an interesting section on political culture (in particular the discussion of the concept of democracy and multiparty systems), which would be better placed within another chapter instead.Chapter 6 is on diversity within Cuban society, touching on race, gender, sexuality, and religion. The treatment of race inequality will be particularly illuminating for those unfamiliar with the subject, given its huge complexity. As highlighted by Chomsky, despite the commitment of the revolutionary government to eliminating racial discrimination, even after over 50 years of revolution this issue still remains a challenge on many fronts. Likewise, the revolution’s repression of Cuban homosexuals is also well handled by Chomsky.Chapter 7 deals with the so-called Special Period, the time of harsh economic conditions after the collapse of the Soviet bloc in the early 1990s and the subsequent reforms introduced in Cuba to cope with these difficulties. The section on the increasing inequalities during this period is particularly striking. This is the most fascinating chapter of the book. Finally, the last chapter of the book takes the history of Cuba into the twenty-first century.A few minor issues could usefully be rectified in a second edition. At times the text is overly centered on the United States. Chomsky draws many comparisons between Cuba and the United States (which will doubtless be welcomed by US undergraduate students), but it would be more useful to compare Cuba with other Latin American countries as well.Having lived in Cuba myself for over 15 years, I also missed a more extensive treatment of these topics: abortion in Cuba; wages differences and income inequality before 1990; statistics about economic development; schools in the countryside; and childhood in Cuba. One figure unexplored (or perhaps avoided) by Chomsky is Fidel Castro himself; a judgment on his character or at least more references to his life, beliefs, and actions would have been welcome. Finally, the section on the Cuban intervention in Africa is perhaps too small given its importance. In future editions the author may wish to call students’ attention to a useful documentary entitled Cuba, an African Odyssey, by Jihan El Tahri (2007).All in all, I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Cuban Revolution and in particular to those teaching at the undergraduate level. I am sure this book will become the standard textbook on the subject for many years to come.