Contesting Castro: The United States and the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution

by Thomas G. Paterson

Book Overview

Today they stand as enemies, but in the 1950s, few countries were as closely intertwined as Cuba and the United States. Thousands of Americans (including Ernest Hemingway and Errol Flynn) lived on the island, and, in the United States, dancehalls swayed to the mambo beat. The strong-arm Batista regime depended on Washington's support, and it invited American gangsters like Meyer Lansky to build fancy casinos for U.S. tourists. Major league scouts...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195101200
• ISBN13: 9780195101201
• Release Date: October 1995
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A look at Cuban history uncommon in the US.

Contesting Castro is a book crucial to the understanding of the political history of Cuba. The author takes a stance not typical to most written on the subject,one of independence,free of the left-bashing not uncommon when reading of Cuba. Unbaised, well documented, and factually correct, this text offers a view of the events leading to, and during the revloution of 1959, free of any political bias by the author. This book is essential to the reader who wants a complete picture of the actions taken to stop the spread of communism and protect US business intrests. The events described help the reader understand US forigen policy action in recent years as well.

Integral to Comprehending the why's of US-Cuban Relations!

As a student at the University of Connecticut I had the honor of being advised by Dr. Paterson and read this book as part of his History of American Foreign Relations course. This book ranks amongst the finest historical narratives that I have ever read. The absolute must-read book to understand the turbulent relationship between the United States and Castro.