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Pawn of the U.S. government. Right-hand man to the mob. Iron-fisted
dictator. For decades, public understanding of the
pre-Revolutionary Cuban dictator ""Fulgencio Batista"" has been
limited to these stereotypes. While on some level they all contain
an element of truth, these superficial characterizations barely
scratch the surface of the complex and compelling career of this
important political figure. Second only to Fidel Castro, Batista is
the most controversial leader in modern Cuban history. And yet,
until now, there has been no objective biography written about him.
Existing biographical literature is predominantly polemical and
either borders on hero worship or launches a series of attacks
aimed at denigrating his entire legacy. In this book, the first of
two volumes, Frank Argote-Freyre provides a full and balanced
portrait of this historically shadowed figure. He describes
Batista's rise to power as part of a revolutionary movement and the
intrigues and dangers that surrounded him. Drawing on an extensive
review of Cuban newspapers, government records, memos, oral history
interviews, and a selection of Batista's personal documents,
Argote-Freyre moves beyond simplistic caricatures to uncover the
real man - one with strengths and weaknesses and with a career
marked by accomplishments as well as failures. This volume focuses
on Batista's role as a revolutionary leader from 1933 to 1934 and
his image as a ""strongman"" in the years between 1934 and 1939.
Argote-Freyre also uses Batista as an interpretive prism to review
an entire era that is usually ignored by scholars - the Republican
period of Cuban history. Bringing together global and local events,
he considers the significance and relationship of the worldwide
economic depression, the beginnings of World War II, and in Cuba,
the Revolution of 1933, the expansion of the middle class, and the
gradual development of democratic institutions. ""Fulgencio
Batista"" and most of Cuba's past prior to the Revolution of 1959
has been lost in the historical mists. Cuba had a rich and
fascinating history before the Marxist Revolution and the reign of
Fidel Castro. This captivating and long-overdue book uncovers it.
A Brief History of the Caribbean is an overview of the historical
events that have taken place and shaped the islands of the
Caribbean Sea - beginning with an account of the indigenous
populations before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 and
ending with the major political and economic developments in early
2007 in Aruba, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and
Puerto Rico, among others.The historical perspective is enriched by
allusions to the culture, manners, and morals of particular
periods, often highlighting the connection between literary
activities and politics, such as the Negritude Movement, and
literary figures and politicians, such as Juan Bosch in the
Dominican Republic. Complementing the narrative are sidebars with
important and unusual information on topics such as women pirates,
meals eaten by slaves, and the cultural preference for strong
leaders in the region. The authors attempt to give readers a
multicultural perspective that will allow them to understand events
from both an insider's and an outsider's viewpoints.
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