Cuba – A New History

'Cuba: A New History' is an excellent account of Cuban history up until this books publication in 2004. Gott manages to write in a completely engaging way and draws you in to the rich and diverse history of this amazing Caribbean island. This is in no way a dry and uninspiring read, but one that helps you immerse yourself in the history and developments over the years. From Spanish colonial rule, US intervention and soviet support, Cuba has managed to retain some remnant of it's own identity and this book shows this side perfectly. The first 100 pages (looking at Spanish Colonial rule and the slave trades to Cuba) were the hardest to engage with for me, but as soon as the revolution occurred and the book focused on the Castro government and all that it entails, I became hooked to this masterly text. The author doesn't seem overly biased one way or the other, although you can tell he has respect for this tiny island nation. He doesn't seem to be too sensationalist either, for example when Che Guevara dies it is noted in quite an understated way and not overly hyped to have a greater impact. Two minor flaws with this book are the tiny font which by the end had given me serious eye strain, why academic texts insist on using this size font I'll never know. And the other flaw is a distinct lack of decent photography to add to the package. There are a few pages of grey photos in the middle, but not on good quality paper, or especially relevant to the overall text, i've come to expect better from history books these days. These are minor flaws in what is a brilliant account of Cuban history which leaves you with some indication of what the future may hold as well. If Cuba interests you in the slightest, I'd seriously recommend you take a look at this book.Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

I didn't read the first 100 pages as I'm really only interested in the Castro history, but I found this book very well researched, informative and well written. It is a very comprehensive review of the politics and international relations (especially with USA), but it did not go into a great amount of detail on the actual events, such as Che's train ambush or the Bay of Pigs battles. One reveiwer complained about the font size, but this has not been a problem as I wear glasses for reading anyway.I also purchsed the Cuba Reader, but found this to be interesting to pick up and read bits of, but not really readable as a whole book, as the gaps between the various articles were too obvious. It gives varied viewpoints though, so could be useful as a research tool, but 'Cuba: A New History' is much better to get your teeth into.

This book is well researched. The dates and descriptions are accurate though I'm not a big reader so I'm finding it a tough read. It jumps between dates and names of people constantly. There is a lot to take in and you really have to concentrate. The content is good and supposedly one of the better books written on Cuba.It's a good read as I want to visit Cuba and this is really setting the scene. It's providing historic details I would never encounter in normal conversation. I'm sure many Cubans are oblivious to some of the information provided in this book. Would recommend it but don't expect to take it all in if you're going to try and speed read!!!Received in good time and good condition. Would purchase from this seller.

This book was recommended as the best read on the history of Cuba by the company with whom we are travelling there. Trouble is that the print size is very small, it looks hefty in content and old (clearly been on a shelf a long time!), so I have not yet got into it.

Essential reading for anybody planning to visit Cuba or interested in the Castro years. Like him or hate him, Fidel was a remarkable character and this books offers the historical/political background to his rule over a Caribbean island that dares to defy the US.

Very interesting and insightful book on Cuba's history. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. The only problem I could find was the spelling mistakes that distract the reader, simple things like 'hte' instead of 'the', but apart from the few mistakes it makes for an excellent and unbiased read.

This book comprehensively covers all aspects of Cuba's history from before Columbus to the twenty-first century and is easily read. Chapters , and sub-chapters, mean that reading can be done when the reader has time without spoiling the flow.. A few more maps might have helped placing events with geographyThis book will appeal to many readers with interests in New World history, exploration and military matters, the economies of third world countries or even the tourist visiting Cuba requiring some background.

A surprising if not astonishing read. It is one of those books which sheds light on various misconceptions you may have on the world. Well written and interesting from cover to cover! Despite being a relatively small island, Cuba has been central to many of the key 19th and 20th century world events.