The Cuba Reader

Tracking Cuban history from 1492 to the present, The Cuba Reader includes more than one hundred selections that present myriad perspectives on Cuba's history, culture, and politics. The volume foregrounds the experience of Cubans from all walks of life, including slaves, prostitutes, doctors, activists, and historians. Combining songs, poetry, fiction, journalism, political speeches, and many other types of documents, this revised and updated second edition of The Cuba Reader contains over twenty new selections that explore the changes and continuities in Cuba since Fidel Castro stepped down from power in 2006. For students, travelers, and all those who want to know more about the island nation just ninety miles south of Florida, The Cuba Reader is an invaluable introduction.

Acknowledgments  xiii
Introduction  1
I. Indigenous Society and Conquest  7
II. Sugar, Slavery, and Colonialism  37
III. The Struggle for Independence  111
IV. Neocolonialism  141
V. Building a New Society  309
VI. Culture and Revolution  405
VII. The Cuban Revolution and the World  453
VIII. The Período Especial  517
IX. Cuba after Fidel: Continuities and Transitions  577
Suggestions for Further Reading  683
Acknowledgment of Copyrights and Sources  697
Index  709