Cuba A Brief History

A concise, readable and thoroughly revised overview of Cuba written by Cubans for anyone interested in quickly understanding the island country’s turbulent history.

Cuba: A Brief History covers the pre-Hispanic period, through Cuba’s struggle to maintain the revolution in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, to the period after Fidel Castro’s decision to step down from office, to the 2014 opening to Cuba by the Obama Administration, the retirement of Raul Castro and his replacement as president in 2018 by Miguel Diaz Canal, and finally to the reversal of Washington’s engagement with Cuba under President Trump. This slim volume provides the reader with an overview of the history and politics of the tiny Caribbean island that continues to appear at the center of world events.

Featuring a presentation and analysis of US intervention on the island, Cuba: A Brief History also includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading. This is an essential introduction to Cuba for students, visitors, and others looking for a bird’s eye view of the turbulent history of the island that has captivated and enthralled its northern neighbors for decades.

SERGIO GUERRA VILABOY holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Leipzig. He is head of the History Department at the University of Havana and is executive secretary of the Association of Latin America and Caribbean Historians. He is also on the editorial boards of several magazines, including Tzintzun and Ulúa (Mexico), Investigación y Desarrollo (Colombia), Kó-Eyú Latinoamericano (Venezuela) and Contexto Latinoamericano (published by Ocean Sur); he has written several books, including Paraguay: de la independencia a la dominación imperialista (1991), Los artesanos en la revolución latinoamericana (2000), El dilema de la independencia (2000), Cinco siglos de historiografía latinoamericana (2003), Historia de la Revolución Cubana (2005), Breve historia de América Latina (2006) and Ernesto Che Guevara (2007).

OSCAR LOYOLA VEGA holds a Ph.D. in history and was deputy dean of the School of Philosophy and History at the University of Havana between 1993 and 1997 and presided over its Doctoral Commission. He has given talks at universities in a number of countries and co-authored several books, including La Guerra de los Diez Años (1989), Cuba y su historia (1999) and Historia de Cuba 1492-1898: Formación y liberación de la nación (2001).