Top 5 books on the Cuban revolution, chosen by Christopher Othen
The Cuba expert and author Christopher Othen picks five titles about Fidel Castro’s uprising
by: Christopher Othen
18 Sep 2022
Image: Pixabay
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Christopher Othen, author of The Men from Miami: American Rebels on Both Sides of Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution , picks his top books about the Cuban revolution.
Cuba’s revolution emerged from a bloody history. In this book Thomas tracks the island from Spanish colony to the corrupt playground that inspired Castro to rebel.
2. The Man Who Invented Fidel: Castro, Cuba, and Herbert L Matthews of The New York Times by Anthony DePalma
Castro was once a hero to many Americans. The man responsible was veteran journalist Herbert Matthews, who interviewed the rebel leader at the start of his campaign.
These days his face is a familiar sight on posters and T-shirts. Back in 1958 Che Guevara was Castro’s most famous fellow rebel, and his diaries capture the rebellion’s romanticism and brutality.
4. A Rebel in Cuba by Neill Macaulay
Even Americans joined Castro’s rebels. Former soldier and future academic Macaulay was among the first into Havana when Castro’s men claimed victory on New Year’s Day 1959.
The Men from Miami: American Rebels on Both Sides of Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution by Christopher Othen is out now (Biteback, £20)
5. Shadow Warrior: The CIA Hero of a Hundred Unknown Battles by Felix Rodriguez and John Weissman
The Cubans who fled the revolution are also part of its history. Among them was Rodriguez, an exile who joined the CIA to take part in the Bay of Pigs invasion and other failed attempts to overthrow Castro.
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