Cuba libre! : Che, Fidel, and the improbable revolution that changed world history / Tony Perrottet.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Perrottet, Tony, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Castro, Fidel, 1926-2016.

Castro, Fidel.

Guevara, Che, 1928-1967.

Guevara, Che.

Cuba--History--Revolution, 1959.

Cuba.

History.

Genre:

History.

Biographies.

Physical Description:

367 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

[New York, New York] : Blue Rider Press, [2019]

Summary:

"Perrottet chronicles the events of the Cuban Revolution and the figures at the center of the guerrilla uprising: Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and the scrappy band of rebel men and women who followed them. The general timeline of the Cuban Revolution of 1956-1958: It was led by two of the 20th century's most iconic figures, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara; it successfully overthrew the island nation's US-backed dictator; and it quickly went awry under Castro's rule. In this wildly entertaining and meticulously researched account, Tony Perrottet unravels the human drama behind history's most improbable revolution: a scruffy handful of self-taught revolutionaries--many of them kids just out of college, literature majors, art students and young lawyers, and including a number of women--defeated 40,000 professional soldiers to overthrow the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Cuba Libre's deep dive into the revolution reveals fascinating details and is an entertaining look back at a liberation movement that captured the imagination of the world with its spectacular drama, foolhardy bravery, tragedy, and, sometimes, high comedy--and that set the stage for a buildup of Cold War tension that became a pivotal moment in history"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part 1 The Cuban "Madness"

Chapter 1 DIY Revolution p. 11

Chapter 2 The Curse of San Juan Hill p. 22

Chapter 3 Fulgencio Venus Fidel p. 31

Chapter 4 The Misfire Heard Around the World p. 42

Chapter 5 Island of Lost Souls p. 58

Chapter 6 Fellow Travelers p. 68

Chapter 7 Waiting for Fidel p. 79

Chapter 8 The Cruise of the Cranma p. 87

Chapter 9 "Now We've Won the War" p. 95

Part 2 The Amateur Guerrillas

Chapter 10 The Kindness of Strangers p. 105

Chapter 11 First Blood p. 113

Chapter 12 Back from the Dead p. 120

Chapter 13 Havana Vice p. 133

Chapter 14 "The Bitter Days" p. 139

Chapter 13 The Revolution Will Be Televised p. 147

Chapter 16 Baptisms of Fire p. 153

Chapter 17 Scenes from the "Free Zone" p. 163

Chapter 18 Revolution on $300 a Day p. 175

Chapter 19 Love in the Time of Diarrhea p. 184

Part 3 Revolutionary Road

Chapter 20 Fiestas in Wartime p. 195

Chapter 21 "The Fuck-up" p. 203

Chapter 22 Sierra Shangri-la p. 210

Chapter 23 Operation "End of Fidel" p. 219

Chapter 24 Raúl Goes Rogue p. 225

Chapter 25 The Comeback p. 236

Chapter 26 Women in Uniform p. 244

Chapter 27 Hurricane Season p. 254

Chapter 28 Have Gun, Will Travel: The Gringo Guerrillas p. 265

Chapter 29 The Lightning Campaign p. 278

Part 4 Honeymoon with Che

Chapter 30 Compañeros Versus Mafiosi p. 295

Chapter 31 In (Cuba) Like flynn p. 304

Chapter 32 The Caravan of Victory p. 313

Chapter 33 Days of Rum and Roses p. 324.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 353-359) and index.

ISBN:

9780735218161

0735218161

OCLC:

1054260710