Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know(r)

Easily one of the best studies of Cuba and its cultural scene to come out in the last few years. It gives a very well documented historical background that goes back to the nineteenth century tracing the path of Cuban history from its liberation from Spain with United States help, and the poet and activist Jose Marti to the present and the Castro brothers. Rather than defend one side or another of the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s, Sweig offers a well balanced analysis of all the factors in what amounts to the most objective study I have yet read. It carefully documents United States involvement and interests in Cuba without prejudice. Readers should come away from this book with a clearer understanding of the complexities of Cuban politics and its relations with the rest of the world, not just Russia and the U.S.

I just finished this wonderful book (CUBA What Everyone Needs to Know) and I LOVED it. Ms. Sweig is a gifted writer: this book reads like fiction. Really, the book is a page turner. I learned a great deal, but it was painless -- not like an assigned reading at all. I would highly recommend CUBA What Everyone Needs to Know to students who want to learn about Cuba as well as to folks who are just looking for a good read. I read at least one American newspaper a day (usually the Washington Post) and I did not know most of the information in the book. For example, did you know that on 911 the Cuban government "privately offered to open its airfields for American planes to land there and offered medical teams to assist with the disaster and recovery."(see p. 181) I had no idea. Thumbs up for this great book.

Cuba,What Everyone Needs to Know is just that - what we all need to know about Cuba to be fully educated about the country, its history, its relationship with the US, and why it matters. Julia Sweig's writing is thoroughly accessible, making the subject compelling, alive, and relevant. She's given us an utterly balanced look at history and the issues. Her expertise is of the highest caliber. For anyone interested in Cuba, this book is a must.

What an unbelievable book this is. I bought it seen Dr. Sweig all over television over the past year. She comes across as one of the smartest, most charismatic talking heads on foreign policy I've seen in a generation. Her book, Cuba: What Everyone Needs To Know, is every bit as compelling. It manages to be accessible yet erudite, sweeping yet detailed, and conversational yet profound. Whether you are a Cuban history buff or want to give a friend with little knowledge of Cuba the primer of all primers, this is the book to get. I'm blown away.

If visiting Cuba to see more than vintage American cars is appealing, you can rely on expert Julia Sweig's new, most timely book, Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know. Sweig's long established knowledge of Cuba together with her fun, familiar, voice-filled writing style makes this the bible for rediscovery of Cuba as the US gradually opens up the embargo-burdened bogeyman 90 miles to the South.