Trading with the Enemy: A Yankee Travels Through Castro's Cuba

The style of presentation that Tom Miller uses in "Trading with the Enemy" captures a personal perspective of Cuba. For those who critique this as a travel reader should see this as "his" travel reader. For me, his book was required reading for a graduate class on Cuban culture, business and economic policy. Usually required reading doesn't engage my full attention; this book did. I appreciated the fact that the subject matters within "Trading with the Enemy" were handled with objectivity, humor, and humanity. The strength this format provides allows him to be descriptive without pontification. Following the reading of "Trading with the Enemy" (and other texts), my class included a 10-day trip to Havana (it happened to be the week in which the recent Iraqi War started) and its environs to study our selected research topics. Tom Miller was gracious enough to be an unofficial guide and advisor for this excursion. His insights (both written and interpersonal)proved to be essential for understanding the milieu within which we were trying to operate. This book gives a reader an individual's perspective of "cubanidad" - with its glory, shortcomings, simplicities, nuanced complexities all included. For those who enjoy readings that "speak to you" rather than "speak at you, this book will be an informative and enjoyable read.

Miller concentrates on the people he meets and keeps away from politics.The result is an entertaining account of his extended visit to Cuba including the time he spent in Havana and travelling throughout the country.I found the book puts a more humanizing face on the country that is always dominated by coverage of Castro and his policies.For me, this book is a good companion to Buena Vista Social Club in providing a non-political view of Cuba and Cubans.

I'm surprised at the dislike some reviewers have expressed towards this book. True, its dated picture of 1992-era Cuba does not ring entirely true compared to the country one sees today: more and more marked by tourism everyday. But Miller's funny, flowing writing style and encounters with everyone from literati to farmers to hustlers are rendered in an intelligent and observant way. His 'digressive' style of writing actually serves the material quite well, and preserves a chatty familiarity that does justice to what this is: a travel diary. It's a lot more astute than most of them.

Miller's book is written before the turn to tourism, which has dramatically transformed Cuba and Cubans. Those who read this and then travel there will find a very different country. Nevertheless, the book is useful for understanding a too often misunderstood society, one that remains one of the world's most culturally vibrant, despite hardships, blockades and misguided economic policies.

The author gives a great panoramic view to the reader of what life is actually like in Cuba through his travels around Cuba and select stratas of Cuban society such as a Cuban TV cook, a Cuban baseball team, Cuban Jews, government employees, street huslers for American dollars, hitchhikers, drinking companions met along the way,and women in lines at 5:00 am awaiting to buy goods. A well written book that doesn't lecture with no political agenda, but just tells what was found-good and bad--straight from the hip.