Heroes, Martyrs, and Political Messiahs in Revolutionary Cuba, 1946-1958 / Lillian Guerra.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 351-360) and index.

Introduction : A history that dare not be told: political culture and the making of revolutionary Cuba, 1946-1958. Cuba on the verge: martyrdom, political culture, and civic activism, 1946-1951 -- El último aldabonazo: Fulgencio Batista's "revolution" and renewed struggle for a democratic Cuba, 1952-1953 -- Los muchachos del Moncada: civic mobilization and democracy's last stand, 1953-1954 -- Civic activism and the legitimation of armed struggle against Batista, 1955-1956 -- Complicit Communists, student commandos, fidelistas, and civil war, 1956-1957 -- Clandestinos, guerrillas, and the making of a messiah in the Sierra Maestra, 1957-1958 -- Epilogue : Revolutionary Cuba: December 1958 and beyond. Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.

A leading scholar sheds light on the experiences of ordinary Cubans in the unseating of dictator Fulgencio Batista In this important and timely volume, one of today's foremost experts on Cuban history and politics fills a significant gap in the literature, illuminating how Cuba's sovereign electoral democracy underwent a tumultuous transformation into a military dictatorship. Lillian Guerra draws on her years of research in newly opened archives and on personal interviews to shed light on the men and women of Cuba who participated in mass mobilization and civic activism to establish social movements in their quest for social and racial justice and for more accountable leadership. Driven by a sense of duty toward la patria (the fatherland) and their dedication to heroism and martyrdom, these citizens built a powerful underground revolutionary culture that shaped and witnessed Batista's overthrow in the late 1950s. Beautifully illustrated with archival photographs, this volume is a stunning addition to Latin American history and politics.