Cuba libre : a 500-year quest for independence / Philip Brenner and Peter Eisner.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 380-413) and index.

Part 1. 1492-1598 -- Columbus arrives and Spain colonizes Cuba, 1492-1550 -- Sugar and slavery -- 1868-1898: Struggle for independence -- Cuban independence war and U.S. occupation -- From occupation to "good neighbor" -- 1934-1958: playground of the Western world and rise of Batista -- 1953-1958: The revolutionary struggle -- Part 2. 1959-1989 -- The quest for sovereignty -- Consolidating the revolution: culture and politics -- Consolidating the revolution: Economic reforms, new institutions, and basic needs -- Bay of Pigs/Playa Girón -- The missile crisis -- Foreign policy in the 1960s: Exporting revolution, Chinese flirtations, and Soviet tensions -- 1963-1975: internal adjustments and advancing equality -- 1970s: Becoming a third world leader -- 1980: Mariel exodus - a warning signal -- 1981-1990: Change and rectification at home and abroad -- Part 3. 1990-2016 -- 1990-2000: The "special period" in a time of peace -- The Cuban diaspora and racial inequality -- 1995-1998: Helms-Burton, U.S.-Cuban relations, and terrorism -- 1998-2000: the Pope goes to Cuba, Elián goes to Miami -- 2001-2006: The search for a viable strategy -- 2006-2009: the transition from Fidel to Raúl Castro -- 2010-2016: Securing Cuba's independence through economic change -- 2010-2016: Securing Cuba's independence through foreign policy -- Change, continuity, and the future -- Appendix: Chronology of major events.

This timely book provides a balanced and deeply knowledgeable introduction to Cuba since Christopher Columbus's first arrival in 1492. With decades of experience studying and reporting on the island, Philip Brenner and Peter Eisner provide an incisive overview for all readers seeking to go beyond stereotypes in their exploration of Cuba's politics, economy, and culture. As Cuba and the United States open their doors to each other, Cuba Libre gives travelers, policy makers, businesspeople, students, and those with an interest in world affairs an opportunity to understand Cuba from a Cuban perspective; to appreciate how Cubans' quest for independence and sovereignty animates their spirit and shapes their worldview and even their identity. In a world ever more closely linked, Cuba Libre provides a compelling model for US citizens and policy makers to empathize with viewpoints far from their own experiences