{"title":"Cuba","description":"\u003cp\u003eCuba history books examine the unique evolution of this Caribbean nation, featuring its indigenous roots, colonial experiences, independence struggles, and pivotal 20th-century events. This subject stands out within Caribbean \u0026amp; West Indies history by focusing deeply on the island’s social, political, and cultural transformations, highlighting how Cuba’s path has often diverged from its regional neighbors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders seeking a focused study of Cuba can use this subject to zero in on major themes, from revolutionary movements to US-Cuba relations and the impact of global politics on local life. For those interested in comparative studies, exploring the broader Caribbean \u0026amp; West Indies history category offers context alongside Cuba’s distinct trajectory.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"havana-nocturne-how-mob-owned-cubaand-then-lost-it-revolution-9780061712746-new","title":"Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba...and Then Lost It to the Revolution","description":"In modern-day Havana, the remnants of the glamorous past are everywhere--old hotel-casinos, vintage American cars \u0026amp; flickering neon signs speak of a bygone era that is widely familiar \u0026amp; often romanticized, but little understood. In \u003ci\u003eHavana Nocturne\u003c\/i\u003e, T.J. English offers a multifaceted true tale of organized crime, political corruption, roaring nightlife, revolution \u0026amp; international conflict that interweaves the dual stories of the Mob in Havana \u0026amp; the event that would overshadow it, the Cuban Revolution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the Cuban people labored under a violently repressive regime throughout the 50s, American Mafia leaders Meyer Lansky \u0026amp; Charles \"Lucky\" Luciano turned their eye to Havana. To them, Cuba was the ultimate dream, the greatest hope for the future of the US Mob in the post-Prohibition years of intensified government crackdowns. But when it came time to make their move, it was Lansky, the brilliant Jewish mobster, who reigned supreme. Having cultivated strong ties with the Cuban government \u0026amp; in particular the brutal dictator Fulgencio Batista, Lansky brought key mobsters to Havana to put his ambitious business plans in motion. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBefore long, the Mob, with Batista's corrupt government in its pocket, owned the biggest luxury hotels \u0026amp; casinos in Havana, launching an unprecedented tourism boom complete with the most lavish entertainment, the world's biggest celebrities, the most beautiful women \u0026amp; gambling galore. But their dreams collided with those of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara \u0026amp; others who would lead the country's disenfranchised to overthrow their corrupt government \u0026amp; its foreign partners--an epic cultural battle that English captures in all its sexy, decadent, ugly glory. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBringing together long-buried historical information with English's own research in Havana--including interviews with the era's key survivors--\u003ci\u003eHavana Nocturne\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers back to Cuba in the years when it was a veritable devil's playground for mob leaders. In a gripping story of the Mob's rise and fall, English deftly weaves together the parallel stories of the Havana Mob--featuring notorious criminals such as Santo Trafficante Jr \u0026amp; Albert Anastasia--\u0026amp; Castro's 26th of July Movement in a riveting, up-close look at how the Mob nearly attained its biggest dream in Havana--\u0026amp; how Fidel Castro trumped it all with the revolution. \u003cp\u003eThis definitive account of the American Mafia in Cuba reveals: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eKey Mafia Figures: \u003c\/b\u003e Follow Meyer Lansky, \"Lucky\" Luciano, and Santo Trafficante Jr. as they build a glamorous empire of luxury hotels and casinos, hoping to secure the future of the US Mob.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Brutal Dictator: \u003c\/b\u003e See how the Mob cultivated strong ties with the violently repressive regime of Fulgencio Batista, placing the corrupt Cuban government squarely in its pocket.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Cuban Revolution: \u003c\/b\u003e Witness the epic cultural battle as the Mob's dreams collide with those of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, who lead the country's disenfranchised to overthrow their foreign partners.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eIn-Depth Historical Research: \u003c\/b\u003e Go back to the 1950s with long-buried information and interviews with the era's key survivors, providing a riveting, up-close look at a devil's playground.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"HARPERCOLLINS","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51543206723874,"sku":"9780061712746-new","price":17.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9780061712746.jpg?v=1776373688"},{"product_id":"cuba-american-history-9781501154560-new","title":"Cuba: An American History","description":"\u003cb\u003eWINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE IN HISTORY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Full of...lively insights and lucid prose\" (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e) an epic, sweeping history of Cuba and its complex ties to the United States--from before the arrival of Columbus to the present day--written by one of the world's leading historians of Cuba.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1961, at the height of the Cold War, the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, where a momentous revolution had taken power three years earlier. For more than half a century, the stand-off continued--through the tenure of ten American presidents and the fifty-year rule of Fidel Castro. His death in 2016, and the retirement of his brother and successor Ra","brand":"SCRIBNER BOOKS CO","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51578175389986,"sku":"9781501154560-new","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9781501154560.jpg?v=1777401795"},{"product_id":"small-place-9781250340610-new","title":"A Small Place","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA brilliant look at colonialism and its effects in Antigua, by the author of \u003ci\u003eAnnie John.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLyrical, sardonic, and forthright, \u003ci\u003eA Small Place \u003c\/i\u003emagnifies our vision of one small place with Swiftian wit and precision. Jamaica Kincaid's expansive essay candidly appraises the ten-by-twelve-mile island in the British West Indies where she grew up, Antigua, and makes palpable the impact of European colonialism and tourism. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book is a missive to the traveler, whether American or European, who wants to escape the banality and corruption of some large place. Kincaid, powerful and resolute, reminds us that the Antiguan people, formerly British subjects, are unable to escape the same drawbacks of their own tiny realm--that behind the benevolent Caribbean scenery are human lives, always complex and often fraught with injustice.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"PICADOR USA","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":52594063212834,"sku":"9781250340610-new","price":14.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9781250340610.jpg?v=1789930094"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.albakireads.com\/collections\/history-caribbean-west-indies-cuba.oembed","provider":"AlbakiReads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}