Cuba: A Cultural History

(Hardback)

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Description

Cuba is a rare and fascinating place. In a world where revolutionary socialism seems an almost quaint reminder of the Cold War, the island remains one of the few nations on the planet guided by a Communist party, still committed to fighting imperialism, opposed to the injustices of globalisation, and wedded to the dream of one day building a classless society, albeit in a distant future.

But Cuba is more than a struggling socialist country: it is a nation with a complex and turbulent history and a rich and varied culture. This book is neither simply a timeline narrative of Cuban history nor a traditional history of Cuban culture. Instead, it invites the reader to enter Cuban history from the perspective of the island's uniquely creative cultural forms. As it does so, it traces that restless island as it ebbs and flows with the power, beauty, and longings of its culture and history. All those who have visited this captivating place, or been inspired by its history and culture, should read this fascinating account.

Reviews

West-Durn manages to pack this relatively short book with an impressive density of material, and his graceful, lucid style prevents it from becoming overwhelming. Readers fascinated by and interested in Cuba should find this book to be of great value in understanding a complex and often contradictory society. * Publishers Weekly *

Taken as a whole the book confirms what Fernando Ortiz proclaimed decades ago that Cuban culture is best understood as a complex, rich, and flavorful mixture, a powerful and tasty ajiaco, as a local stew is called . . . Not afraid to venture beyond history and the arts, West-Durn treats us, in the concluding section of the book, to a sociologically grounded exploration
of what the future of Cuba might portend in terms of an economic model to be followed.

* New West Indian Guide *
The latest book on Cuba by scholar and poet Alan West-Durn is an introduction to the island through an encompassing look at a wide range of cultural manifestations and their most significant connecting threads. It is pleasantly written and rich in compelling detail . . . this new cultural history is ideal for a reader first approaching the subject. To the scholar of Cuba or Latin America, the book offers many a new discovery and plenty of insightful analyses crisscrossing the popular and the erudite. * Dissidences: Hispanic Journal of Theory and Criticism *
For anyone wanting to get inside the fascinating mystery of the role which culture (in all senses) has played in the evolution, character and survival of the post-1959 Cuban Revolution, this book is ideal: in the hands of someone who really knows the field and understands the complexities of that often baffling political phenomenon, the whole subject is treated here with welcome subtlety and depth, and we are all better informed as a result. * Antoni Kapcia, Professor of Latin American History, University of Nottingham and author of Cuba in Revolution *

Author Bio

Alan West-Durn is Associate Professor of Cultures, Societies and Global Studies at Northeastern University, Massachusetts. He is the Editor-in-Chief of A Cuba Encyclopedia.