For those amazed at the confusion that has driven U.S.-Cuban relations since 1959, this book is an excellent primer. In it the authors trace the domestic political factors responsible for the evolution of U.S. policy toward revolutionary Cuba. In particular they have helped to debunk the myth that Washington has been held hostage to a formidable Cuban-American lobby and indeed have illustrated well that official policy has been the object of a number of complex “push” and “pull” factors over several decades — a process that they outline with clarity. Also of interest is an analysis of various facets of the embargo itself — from trade to travel, investment to immigration, remittances to cultural and sports exchanges. In sum, the embargo of Cuba is thus no monolith, and the authors show that there has been a varying degree of commitment to it by various administrations.
Here, laid out in chronological...
