Customer Reviews

Cuba Confidential: Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Most written materials on either Cuba or the Cuban exiles are biased toward relentless criticisms or else justifications and praise.Not this one. Living in the Miami area, I find that the book has an uncanny portrait of this group impact on anyone who dwells here, whether one cares about Cuba or not. The influence that the Cuban exiles, and their political and local media have in this County is evident for anyone that followed the Elian story, let alone the national electoral events in 2000. This is well described in this book, with immediate character impressions in interviews that make it irresistibly suspenseful, especially in the first few chapters. The juxtaposition of persons of the Elian Gonzalez family in both sides of the exile divide, is presented with candid portraits and fresh information .The personal saga of the Castro family , and of the relatives which are at opposite poles of passion, often hatred, is particularly illuminating, and brings surprising data. The views of the persons left in Cuba give a human dimension that no doubt is a common experience to the over one hundred thousand Cubans that come and go every year, but unavailable to the rest of the US citizens who cannot travel to the Island. This is not a political or socio-economical treatise, and it has a minimum of quantitative information. Political events, especially those at the beginning of the Revolution, are incomplete and critical figures are glossed over. It indirectly describes- I believe impartially- the hardships of life in a one-Party state with few political and economical options, and suggests the adaptations that allow everyday endurance . Overall, it has the freshness and attraction of superb reporting. It cannot be ignored by those who need to understand a community with at times disproportionate influence in American life .

Wow! She's got guts. As an earlier reviewer noted, to understand the negative reviews of this book, you have to read the book. I read it in 2 days, although some of the sections on the Cuban exile community are just so disheartening/sad/frusturating that I had to skim over them.
The U.S. public has been fed one version of Cuba by a lazy media and pandering politicians. But more and more people are becoming more and more interested-visiting Cuba and educating themselves....Bardach's book is an excellent contribution!

A very detailed and carefully written book. And, from my experiences in Miami, accurate. The Elian incident was a watershed period in Miami. Any honest person with any type of interaction with the Miami Cuba community knew how committed most Cubans were to keeping Elian in the United States. The feelings were so extreme that conversations about the boy was difficult; and, with some, it is still difficult. But things are a little different now. Somehow the Elian incident seems to have mitigated some of the more extreme voices in the community, and for that, things are better. This book is an excellent primer for understanding the South Florida community.

My Dad was a balsero, who eventually made it to Phila. where I was born, he went back to fight against Castro and we have never seen or heard from him again!I never got an opportunity to talk with him about all the politics involved in this Castro-Cuba thing but this answered so many questions. YOu're reading history but its not dull or stilted at all. Thank you Ms Bardach for a great book and although I know you lost many contacts, for writing this way. I applaud you, for your honesty and courage!!!

Cuba Confidential: Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana is a definitive look at the two very different communities of the Cuban exiles in Florida and New Jersey and that of the nation of Cuba. Ann Louise Bardach provides an clear and primarily unbiased look at how the Cuban Revolution of 1959 caused a rift not only between America, which used the island as a sin city playground, and Cuba but between families who choose to support Castro and those who opposed communism. Bardach's book is part history and part sociology. Thoroughly researched and written with style of writing that keeps the reader highly interested chapter after chapter, "Cuba Confidential" hits many topics ranging from politcal corruption and terrorism to family values and race relations. Three of the most interesting and intriguing chapters are those of "Calle Ocho Politics", "An Assassin's Tale in Three Acts" and "The Third Rail". I found them the most interesting because they focused on the political climate of South Florida and the overwhelming influence of the Cuban exile community on the government of the state of Florida. As a history and political science major in college, I read about the strength of the primarily conservative Cuban Americans in South Florida but I never researched how pervasive and corrupt it was and still is. "Cuba Confidential" details the long list of injustices committed by some cuban officals in Florida and the Tammany Hall political machines that they run. Even the federal government through such agencies as the FBI are found to be influenced by the power and cohersion of Cuban politicos.
If you want to learn about the darker side of the "Sunshine State" then read this book. While covering topics that have been done to death like Elian Gonzalez, it still serves up more than most readers outside of Miami ever knew about Cuba and Cuban Americans. It is a must have for both the casual reader and someone looking to start a scholarly research into Cuban Americans and Florida politics.

Yes, the Cubans have suffered under Castro. I agree and understand their pain. So? The Cuban American millionaires and terrorists (Bosch for example) in Bardach's book suffered and then triumphed by bringing their ideas, ideology, and conniving ways to the US under the guise of seeking freedom--Freedom to do what? Toss bombs and acid at other exiled Cubans exercising Constitutional rights? Become another demagogue like Jorge Mas Canosa, rip off the Americans, create an ethic Cuban ghetto that excludes other Latinos, spit on concert goers trying to see Cuban musicians, bribe and other wise nefariously influence Florida politics? All this and heaven too.

Well, you detractors of the book have called it disgusting and other things but the truth hurts doesn't it? I have spent time in Cuba as a US diplomat (1987-89)in the US Interests Section and know many of the people mentioned by Bardach. Her descriptions are right on the money, e.g. Elizardo Sanchez, a real hero in the Cuban human rights movement. That the Miami right wingers are against the Varela Plan is truth not fiction, and as for checking sources and reliability nothing in Havana or Miami is what it appears to be so what's the use trying to verify what's not on the record? Her book names names, dates, countries, files, memos, etc enough to satsfy me and the general reader. Of course, if you have an Anti-Castro agenda this book will infuriate you, and obviously has by the looks of some of the reviews. All I have to do is put the screwed up, angry, menacing looks we saw on TV in Miami during the Elian debacle and fit those faces to the irate reviewers. And so it goes. Perhaps one should just read Samuel Huntington's latest screed on Hispanics (Foreign Policy Magazine, March 2004) to know the Cubans want to turn South Florida into their own Banana Republic. Lord have mercy, and will the last American leaving Miami please bring the flag. Thanks Ms. Bardach for exposing this ugly under belly on both sides of the drink. Watch out for the bombers.

Bardach does an excellent job of showing the reader the roots of the 43-year old standoff between Miami and Havanna. This book is compelling and interesting, especially in the first few chapters. It shows a view of Miami without the bias... portrays the truth of Castro's Cuba and Miami exiles. I highly recommend everyone to read this book.

Bardach's honesty about American foreign policy regarding Cuba and the power that the corrupt Miami Mafia have on Florida, and after the last presidential election, national, politics has not won her many friends in the Miami Cuban population. Elian was used and manipulated by Marisleysis and her father, two people who shouldn't be entrusted with the life of a roach, much less a little boy. But the Miami Mafia was willing to sacrifice him to these two pathological personalities in order to score one against Castro. Then there is Orlando Bosch, a convicted terrorist who was paroled into the United States by Bush the First against the orders of his acting assistant attorney general. In the Banana Republic regimes of Little Havana and the White House, it doesn't matter how many innocent civilians you kill nor how many children's lives you throw away as long as you do it in the name of fighting communism.
The book is particularly critical reading now that Luis Posada Carriles has been caught and decisions are being made about what to do with him. The interviews with him show the truly corrupt nature of the man. He brags about how many fake passports he has and that he can enter the United States whenever he wants to. This book is even more topical now than when it was first written.

...to read the polarity of reviews with which Ann Louise Bardach's book has been received ... but actually reading them makes one think that there is some sort of "agenda" behind the dismissive or more vitriolic ones. CUBA CONFIDENTIAL is simply brilliant. It reads like a great detective story and I finished it (devoured it, actually) over 2 days. Anyone interested in Cuba, history, politics and future generations or descendents of the Cuban people should DEFINTELY not miss the opportunity to "catch up" on an amazing story.

I picked up this book after having read the author's new book ("Without Fidel") and found it fascinating. Once more, I found a book I could not put down and wanted to talk about for days. I was surprised when I went to purchase the book on Amazon that there were a number of 1 star reviews but now that I've read the book, and the reviews, I understand the passionate responses. Looks as though people either love it or (claim to) hate it. Exactly the reaction that Fidel (and Cuba to some extent) inspires. It's a indication of just how well the author described the situation/politics/US-Cuban relations that she could incite such reactions. If the haters could just put aside their politics they would see that this is a brilliantly researched and written book - whatever you decide about the subject matter.