Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana Hardcover – October 13, 2014

An exceedingly well-written and well-documented account. . . . Essential for libraries that support research into the political and diplomatic history of America foreign relations with Cuba in the latter half of the 20th century.--Library Journal, starred review



Challenging the prevailing narrative of U.S.-Cuba relations, this book investigates the history of the secret, and often surprising, dialogue between Washington and Havana. The authors, who spent more than a decade examining classified files, provide a comprehensive account of negotiations beginning in 1959. . . . suggesting that the past holds lessons for future negotiators." --The New Yorker



LeoGrande and Kornbluh's exhaustive and masterful diplomatic history will stand as the most authoritative account of U.S.-Cuban diplomatic relations during the five decades of Cuban President Fidel Castro's rule.--Foreign Affairs



A fascinating and thorough intellectual introduction to the [December 2014 Obama-Castro] accords. . . . The book makes it clear that, during the long period of the Cuban–Soviet alliance, an agreement was practically impossible, though the history of attempts reads like a James Bond novel.--The New York Review of Books



Very well written. . . . It will be interesting for specialists, general readership, and undergraduate and graduate students.--Choice



A tour de force, Back Channel to Cuba never simplifies the complexity of the post-Revolution relationship between the United States and Cuba. The authors' virtuosity and enthusiastic vigor is reminiscent of John Le Carre as a political moralist while adhering to exacting scholarly standards.--The American Conservative



Told in clear prose, this richly detailed book underscores how diplomacy makes headlines, but many exchanges happen far from official negotiation tables.--Publishers Weekly, starred review



LeoGrande and Kornbluh's groundbreaking work is essential reading for U.S.-Cuban scholars and for anyone who wants to understand the context of Raul Castro and Obama's December 2014 announcements.--Diplomatic History



Observers should look to Back Channel to Cuba and its mastery of detail and analysis for the precedents that map out the road ahead—and the potholes to avoid.--American Historical Review

LeoGrande and Kornbluh have analyzed thoroughly the history of dialogue between two countries locked in a contradictory relationship for five decades, with each side skeptical that the other truly wanted improved relations. With continual change in Washington, and continuity in Cuban leadership, the authors draw important lessons from the efforts of every administration since Eisenhower to negotiate with Cuba.--President Jimmy Carter



Back Channel to Cuba tells a dynamic, expansive, and anecdote-rich story drawn from compelling primary sources, interviews and declassified documents. Generational change in the ranks of Cuban leadership and transformation on the ground and in the Cuban diaspora in the United States make Back Channel to Cuba a particularly timely contribution: history can and should serve as a guide to present and future decisions about the art of the possible by Cuban and American leaders, policy makers, and citizens.--Julia E. Sweig, author of Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know