Cuban Revelations: Behind the Scenes in Havana

In Cuban Revelations, Marc Frank offers a first-hand account of daily life in Cuba at the turn of the twenty-first century, the start of a new and dramatic epoch for islanders and the Cuban diaspora. A U.S.-born journalist who has called Havana home for almost a quarter century, Frank observed in person the best days of the revolution, the fall of the Soviet Bloc, the great depression of the 1990s, the stepping aside of Fidel Castro, and the reforms now being devised by his brother.

Examining the effects of U.S. policy toward Cuba, Frank analyzes why Cuba has entered an extraordinary, irreversible period of change and considers what the island's future holds. The enormous social engineering project taking place today under Raúl's leadership is fraught with many dangers, and Cuban Revelations follows the new leader's efforts to overcome bureaucratic resistance and the fears of a populace that stand in his way.

In addition, Frank offers a colorful chronicle of his travels across the island's many and varied provinces, sharing candid interviews with people from all walks of life. He takes the reader outside the capital to reveal how ordinary Cubans live and what they are thinking and feeling as fifty-year-old social and economic taboos are broken. He shares his honest and unbiased observations on extraordinary positive developments in social matters, like healthcare and education, as well as on the inefficiencies in the Cuban economy.

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Cuban Revelations: Behind the Scenes in Havana

In Cuban Revelations, Marc Frank offers a first-hand account of daily life in Cuba at the turn of the twenty-first century, the start of a new and dramatic epoch for islanders and the Cuban diaspora. A U.S.-born journalist who has called Havana home for almost a quarter century, Frank observed in person the best days of the revolution, the fall of the Soviet Bloc, the great depression of the 1990s, the stepping aside of Fidel Castro, and the reforms now being devised by his brother.

Examining the effects of U.S. policy toward Cuba, Frank analyzes why Cuba has entered an extraordinary, irreversible period of change and considers what the island's future holds. The enormous social engineering project taking place today under Raúl's leadership is fraught with many dangers, and Cuban Revelations follows the new leader's efforts to overcome bureaucratic resistance and the fears of a populace that stand in his way.

In addition, Frank offers a colorful chronicle of his travels across the island's many and varied provinces, sharing candid interviews with people from all walks of life. He takes the reader outside the capital to reveal how ordinary Cubans live and what they are thinking and feeling as fifty-year-old social and economic taboos are broken. He shares his honest and unbiased observations on extraordinary positive developments in social matters, like healthcare and education, as well as on the inefficiencies in the Cuban economy.

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Cuban Revelations: Behind the Scenes in Havana

Cuban Revelations: Behind the Scenes in Havana

by Marc Frank
Cuban Revelations: Behind the Scenes in Havana

Cuban Revelations: Behind the Scenes in Havana

by Marc Frank

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Overview

In Cuban Revelations, Marc Frank offers a first-hand account of daily life in Cuba at the turn of the twenty-first century, the start of a new and dramatic epoch for islanders and the Cuban diaspora. A U.S.-born journalist who has called Havana home for almost a quarter century, Frank observed in person the best days of the revolution, the fall of the Soviet Bloc, the great depression of the 1990s, the stepping aside of Fidel Castro, and the reforms now being devised by his brother.

Examining the effects of U.S. policy toward Cuba, Frank analyzes why Cuba has entered an extraordinary, irreversible period of change and considers what the island's future holds. The enormous social engineering project taking place today under Raúl's leadership is fraught with many dangers, and Cuban Revelations follows the new leader's efforts to overcome bureaucratic resistance and the fears of a populace that stand in his way.

In addition, Frank offers a colorful chronicle of his travels across the island's many and varied provinces, sharing candid interviews with people from all walks of life. He takes the reader outside the capital to reveal how ordinary Cubans live and what they are thinking and feeling as fifty-year-old social and economic taboos are broken. He shares his honest and unbiased observations on extraordinary positive developments in social matters, like healthcare and education, as well as on the inefficiencies in the Cuban economy.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780813047843
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Publication date: 10/22/2013
Series: Contemporary Cuba
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 336
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

Marc Frank is a U.S.-born journalist who has called Havana home for almost a quarter century. He has observed the best days of the revolution, the fall of the Soviet bloc, the great depression of the 1990s, the stepping aside of Fidel Castro, and the reforms now being devised by Raul.
 

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 1

Part I Revolution on the Ropes (1994-2008)

1 Trauma 19

2 Castro Falters 32

3 The Big Bang 43

4 Raul Pinch-Hits 62

5 Fidel Steps Down 77

6 From Clinton to Bush 86

Part II Raul Castro in Power (2008-2009)

7 Conservative Reformers 107

8 Computers, Cell Phones, Hotels, and More 114

9 Disaster, Man-Made and Natural 123

10 Obamamania 127

11 Old Foes Get Reacquainted 135

12 Shock and Awe, Raul Style 145

Part III The Road to Reform (2009-2010)

13 Blueprint for Survival 157

14 Stealth Reform 170

15 Obama versus Raúl 178

16 Wired 191

17 Castro, the Cardinal, and the Damas 199

18 Fidel, Born Again 208

Part IV Brave New World (2010-2013)

19 Pink Slips and Permits 217

20 Requiem for the Command Economy 226

21 On the Road Again 235

22 Forward March 244

23 Cheers and Jeers 252

Conclusion 269

Acknowledgments 287

Notes 289

Selected English-Language Bibliography 311

Index 313

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