Cuba Libre!

Cuba Libre! — Tony Perrottet

• Rating
  

  4.0/5 ★★★★☆

• Review
  

  "The Improbable Revolution" is an apt title. After the Granma landing, I was genuinely at a loss as to how around 20 civilians could start a revolution that would overthrow the Cuban government. Fidel's maddening optimism was clearly an essential component for such a feat. The book is very gripping, with the story of the M-26-7 movement reading like a film that I would watch and ridicule the plot for being unrealistic.

  The narrative is very character-driven - a little too much so, with the descriptions of appearances and use of American colloquialisms; but nonetheless, it captures the gargantuan struggles of guerrilla life and the political corruption of pre-1960s Cuba, and in parts, the USA.

  The historical content is immense, largely due to the meticulous archiving of Celia Sánchez. This is quite unlike any other historical book I have read and was a welcome incentive to read more modern historical non-fiction. Although the author draws from myriad sources, the character-driven narrative detracts from the objective lens through which historical books should be viewed.

  The character-driven approach in "The Improbable Revolution" is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it masterfully humanizes figures like Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, offering a nuanced glimpse into the lives and motivations of these iconic revolutionaries. However, the excessive focus on character details and colloquialisms sometimes overshadows the historical context, undermining the book's credibility as a rigorous historical account. While this trade-off may not bother all readers, those seeking a more balanced blend of narrative and objective history may find themselves occasionally distracted by the book's stylistic choices.

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