Caribbean Books

La revolución granadina de 1979 1983 fue una experiencia política de inmensa importancia, tanto por los pueblos del Caribe como trabajadores y campesinos del mundo entero. Un país pequeño, con apenas 100 mil habitantes, pero con una rica lucha revolucionaria estableció un gobierno de los trabajadores y campesinos. Junto con Cuba y Nicaragua sandinista, Granada fue uno de los "tres gigantes" de aquellos años. Granada enfrentó todos los problemas del mundo actual: la dominación del imperialismo, el subdesarrollo, el racismo. Y tomó pasos gigantes en el camino para construir una nueva sociedad, basada en la solidaridad humana e el internacionalismo.

Este folleto -- realmente un libro-- publica el discurso de Maurice Bishop, el dirigente central de la revolución, ante una multitud de personas reunidas en la universidad Hunter College en Nueva York en junio de 1983; el discurso de Fidel Castro en al acto de mases conmemorando los trabajadores cubanos muertos en combate contra la invasión norteamericana de la isla en octubre de 1983; y un largo análisis de los logros y la caída de la revolución escrito por Steve Clark como introducción al libro Maurice Bishop Speaks.

Entre las cuestiones más importantes para la humanidad es la tarea de la construcción de una vanguardia revolucionaria capaz de encabezar la lucha de masas en el mundo de hoy -- y evitar lo que al fin pasó en Granada, un levantamiento contrarrevolucionario desde dentro de la misma dirigencia revolucionaria. Los hechos documentados en este folleto bien vale ser estudiado, tanto para conocer nuestra historia verdadera y para preparar mejor las luchas obreras que se avecinen.

Este folleto cuenta la historia de una gran revolución en una isla pequeñita; en 1979 el movimiento encabezado por Maurice Bishop derrocó el dictador de Granada, Eric Gairy, acto que también derrocó el dominio imperialismo de este país caribeño. Las nuevas políticas: la reforma agraria, la educación y el seguro social -ambos ya gratuitos-, las nuevas formas del poder popular obrero y campesino en lugar de la "democracia parlamentaria" anterior, el desarrollo de la agricultura y el turismo como industrias nacionales en beneficio de los obreros y campesinos en lugar que los superricos patrones extranjeros, todas ellas enfurecieron a los imperialistas y su gobierno en Washington, pero sobre todo los imperialistas odiaron y temieron el hecho de que Granada marchó al lado de las otras revoluciones anticapitalistas en la región: las revoluciones sandinista y cubana. Lee este folleto y aprenda porque Fidel Castro calificó a Cuba, Nicaragua y Granada como tres gigantes que alzan en el umbral del imperialismo. Esta obra también explica por un lado el golpe del estado estalinista que asesinó a Bishop y así dio paso a la invasión brutal, y por otro la complicidad de los políticos del Partido Demócrata estadounidense en esa invasión.

The revolution in Grenada was the first socialist revolution in the English-speaking world, the first socialist revolution in a country of Africa descended people,and sadly the first revolution smashed by the combination of Stalinist counterrevolution and imperialist invasion. As the world in general, and the West Indies, Africa, and Black people in America are already facing conditions as bad as those of the great depression, working people will return to this battle, and seize not just the spirit and courage of this small island fighting against the imperialist monster, but of the concrete lessons, bad and good, won in their blood. This small pamphlet recounts that history, those lessons, and that spirit, not in the style of some history teacher, or in the style of sentimentalist wanting you to cry over Grenada's past. It is written so the blood and struggle of the Grenadian people can teach today's fighting workers and farmers, across the globe to win their triumphs and avoid their defeats.

Ahora más que nunca, cuando Cuba aparenta cambios político/económicos en un futuro cercano, la importancia de conocer su historia es fundamental. Porque solo cuando las personas conocen la historia es que pueden aprender de ella para evitar los errores del pasado. El autor recoge con ejemplar claridad este panorama que se vivía en la Cuba desde principios de siglo hasta el año 1959. "La Semilla" nos muestra como todo hecho no ocurre espontáneamente sino que sus causas se pueden trazar a través del tiempo. Y es así que transcurre la trágica historia de nuestro país, ya destinado a fracasar desde que su semilla fue mal plantada y a través de los años aquellos con poder para remediarlo no lo hicieron, ya fuera por ignorancia o por beneficio propio. Este libro no es solo para aquellos interesados por Cuba sino para todo aquel interesado en el futuro de su propio país.

¿Qué relación tuvo la Guerra Fría con la prematura muerte de un líder azucarero y congresista cubano?¿Qué hizo el estudiante Fidel Castro el día que asesinaron a Manolo Castro, el ex presidente de la Federación Estudiantil Universitaria (FEU)? ¿Qué papel desempeñaba en el escenario político de Cuba el Ministro Plenipotenciario (y, más tarde, embajador) Benjamin Sumner Wells: el carismático estadounidense de trajes impecables confeccionados por un sastre londinense?

Las respuestas a esas preguntas (y a muchas otras) se encuentran en este libro cuyo tema es un análisis crítico que abarca desde 1902, año del nacimiento de la república cubana, hasta principios del año 1959, cuando triunfó la Revolución en ese país. Economía, política y sociedad en un devenir de medio siglo que conoceremos más y comprenderemos mejor gracias a esta obra.

Desarrollada con rigor, inteligencia y honestidad, La semilla (I) se destaca además por un sostenido interés narrativo que combina crónica, testimonio y reflexión analítica.

Escrito con un estilo fluido de novela de acción, este libro presenta una enorme cantidad de información de la historia de Cuba, combinando un enfoque detallado de eventos con el entorno político/social/económico de los mismos.

Uruguay has given the world and Latin America, in particular, enormous artists: Galeano, Los Olimareños, Zitarrosa. In the poetry department, Don Mario Benedetti can be crowned as the most impressive Latin American living poet. His lyricism born from the guts of his city, Montevideo, needn't use whimsical words or rhymes. Plain, gutsy verses mix with extremely exquisite phrases, like beatiful tiny drops of beauty on a close-woven bindweed. Yet no fancy words are there to express soft or deep or subtle or moving or furious emotions. Seven decades after his birth, Don Mario demostrates his greatness in this collection of Uruguayan pearls. These words synthesize Don Mario's message: "todo lo que nos duele y lo que somos/existe más acá del horizonte" [everything in us that hurts and that we are/exists on this side of the horizon].

"La vida ese parentesis" nos permite ver diversos aspectos de la vida urbana, con sus deleites y dolores, complicaciones y simplicidades.

Decir Benedetti es decir unos de los mejores poetas hispanos vivos; y este libro, como sus otros trabajos -que ya rebasan los 70 libros-, son lisa y llana prueba de ello.

"La vida ese parentesis" para mi fue una eleccion apropiada, en lo que a poesia contemporanea refiere. Lo recomiendo con gusto como un excelente libro de poemas.

Don Benedetti siempre hace pensar, y ademas, utiliza un sentido del humor muy particular, mientras pone el dedo en las llagas de la sociedad enferma, de la cual somos parte de manera ineludible -aunque no en todo responsables por sus virtudes y desgracias, claro está.

(Para una antologia poetica espiritual, de la pluma de los grandes literatos españoles e hispanoamericanos, vea: Pulpito y Poesia: Recursos poeticos para la predicacion, la ensenanza y la devocion espiritual)

For poetry lovers this is a book that gets in touch with the deepest thoughts within every human being. In "la vida ese parentesis", Mario Benedetti explores de little details that create life as we know it. Touch your soul. Read it :)

Sherman writes about true Latin America leaving out morals and biais. It is a very fast paced book. It is very easy to follow. I recommend this book to everybody, especailly to anyone whose major involves Latin America. I go to college where Sherman teaches and he class follows right along with the book.

This book is definitely one of a kind. A 'must-have' for every single Latin American living abroad or in his/her native country. This book should be of compulsory use in secondary schools in all Latin American countries. Truly, an eye opener to all senses!

This wonderfully writen book takes a look at the factors that have kept (and continue to keep) the Latin American masses in near-absolute poverty. This is an excellent book for anyone with an open mind who is trying to understand the present day politics and economics of the area.

This is a piece that brings peace to this chaotic world. Each poem invites me in and does not try to fool me with language not representative of MY times. BRAVO to Guichard Cadet, he definately gets the kudos!

Poetry at its best, you will enjoy this great collection of poems by Guichard Cadet. Lonewolf's Cry is a new classic that will boost anyone's interest in poetry reading.

Every selection had a story to tell and you finished with a deep respect for his words and style. One particular selection was very moving titled, "Paradox, Unorthodox"; it commanded my attention and very graciously moved my soul. Another selection, titled, "Step" is a fitting contribution to the historic struggles of the African-American. The icing on the cake so to speak was the final poem of the book titled "How we got Positive". These and the other similar collections are outstanding poetic salutes to a people and its history.

Lonewolf's Cry by Guichard Cadet can't get any better then this. I was elated to sit down and read such an awesome collection of work showcasing one man's poetic style in words and actions.

If you want to "feed" your soul, reflect, and absorb great words from a great poet, get Lonewolf's Cry and without a doubt you will enjoy as I have. Guichard Cadet is an author to watch who will indeed explode in the poetic community.

Reviewed by Kalaani

LoneWolf's Cry is a wonderful blend of poetry, reality, past, present, and future. This blend provides a unique perspective on the African experience in America from a native Haitian's point of view. It not only entertained me with its unique Afro-Caribbean perspective, but also allowed me to see reflections of myself. I found it to be very creative and thought provoking and I highly recommend it.

Ronald Fernandez did an outstanding job on this book. It is very obvious the level of research he conducted in completing it--at times very daring research. Besides that, his writing style is compelling, and each subsequent chapter pulls you deeper into the story, giving the reader insight into the events and forces that came together to make Victor Gerena the man he became.

I would love to see this book published as a 2nd edition, updated to include the events from the 90s and early 21st century, including the Clinton pardons and the unusual circumstances that lead to the death of Filiberto Ojeda Rios on September 23, 2005, a day that independentistas on the island and abroad celebrate the anniversary of El Grito de Lares.

This book is a must for those who want to understand Puerto Rico's political situation. In a straightforward way, Ronald Fernandez presents the political and economic aspects of Puerto Rican society. He concisely explains how the island, as a 500-year old colony, evolved through history to acquire its actual form. In this book the reader will find more than the official line. Using the legendary robbery by Los Macheteros (The Machete Wielders) to the Wells Fargo in 1983 as an epicenter, Fernandez presents the story behind the scenes, and explains why Puerto Rico is "an island that handled ignorantly, could easily become America's Northern Ireland."

Fernandez provides a detailed and knowledgeable analysis of an often overlooked political faction in Puerto Rican politics and analyses one of several acts of "terrorism" attributed to the Macheteros. Fernandez also provides the reader with a brief, yet enlightening, history of Puerto Rico and its relations to the United States and in doing so lays the groundwork for an explanation of the motives that lead the "Macheteros" to advocate independence for Puerto Rico by any means necessary. A must read for anyone interested in the hypocrisy of U.S. domestic (foreign to the macheteros) policy and for those interested in finding out some of the history behind the release of the Puerto Rican political prisoners several months ago.

As an avid fan of historical books, I was pleased to find a book about the Cuban Revolution, a topic that I had little knowledge of. This book is very well reaserched and is extremely informative. Prior to the writing of theis book, de la Cova interviewed dozens of rebels, soldiers, and civilians invloved with the Moncada attack, making his observations relativelly unbiased. Also, de la Cova uses the accounts of medical professionals and others present to refute some of the myths associated with the Moncada attack, including parts of the black legend, which held that some of the rebels were brutally tortured and killed after the attack.

Though de la Cova takes a staunch anti-Castro stand in this book, which is expected, he does not attempt to justify the actions of Batista's soldiers following the attack. He portrays Castro as an authoritarian tyrant using accounts of the rebels that he commanded.

I also liked the way de la Cova wrote the book. He did not spend paragraph after paragraph describing facts and statistics in great detail, which would have made the book hard to read. The book is similar to the works of Stephen Ambrose and other war writers in that it focuses primarily on oral history. I was never bored while reading this book.

The only real problem that I had with "The Moncada Attack" was that de la Cova has a tendency to repeat himself a lot during his writings. For instance, he compared Castro's Moncada Attack to Hitlers Beer Hall Putsch on at least three occassions. However, this was not a big problem and it seemed that the repetitions helped me remember some of the facts later on. This book is a great read for anyone who enjoys historical novels like I do or just wants to be entertained.

de la Cova, Antonio Rafael. 2007 The Moncada Attack: Birth of the Cuban Revolution.. University of South Carolina Press ISBN-10: 1570036721 ISBN-13: 978-1570036729


This is the most carefully researched study of the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba on July 26, 1953 ever produced to date.

This attack and its failure started Fidel Castro on his way to international notoriety. Every detail of this complex event is covered, and every point made in a scholarly and impartial manner.

Now forget what you have read before on this topic, for most of what "you know" is incorrect. In this book we clearly see the first large fruiting of Castro's devious and Machiavellic mind, and we clearly discern a project which was an intentional military failure and yet an immense propaganda victory for its originator.


This book is even more detailed and thorough than Sun Shuyun, 2006 "The Long March," but reveals a parallel theme: communist propaganda has built false edifices of history, and on the altars in these obscene temples many naïve innocents were sacrificed by tens of millions to the gods of Marxist history. And as we know now all has turned to ashes.

The Moncada attack is not an easy ride. De La Cova has done a masterful job putting the facts together of events that launched the Cuban Revolution. It will require patience b ythe reader to get through the book, but it is well worth it.

Main points I got out of it:

1) It completely debunks the myth that US policy pushed Castro into the Communist side. De La Cova shows that Castro's decision to align himself with communism was all Castro and had nothing to do with US policy From the beginning his personality was well suited for this.

2) The comparisons with Hilter are chilling and expose, once again, his true intensions from the beginning.

A must read for anyone interested in Cuban History.

The latest addition to the "Moon Handbooks" travel guide series, San Juan Islands: Including Victoria And The Gulf Islands is a travel guide precisely written by Don Pitcher for vacationers looking to make their own travel and entertainment choices by create a unique and personalized travel plan suited entirely and specifically to their own personal tastes. With key information on accommodations, activities, points of interest, transportation, history, climate, and more of each island, San Juan Islands is an excellent travel planning and guidebook resource which is especially recommended as a quick and easy reference.

Book is packed with useful information for traveling in the San Juan Islands. Includes a number of islands and how to get there. Topics cover a variety of topics for people who have different interests: camping, bed and breakfasts, bicycling, restaurants, beaches, museums, resorts. Makes it easier to plan a vacation. Highly recommended.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in traveling to the San Juan Islands. It gives helpful advice on everything from hotels to restaurants to activities. It has more indepth information than most other travel books. I found their recommendations on ferry travel very useful. Highly recommend.

The book arrived in record time in the condition promised. What more can you ask?

You may not readily recognize the author's name; but he launched his own expedition ala Cousteau in 2001 to measure the movement of the tectonic plates of the Caribbean - and indeed joined Cousteau's team and sailed with him for several years. So while his background is similar and influenced by Cousteau, he moved on to become a business executive for thirty years before returning to his first love, marine exploration. His goal was more than measuring plate movements: he wanted to make audio recordings of the fish of the Caribbean, and wished to study the erosion of local coral reefs. The blend of natural history and area political insights combine in a fine first-person survey of adventure in MURMURS FROM THE DEEP: SCIENTIFIC ADVENTURE IN THE CARIBBEAN.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Now this is the way to retire. Enough money to have a good sized catamaran and to afford the time to go on a privately funded research trip that lasted several months.

To be sure there was a scientific justification for the trip, two actually. He was installing equipment to measure the movement of the tectonic plates, and he was recording the noises that fish make. But while this work was being done, there was plenty of time available to sit and observe the sunset, to look at the beauty of the islands, to visit the locals.

So to wrap up a summary of the book:

o It has a discussion on the tectonic plates, where they are, how they move, and how they cause tsunamis.
o It breaks some new ground in the area of fish noises, and proves that they do communicate to a certain extent.
o And it is a beautifully written travelogue of a slow moving life around a part of the caribbean.

I find myself wondering just how much the fish recordings did. There has been an awful lot of listening done in the oceans by the people looking for submarines. Big, sensitive networks of listening devices cross the ocean. I can't help but believe they heard the fish. But does this really matter. It's a delightful, entertaining book.

Lili Dauphin did it once more, in her latest book 'My First Sin'. In this new book the author continues to demonstrate her unique style of storytelling that seems to capture and beamed me (the reader) right into the pages of the story that I could hardly ignore the emotional ride, the show of innocence and the innocuous, and yet very funny comedy that only her can deliver in such a way... As an avid reader and a fan of this author, I highly recommend this book.

This book reminds you of your childhood and growing up and the variety of events we go through no matter where in the world we come from. It may give you a new perspective of your own memories. This is also a strong lesson about friendship and survival. There is a lot to learn from reading "My First Sin". Great read.

I loved the latest book by Lili Dauphin. I am an avid reader of all her books. My First Sin is funny, entertaining, and heart warming. Like her other books, I could not put it down. I love reading about the adventures of young Tilou growing up in poverty stricken Caribbean. She has such a lively spirit and wit about her that endears you to her. I really wish her books would be made into a movie.