Absolutely no one knows Cuba like Perez. A challenging addition to the ever-growing body of Cuban histories.--Library Journal All students of nationalism will learn much from this brilliant book, and to students of Cuba it will be absolutely indispensable.--American Historical Review An important book that will reshape what we think about both nineteenth-century Cuba and the post-1959 period of the Cuban people.--The Americas Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.--Choice If there is one book about Cuban history you should read in your lifetime, it is this.--Latin American Review of Books Perez continues to be at the forefront of the historiography of Cuba and its people.

Those interested in the history of Cuba will find this book promising and useful.--Colonial Latin American Historical Review Perez is a gifted author and historian and this book is, overall, a masterpiece, a worthy read not only for Caribbean historians, but for historiographers in general. The casual reader, too, would find value in the book due to its ability to provide a general survey of prominent historical figures and events while at the same time covering historiography.--New West Indian Guide Perez [is] a masterful historian of Cuba.--Foreign Affairs Proves both mesmerizing and penetrating in its deconstructive gaze.--HAHR The work of a master historian . [and] essential reading for those seeking to understand the nature of Cuban history.--International Affairs.