Severian
21st June 2003, 15:59
Amazon page on this book (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0807854646/qid=1056206889/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-7127848-5993756)
Anyone else read it? An excellent look at Cuba's actions in Africa, from its partnership with Algeria in Ben Bella's time, aid to rebels in Congo/Zaire, the independence struggle in Guinea-Bissau, to Angola.
Extremely well-documented academic study - definitively proves a number of disputed issues.
For example, lays to rest any idea that Cuban troops went to Angola because the USSR told them to do it. In fact, they didn't even inform the USSR until the troops were on their way.
Other examples: demonstrates that "Benigno", the favorite source for anti-Cuban-revolution biographers of Che, was not, in fact, in the Congo as he claimed. Gives the documents on Savimbi's collaboration with Portuguese colonialism against the MPLA, before independence.
Particularly good on Angola 1977: a lot of stuff I didn't know about independence, and about the joint U.S./South African/Mobutu covert ops culminating in the invasion by regular South African forces. And about how an outnumbered and outgunned Cuban force stopped 'em cold. Then when reinforcements arrived, went on the counteroffensive and drove 'em back out of Angola.
Includes, for background, a good short look at the early history of the Cuban revolution and U.S. attacks on it.
The author went through the classified archives of Cuba, the U.S., west and east Germany, and a number of other countries.
Anyone else read it? An excellent look at Cuba's actions in Africa, from its partnership with Algeria in Ben Bella's time, aid to rebels in Congo/Zaire, the independence struggle in Guinea-Bissau, to Angola.
Extremely well-documented academic study - definitively proves a number of disputed issues.
For example, lays to rest any idea that Cuban troops went to Angola because the USSR told them to do it. In fact, they didn't even inform the USSR until the troops were on their way.
Other examples: demonstrates that "Benigno", the favorite source for anti-Cuban-revolution biographers of Che, was not, in fact, in the Congo as he claimed. Gives the documents on Savimbi's collaboration with Portuguese colonialism against the MPLA, before independence.
Particularly good on Angola 1977: a lot of stuff I didn't know about independence, and about the joint U.S./South African/Mobutu covert ops culminating in the invasion by regular South African forces. And about how an outnumbered and outgunned Cuban force stopped 'em cold. Then when reinforcements arrived, went on the counteroffensive and drove 'em back out of Angola.
Includes, for background, a good short look at the early history of the Cuban revolution and U.S. attacks on it.
The author went through the classified archives of Cuba, the U.S., west and east Germany, and a number of other countries.