Cuba: A Brief History By Sergio Guerra Vilaboy & Oscar Loyola Vega
Updated and republished June 2026, Seven Stories Press.
Concise and readable intro to Cuba’s history by Havana academics. 128 pages.
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Cuba: A Brief History
By Sergio Guerra Vilaboy & Oscar Loyola Vega
Updated and republished July 2026, Seven Stories Press
Reviewed for CubaSi magazine
A book that does exactly what it says on the cover, ‘Cuba, A Brief History’ is a slim, readable volume that sets out the what, where, when and who of Cuban history and politics from 1492 to 2018. Recently updated and republished, this is still the most concise overview of Cuba written by Cubans from an anti-imperialist standpoint.
More than five hundred years are packed into a mere 128 pages of clear and concise narrative on the pivotal events and people that have shaped the island.
Each bite-sized chapter is introduced with a pertinent quote expressing the views of key protagonists of the time.,
Ffrom Christopher Columbus’s thoughts on first seeing the island –: “It is certain that where there is such marvellous scenery, there must be much more from which profit can be made” –; to Cuban national hero José Martí’s prophetic 1889 warning: “Once the United States is in Cuba, who will get it out?”
From The book covers the pre-Hispanic period, through Cuba’s revolutionary struggle to the collapse fall of the Soviet Union, to Fidel Castro’s decision to step down from office, , to the 2014 rapprochement with the Obama aAdministration, the retirement of Raul Castro and Miguel Díaz-Canel becoming president in 2018, and the reversal of engagement of the US with Cuba under President Trump. Along the way it includes analysis of US intervention on the island over the decades.
If you love having the essential facts at your fingertips this is the perfect reference book,. iIt includes footnotes and a bibliography for further reading, and stands out from other English language histories and analyses available as it is written by two Cuban historians based at the University of Havana.
