|
|
|
Review
| Encyclopedia of Cuba: People, History, Culture, 2 vols., edited by Luis Martínez-Fernández, D.H. Figueredo, Louis A. Perez, Jr., and Luis González. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2003. 760 pages. $174.95, cloth.
|
| In what would seem a daunting task, the editors of the Encyclopedia of Cuba bring forth an overview of the different facets of the nation's history, its culture, and its people, those both local and living abroad. Although not a typical encyclopedia, the fascinating two-volume compilation on the Cuban nation includes twelve topical chapters for the reader to utilize as a guide to a particular inquiry. The chapters include: national symbols; geography, environment, and urbanization; history-colonial period; history-republican period; history-revolutionary period; contemporary economy and society; literature and social sciences; performing arts; plastic arts; popular culture and religion; sports; and the Cuban Diaspora. With the exception of the first chapter, the rest of the encyclopedia takes into consideration renowned figures who have made their mark on and/or off the Caribbean nation, coupled with events that have shaped the nation's history as well as its domestic and foreign policy. |
1
|
|
What makes this encyclopedia an essential addition to the collection of works already published on Cuba is the collaboration of eighty prominent scholars. Among the scholarly contributors are: Luis Martínez-Fernández (chair and professor of Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean studies, Rutgers University); D.H. Figueredo (library and media center director, Bloomfield College); Louis Perez, Jr. (J. Carlyle Sitterson professor of history, University of North Carolina); and Luis González (president of his own publishing consultancy and original proponent of the project). Importantly, the Encyclopedia of Cuba is the first of many reference works about the Caribbean island to be published in English. |
2
|
|
The literary compilation offers an opportunity for individuals to find a focused set of concise information on a particular theme. For instance, the chapter "Contemporary Economy and Society" (vol. 1, ch. 6) discusses not only the impact of agriculture, manufacturing, and the mining industry on the Cuban economy, it also explains the national government's treatment of gays and lesbians and its policy on political prisoners. The "Performing Arts" chapter (vol. 2, ch. 8) takes the reader through an array of artists, those living in Cuba and those residing abroad, who have helped propel the Caribbean nation to the status that it holds around the globe today. Undoubtedly, such sections would be incomplete without an assessment of Cuban salsa's queen, the late Celia Cruz. The editors' assessment of Celia Cruz and other timeless musicians and artists adds a wonderful taste of ropa vieja (spicy shredded beef with sauce served over steaming white rice, 514) to the encyclopedia! In fact, the encyclopedia's inclusion of typical Cuban cuisines (e.g. potaje, fufú, guiso de quimbombó) is notable in encompassing the nation's dietary customs. |
3
|
|
The addition of a range of primary sources available in English, located in the Appendix, gives the reader a firsthand look at decrees, codes, and laws that have shaped the historical course of the Caribbean nation. From "Columbus's Log" to "The Platt Amendment," and from "The Slave Code of 1842" to Castro dissidents' manifesto "The Homeland Belongs to Us All," this source yields the opportunity to compliment, enhance, and attain an in-depth exploration of Cuba. |
4
|
|
There can be no doubt that discourse on Cuba between sympathizers of the Revolution and anti-Castro proponents may result in a heated debate. However, the Encyclopedia of Cuba avoids extolling a single maxim of the Caribbean nation, and thus provides readers with a tool to unveiling Cuban history and its culture via the comparative accounts of Cubans living on the island and residing elsewhere. The encyclopedia is certainly accessible to high-school seniors and is definitely an excellent source for entry-level college students. The pictures, figures, maps, tables, and summaries make the encyclopedia an excellent quick-reference source for instructors and students alike. Finally, the Encyclopedia of Cuba is work that provides students and instructors, as well as secondary-level and college libraries with a concise and brilliant analysis of Cuba's history, culture, and people. |
5
|
| | |
| California State University, Long Beach |
Giovanni Hortua |
|
Content in the History Cooperative database is intended for personal, noncommercial use only. You may not reproduce, publish, distribute, transmit, participate in the transfer or sale of, modify, create derivative works from, display, or in any way exploit the History Cooperative database in whole or in part without the written permission of the copyright holder.
|