Cuban Insurrection 1952-1959

By Ramón L. Bonachea

Book Overview

The Cuban Insurrection is an in-depth study of the first stage of the Cuban Revolution, the years from 1952 to 1959

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1138534978
• ISBN13: 9781138534971
• Release Date: July 2017
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 442 Pages
• Weight: 1.67 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Most complete source on War Against Batista in Cuba 1956-1958

Bonachea, Ramon L. and Marta San Martín 1974 The last battle in The Cuban Insurrection, 1952-1959 Transaction Publishers ISBN-10 0878550747 ISBN-13 978-0878550746 page 300 This is still the most complete source on War Against Batista in Cuba 1956-1958 that I know of; although it misses much of the last phases of the war in Oriente Province (for that you will have to consult other works such as Daley,L (manuscript in progress) "Narrations of War in Cuba". A great source for details on this conflict, and unlike the Cuban government sources is even handed and factual. It also reads well, take for instance this excerpt found on page 300: "Colonel Cornelio Rojas, who commanded the position, fought bravely with police and army officers and troops. Roberto Rodríguez ("El Vaquerito"), a rebel officer, died leading on assault. Colonel Rojas stood firmly against succeeding waves of attack by the rebels, and forced the guerrillas to fall back to re-organize their forces. Shortly afternoon, Colonel Rojas counterattacked and succeeded in pushing the rebels out of their positions, but then a rebel counterattack forced him to retreat. The house-to-house fighting forced his exhausted troops to return to the police station after they ran short of ammunition. Colonel Rojas issued orders to fight to the last man. The rebels made three more attempts to dislodge the colonel and were repulsed each time. Towards the end, the colonel and his men were surrounded by reinforcements from Guevara, the DR and the urban underground. Even though no help came from the army (the regular troops refused to leave the Leoncio Vidal Camp) colonel Rojas kept on fighting and was the last man captured, when he ran out of ammunition. Still, he escaped his escort momentarily, joining a group of police officers and trying to regroup other regular troops. He was surrounded again by rebels, captured, and placed under the custody of a full squad of rebel soldiers. Colonel Rojas was later summarily tried, and sentenced to die before a firing squad. Rojas asked and was granted permission to lead his execution squad, and his last words were, "Muchachos, now you have your Revolution, don't lose it."