Cuba


Book Description

This ever more accessible island will soon be the hottest Caribbean destination for North American travelers, according to the authors, who cover all sites and events to suit all budgets. of color photos. 43 maps.







The Bay of Pigs


Book Description

In The Bay of Pigs, Howard Jones provides a concise, incisive, and dramatic account of the disastrous attempt to overthrow Castro in April 1961. Drawing on recently declassified CIA documents, Jones deftly examines the train of missteps and self-deceptions that led to the invasion of U.S.-trained exiles at the Bay of Pigs. Ignoring warnings from the ambassador to Cuba, the Eisenhower administration put in motion an operation that proved nearly unstoppable even after the inauguration of John F. Kennedy. The CIA and Pentagon, meanwhile, both voiced confidence in the outcome of the invasion, especially after coordinating previous successful coups in Guatemala and Iran. And so the Kennedy administration launched the exile force toward its doom in Cochinos Bay on April 17, 1961. Jones gives a riveting account of the battle--and the confusion in the White House--before moving on to explore its implications. The Bay of Pigs, he writes, set the course of Kennedy's foreign policy. It was a humiliation for the administration that fueled fears of Communist domination and pushed Kennedy toward a hardline "cold warrior" stance. But at the same time, the failed attack left him deeply skeptical of CIA and military advisers and influenced his later actions during the Cuban missile crisis.




Besieged Beachhead


Book Description

On New Year’s Day 1959, Fidel Castro’s revolutionary movement overthrew the ruling regime in Cuba, bringing the Cold War to the United States’ doorstep and setting the island nation and its superpower neighbor on a collision course. The clash came in April 1961 on the southern coast of Cuba at the Bahía de Cochinos—the Bay of Pigs. In an hour-by-hour chronicle that is as even-handed as it is dramatic, J. J. Valdés gets to the heart of this Cold War battle, from the beaches and skies of Cuba to the corridors of power in Washington and Havana. Long entangled in Cuba’s economy and politics, the United States watched Castro’s revolution carefully and grew wary as Castro drew closer to the Soviet Union. Within a few months, the CIA, with President Dwight Eisenhower’s approval, was recruiting and training Cuban exiles for a paramilitary force to topple Castro. By early 1960, when John F. Kennedy became president after campaigning on a hard line on Cuba, policymakers believed the window for action was closing. Kennedy gave the go-ahead for the island’s invasion, but not before ordering changes, aimed at concealing American involvement, that weakened the operation. Early on April 17, 1961, 1,400 men of Brigade 2506—Cuban exiles trained by the CIA in Guatemala—began landing at the Bay of Pigs, just over 100 miles southeast of Havana. Nearly everything went wrong. Boat engines failed. Coral reefs snarled landing craft. Castro’s planes destroyed ships carrying vital ammunition and medical supplies. Expected popular support within Cuba did not materialize. Khrushchev rattled the nuclear saber, spooking Kennedy from ordering assistance he was reluctant to provide anyway. Over the course of three days, the Brigade obstinately defended a rapidly shrinking beachhead, but the exiles—outnumbered and under supported —were no match for the air and ground forces Castro threw against them. By April 19, the invasion had failed and 1,200 scattered survivors were captured over the ensuing days. What had been intended as a Cold War masterstroke ended in embarrassment for the U.S. The Bay of Pigs disaster would set the stage for the Cuban Missile Crisis eighteen months later and shape U.S.-Cuba relations up until the present. Decades in the making, Besieged Beachhead draws from English and Spanish sources in the United States and Cuba to tell the story of this conflict as it has never been told before. Along the way, the work sheds light on events that have been shrouded in secrecy, myth, and propaganda for six decades.




The Rough Guide to Cuba


Book Description

The Rough Guide to Cuba is the perfect guide for all your travels across the dazzling country of Cuba. Its maps and tips will lead you to the best hotels, bars, clubs, shops and restaurants in the country. Discover all of Cuba's highlights with insider information ranging from Cuba's diverse music, scuba diving and colonial architecture to its world-class ballet and baseball, political history and captivating capital city, Havana. Clear maps will make your travels around this spectacular country easy and unforgettable. You will never miss a sight with the stunning photos included and detailed coverage of Cuba's vibrant cities, glittering beaches, lush countryside and addictive mixture of the Latin American and Caribbean cultures. The Rough Guide to Cuba will take your travels to new heights, ensuring that you don't miss the unmissable while you're there. Now available in ePub format.




The Rough Guide to Cuba


Book Description

The Rough Guide to Cuba is the ultimate guide to the home of sun, salsa and rum. The guide's full-colour section introduces the best Cuba has to offer, plus you'll find information on the hottest clubs and cafes and Cuba's best bars, places to eat and beaches. Up-to-date and honest reviews will help you track down accommodation, with the most comprehensive list of casas particulares of any guidebook. There's also detailed information on the country's history, currency and music, plus the recent changes to the public transport systems and a comprehensive language section with cubanismos. Detailed colour maps will help you find your way around Cuba, with particular attention paid to the main visitor areas. Make the most of your time on earth with The Rough Guide to Cuba.




National Geographic Traveler: Cuba, 5th Edition


Book Description

The National Geographic Traveler guidebooks are in tune with the growing trend toward experiential travel. Each book provides inspiring photography, insider tips, and expert advice for a more authentic, enriching experience of the destination. These books serve a readership of active, discerning travelers, and supply information, historical context, and cultural interpretation not available online. Visitors to Cuba discover a sensual, sometimes surreal island country that embodies everything that is good about the Caribbean and Latin America. The guide's maps and useful information allows the traveler to experience many of the colonial legacies that evoke the 1950s such as Cuban baseball and rum and cigar making. Travel advice and information has been updated in this edition, written by Christopher P. Baker, an expert on Central and South America. It covers all of the main cities and regions of Cuba and helps the visitor discover this Caribbean island's best-kept secrets. It explores the lively capital city, Havana, in all of its color and charm as well as the fascination of Trinidad, Remedios, and other colonial cities. Visitors will discover that even the rural landscapes have a timeless beauty and that the beaches and coral reefs are simply breathtaking.




Lonely Planet Caribbean Islands


Book Description

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Caribbean Islands is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Travel back to the 18th century as you wander along cobbled lanes and past meticulously restored buildings at English Harbour, Antigua; hoist a jib and set sail from sailing fantasyland, Tortola, and enjoy the journey to one of the 50 or so isles making up the British Virgin Islands; or hit the atmospheric streets of Cuba's Habana Vieja and join in the living musical soundtrack of rumba, salsa, son and reggaeton; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Caribbean Islands and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet's Caribbean Islands Travel Guide: Color maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - weddings, honeymoons, sustainable travel, cuisine, music, wildlife, culture, history Covers Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica, St Kitts, St Lucia, Trinidad, Turks & Caicos, US Virgin Islands, and more eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Caribbean Islands, our most comprehensive guide to the Caribbean Islands, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less traveled About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You’ll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.




Lonely Planet Cuba


Book Description

Lonely Planet’s Cuba is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Enjoy the live music scene in Havana, explore historic Habana Vieja, and trek up Pico Turquino; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Cuba and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet’s Cuba Travel Guide: Up-to-date information - all businesses were rechecked before publication to ensure they are still open after 2020’s COVID-19 outbreak NEW top experiences feature - a visually inspiring collection of Cuba’s best experiences and where to have them What's NEW feature taps into cultural trends and helps you find fresh ideas and cool new areas NEW pull-out, passport-size 'Just Landed' card with wi-fi, ATM and transport info - all you need for a smooth journey from airport to hotel Color maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, people, music, landscapes, wildlife, cuisine, politics Over 80 maps Covers Havana, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Isla de la Juventud, Valle de Vinales & Pinar del Rio Province, Varadero & Matanzas Province, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Trinidad & Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Cameguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet’s Cuba, our most comprehensive guide to Cuba, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less traveled. Looking for just the highlights? Check out Pocket Havana, a handy-sized guide focused on the can't-miss sights for a quick trip. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travelers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' – New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia)




Cuba


Book Description

In this title, colour photography and specially commissioned cutaway illustrations of important buildings combine with in-depth descriptions of major cultural, architectural and historical sites. A directory includes practical information such as telephone numbers and opening times.