This book is incredible. 

Ferrer makes history come alive in a "no stone unturned" history of Cuba. I'm not gonna lie, it's a lot. The font size feels rude and might need a magnifying glass to read. The audiobook, though- Superb! 

What we see here is the history of the island with the resources we have available. Spain really should get more shit for what they did in the Americas.  There wasn't as much precolonial history but that, I'm sure, is due to Spain. We see how often the United States intervened and how at almost every turn, they made the worst possible decision. History is hindsight so they didn't know, but damn, damn, damn. 

Ferrer isn't easy on anyone. Her point of view is clear and what she writes is important. She lays the groundwork down for how the history unfolds. You can see how Fidel came into power, how Batista did. You can see U.S. meddling and the problems with it. You can see the pain and heartache caused by the slave owners, colonial powers, and dictators. 

She is very thorough but it never felt overwhelming or boring. She kept it interesting. 

I think this is a must read for history lovers.