Table of Contents

National Symbols; Geography, the Environment, and Urbanization; History: The Colonial Period (Pre-Columbian Era to 1901); History: The Republican Period (1902 to 1958); History and Government: The Revolutionary Period (1959 to present); Contemporary Economy and Society; Literature and the Social Sciences; Performing Arts; Plastic Arts; Popular Culture and Religion; Sports; Cuban Diaspora; Appendices; Index.

About the Author

LUIS MARTÍNEZ-FERNÁNDEZ is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean Studies at Rutgers University and the senior editor of this encyclopedia. His books include Torn between Empires: Economy Society and Patterns of Political Thought in the Hispanic Caribbean, 1840-1878 (1994), Fighting Slavery in the Caribbean: The Life and Times of a British Family in Nineteenth-Century Havana (1998), and Protestantism and Political Conflict in the Nineteenth-Century Hispanic Caribbean (2002).

D. H. FIGUEREDO is the director of the Library and Media Center at Bloomfield College, New Jersey. He has published over 60 articles on Latin American studies in anthologies, book, and journals.

LOUIS PÉREZ JR. is J. Carlyle Sitterson Professor of History at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is the author of several books on Cuban history, among them Cuba: Between Reform and Revolution (1995) and On Becoming Cuban: Identity, Nationality, & Culture (2001).

LUIS GONZÁLEZ is president of González & Associates, a literary agency. He has contributed to numerous reference works during more than 15 years in publishing. He was project manager of the critically acclaimed work Scientific American: Triumph of Discovery.

Reviews

This encyclopedic work takes on the impossible: it sets out to describe the history and people of an island whose mere mention can cause two otherwise rational individuals to begin a heated argument. Fortunately, the editors tackle the issue head on. In over 700 entries, divided among 12 topical chapters, Mart!nez-Fern ndez (chair, Puerto Rican & Hispanic Caribbean studies, Rutgers Univ.), D.H. Figueredo (director, Library & Media Ctr., Bloomfield Coll.), Louis P?rez Jr. (J. Carlyle Sitterson Professor of History, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), and literary agent Luis Gonz lez cover such diverse topics as national symbols, geography, history, economy, literature, the arts, culture, sports, and the Cuban diaspora. For the most part, they keep a neutral tone regarding hot-button issues, e.g., the revolution is neither good nor bad but simply the status quo, and the Miami Cubans are neither patriotic Cubans-in-exile nor antirevolutionary zealots but simply Cubans on another shore. The entries are well written and while clearly academic are free of jargon. Useful additions include a chronology, photographs, maps, tables, graphs, and over 200 illustrations, many in color. The one drawback is the nontraditional format, i.e., the entries are arranged alphabetically within each chapter, which makes the work good for topical browsing but difficult to use for ready-reference. Recommended for public, school, and academic libraries.-Lee Arnold, Historical Soc. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Gr 9 Up-Cuba elicits passionate responses because of its politics, its proximity to the U.S., and its vibrant culture. This set presents a balanced view of the country, including the culture of the Cuban Diaspora. The introduction (the same in both volumes) acknowledges validity of the polarized views toward this tiny communist island. Twelve chapters with alphabetical listings cover such topics as national symbols, history, contemporary society, literature, and more. Fifteen appendixes include primary sources such as the Platt Amendment and excerpts from the Helms-Burton Act. While there is definite merit to the topical divisions, navigating the set for a specific entry can be cumbersome. Some subjects, such as Jose Marti, have more than one entry. The table of contents is identical in each book and particularly confusing since it does not clearly indicate which volume accommodates what topics. However, an alphabetical "List of Entries" that notes page numbers and an exhaustive index are included. Eight pages of color plates and black-and-white photos embellish the set. The editors present Cuba as a complex nation with difficult problems and enigmatic solutions. This up-to-date, comprehensive encyclopedia will be most useful where there is regional interest.-Be Astengo, Alachua County Library, Gainesville, FL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.