Analyzing the crucial period of the Cuban Revolution from 1959 to 1961, Samuel Farber challenges dominant scholarly and popular views of the revolution’s sources, shape, and historical trajectory. Unlike many observers, who treat Cuba’s revolutionary leaders as having merely reacted to U.S. policies or domestic socioeconomic conditions, Farber shows that revolutionary leaders, while acting under serious constraints, were nevertheless autonomous agents pursuing their own independent ideological visions, although not necessarily according to a master plan. Exploring how historical conflicts between U.S. and Cuban interests colored the reactions of both nations' leaders after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista, Farber argues that the structure of Cuba’s economy and politics in the first half of the twentieth century made the island ripe for radical social and economic change, and the ascendant Soviet Union was on hand to provide early assistance. Taking advantage of recently declassified U.S. and Soviet documents as well as biographical and narrative literature from Cuba, Farber focuses on three key years to explain how the Cuban rebellion rapidly evolved from a multiclass, antidictatorial movement into a full-fledged social revolution. "In writing "Origins", Samuel Farber has not only set the record straight, but also he has made a contribution to 'those trying to create a new revolutionary and democratic Left in Cuba." -- "International Socialist Review" "One of the most useful works on the Cuban Revolution has appeared with Samuel Farber's "The Origins of the Cuban Revolution Reconsidered". Its succinct, clearly-written, straightforward account draws widely on [a] range of primary and secondary sources, and also on the author's personal experience as someone who grew up in pre-revolutionary Cuba and who retains a connection with revolutionary socialist perspectives." -- "Against the Current" "An important addition to existing literature in Cuban studies, and adds primary source, archival research to the continuing debates surrounding Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution." -- "Latin Americanist" "Farber's analysis is complex and multilayered. . . . Farber has produced a fine synthesis, one that identifies key questions and offers fresh and compelling interpretations." -- "Journal of American History" "In writing "Origins," Samuel Farber has not only set the record straight, but also he has made a contribution to 'those trying to create a new revolutionary and democratic Left in Cuba." -- "International Socialist Review" "This succinctly insightful study makes a tremendous contribution to understanding both the Cuban Revolution and the continuing inability of the US to understand and accept it. . . . Highly Recommended." -- "Choice" "This is an excellent book. . . . It is a major contribution to the field of Cuban studies." Jorge Dominguez, Harvard University Putting revolutionary leaders and their ideas in historical context Taking advantage of recently declassified U.S. and Soviet documents, Farber challenges dominant scholarly and popular views of the Cuban revolution's sources, shape, and historical trajectory. Unlike many observers, who treat Cuba's revolutionary leaders as having merely reacted to U.S. policies or domestic socioeconomic conditions, Farber shows that revolutionary leaders, while acting under serious constraints, were nevertheless autonomous agents pursuing their own independent ideological visions, although not necessarily according to a master plan. Taking advantage of recently declassified U.S. and Soviet documents, Farber challenges dominant scholarly and popular views of the Cuban revolution's sources, shape, and historical trajectory. Unlike many observers, who treat Cuba's revolutionary leaders as having merely reacted to U.S. policies or domestic socioeconomic conditions, Farber shows that revolutionary leaders, while acting under serious constraints, were nevertheless autonomous agents pursuing their own independent ideological visions, although not necessarily according to a master plan. Samuel Farber is professor of political science at Brooklyn College and author of three previous books, including Revolution and Reaction in Cuba, 1933–1960: A Political Sociology from Machado to Castro . Caribbean & Latin American Studies / Cuba / Cuban Revolution