Secret Missions to Cuba reveals new insights into Fidel Castro's personality; details secret missions to Cuba under the Carter and Reagan administrations to negotiate the restoration of US-Cuban relations and provides an in-depth look at Miami's exile community since 1959. This groundbreaking story is told through Bernardo Benes - a lawyer who joined the refugee exodus from Castro's Cuba in 1960. Benes quickly became one of the leading voices advocating the integration of Cubans into the city's Anglo; old-boy power structure. In 1978; Cuban Intelligence recruited him as an emissary between the Carter administration and Cuba. He did the same for the CIA under Reagan in the early 1980s. In all; Benes made seventy-five secret trips to meet with high-ranking Cuban officials; spending about 150 hours face-to-face with Fidel Castro. The 1978 dialogue resulted in the release of 3;600 Cuban political prisoners and the right for Cuban exiles to visit family members on the island. Rather than being received as a hero on his return to Miami; however; Benes was branded a traitor by the Miami Cuban media for having dealt personally with Castro. His career ruined; he became a pariah in the community. Secret Missions to Cuba also examines the motives of those who vilified Benes and explores why so many Cubans in Miami have permitted themselves to be silenced - much in the same ways; Levine claims; as Cubans under Castro. But what differentiates Levine's book from any other is that he is literally breaking new ground by documenting these top-secret missions to Cuba. Furthermore; he has the corroboration of key players like Ambler Moss; who was the Ambassador to Panama under Carter; Bob Pastor; who was Carter's Latin American advisor on the National Security Council; and General Vernon A. Walters; the former Deputy Director of the CIA. The twenty-five photos in the book; some which depict Bernardo Benes with Bill Clinton; Jimmy Carter; Ted Kennedy and; of course; Fidel Castro; emphasize the importance of Benes' story internationally.
#106681 in Books Anchor Brand 2005-01-11 2005-01-11Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.97 x .67 x 5.18l; .75 #File Name: 1400079934307 pagesBold Spirit Helga Estby s Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Touching storyBy Chris GregoryBold Spirit is an intriguing non-fiction story. It is a well-written work; full of struggle and tragedy; but evinces the strength of human will and courage. Early in the story; I was reminded of Ole Rolvaag's Giants in the Earth; as Linda Lawrence Hunt took us through the extreme conditions and weather of a northern Midwest homestead. Throughout the book; I was also reminded of the similarities with Buckshot Pie: A Family's Struggle Through Homesteading; The Great Depression; and World War II. Buckshot Pie is available from or Barnes Noble and can be accessed through [...] Buckshot Pie; a Family's Struggle Through Homesteading; the Great Depression; and World War IIBold Spirit is an enthralling read that will inspire those interested in the struggle of our predecessors of the late 19th century and the early 1900s. Highly recommended!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Intriguing storyBy Chris GregoryBold Spirit is an intriguing non-fiction story. It is a well-written work; full of struggle and tragedy; but evinces the strength of human will and courage. Early in the story; I was reminded of Ole Rolvaag's Giants in the Earth; as Linda Lawrence Hunt took us through the extreme conditions and weather of a northern Midwest homestead. Throughout the book; I was also reminded of the similarities with Buckshot Pie: A Family's Struggle Through Homesteading; The Great Depression; and World War II. Buckshot Pie is available from or Barnes Noble and can be accessed through [...] Buckshot Pie; a Family's Struggle Through Homesteading; the Great Depression; and World War IIBold Spirit is an enthralling read that will inspire those interested in the struggle of our predecessors of the late 19th century and the early 1900s. Highly recommended!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Interesting history given a voiceBy Harvey . C RitcheyThis is a really good story. It's not necessarily a happy read; but for many reasons it is an important readMy one criticism is that the author repeated segments over and over again.its as if she had forgotten what she had already written in another section earlier.While an important part of the story is the background; I think the whole book would have been better if there had not been so much emphasis on the political climate.
