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by Armando Acevedo (Contribution by), Vicente Blanco Capote (Contribution by), Julio J. Diaz (Contribution by)
Many books have already been written about the Cuban Revolution. Most of them have had an understandable focus on the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion. This author too deals with these very topics as swell, but he presents that chapter of Cuban history through autobiographical stories and the personal anecdotes of the individuals who actually participated in these events. The author goes back to his earlier years when he was immersed in the events that shaped his future, what he thought the revolution would be, and how the events he observed forced him to reverse his conclusions. He writes how, as a young idealist, he is driven to abandon the very pro-revolutionary cause he once embraced and, instead, takes arms against the oppressive Castro regime. He shares his concerns and hesitations, describes his personal evolution. and recounts the joys and frustrations experienced while participating in guerrilla and other paramilitary activities that eventually evolved into the debacle known as the Bay of Pigs. The stories are all true, and some remain painful after more than fifty years. Additional anecdotes are presented by several of his war buddies. All of them share in the same ideological principles, underwent similar experiences, reached the same conclusions and made similar individual decisions. They truly represent their generation, which was propelled into action by its religious principles and moral convictions. Their stories are as diverse as the individuals who share them. They range from the tender words of a grandfather answering the school project questions of an innocent grandson, to the sometimes bitter words and memories of those who felt abandoned and betrayed on the beachhead of the Bay of Pigs, all the way to the life-altering experience of a man who, at the age of eighteen, endures a hellish night where he personally says goodbye to eight of his friends and witnesses their executions by firing squad, one after another, after another... The book is not just history. It is living history; it is lived history. It was not written by scholars that researched the events using books written by others. Instead, it was written by those whose actions created that history, those that were active participants in the events described and were lucky enough to survive these events. Ramon Machado was born and raised in Cuba, and was part of the liberation efforts recounted in this book from the time he was 19 until he was about 25 years old. He became a nuclear engineer and worked in that field until he "retired" in 2002. He then taught high school physics for another 10 years. Now that he is truly retired he finally found the time to sit down and write this book. He has five children and five grandchildren and lives with his wife, Connie, in Mississippi.
