Though Cuba was among the first countries in the world to utilize rail transport, the history of its railroads has been little studied. This English translation of the prize-winning Caminos para el azucar traces the story of railroads in Cuba from their introduction in the nineteenth century through the 1959 Revolution. More broadly, the book uses the development of the Cuban rail transport system to provide a fascinating perspective on Cuban history, particularly the story of its predominant agro-industry, sugar. While railroads facilitated the sugar industry's rapid growth after 1837, the authors argue, sugar interests determined where railroads would be built and who would benefit from them. Zanetti and Garcia explore the implications of this symbiotic relationship for the technological development of the railroads, the economic evolution of Cuba, and the lives of the railroad workers. As this work shows, the economic benefits that accompanied the rise of railroads in Europe and the United States were not repeated in Cuba. Sugar and Railroads provides a poignant demonstration of the fact that technological progress alone is far from sufficient for development.
Though Cuba was among the first countries in the world to utilize rail transport, the history of its railroads has been little studied. This English translation of the prize-winning Caminos para el azucar traces the story of railroads in Cuba from their introduction in the nineteenth century through the 1959 Revolution. More broadly, the book uses the development of the Cuban rail transport system to provide a fascinating perspective on Cuban history, particularly the story of its predominant agro-industry, sugar. While railroads facilitated the sugar industry's rapid growth after 1837, the authors argue, sugar interests determined where railroads would be built and who would benefit from them. Zanetti and Garcia explore the implications of this symbiotic relationship for the technological development of the railroads, the economic evolution of Cuba, and the lives of the railroad workers. As this work shows, the economic benefits that accompanied the rise of railroads in Europe and the United States were not repeated in Cuba. Sugar and Railroads provides a poignant demonstration of the fact that technological progress alone is far from sufficient for development.
Competitively priced, this book is the perfect companion to the more than thirty travel guides on Cuba available today. Beginning with the pre-Hispanic period, moving on to Cuba's struggle to maintain the revolution in the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and finally ending with Fidel Castro's decision to step down in 2008, this slim volume provides the reader with an overview of the history of the tiny Caribbean island that so often has been at the center of world politics. Including a bibliography for further reading, this is a most useful introduction to Cuba's history for students, teachers, and others, as well as those visiting the island. This book is published to coincide with the expected lifting of the US government's ban on its citizens' travel to Cuba and will be actively marketed through travel agencies, in-flight magazines, and more. Available in both English (978-0-9804292-4-4) and Spanish (978-1-921438-60-8). Sergio Guerra-Vilaboy, a professor at the University of Havana, obtained a doctorate in history at the University of Leipzig. He is the author of numerous books on Latin American history and is currently the executive secretary of the Association of Latin American and Caribbean Historians. Oscar Loyola-Vega is a professor of history at the University of Havana.
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