An epic， sweeping history of Cuba and its complex and intimate ties to the United States—from the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the present day—written by a celebrated and wildly popular New York University professor of Latin American history and daughter of Cuban immigrants。

Cuba’s dramatic history is filled with violent conquests， invasions， and military occupations; conspiracies， colonialism， and dictators; revolutions attempted， victorious， and undone。 Now， award-winning historian Ada Ferrer delivers the first comprehensive history of Cuba and how Europe’s longest-lived colony became so intricately tied to the United States， making us reconsider any prior assumptions about this multi-ethnic Latin American country。 She recounts in fascinating detail how a place that almost became a US state and that served as a favorite haunt of American mobsters and missionaries， honeymooners， and businessmen has reinvented itself as a Soviet ally， brought the world to the brink of nuclear destruction， outlived the Soviet Union， and now once again beckons American travelers and investors。

Starting with the arrival of Columbus and ending with the death of Fidel Castro and the election of Donald Trump in 2016， Cuba: An American History provides us with a front-row seat as we witness the evolution of modern Cuba。 Drawing on thirty years of research and her own personal travels back and forth， Ferrer documents the enormous influence the US has had on Cuba and the many ways Cuba has been a recurring presence in US history， going back to the American Revolution。

Filled with colorful stories and characters， comprehensive， and entertaining， this is a stunning and monumental history of Cuba like no other。