Resopnse To Revolution Essay - 1155 Words

Book Review Response to Revolution Response to Revolution, by Richard E. Welch Jr., is an honest and unbiased look at America’s policy towards Cuba during the Cuban Revolution. It covers the general history of and preconceived notions about the revolution in depth and gives ample attention to both sides of the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba. In addition to this Welch analyzes the reactions of America’s various factions during the early years of the revolution. Upon taking this into a change of the status quo, and of one that only played the international game of politics on its own terms. The general idea underlying Response to Revolution is the evolution of the U.S.’s opinion of the Cuban revolution from good to†¦show more content†¦With the events of the revolution put on the table the author moves to the American social reaction to the revolution, which proves to be the book’s strongest analytical aspect. The author’s examination of the various sections of American society during the revolution is the books’ greatest source of data in support of its thesis. Society in the book is broken up into three groups: the Right, the Left, and the coffeehouse campus culture. While none of these groups escape the author’s scrutiny the Right by far is portrayed as the worse of the three and as one concerned with â€Å"inciting popular fears† in the American people. The Left on the other hand ideologically gains the author’s blessing, but proves to be too broad of a group and in the end is dismissed and at best ineffective in changing U.S. policy. The Left also proves to be the most thought out section of the book, simply because it was the most representative of American culture at the time, showing the U.S. to be a land of mixed emotions. The coffeehouse group however, lacks clarity and turns out to be a redefinition of various factions within the Left. This sec tion while relevant proves to be the books weak point and could most likely b left out and not missed. While the author attempts to distinguish the group as an entity in itself, Welch ends up referring again to the same Academics that he