If You're Curious About These Questions...
You should listen to this audiobook
- What's the secret to breaking down 50 years of diplomatic barriers between the US and Cuba?
- Have you ever wondered why the US and Cuba have been at odds for so long, despite numerous secret negotiations?
- What if you could uncover the hidden history of back-channel diplomacy that's been shaping US-Cuba relations for decades?
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Key Takeaways from Back Channel to Cuba
- Discover how Fidel Castro's initial desire for an independent Cuba clashed with US financial interests, leading to a breakdown in early goodwill after a public snub by President Eisenhower.
- Understand the pivotal events that pushed Cuba into the arms of the Soviet Union, including the explosion of the La Coubre freighter and devastating US sugar embargoes.
- Learn how President John F. Kennedy maintained a fascinating dual-track policy toward Cuba, simultaneously green-lighting covert assassination plots while exploring secret diplomatic rapprochement.
- Find out how early back-channel diplomacy took surprising forms, such as Che Guevara using a gift of Cuban cigars to a US aide to signal a desire for normalized relations.
- Explore how the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion forced the US to rely on ace negotiator James B. Donovan, using high-stakes prisoner release talks to keep diplomatic doors open during the Cold War.
Learning Tools
Reinforce what you learned from Back Channel to Cuba
Mind Map
Back Channel to Cuba
Origins of Hostility (1959-1961)
The 1959 Revolution
Escalation & Rupture
Kennedy Era (1961-1963)
Overt Aggression
Secret Rapprochement
Cuban Missile Crisis
LBJ, Nixon & Ford (1963-1976)
LBJ's Hardline Stance
Nixon & Kissinger
Ford's Impasse
Carter & Reagan (1977-1989)
Carter's Openings & Crises
Reagan's Pragmatism
Post-Cold War (Bush Sr. & Clinton)
George H.W. Bush
Bill Clinton
21st Century (GW Bush & Obama)
George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Core Themes of US-Cuba Relations
Public Hostility vs. Private Talks
Mutual Stubbornness
Quiz — Test Your Understanding
Question 1 of 11
Why did relations between the United States and Fidel Castro's new government initially begin to sour in 1959?
Back Channel to Cuba — Full Chapter Overview
Chapter 1: Recommendation
Chapter 2: Modern U.S.–Cuban ties began with the revolution in 1959.
Chapter 3: By Eisenhower’s end, formal diplomatic negotiations were no longer considered a viable option in Washington.
Chapter 4: Despite ramping up covert efforts against Castro, John F. Kennedy sustained ongoing peaceful talks.
Chapter 5: Prospects for normalization stalled during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but prisoner negotiations left the door open afterward.
Chapter 6: James Donovan and a determined reporter kept the possibility of ongoing negotiations alive.
Chapter 7: John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and the ensuing Johnson administration, hampered ongoing negotiating efforts badly.
Chapter 8: Richard Nixon rejected talks with Cuba; Henry Kissinger harbored different ideas entirely.
Chapter 9: Henry Kissinger worked to sustain back-channel talks throughout the turbulent period of Gerald R. Ford’s presidency.
Chapter 10: President Jimmy Carter pursued talks with Cuba, but a crisis ultimately ended his term on a sour note.
Chapter 11: Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush negotiated with Cuba only when compelled.
Chapter 12: For Bill Clinton, politics drove dealings with Cuba.
Chapter 13: Following a deadly incident, Clinton concluded his presidency with improved ties between the United States and Cuba.
Chapter 14: George W. Bush maintained pressure on Cuba, while Obama advanced a different approach entirely.
Chapter 15: Though Obama’s first term fell short on progress, his second term opened with encouraging signs indeed.
Back Channel to Cuba Summary & Overview
With unprecedented access to declassified documents, Back Channel to Cuba (2014) reveals the long and bumpy road of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba. Find out how 50 years of unsuccessful foreign policy have kept Cuba and the United States at odds despite the efforts of secret, back-channel negotiations that have been taking place since the Eisenhower administration.
Who Should Listen to Back Channel to Cuba?
- History buffs interested in one of the longest US conflicts
- Politicos wanting a behind-the-scenes look at foreign policy
- Aspiring diplomats in search of the dos and don’ts of diplomacy
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