In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Most authors wait until the end of the acknowledgments to praise their families; I want to do that right up front. Without my wife, Caridad, there would be no book. In the years I have been at war with this extensive research project, she has kept me and our two children, Amanda, age ten, and Andrew, age six, afloat—emotionally, psychologically, and financially. She has read more drafts of this work than any human being should have to. My children inspire me to write, and it is always with a sense of making them proud of their father and their past that I put pen to paper (or keystroke to word processor). Amanda, who loves to write herself, helped me with the titles for chapters  and . Andrew and Amanda encouraged me by frequently asking, “How many pages did you write today, Daddy?” My mother, Carmen Argote Pérez, and grandmother, Pita (Asunción Pérez de Argote), always believed in me. They were my first inspirations. My father, George Freyre, and uncle, Fernando Freyre, worked as conductors in Cuba and shared their stories about life on the railroad and provided insight into Batista’s early years as a brakeman. Besides my own children, I hope that my niece and nephews, my godchildren, and the little ones who brighten our family life will look on this work with familial pride and realize what is possible with hard work and determination. As I write this I think particularly of Lydia, Leonardo, Alexander, Jonathan, Kelly, Lisa Maria, Anastasia, Michelle, Danielle, Kenny, Ethan, and Tristan. Among the brightest lights was baby Lydia, who graced us with her little smile for just a short time. My cousins Arthur, María, and Arty and Tío Fernando and Tía Aida and cousin Josefina gave me a place to sleep and fed me during my many research                xvii 00front.qxd 2/26/2006 7:18 AM Page xvii trips to Miami. My cousin, Ángel García Freyre, accompanied me on a journey of several days to Banes, Holguín, and Cacocum, Cuba, on a tiring research mission. His good humor and Cuban jokes kept us laughing. My aunt Olga in Camagüey treated me like a king in her home. My in-laws, Tomás Díaz (Tato) and María Elena Suárez (Tata), and my brother-in-law, Thomas Díaz Jr. (Tío To), were always there when needed with a kind word and a helpful act. My cousin Pete traveled the flea market circuit and bought me whatever he would find on Cuba. The list of others to whom I owe a debt of friendship and professional guidance is extensive. Let me start by thanking the members of my dissertation committee at Rutgers University: Mark Wasserman, Luis MartínezFern ández, Robert Alexander, Sam Baily, and Gail Triner Besoso. I worked most closely with Mark and Luis. Mark always believed in the project and tried his best to nudge me toward the final goal of a completed dissertation. I often did not listen, and I know this exasperated him, but he never gave up. For this I am thankful. Luis taught me a great deal about the craft of historical research and writing. He was gracious enough to include me in several of his research projects and mentor me through the process. Professor Alexander (I have never presumed to call one of the deans of Latin American studies Bob) shared with me his extensive oral history collection and his stories of prerevolutionary Cuba. Sam and Gail inspired me with the high quality of their historical publications and their dedication to the field. Robert Whitney offered his suggestions and friendship, as did Danilo Figueredo. The Batista family was generous with their time and documents, particularly Fulgencio Rubén Batista Godínez, Mirta Batista Ponsdomenech, and Jorge Batista Fernández. Several of the people interviewed for this study have since died, including Santiago Rey Perna, Arístides Sosa de Quesada, Ramón Grau Alsina, and Antonio Alonso Ávila, but I wish to thank them posthumously for their cooperation with the research project. Philip F. Dur graciously shared his stories about Jefferson Caffery. Three very gifted women in one family—Adrienne Calleja, Marianela Santurio, and Carmen Pizzi Santurio—were kind enough to share some family letters between Batista and their beloved relative Enrique Pizzi de Porras, most notably a touching letter that Batista wrote about his mother, quoted extensively in chapter...

Share