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Overview
"This is the most satisfactory study of Rafael Trujillo [1891-1961] yet published. Mr. Crassweller has used printed materials and interviews to reconstruct the life of the Caribbean strongman and his book is not the typical sycophantic panegyric published during Trujillo's rule or a recapitulation of the worst excesses of his dictatorship. It is a surprisingly well-balanced attempt to understand the man, his motives, and his regime.
Trujillo was the product of the United States occupation between 1916 and 1924. Born in humble circumstances in 1891, his career had been inauspicious until he discovered that he might be able to obtain a commission in a new constabulary being formed by the occupation forces... within ten years he was in charge of the nation's armed forces, and by 1930 he was President. From that time until his death he ruled his country with an iron hand, and the author lucidly shows how he converted it into his own personal estate through political and economic manipulation.
A vain man, Trujillo used the vanity of others to achieve his goals. He thought everyone had his price, and all too often he was right. Not only would Dominicans debase themselves in order to receive the dictator's largesse, but there is evidence, as the author shows, that United States Congressmen and even the Vatican accepted favours from Trujillo. But in his quest for power he made more enemies than friends, and the account of his decline is both informative and dramatic." — International Journal
"Crassweller has produced a superb volume about 'the man' in Caribbean politics from the early 1930's until the rise of Fidel Castro. This portrait of Dominican politics and the ascendancy of Trujillo is chilling in its implications and far surpasses what the average critic of Trujillo imagined. The former dictator is portrayed as a tyrant in the absolute sense operating through a series of clever tactics to intimidate those around him... this volume must stand as an achievement." — The Review of Politics
"[H]ere we have a small miracle... [Crassweller] has produced the best work on Trujillo, the man, and the Dominican Republic, the country, that we have or are likely to get in the years immediately ahead... In scope, the book is both expansive and intimate, paying careful attention to the changing historical circumstances as it concentrates on the personal characteristics and activities." — The New York Times Book Review
"This book deserves to be read: no comparable picture of the Caribbean saga exists in English... a devastating history... This biography of Trujillo may be read as a super-detective story, or as colorful history, or as a commentary on our times. No one starting the book is likely to put it down, and he will be left at the end with a pressing question of how sane, clean, and healthy forces can be made to triumph in this area so vital to the safety of the United States." — The New York Herald Tribune's Book Week
"This is a remarkable account of a remarkable period in Caribbean history... well-planned and well-written." — Chicago Tribune
"Mr. Crassweller's account of this power-crazy dictator and his times is a monumental job of historical and biographical research and writing." — Christian Science Monitor
"This biography of Trujillo is by far the best available. In a vivid, very readable style, it presents a mass of information, much of it hardly known, most of it of historical interest... highly recommended as a lively portrait of a fascinating character." — Caribbean Studies
"I suppose everyone has told you what a subtle, elegant and penetrating account you have written of Trujillo. But let me also add my word. This combination of artistry and craftsmanship happens only about once every five years." — John Kenneth Galbraith
Trujillo was the product of the United States occupation between 1916 and 1924. Born in humble circumstances in 1891, his career had been inauspicious until he discovered that he might be able to obtain a commission in a new constabulary being formed by the occupation forces... within ten years he was in charge of the nation's armed forces, and by 1930 he was President. From that time until his death he ruled his country with an iron hand, and the author lucidly shows how he converted it into his own personal estate through political and economic manipulation.
A vain man, Trujillo used the vanity of others to achieve his goals. He thought everyone had his price, and all too often he was right. Not only would Dominicans debase themselves in order to receive the dictator's largesse, but there is evidence, as the author shows, that United States Congressmen and even the Vatican accepted favours from Trujillo. But in his quest for power he made more enemies than friends, and the account of his decline is both informative and dramatic." — International Journal
"Crassweller has produced a superb volume about 'the man' in Caribbean politics from the early 1930's until the rise of Fidel Castro. This portrait of Dominican politics and the ascendancy of Trujillo is chilling in its implications and far surpasses what the average critic of Trujillo imagined. The former dictator is portrayed as a tyrant in the absolute sense operating through a series of clever tactics to intimidate those around him... this volume must stand as an achievement." — The Review of Politics
"[H]ere we have a small miracle... [Crassweller] has produced the best work on Trujillo, the man, and the Dominican Republic, the country, that we have or are likely to get in the years immediately ahead... In scope, the book is both expansive and intimate, paying careful attention to the changing historical circumstances as it concentrates on the personal characteristics and activities." — The New York Times Book Review
"This book deserves to be read: no comparable picture of the Caribbean saga exists in English... a devastating history... This biography of Trujillo may be read as a super-detective story, or as colorful history, or as a commentary on our times. No one starting the book is likely to put it down, and he will be left at the end with a pressing question of how sane, clean, and healthy forces can be made to triumph in this area so vital to the safety of the United States." — The New York Herald Tribune's Book Week
"This is a remarkable account of a remarkable period in Caribbean history... well-planned and well-written." — Chicago Tribune
"Mr. Crassweller's account of this power-crazy dictator and his times is a monumental job of historical and biographical research and writing." — Christian Science Monitor
"This biography of Trujillo is by far the best available. In a vivid, very readable style, it presents a mass of information, much of it hardly known, most of it of historical interest... highly recommended as a lively portrait of a fascinating character." — Caribbean Studies
"I suppose everyone has told you what a subtle, elegant and penetrating account you have written of Trujillo. But let me also add my word. This combination of artistry and craftsmanship happens only about once every five years." — John Kenneth Galbraith
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940186569589 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Plunkett Lake Press |
| Publication date: | 01/28/2023 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Sales rank: | 779,298 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
About the Author
Born and raised in Minnesota, Robert D. Crassweller (1915-2004) graduated from Carleton College Phi Beta Kappa with Special Honors in History and from Harvard Law School in 1941. He practiced law in Duluth before joining the State Department’s Division of World Trade Intelligence in Washington, DC in 1943. He returned to Duluth after the war, resuming his private practice of law. From 1951 to 1953, he participated in a mining venture in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
In 1954, he became counsel for Pan American World Airways in New York City; he remained at Pan Am until 1966. From 1967 to 1969 he was a Visiting Fellow on the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, and testified as an expert witness before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives in Washington. In 1970-1971, he was a Visiting Professor at Sarah Lawrence College and at Brooklyn College. He later worked for International Telephone and Telegraph, where he became General Counsel for ITT-Latin America.
Over 16 years, Crassweller reviewed some 700 books for Foreign Affairs, the magazine of the Council on Foreign Relations; he also reviewed for the New York Times book section. He wrote three books on Latin America: Trujillo: The Life and Times of a Caribbean Dictator (1966), The Caribbean Community: Changing Societies and U.S. Policy (1972) and Perón and the Enigmas of Argentina (1987).
In 1954, he became counsel for Pan American World Airways in New York City; he remained at Pan Am until 1966. From 1967 to 1969 he was a Visiting Fellow on the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, and testified as an expert witness before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives in Washington. In 1970-1971, he was a Visiting Professor at Sarah Lawrence College and at Brooklyn College. He later worked for International Telephone and Telegraph, where he became General Counsel for ITT-Latin America.
Over 16 years, Crassweller reviewed some 700 books for Foreign Affairs, the magazine of the Council on Foreign Relations; he also reviewed for the New York Times book section. He wrote three books on Latin America: Trujillo: The Life and Times of a Caribbean Dictator (1966), The Caribbean Community: Changing Societies and U.S. Policy (1972) and Perón and the Enigmas of Argentina (1987).
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