The War of 1898: The United States and Cuba in History and Historiography / Edition 1

by Louis A. Pérez

Overview

A century after the Cuban war for independence was fought, Louis Perez examines the meaning of the war of 1898 as represented in one hundred years of American historical writing. Offering both a critique of the conventional historiography and an alternate history of the war informed by Cuban sources, Perez explores the assumptions that have shaped our understanding of the "Spanish-American War—a construct, he argues, that denies the Cubans' participation in their own struggle for liberation from Spanish rule.

Perez examines historical accounts of the destruction of the battleship Maine, the representation of public opinion as a precipitant of war, and the treatment of the military campaign in Cuba. Equally important, he shows how historical narratives have helped sustain notions of America's national purpose and policy, many of which were first articulated in 1898. Cuba insinuated itself into one of the most important chapters of U.S. history, and what happened on the island in the final decade of the nineteenth century—and the way in which what happened was subsequently represented—has had far-reaching implications, many of which continue to resonate today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807847428
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	10/12/1998
Edition description:	1
Pages:	190
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	1420L (what's this?)

About the Author

Louis A. Perez Jr. is J. Carlyle Sitterson Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His books include Cuba: Between Reform and Revolution.

Table of Contents

Contents

Preface
Chronology
1 On Context and Condition
2 Intervention and Intent
3 Meaning of the Maine
4 Constructing the Cuban Absence
5 1898 to 1998: From Memory to Consciousness
Notes
Bibliographical Essay
Index

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Perez has provided us with a brief, detailed recounting of the extent to which historical studies of what he correctly calls the 'Spanish-Cuban-American War' of 1898 were influenced by contemporary U.S. accounts of that conflict, which took credit for having brought freedom to the Cuban people. In correcting that bias, Perez gives considerable space to the work of Cuban scholars, who insist that the U.S. 'victory' was made possible only by the ongoing insurgency by rebels against Spanish rule, and that the self-proclaimed idealism of the American incursion was in fact a mask for intervention in and control of Cuban internal affairs. This is an impressive, enlightening survey and an important addition to the very long shelf of works inspired by this 'neglected' war.—John Seelye, University of Florida

Editorial Reviews

Elegantly written and crammed with the ideas and insights of a master historian.

"Latin American Studies"

ÝA¨ probing and provocative critique of the North American historiographical treatment of the conflict.

"Pacific Historical Review"

ÝDraws¨ from his ÝPerez's¨ vast and detailed knowledge of both primary and secondary sources.

"Historian"

[A] probing and provocative critique of the North American historiographical treatment of the conflict.

"Pacific Historical Review"

[Draws] from his [Perez's] vast and detailed knowledge of both primary and secondary sources.

"Historian"

A provocative reinterpretation that will undoubtedly influence subsequent writing about the war.

"Latin American Research Review"

We have indeed been well served both professionally and publicly by Perez's critical reappraisal of 1898 and its significations.

"The Americas"

From the Publisher