Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana

Back Channel to Cuba documents the secret diplomatic communications between the United States and Cuba over five decades, starting from the Cuban Revolution through the Obama administration. The book draws from declassified documents, interviews, and previously unreleased materials to present the history of unofficial negotiations between these adversaries. The authors chronicle multiple presidential administrations' attempts to establish dialogue with Cuba through private intermediaries, intelligence agents, and diplomats. These clandestine efforts occurred against the backdrop of public hostility, with both nations maintaining official positions of non-engagement while exploring possibilities for normalizing relations behind the scenes. The narrative tracks the roles of key figures including Henry Kissinger, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Carter, and other political leaders who participated in these secret diplomatic channels. Through detailed historical analysis, the book reveals the complex interplay between public policy and private diplomacy. This account of U.S.-Cuba relations illustrates how nations can maintain hidden diplomatic connections even during periods of intense public antagonism, demonstrating the gap between official foreign policy positions and behind-the-scenes statecraft.

Readers value this book's detailed documentation and archival research revealing decades of secret US-Cuba diplomatic efforts. History enthusiasts appreciate the behind-the-scenes insights into negotiations between the two countries from the 1960s through Obama's presidency. Positive reviews highlight: - Dense sourcing from declassified documents - Clear explanation of complex diplomatic exchanges - Balanced portrayal of both US and Cuban perspectives Common criticisms: - Technical diplomatic language can be dry - Too much focus on minute details of negotiations - Some sections read like government reports Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (89 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (22 ratings) One Amazon reviewer noted: "Meticulously researched but requires careful reading to follow all the back-and-forth negotiations." A Goodreads user wrote: "Important historical documentation but the writing style is academic rather than engaging for general readers."

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🔹 The book reveals that Secretary of State Henry Kissinger ordered a secret diplomatic initiative to normalize relations with Cuba in 1974-1975, a full 40 years before Obama's historic outreach. 🔹 Author Peter Kornbluh spent over a decade obtaining declassified documents through the Freedom of Information Act to piece together the hidden history of U.S.-Cuba negotiations. 🔹 ABC News correspondent Lisa Howard played a crucial role as a secret intermediary between Cuba and the U.S. in the 1960s, hosting clandestine meetings between diplomats in her Manhattan apartment. 🔹 During the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy used a secret back channel through Brazil to communicate with Castro, which helped prevent nuclear war. 🔹 The book documents how every U.S. president from Eisenhower to Obama engaged in some form of secret dialogue with Cuba, despite publicly maintaining a hardline stance against the Castro regime.