I always wanted to write a book about Cuban history. The only ones that I knew were written exclusively for the use of public schools. But I have good sources to learn about our peculiar past. My grandfather, don Pancho, was an encyclopedia of stories, specially about the Cuban revolution against Spain. His father had come from Asturias as a Spanish soldier to combat the "mambises", the epithet reserved for the Cuban rebels fighting for their liberation from the Spanish crown. When my grandfather was 14 he was forced by his father to join the Spanish army although his heart was with his countrymen and eventually became a Cuban patriot. I asked him one time: "How could you be fighting against your own father?" And he proudly responded: "Every person should fight for his own country."
My father also told me several stories about corrupt politicians, country bandits and other events that I filed in the shelves of my brain for future use.
History was never my favorite subject in school. In fact, I hated it. It was difficult, complicated, extensive...and boring. So, I had a curious way of studying it: I memorized only names and dates and read a little of the general facts, just enough to pass the tests, with a little help of my imagination.
If I could re-write the history books, I always thought, I would make them, at least, more interesting, To achieve this I probably would need to create fantasies, exaggerations, distortions, speculations and simple fables; little props that a joker like me always had within easy reach.
You might say "but historians always tell the truth." Historians are just people, my friend. Who can trust them with something as sublime as the truth? They are simple human beings with their own prejudices, animosity, antipathy, partiality, inclinations and prejudgments. Not to mention racism, sexism and fanaticism. The role of a historian should be to educate...as long as it does not affect his own interest.
I suspect than some legitimate historians stick solely to the principle of truth and never deviate from it. Those are the ones that I found boring as a student.
Sometimes there are several books written on the same subject, neither one of them coinciding. Which one is accurate and which one is deceitful? Take, for instance, "The Da Vinci Code". As soon as this book came to light, many others have tried to contradict its story. Who really tell who is right? Mr. Brown or his detractors? Only an eye witness to that era could certify the authenticity of the events, and we all know that this is impossible. Meanwhile, the author -sincere or a hypocrite- continues his very happy daily trips to the bank.
I finally finished my book and called it "HISTORY OF CUBA - From my twisted point of view". By the way, if you turn the book around the whole thing is in Spanish. Smart, right?
The history chapters that I have written are all based in authentic and verifiable incidents. In order to make them more entertaining and easy to remember, I have just added some spice between the lines. If I offend someone with my innuendos or fabrications, I sincerely apologize. I assure you that my intention was not only to instruct you but also to make you smile a little.
And I firmly believe that smiling is always preferable and less painful than knowing the crude facts.
For more details about the book, please email me at alvarcorp@msn.com.
My father also told me several stories about corrupt politicians, country bandits and other events that I filed in the shelves of my brain for future use.
History was never my favorite subject in school. In fact, I hated it. It was difficult, complicated, extensive...and boring. So, I had a curious way of studying it: I memorized only names and dates and read a little of the general facts, just enough to pass the tests, with a little help of my imagination.
If I could re-write the history books, I always thought, I would make them, at least, more interesting, To achieve this I probably would need to create fantasies, exaggerations, distortions, speculations and simple fables; little props that a joker like me always had within easy reach.
You might say "but historians always tell the truth." Historians are just people, my friend. Who can trust them with something as sublime as the truth? They are simple human beings with their own prejudices, animosity, antipathy, partiality, inclinations and prejudgments. Not to mention racism, sexism and fanaticism. The role of a historian should be to educate...as long as it does not affect his own interest.
I suspect than some legitimate historians stick solely to the principle of truth and never deviate from it. Those are the ones that I found boring as a student.
Sometimes there are several books written on the same subject, neither one of them coinciding. Which one is accurate and which one is deceitful? Take, for instance, "The Da Vinci Code". As soon as this book came to light, many others have tried to contradict its story. Who really tell who is right? Mr. Brown or his detractors? Only an eye witness to that era could certify the authenticity of the events, and we all know that this is impossible. Meanwhile, the author -sincere or a hypocrite- continues his very happy daily trips to the bank.
I finally finished my book and called it "HISTORY OF CUBA - From my twisted point of view". By the way, if you turn the book around the whole thing is in Spanish. Smart, right?
The history chapters that I have written are all based in authentic and verifiable incidents. In order to make them more entertaining and easy to remember, I have just added some spice between the lines. If I offend someone with my innuendos or fabrications, I sincerely apologize. I assure you that my intention was not only to instruct you but also to make you smile a little.
And I firmly believe that smiling is always preferable and less painful than knowing the crude facts.
For more details about the book, please email me at alvarcorp@msn.com.
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