The Myth of José Martí

“Provides many useful insights into the conflicting origins of Cuban nationalism and will be useful to those interested in concrete examples of the historical development of nationalist mythmaking.” — Nations and Nationalism

“A valuable and accessibly written account that offers new insight into the variety of Cuban nationalisms at the beginning of the twentieth-century. . . . Sophisticated and nuanced. . . . A compulsively readable work of scholarship that keeps Martí in context as a historical man and a historical symbol, and that teaches us valuable lessons about the divided and violent trajectories of early twentieth-century Cuban nationalisms.” — A Contracorriente

“Lillian Guerra’s superbly documented and written book . . . takes the reader on a breathtaking historical journey. . . . Indispensable reading.” — Cuban Studies

“Guerra’s book takes an innovative approach to examining Marti’s role and impact on this critical period of Cuban history. . . . Insightful.” — American Historical Review

“Guerra has produced a remarkable contribution to Cuban historiography in this extremely sophisticated exploration of the role of the mythologizing of José Martí after his early death in the Cuban war of independence. . . . Essential” — CHOICE

“Based on an impressive array of archival and printed sources, this superb study uncovers with subtlety and deep understanding how José Martí’s image and discourse of social unity came to embody conflicting visions of the Cuban nation shortly after his death in 1895 — visions that still divide Cubans today.” — Aline Helg, University of Geneva

“An incisive look into the competing national projects that emerged out of the Cuban war of independence of 1895 and how they shaped the politics of race, class, and, to some degree, gender during the early decades of the republic." — Alejandro de la Fuente, University of Pittsburgh