Skip navigation
London Review of Books Christmas Books

A Bone in the Throat subscriber-only content

Piero Gleijeses

Leycester Coltman was British ambassador in Cuba from 1991 to 1994. During these years, the dust jacket on his book claims, ‘he came as close to personal friendship with Castro as any foreigner was permitted.’ Coltman writes with great confidence, even immodesty – we are given the impression that he knows all Castro’s secrets – and the range of his book extends beyond his immediate experience to take in all of Castro’s life.

subscriber-only content Subscribers to the print edition can log in to view the entire article. For information about subscribing to the London Review of Books click here. This article is available for purchase online. Buy this article.

Piero Gleijeses is a professor of American foreign policy in the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington and Africa 1959-76 came out in 2002; he is completing a book about Cuban and US policy towards Southern Africa during the Carter and Reagan administrations.

LRB cover artwork

From the archive

This Is Not That Place
Thomas Jones: David Eggers escapes from Sudan

Bow. Wow
James Wolcott on Gore Vidal

Upwards and Onwards
Stefan Collini: On Raymond Williams

Unpranked Lyre
John Mullan: The Laziness of Thomas Gray

Vampire to Victim
Nina Auerbach: The Cult of Zelda