Cuba, "the island ever faithful," to the oldest colonial power and once-strongest empire on Earth. Cuba was loyal to Spain to prevent the inevitable popular uprising. “Peace and slavery prevailed over insurrection and emancipation.” pg.2 Ada Ferrer presents the atmosphere of a war that lasted 30 years and then ended practically at the beginning under a new master (US occupation). The struggle for independence was embedded in a profound vision of nationalism based on the unity of Cubans. “Revolutionary rhetoric made racial slavery and racial divisions concomitant with Spanish colonialism.” pg.3 This war was to unite the rise of the first raceless nation. Ferrer writes with the aim of providing details on a series of archival documents from Cuba, Spain and the United States. The Cuban struggle for independence, for a multiracial republic, highly underestimated. Ferrer uses documents from all the major players in this war on both sides. To the highest ranking general, to the lowest ranking black infantryman. Political leaders and political/civil rights activists. A detailed account of these events is well documented using a multitude of primary sources from the speeches and personal diaries of those involved. Ferrer makes "The Revolution that the World Forgot" page 6 a series of memorable events. His contribution to the Revolution is important for understanding the racial politics that plagued that time period. As WEB Du Bois would say: “The problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.” Race is brought to the forefront in this book. The issues raised and the arguments about what would happen if we won? These “problem people” have risen to positions of enormous influence. ...Ionian ideology. I learned many things about the relationship between blacks and whites during this struggle, but contempt for other immigrant minority groups represents a trend in the history of Latin America and the United States. There is a story for everyone in almost if not every country on this earth. If their role was minor, then this would constitute at least a few pages of dedication to their contribution to independence or loyalty to Spain. Ferrer's Rebel Cuba is an excellent contribution to the history of Cuba. He could have added a few more chapters to cover the missing elements, including the role of the government in Madrid towards the emancipation of the slaves and the consensus of the white reaction to the rhetoric of Martí and other revolutionaries. However, it is an in-depth study that I will refer to for years to come.