The Cuban Revolution offers a reflective account of what the Revolution has meant to various actors - the Cuban leaders and people themselves, the states of Central and Latin America (particularly left-wing parties and popular movements within them), the American political establishment, public and Cuban exile community in the US, the Soviet Union, the Third World and academic observers and political activists. The political process initiated in 1959 is discussed within a broad historical context with particular focus upon significant themes such as the politics of national identity; the interaction between class, race and gender in the formation of that identity; the building of Cuban socialism and the nature of citizenship (including the relationship between the state and civil society and the role of the arts). The Cuban Revolution continues to be a source of fascination for many, particularly those concerned with the pursuit of popular empowerment and social justice in the Third World.