Mario Cartaya

ABOUT THE BOOK

Before the Revolution: The Untold Story of 100 Years of Friendship Between the United States and Cuba uncovers a remarkable chapter of history often overshadowed by the events that followed. For a century, the United States and Cuba forged a partnership that shaped the future of both nations through diplomacy, commerce, agriculture, banking, scientific innovation, and military cooperation.

The connection extended far beyond politics and business. Music, literature, cinema, television, fine arts, and baseball flourished across the Florida Straits, creating enduring cultural ties that brought Havana and Key West closer than ever before. It was a time defined by optimism, shared purpose, and a belief that the future held limitless possibilities.

Drawing from extensive historical records preserved in the US Library of Congress, the US National Archives, the US Department of State, naval archives, museums, academic collections, and contemporary newspapers, author Mario Cartaya brings to life the people, institutions, and achievements that helped build this extraordinary relationship.

Through compelling documentation and the enduring landmarks that still stand across Cuba today, this untold story reveals an era of goodwill, mutual prosperity, and human connection. More than a historical account, it offers a fresh perspective on a relationship whose lessons remain relevant today—inviting a renewed conversation about what can be achieved when neighboring nations work together toward common goals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mario Cartaya was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1951. Eight years later, the turbulent winds of political change swept over the land of his birth, leaving his family with little choice but to immigrate to the United States in search of a new life lived in freedom. There, he realized his earliest Cuban childhood dreams of becoming an architect and started an enduring and highly acclaimed architectural firm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His life’s story and award-winning architectural designs were entered into the United States Congressional Record of the House of Representatives in 2019, forever enshrined in the US Library of Congress. An American flag was flown over the US Capitol to celebrate his American legacy in 2022. 

With the same dedication and love that made him an architectural success and iconic designer, Mario has now turned his attention to writing books—including Journey Back Into the Vault: In Search of my Faded Cuban Childhood Footprints, La Bóveda: En busca de mi niñez cubana, and most recently, Before the Revolution. His fresh voice and humanist values will refresh one’s soul.

TALKING POINTS

• The forgotten 100-year friendship between the United States and Cuba
• What we can learn about peace and diplomacy from the long history between the U.S. and Cuba
• What U.S.–Cuba relations looked like before the Cuban Revolution
• How Cuba and the U.S. became close economic and diplomatic partners
• The deep historical connection between Cuba and Florida
• U.S.–Cuba military cooperation during World War I and World War II
• Baseball as a cultural bond that deepened trust between the U.S. and Cuba
• The exchange of music, film, television, literature, and art across the U.S. and Cuba
• What the history of U.S.–Cuba cooperation can teach us about the relationship today

TIMELY TIE-INS

SEPTEMBER

• International Day of Peace – 15
• Hispanic Heritage Month – Sept. 15 – Oct. 15
• Ancestor Appreciation Day – 27
  
  

OCTOBER

• American Archives Month
• Family History Month
  
  

NOVEMBER

• Veterans Day – 11
• International Day for Tolerance – 16
  
  

JANUARY

• Triumph of the Revolution 68th Anniversary – 1