'A penetrating account of Cuban history ... [an] extraordinary book'
MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT, US Secretary of State, 1997-2001

'This is a splendid book, which narrates the tragedy of a Cuban, Oswaldo Payá, who dared to oppose Fidel Castro in communist Cuba, and paid dearly for it. David E. Hoffman's research is magnificent and his biography reads like a great novel' MARIO VARGAS LLOSA

The riveting biography of a dissident who defied Castro's dictatorship, and paid with his life.

Oswaldo Payá was seven years old when Fidel Castro seized power, promising to create a 'free, democratic, and just Cuba'. But Castro instead created an authoritarian regime and crushed all dissent.

The dream of democracy became Payá's life work. Sent to Castro's forced labour camps, he could not stay silent, and formed a pro-democracy movement. After receiving multiple death threats, Payá was killed in a suspicious car accident in 2012.

Democracy is in retreat all over the world. Oswaldo Payá showed how to fight for it. His battle was waged from the streets of Havana but carried universal truths.Pulitzer Prize-winner David E. Hoffman, author of the acclaimed The Billion Dollar Spy, tells the compelling story of a courageous dissident in action.

This is a splendid book, which narrates the tragedy of a Cuban, Oswaldo Payá, who dared to oppose Fidel Castro in communist Cuba, and paid dearly for it. David E. Hoffman's research is magnificent and his biography reads like a great novel. * Mario Vargas Llosa, Winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Literature *
David Hoffman has written a penetrating account of Cuban history, highlighting the true nature of the Castro regime and the courage of one man who became a threat to it. Through this extraordinary book, the world can now learn the story of Oswaldo Payá and understand why my friend Vaclav Havel nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. * Madeleine K. Albright, United States Secretary of State, 1997–2001 *
This blend of biography and history has the intrigue and surprise of a well-written spy novel. * Booklist *
[F]inely detailed ... A welcome study of political resistance by figures unknown to most readers outside Cuba. * Kirkus *
[A]n engrossing history of modern Cuba ... an intriguing and often inspiring look at the courage of one man's convictions. * Publishers Weekly *
With his signature flair for joining white-knuckle narrative to meticulous journalism, Hoffman brings us a ground-breaking biography. Hoffman's portrait of Oswaldo Payá offers a sweeping panorama of Castro's Cuba, from its glimmers of promise to its devastating plunge into authoritarianism. * Marie Arana, author of Bolívar: American Liberator *

David E. Hoffman is a contributing editor at The Washington Post, author of The Oligarchs (PublicAffairs, 2002), The Dead Hand (Icon, 2011), and The Billion Dollar Spy (Icon, 2017), and winner of a Pulitzer Prize. He lives with his wife in Maryland, USA.