This book is the product of more than four years' work, during which I receivedthe generous help and support of many friends and colleagues both inthe United States and in Cuba. I express my special gratitude to Raul GomezTreto and Emilio Marill Rivero for opening their libraries to me and for theirvaluable insights and suggestions. To the librarians at the Supreme Court ofCuba, the National Union of Cuban Jurists and the DePaul University Collegeof Law for their help in finding materials. To the National Union of CubanJurists, especially Magali Rojas and Rosario Fernandez, for doing somuch to facilitate my research in Cuba. To my research assistants StacyPochis, Tracy McGonigle and Lisa Acevedo for their painstaking work trackingdown information. To those who read drafts and provided critical comments,especially Jules Lobel, Carole Travis, Esther Mosak and MarcPoKempner. To Bill Montross for doing the copyediting. To DePaul Universityand Dean John Roberts of the College of Law for their support of thisproject from its inception and for providing funding for the research.