Fidel Castro: Trouble in Paradise
by NOISER
A sun-soaked island nation known for its music, culture and stunning natural beauty. A shadow war of spies, sabotage and survival. A revolutionary leader turned strongman dictator, beloved by his supporters yet loathed by his enemies. This is the story of Fidel Castro from cradle to grave and the country he called home. Welcome to Cuba. Welcome to Fidel Castro: Trouble in Paradise. Brought to you by award-winning podcasters, Noiser. Narrated by Paul McGann with contributions from eyewitnesses and expert historians. As featured on Real Dictators. For ad-free listening and early access to new shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or head to noiser.com/subscriptions Artwork based on an original photograph by Yousuf Karsh. Hosted on
Episodes
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10. Emergency on an Airplane
The end arrives. Embarrassed at a baseball game, the Maximum Leader responds with arrests and intimidation. We hear first-hand testimony from a Cuban on the receiving end of the violence. A nasty public fall and a painful ordeal in the air show that age and illness are catching up with the...
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9. Down With Fidel!
After a tragedy in the Florida Straits, a dramatic tug of war takes place between Castro and America - all centred on a five-year-old boy. A new leader in the Soviet Union comes to power with fresh ideas which terrify Fidel. The Berlin Wall crumbles, putting Cuba on the brink. As riots break out…
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8. Miami Vice
When a bomb goes off on a south Florida street, it bears all the hallmarks of a Cuban expert. Castroland is going international. As exiles flock to Miami, Fidel sets off on a globe-trotting mission - meeting Colonel Gaddafi in Libya and dispatching troops to Angola. But back at home, not…
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7. Che Guevara in the Jungle
Castro sets out to create a breed of “new people” - turning Cuba into an island of mini-Fidels. A particular dairy cow becomes a national treasure and hot dog vendors are declared counter-revolutionary, as things get surreal. Fidel’s own sister flees, declaring Cuba a “floating prison”. And as…
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6. The Cuban Missile Crisis
The first man in space arrives in Cuba for a special visit. A passenger liner from the Soviet Union docks in Havana. But it’s not carrying tourists. Out in the countryside a massive yet mysterious construction project begins. Stranger-than-fiction plans are put in motion as the CIA tries…
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5. The Bay of Pigs
A man who was right there tells us the tale of one of history’s most notorious military failures. Castro’s former lover is given a handful of poison capsules and dispatched to Fidel’s hotel. A Havana schoolboy crosses his fingers as the American bombing begins. And a young activist prepares to do...
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4. Havana’s TV Star
Castro goes on a victory parade, eventually arriving in Havana on top of a tank. Vengeance is wrought on the old dictator’s supporters, as the new leader moves into the Hilton hotel. Fidel takes a trip to Washington - for a sit-down with Richard Nixon. And a regime insider tells us how he turned...
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3. The Mountain Guerrillas
While Batista tries to convince the world that Castro is dead, Fidel regroups in the mountains. The world’s press descends on Cuba, hoping to meet this elusive rebel, and Fidel is only too happy to grant everyone interviews. Meanwhile, in Havana, Batista’s sick son helps to save him from...
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2. Shipwrecked in the Swamps
Castro wrestles with Marxism and begins another affair. Attempting to reignite the revolution, he swims naked across the US border. At a get-together in Mexico City, he strikes up a rapport with a scruffy Argentine known as “Che”. Together, in a battered old boat, they will set sail for Cuba - to...
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1. Rise of ‘The Crazy One’
Fidel Castro - a revolutionary turned strongman dictator, beloved by his supporters and loathed by his enemies. The bête noire of the United States who pushed the world to the brink of annihilation. The ultimate political survivor who evaded hundreds of barely believable assassination attempts.…
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About this show
A sun-soaked island nation known for its music, culture and stunning natural beauty. A shadow war of spies, sabotage and survival. A revolutionary leader turned strongman dictator, beloved by his supporters yet loathed by his enemies.
This is the story of Fidel Castro from cradle to grave and the country he called home.
Welcome to Cuba. Welcome to Fidel Castro: Trouble in Paradise.
Brought to you by award-winning podcasters, Noiser. Narrated by Paul McGann with contributions from eyewitnesses and expert historians. As featured on Real Dictators.
For ad-free listening and early access to new shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or head to noiser.com/subscriptions
Artwork based on an original photograph by Yousuf Karsh.
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