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"Havana Before Castro" is the typical un-balanced poorly written account of Cuba before Castro. This book should be retitled to "Cuba Before Morals". It was, a land of plenty poverty and plenty crime.
The real Cuba before Castro, was an island built by the rich and corrupt for the enjoyment of the rich and corrupt. A land where people lived as peasants in shacks; not because of an embargo but because of government sponsored poverty. Without doubt, this book is a hit with the Miami Cuban Mafia.
A land where education, health care, clothing, and even your next meal was out of reach. Drugs, alcohol, and even child prostitution/trafficking prospered while the average citizen (the you's and me's of society) lived in poverty under a system that kept them as ignorant cogs in the wheel of greed. Cubans have a misplaced tendency to think that Cuba before Castro was a wonderland; a land of plenty.
Need we all remember that the Cuban Revolution was supported by the people because the people were fed up by those who came before Castro. It is a wonderful collection of pictures and nothing more.
With a profusion of exquisite illustrations, "Havana Before Castro" is also a suprisingly well-balanced, perceptively written historical work. While one good picture is certainly worth a thousand words,this book goes beyond the typical illustrated book genre to recapture also in text a Havana which vividly lives in the memory of those of us lucky enough to have experienced it first hand and, now, in the memory of those who read this book.
Very informative with wonderful before and after photos, I am Cuban and remember some of the places in the photos. Would highly recommend it to my friends.
great, easy read yet interesting history of Havana. Wonderful photos and fun highlights of the who's who of that era. The author did a good job of combining the two to make for a brilliant fun read
Here you could hear Olga Guillot at the Tropicana and see spectacular stage shows under the stars. A chapter on the Havana Riviera provides stunning images on this resort casino where Cuban sculptors created beautiful pieces of art. All Cubans dream of returning to Cuba someday, but sadly the Cuba of the 1950s, when Havana was truly the Paris of the Caribbean has been lost. Until then, a new book "Havana Before Castro" takes you back in time to relive this great city at its prime. For those who never experienced Cuba before Castro, the book is a revelation: Havana was truly a beautiful, world-class city. As today, the streets were filled with the latest American cars; only at that time, many were fresh from Detroit assembly lines. The book documents life in Cuba from the beginnings of the Cuban republic to the glory days when locals and tourists packed Sloppy Joe's Bar and La Floridita -- "the cradle of the daiquiri." In "Havana Before Castro," you'll get a taste of a dynamic city where popular nightspots abounded along the Prado, central Havana's promenade, and along Calle 23 in Havana's Vedado district.
We especially liked the chapter on "Life as an Habanero." You can almost smell the aromas of fresh Cuban bread, strong café cubano, and fritas frying on a street corner grill, all carried along the streets of Havana by swift, sea-scented breezes."Havana Before Castro" is well researched and well written, providing an engaging read that goes beyond the beautiful photos. Gone are the days when Cuba was truly an international destination with first class hotels and hundreds of bars, restaurants, and night clubs -- from sketchy little neighborhood joints to fabulous casinos. The Riviera's lobby is itself a work of art with a breathtaking circular staircase and architectural details that present the best of 50's modern. Buildings in even the poorest sections of the city were well kept and crisply painted.Someday, Havana may regain some of its lost luster. Author Peter Morruzi has put together a great collection of vintage photos in both color and black and white. For those who remember these glory days, the book is truly a trip back in time. Hope and pray that it can happen again.THREE GUYS FROM MIAMI.Three Guys from Miami Celebrate Cuban: 100 Great Recipes for Cuban Entertaining (Three Guys from Miami)Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban
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