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Havana
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(Cuba)


Crumbling, withered, exotic and alive; Havana is a living microcosm of the country at large.

There is nowhere in the world like Havana. From the resplendent Spanish colonial architecture of the Old Town, to the spectacular dilapidation of Havana Centro, a city of stalwart survivors and masterful musicians rocks indefatigably to the syncopated beat of the rumba.


Bereft of the consumer-driven trappings of other less colourful metropolises, Havana remains characterful, safe, and packed with a plethora of interesting museums. For history buffs there's the living breathing essence of UNESCO-sponsered Havana Vieja; for beach bums there's the sun-splashed tranquility of Playas del Este.

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Books
Havana Dreams: A Story of a Cuban Family 
(Wendy Gimbel)

Chronicles journalist Gimbel's trip to the island to find her 'grandmother's Cuba'. Gimbel builds a social and cultural history, coloured by her family's experiences, of this remarkable city.

Nationalizing Blackness: Afrocubanismo and Artistic Revolution in Havana, 1920-1940 
(Robin Moore)

An academic but fascinating study of Cuban music's African roots.

Castro: A Biography of Fidel Castro 
(Peter Bourne)

One of the better books on this icon of the 20th century.

Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life 
(Jon Lee Anderson)

Considered the best biography of the mysterious Argentinean.

Dreaming in Cuban 
(Cristina García)

An interesting novel about real and imaginary worlds, Afro-Cuban religion and their impact on a Cuban family.

Falling Off the Map: Some Lonely Places of the World 
(Pico Iyer)

Travel writer Iyer's impressions of Cuba can be very amusing.

Havana Bay 
(Martin Cruz Smith)

The sequel to Gorky Park has hard-boiled Moscow cop Arkady Renko investigating the death of a colleague in contemporary Havana.

Our Man in Havana 
(Graham Greene)

Classic comedy about a British vacuum-cleaner salesman who attempts to profit from Cold War politics.

Can Cuba Survive? An Interview with Fidel Castro 
(Beatriz Pagés)

A worthwhile resource if you want to explore the Castro phenomenon.

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