Havana Autobiography of a City [Paperback]

Alfredo Jos? Estrada's intimate ties to Havana form the basis for this autobiography, written as though from the city's own heart. Covering the island's five hundred year history, Estrada portrays the adventurers and dreamers who left their mark on Havana, including Jos? Mart?, martyr for Cuban independence; and Ernest Hemingway, the most American of writers who became an unabashed Habanero.
Deeply personal and affecting,Havanais the accessible and complete story of the city for the history buff and armchair traveler alike.

Alfredo Jos? Estradawas the editor-in-chief ofVistamagazine, which is distributed in over thirty newspapers and is the largest publication for U.S. Hispanics in the country. Born in Havana and educated at Harvard, he lives in Austin, Texas.

A pleasure for the armchair traveler and old Cuba hands alike. Kirkus Reviews

As much a tale of tobacco, sugar, and slaves, this delightful account leaves no stone unturned and reveals fascinating historical insights. Estrada's chapters on Ernest Hemingway in Havana and social life during the casino/mobster era are pure gems. He spares neither expansionist U.S. policies nor Fidel Castro's socialism from blame for Cuba's present state. Highly recommended. Library Journal (starred review)

Estrada is at his best chronicling Castro's revolution, a story which for many Americans is a virtual unknown; Estrada's retelling is brief, fair-minded and very well-written. Estrada pays particular attention to the Che Guevara 'hardly guessed at by those wearing Che tank tops,' revealing Guevara's authoritarian streak, his talent for guerilla warfare and his direct role in the executions of the day&a fine primer on the United States' closest 'enemy,' told with the love of a native son. Publishers Weekly

A captivating travelogue...Visitors to the island should take it along to read during their trip. The Washington Post