⇒ Download Havana A Subtropical Delirium Mark Kurlansky 9781632863911 Books

Havana A Subtropical Delirium Mark Kurlansky 9781632863911 Books

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Havana A Subtropical Delirium Mark Kurlansky 9781632863911 Books

If you are going to Cuba, this is an excellent read to provide a significant amount of color to the rich tapestry of this wonderfully tragic country. Kurlansky has an easy reading style weaving in history and observations in an entertaining way. It's not a travel guide but a cultural guide. Worth a read.


Tags : Havana: A Subtropical Delirium [Mark Kurlansky] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>A city of tropical heat, sweat, ramshackle beauty, and its very own cadence--a city that always surprises--Havana is brought to pulsing life by New York Times </i>bestselling author Mark Kurlansky.</b> Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky presents an insider's view of Havana: the elegant,Mark Kurlansky,Havana: A Subtropical Delirium,Bloomsbury USA,163286391X,Caribbean & West Indies - Cuba,Essays & Travelogues,Americans - Cuba - Havana,Havana (Cuba),Havana (Cuba) - Civilization,Havana (Cuba) - Description and travel,Havana (Cuba) - History,Havana (Cuba);Civilization.,Havana (Cuba);Description and travel.,Havana (Cuba);History.,Kurlansky, Mark,100301 Bloomsbury US Adult HC,CUBA - HISTORY,Caribbean & West Indies,Caribbean & West Indies Cuba,Cuba,DESCRIPTION AND TRAVEL,Essays,General Adult,HISTORY Caribbean & West Indies Cuba,HistoryCaribbean & West Indies - Cuba,Non-Fiction,TRAVEL,TRAVEL Caribbean & West Indies,TRAVEL Essays & Travelogues,TravelCaribbean & West Indies,United States

Havana A Subtropical Delirium Mark Kurlansky 9781632863911 Books Reviews

I grew up in the 60's and all I thought about Cuba was either the missle crisis or the airplane hijackings. This opened my eyes. Excellent book.
Another very well written book
Another great book from Mark Kurlansky, in the vein of Cod, Salt, and Paper. This book is witty, interesting and easy to read (and hard to put down). Kurlansky manages to capture the essence of Cuba in this short book, from its troubled beginning to its promising present (and future). A must read for anyone even remotely interested in the most interesting island in the Caribbean.
A good introduction to today's Cuba that avoids the usual chicles. It's done in a journalistic style, so it's a light read.
Great history on Cuba and more specifically on Havana. For example, a little tidbit that I learned is the word "hurricane" originated from the language of the indigenous people of Cuba. A great read during the dark cold of winter to bring you to a warm and tropical place in one's mind!
I was born in Havana in 1950. Lived there until 14 years old. This book brought back many memories, and is quite accurate in its description of the History and customs of Cuba, and Havana in particular. An excellent job by the author.
Havana, A Subtropical Delirium

Have you ever thought of a city as a person, as someone who is alive and waiting to make your acquaintance? This is a new idea for me. It came after I started reading "Havana" by Mark Kurlansky.

He begins by saying in the Prologue, “If I were ever to make an old-fashioned film noir…I would shoot it in Havana.” He goes on to talk about other writers and poets who have found Havana fascinating. It seems you have a very different impression of Havana if you first see it from the sea, rather than from land.

Mr. Kurlansky tells how Habana Vieja (Old Havana), the original city, developed. The streets in this section were, and still are, very narrow and dark. The sidewalks are narrower still, all because the sun is so hot. So, when people put awnings up, they tie them to the building across the street. That way everyone passing below gets the shade.

One of the more interesting things I learned is that the city was founded three times in three different places. And Mr. Kurlansky has lots of interesting anecdotes to tell about how each settlement was founded.

Havana was invaded many times, always from the sea. There were the French pirates in 1538 and 1555 and different ones came again many times after that. Each time the townspeople paid a ransom and those that were still alive rebuilt. They built one fortress and then another and, over time, they added to each. It didn’t seem to make much difference. There seemed to be no shortage of pirates coming from the sea, and so, there would be another raid.

Havana grew and became an important commercial port in the 1700s. African slaves were brought in around this time to do the work.

Mr. Kurlansky says, “It has at times been suggested that the impact of slavery on modern Cuba is exaggerated, but so profound and fundamental is slavery to the identity of both Havana and Cuba that it would be almost impossible to overstate it.

He goes on to say that there were people alive in 1980 who had known their grandparents who had been born in Africa. Imagine that!

I’m going to stop here because I don’t want to give too much away. I hope I’ve inspired you to read "Havana". It’s an exciting, fascinating book that reads like a novel and the city of Havana is the main character!
If you are going to Cuba, this is an excellent read to provide a significant amount of color to the rich tapestry of this wonderfully tragic country. Kurlansky has an easy reading style weaving in history and observations in an entertaining way. It's not a travel guide but a cultural guide. Worth a read.