Havana Before Castro restores to us a tropical civilization of great music and architecture. It was not lost, fortunately, but only out of sight. Moruzzi's in-depth research allows us to see that an amazing amount of this city remains, despite (and at times because of) fifty years of Castro's rule. Much of the evidence Moruzzi presents is in the ephemeral media of travel brochures, cigar boxes, and swizzle sticks, but the portrait he creates of the city is vivid and solidly three dimensional. In this important book Havana is revealed to be as significant and distinctive as Miami Beach and Las Vegas in telling the story of how recreation and tourism transformed American culture, architecture, and economics.

Havana is one of my favorite cities in the world. This book takes a reader through the pre-Castro era in that seaside city, explains why it was once the true playground of the Caribbean. Some day, I hope everyone gets a chance to explore Havana, both old and new. In the meantime, this book can take you there.

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