Havana: Autobiography of a City - Hardcover

Alfredo José Estrada is the author of the novel Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway (Planeta 2005), hailed by the Washington Post as “marvelously entertaining” and a “fascinating portrayal of Cuba.”  Born in Havana, he was educated at Harvard and is editor-in-chief of Vista magazine, which is distributed in over thirty newspapers and is the largest publication for U.S. Hispanics in the country, with a monthly readership of over three million.  Currently, he lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and two sons.

"Havana: Autobiography of a City captures the imagination from the first page to the last. Brimming with curiosities, anecdotes, obscure facts and seductive personalities, the narrative reads as a blend of history, novel, and lyric essay. Estrada illuminates this legendary city as never before."
--Oscar Hijuelos, author of the Pulitzer Prize winner The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love"This is narrative history at its best: Alfredo José Estrada makes Havana come alive as a dynamic entity with its own personality, tracing its development from colonial days to the present. It is also the best compact history of Cuba ever written in English. Beautifully worded, masterfully paced, the narrative can sweep you away and take you to Havana, at least in spirit. It is vivid enough to make any exile weep. When Havana finally sheds its monstrous dictatorship, this will be the book to take along and savor, page by page, street by street."--Carlos Eire, author of the National Book Award winner Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy"A fascinating historical overview of a fascinating city.  Insightful, interesting.  A penetrating look at the rise and fall of one of the most beautiful Latin American capitals."-Jaime Suchlicki, Professor and Director, Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami"A stunning portrait of the Western Hemisphere's most dazzling city. A must read for anyone interested in Cuba's past, present, and future."--Rosa Lowinger, author of Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub"Alfredo José Estrada's Havana  is chockablock with history from Columbus to Castro and has a vast cultural reach--including a very smart reading of Cuba's poet-revolutionary, José Martí. There are a plethora of irresistibly dishy anecdotes that weave back and forth over time--smoothly passing on the heartbreaking story of the  troubled island of Cuba." --Ann Louise Bardach, journalist and author of Cuba Confidential: Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana"More than an autobiography of a city, this book is a delicious reflection on nostalgia, memory, and Havana--like a substancia, like powder from the butterfly that stays on our fingers forever."--Mayra Montero, author of Dancing to Almendra and Captain of the Sleepers"One of the world's most romantic and mischievous great cities comes alive in these pages. Estrada writes with passion and nuance."--Brian Latell, author of After Fidel "Havana: Autobiography of a City is a riveting history of a city everyone thinks they know, but few truly understand.  In the face of major changes ahead for Cuba, Estrada paints a thorough and amazing story of a people who have persevered and survived."--Soledad O'Brien, Anchor, CNN American Morning

“Havana: Autobiography of a City is the book I wish I had with me when first visiting this enchanting and heartbreaking city. Alfredo José Estrada disproves the old adage that Havana is a city that never changes. In fact, Havana has done nothing but transform and evolve, from the Spanish Armada to the Special Period.  This book is the best guide yet to the hidden history of one of the world's most intriguing places.”

--Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum