Havana Nocturne by T. J. English

This is a fascinating look at Cuba just before Castro rose to power.

Havana in the 1950s was a steamy, beautiful, sexy city. Batista was in control of Cuba and the mob was in control of Havana with intentions of turning it into a Monte Carlo-like playground just off America's shore. This book brings 1950s and '60s American and Cuban politics to life but reads like great crime fiction. I couldn't put it down. The author explains how the mob came to build great, glittering casinos in Havana and writes about the movie stars and American politicians who befriended the mobsters and frequented those casinos. The wild nightlife of Havana is sharply contrasted with a poorer Cuba outside the city where we learn of the rise of Castro and his revolutionaries and their many attempts to come to power.

I knew little about Cuba and its history before reading Havana Nocturne. However, this book piqued my interest in this neighboring island that the US still blockades. If you liked The Godfather, I think you'll love this true story and learn some history in the process. I highly recommend it.
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Cuba, in the early part of the 20th century, after its liberation from Spain, was wide open for exploitation and money-making by capitalists. Sugar cane, oil, and minerals were there to be had, if you liberally greased the palms of the politicos.
P.xiv:
"such was the extent of American interest in Cuba that this island, roughly the size of the state of Tennessee, ranked in third place among the nations of the world receiving U.S. investments.
"The financial largesse that flooded Cuba could have been used to address the country's festering social problems. Hunger, illiteracy, subhuman housing, a high infant mortality rate, and the disposition of small farmers had been facts of Life in Cuba throughout the island's turbulent history."

The mob in the U.S. had always dreamed of a "mobster haven" where they could run prostitution, nightclubs, casinos, etc that would generate huge income, and with a benevolent government for a business partner. Cuba in Batista's government fit the bill. In 1946, the mob bosses met in Havana to discuss putting together the endeavor. Apparently, they didn't believe in eating produce, grains, and beans; hundreds of Animals were murdered for their appetites:
P.33:
"the first night, the group eschewed business and met at a special banquet room on the lower level of the hotel. A gourmet feast was prepared, made up mostly of local dishes. There were crab and queen conch enchiladas brought from the southern archipelago. For the main course, there was a choice of roast breast of flamingo, tortoise stew, roast tortoise with lemon and garlic, and crayfish, oysters, and grilled swordfish from the nearby fishing village of cojímar. There was also grilled venison sent by a government Minister from Camagüey who owned livestock and, the most obscure delicacy of all, grilled Manatee. The guest drank añejo RuM and smoked Montecristo cigars." ( )

Easy to read. A bit shaky on some of the details I know about independently, so docking a half-star. Doesn't really give a very good sense of how it was possible for Castro, leader of what seems like a pretty rag-tag revolutionary movement, to seize power when so much was at stake. ( )

nonfiction; Cuban history (the mob vs. Castro). Interesting, but the mobile quality of playaways often means that I will get distracted and start tuning it out (so I ended up re-listening to tracks a lot, and I still haven't got the whole story). Great for falling asleep to, though! ( )

I gave up on this book. It was good, I just wasn't in the mood. ( )