Travelers Tales of Old Cuba

by Various, John Jenkins (Editor)

Few places are as fascinating as Cuba, which has drawn travelers ever since it was "discovered" by Columbus in 1492. Magnificently evoking the romance and drama as well as darker episodes of slavery and tyranny, this book moves from the pirate days when Havana sheltered treasure ships to the "American era" when it became a glittering Mafia paradise. This unique, new anthology looks at Cuba through the eyes of diverse visitors, including literary luminaries such as Langston Hughes, Anais Nin, Arnold Samuelson, Maturin M. Ballou, William Cullen Bryant, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Frank Ragano and Selwyn Raab. Travelers' Tales satisfies the eternal thirst for stories about the Mafia and almost anything to do with Ernest Hemingway. It also sheds light on the longstanding love/hate relationship between Cuba and its great neighbor to the north. "I have been transported to Fairyland, I now live in an Enchanted Palace. All my sadness and apprehension fled the moment I caught sight of Havana."-Anais Nin "When first in the dim light of early morning I saw the shores of Cuba, I felt as if I sailed with Captain Silver and first gazed on Treasure Island."-Winston Churchill John Jenkins is an established travel writer, editor, journalist and poet. He lives in Australia and teaches creative writing at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne University.

Genres: Travel

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Melanie Vidrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book before my trip. It was so interesting.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're going to Cuba, this is THE book to take on your trip. Well, maybe bring The Old Man and the Sea if you plan to go to Hemingway's house.

Jenkins has done a brilliant job of pulling out a variety of excerpts that capture a broad cross-section of aspects of Cuban life and a flavor of the changing history of the country. There's a mix of the famous and non-famous, male and female writers, all with interesting observations.

I bought this book in Cuba and it's an Australian publication so so I don't know what the availability is in the U.S. I saw it in multiple shops in Cuba, so I believe that it is widely available there.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Defininately recommended for anyone travelling in Cuba. Lots of fun remembering the places in this book - even centuries later. Would have been even better reading it there so I could look out for some of the things I didn't pay attention too.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in a Havana bookstore, with no idea that it would contain writing from people as diverse as John Muir, Anais Nin, and Langston Hughes.

[Monika · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you do not like this genre or are not interested in Latino culture, I will not recommend it. It was a very laborious read.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun getting to read different perspectives of the island

[Laurie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an anthology I appreciated the chronology, yet I found many of the entries to end abruptly. Informative read for a tourist interested in the history of Cuba.

[Gina Schwartz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book of short stories gifted to me by my sister from her tirp to Cuba earlier this year. Most are fictional but they give some fascinating glimpses into Cuban life before the Revolution. One story that I likes in particular was the story of a family living in Havana but the father works in the country. The difference between their lives when he is home as opposed to when he is away as told by the family living upstairs is startling.

A good read about a really interesting place with a rich and diverse history.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

" I found it was bit Havana-centric but in general, it told the history of Cuba as seen by travelers (from english-dominated countries primarily) in a well balanced way which makes it seem more like a history of the country rather than as propaganda."
read more: http://likeiamfeasting.blogspot.gr/20...

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating views of Cuba, starting in 1687 and evolving history and viewpoints from slave ships to casinos and the mafia in 1958; excerpts from authors such as William Cullen Bryant,John Muir,Anais Nin and Langston Hughes. Now I want to pursue other works by this editor, John Jenkins.

[Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

a wonderful mixture of scholarly erudition and the cuban vernacular. you will read no better reportaj than this