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 enlarge | Author: T. J. English
Publisher: William Morrow
Category: Book
List Price: $27.95
Buy New: $14.50
You Save: $13.45 (48%)
New (54) Used (20) from $14.45
Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 1236
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 416
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 0061147710
Dewey Decimal Number: 364.106097291
EAN: 9780061147715
ASIN: 0061147710
Publication Date: June 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 40
 Ah, the Good Old Days...gone forever! October 10, 2008
Mcgivern Owen L (NY, NY USA)
Author English explores the wild Havana scene with a zestful flourish. It all started after WW2 but the 1950s were Havana's heyday. Anything went in the swinging nightclubs, casinos and bars. All were thoroughly controlled by various Mafia dons. What an incredible party it must have been! English touches all the bases here in exquisite detail, supported by 45 pages of source material. Dominating the Cuban side of events were Fulgencio Batista, the rapaciously greedy dictator and the man who toppled him from power, a young radical named Fidel Castro. It is not clear who the dominant Mafiosi was in Havana, but the author appears to favor Meyer Lansky. ML was the guy played by Lee Strasberg in "Godfather 2" and by Ben Kingsley in "Bugsy". Some 20/20hindsight is critical to the plot: The looming shadow of Fidel Castro' revolution hovers over HN, ready to sweep in and spoil the party. That is exactly what happened in real life but so many top players seem to have been taken by surprise. This reader would point to 4 highpoints to HN. The first gives real world context to those Havana scenes from "Godfather 2", (except that Lansky died of old age and was not murdered in an airport). The second was the background on the rubout of Albert Anastasia in 1957 in the barbershop at the old Park Sheraton Hotel in New York. Anastasia wanted a bigger piece of the Havana action than the boys were willing to give him. The third is those wonderful centerfold photos. These put human faces on the Havana players including the freshly demised Mr. Anastasia. Finally, there are some nice Mafia war stories including that famous one about the 1941 "suicide" of Abe Reles ("Kid Twist"). The Kid jumped, fell or was pushed to his death from a Coney Island hotel while guarded by 6 of New York City's finest. The bottom line here is that HN is fun reading, even at hardcover prices. The only possible downside is that the story may be a tad too long. Most fans of true crime/mafia tales will hardly object. HN is a book to enjoy. They are certainly not making any more 1950 era Havana's. HN is a first rate opportunity to read about it.
 An unexpected gem. October 3, 2008
M. Strong (Milwaukee, WI USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I picked this book up in a situation where very little was available to me. It looked interesting, but wasn't something I'd have picked out from a larger selection. I'm really happy my selection was limited.
It's great when a good author with solid research skills finds an undertold story and brings it to life. Such is the case with Havana Nocturne. English really brings to life the glory days of the Havana nightlife in the 1940s and 1950s and makes you wish you could experience it (or at least parts of it) for yourself. Beyond that, English really exposes pieces of history that you're unlikely to get in a traditional history education.
One of my favorite parts of reading this book: I'd always heard stories that JFK and the CIA worked with the Mafia on plans to assassinate Fidel Castro; it sounded preposterous. After reading English's book, my thought has changed to, "well, that makes all the sense in the world."
This book simply introduced me to a fascinating part of history that I'd never considered before. I highly recommend it for any fan of history, mob stories, or stories of revolution, it's got all three in spades.
Good Read September 22, 2008
Michael R. Gazdacko (Providence, RI)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a great historical account of the Mob in Cuba. Their rise, the height of their power, and of course the fall. Complete with historical references and photos, it is great easy read. Entertaining and educational!
great book! September 20, 2008
Cindy Stickney
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Great book and one you need to read if you are into this type of thing.
Fascinating history lesson !!!! September 20, 2008
Philip Brice (Boynton Beach, Florida, USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This was one enjoyable book. I was always intrigued over Cuba mainly because of the beautiful women, great food and drink and the cigars. However, I was not alone because the book details how back in the day, everyone and their mother wanted to visit Cuba. I hope that one day the country will once again be able to open its doors for visitors to see its great offerings.
You will love this book with its insight into the history of the mob involvement.
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