Cubans: The Ultimate Cigars

Rating:
Summary: easy to read and enjoy,for the aficionado
Review: A very good book for both the beginner of fine "habanos" as well as the enthusiasts.It's a journey of cuba,its cigars and a man's (Mara) thirst for answers to a cigar lover "taboo".Easy to read format w/o all the spanish lingo,some may not understand.A quick "must" read for all cuban cigar lovers out there who want to escape to cuba to enjoy a cigar along with the "isla" they come from.

Rating:
Summary: A compact, lively account of the history of the Cuban cigar.
Review: For the most part, my own past cigar-smoking experience was limited to the venerable but pedestrian White Owls and those formidible, "separate the men from the boys" little Italian smokes that looked vaguely like blackish cat scats and rather tasted like them, too. But on a couple of occasions over the years I was presented with a genuine Cuban cigar and found the experience of drawing on it a unique and rewarding one, somewhat like driving a Porsche rather than a Chevy. It is easy to understand why the true Havana cigar possesses an enduring mystique all its own and why cigar afficionados - in spite of all the dire health warnings on smoking of any form - continue to revere, and to smoke them. I've since given up cigars for the pipe, but when I came across this compact little tome on the Cuban cigar I couldn't resist picking it up, if for no other reason than to learn the how's, why's and wherefore's of those fragrant Cuban cigars that I had tasted and enjoyed all too briefly in the past. I was not disappointed by my purchase. Author William P.Mara has clearly done his homework where it comes to the history and allure of the Cuban cigar, its many current incarntions, and the methods by which they are cultured, nurtured and manufactured. The book, although of small format (4 1/2" x 7 1/4"), packs a great deal of fascinating information within its pages, not the least of which is the author's "travelogue" chapter, in which he relates with flair his adventures in journeying to Cuba, today off-limits to Americans by federal decree, in search of cigar fact and fancy and the people who grow and make them. "Cubans" offers a wide variety of topics, including the history of the Cuban cigar industry, the complex process of the manufacture of the smokes, current popular Cuban brands, the effect of the continuing United States embargo against Cuba on the availability of the Cuban cigar, and the ongoing problems of smuggling and counterfeiting. The photographs, all taken by the author, are of excellent quality, and there is a very useful bibliography. In sum, I highly recommend this informative little book to both serious students of world-class cigars and to those readers simply seeking a lively account of just why Cuban cigars have long occupied such an exalted position in the annals of smoking lore. I give "Cubans" - both the Rolls Royce of smokes and the book - five stars - I know you'll enjoy them both.

Rating:
Summary: Very Clear, Informative and Comprehensive.
Review: I'm probably the world's youngest to enjoy Cuban Cigars. (I'm 19) But nonetheless, this book was great. Robustos and Montecristo's are my 'current' favourite. The feeling you get when you lay back and puff on one of these...INCREDIBLE. Takes you to another world.

If your gonna smoke on one of these, enjoy it with a glass of Cristal or Dom P. France's Finest.

*The World Is Yours*

MB.

Rating:
Summary: A little thin
Review: The part of this book that deals strictly with cigar brands and characteristics of those brands is ok, but could use more detail and more photos. Unfortunately, the author devoted too much space to a very shoddy synopsis of Cuban history. Instead of enlightening the reader, the author made clear his own lack of background in Cuban history; since this isn't supposed to be a history book, perhaps the author could have either left out that section, or had someone more qualified write it. Disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: An EXCELLENT book...
Review: This is a book to be avoided by aficionados, since it is very basic and general in its approach and adds absolutely no new information to that which can be found in previously published books and magazine articles.

The author would have done better by presenting this book as a personal diary rather than a book which is supposed to supply information as to why Cubans are "The Ultimate Cigars."

Rating:
Summary: Stricly for beginners and Americans traveling to Cuba
Review: This is a book to be avoided by aficionados, since it is very basic and general in its approach and adds absolutely no new information to that which can be found in previously published books and magazine articles.

The author would have done better by presenting this book as a personal diary rather than a book which is supposed to supply information as to why Cubans are "The Ultimate Cigars."

Rating:
Summary: Ultimate?
Review: This is an interesting book about Cuban cigars. There are good bits concerning how cigars are made, the processes involved and some historical references. It may interest the US reader as the book has a very readable section on the embargo.

The section on the cigar brands is a bit confusing and it really refers to the history of that brand as opposed to what the cigars are like and what signature pieces are produced by that brand. If it were to be a historical reference then the omission of names like Davidoff and Dunhill would be a bit remiss.

To summarise, it is more of a story book which is very interesting. This is NOT a reference book, nor does it pretend to be! It is very well written and I enjoyed it even if I didn't really learn from it.

Rating:
Summary: An EXCELLENT book...
Review: WOW! What an unbelievable book!!! I've been a big fan of Cuban cigars for years (on those rare occasions when I can get them), and I really have to say that this is BY FAR the best book on Cuban cigars available. Every topic imaginable is covered-history, making, brands, the embargo, counterfeiting...you name it! And the book only retails for $20.00!!! I hadn't seen a cigar book for under $30.00 until this one came along, and it was better than any of the others! There's also a chapter at the end that details the author's trip to Cuba while he wrote and took pictures for the book, and it's really, really good. Great writing (some times very funny), and very interesting to anyone who loves cigars (or just has a passing interest in Cuba). I read over the other three reviews on amazon before I wrote this one, and I really don't know what the guy from Israel is talking about. He says this book isn't for aficionados, but in truth this is the kind of book that MAKES YOU an aficionado. Like I said at the beginning-WOW! If you like cigars, this one's a MUST-HAVE.