5 comments about The Havana Cigar: Cuba's Finest.

1. With the plethora of books currently available on cigars in general and on Habanos in particular, this is (still) the one item no cigar aficionado dare be without.



2. This is a great reference book for specific havana brands. Life sized images of most cigars from nearly all brands is included along with vitola information and author's tasting notes/suggestions. This is in addition to general cigar information like history of tobacco, tobacco cultivation and creating a cigar. The specific details are a bit dated (1997) but still the best I have seen published in the US. However, Min Ron Nee's text is superior if you can obtain it.



3. I found this book at Amazon while searching for the second printing of "An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars" by Min Ron Nee, that I understand is soon to be released for sale within the United States.
   
   Mr. del Todesco's book, though now nearly ten years old, remains a valuable addition to the library of anyone who has an interest in Cuban cigars. The first 130 or so pages contain a detailed history of Cuba's cigar-making as well as a seed-to-cigar description of the creation of Cuban cigars. Most of these pages consist of excellent photographs of Cuba and of the farmers, torcedors and others whose skill and knowledge contribute to the manufacture of, arguably, the best cigars on earth. The last half of the book consists of sepia photgraphs and brief descriptions and tasting notes of the brands (marcas) and sizes (vitolas) of Cuban cigars that were in commercial production in 1996. Comparing these notes to more recent reviews of examples of later productions of these cigars is fascinating.
   
   I'm glad that I happened to have stumbled onto the existence of this beautiful volume.



4. I agree with Van55. (What else is new?!) This is a fantastic book. I bought my copy used through Amazon over a year ago, and I am still making reference to it. If you are a fan of quality Cuban cigars, you need this volume along with Min Ron Nee's work. In contrast to Min Ron Nee's book, this one has much more on the history and production of the cigars. The photos, many full page, are colorful and moving.
   
   While this book does have descriptions and evaluations of various vitolas, the ones in MRN's book are much more thorough and complete. That does not mean that the ones you will find in the book are not useful, but they are best treated as an overview. Don't look for detail here. But then again, this book is less than half the price of the MRN book, and it is much easier to find.
   
   Again, you probably need both books, but buy this one first. You won'd be disappointed. Makes a great coffee table book too!



5. I really appreciated this book for the photography and the explanation of the manufacturing process. Del Todesco does a great job of walking the reader through the myriad processes of creating a puro. The only thing about this book that left me a little disappointed was the review of cigars in the back. It seems a little difficult to review a cigar in one sentence, especially cigars that are as complex as a Montecristo #2 or a Hoyo de Monterrey...but time and again, he sums up an otherwise world famous cigar as "suitable for a beginner" or "mild, not much to recommend about this cigar". It just struck me as odd to have a compilation as deep as what is presented in this book and then give the cigars an extremely indifferent and passing glance en masse. The first 130 pages were interesting no matter what level of aficianado you are...the encyclopedia could use a good second edition enhancement.

5 comments about Genocide in Bosnia: The Policy of Ethnic Cleansing (Eastern European Studies).

1. Cigar's "Genocide in Bosnia" is a commendable analysis of the political developments, primarily in Serbia, which eventually made possible the atrocities committed in Bosnia, and of the equivocation and general impotence of Western Europe and America in the early phases of the war. Cigar unambiguously takes the view that genocide was in fact committed in Bosnia, first and primarily by the Serbian forces and later by the Croats, and he backs up this argument with a great deal of meticulous research. Cigar's crucial point is that creating the political atmosphere which made it possible for a large number of people to accept what were generally genocidal actions was a top-down process, initiated and fomented by political leaders such as Milosevic (and later Croatia's Tudjman) who found that vitriolic and virulent nationalism was useful means to cement their hold on power. This, of course, flies in the face of the oft-repeated view of conflict fueled by irrational "ancient ethnic hatreds" proffered by spineless politicians and Balkan "experts." The truth was (and is) that the dubious concept of historical memory was simply a political tool to generate and maintain mass support. Perhaps Cigar can be criticized for having an excessively pro-Muslim bias, but regardless of what one thinks of individual Muslims political or military leaders, the Bosnian Muslims, and all of those (Muslim, Croat or Serb) who wanted a unified multiethnic Bosnia, were by far the primary victims of the war. My principal criticism is that Cigar overplays the extent of opposition and criticism to the Croat-Muslim conflict and official Croatian policy toward Bosnia in general among certain groups and institutions in Croatia (while at the same time downplaying such opposition in Serbia). Particularly questionable is Cigar's example of the Catholic Church as a source of opposition to Tudjman's policies in Croatia. While many in the Church hierarchy did make guarded public protests, much of the Church's rank-and-file passively or actively supported Tudjman's nationalist policies (this was very much the case in Herzegovina). Also, the last few chapters, in which Cigar discusses prospects for the future and dwells on junctions where different policy actions could have been taken are both dated (the book was published in 1995 before the key turning points in both Croatia and Bosnia that year) and engage in too much pointless speculation.



2. This book dissects meticulously various reasons & aspects of the bosnian deluge. All in all, it's an indispensable reading. BUT, it oversimplifies one aspect of war: Croat-Muslim conflict. An uninformed reader may get the impression that Croats tried to cleanse Muslims from Central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Numbers speak the opposite:

   1. Intercommunal fighting ethnically "cleansed" 150,000 Croats from Muslim-held areas & 50,000 Muslims from Croat-held areas.

   2. Civilian victims of coldly calculated massacres: circa 200 Muslims and 960 Croats.

   3. In Central Bosnia, Croatian forces ( HVO) fought ( successfully ) an uphill battle-they were outnumbered 12/1 by Muslim soldiers.

   *This* story was presented one-sidedly & schematically via accepted stereotypes ( poor Muslims, who as if by magic earned the name Bosnians, are purely & undisputably the sole victims ). Yet, they were as yet unrecognized aggressors & butchers as well.




3. This book reveals the gruesome atrocities that were committed in Bosnia during the Bosnian war. Many people assume that it was a civil war, when in fact it was a genocide. It has been corroborated that Serbians started the war in an attempt to annihilate non-Serbs and create a "Great Serbia", comprising of serbs only. Other reviewers who have criticized the book are clearly oblivious to the following facts: of the 300.000 victims in Bosnia- 85% were Muslims; 90% of all war crimes in Bosnia were committed by Serbs ( Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, Arkan and numerous others). On that account, we can conclude that Serbs are the perpetrators and Muslims are the victims. This is a fact of life. I highly recommend this book to people who want to know the truth about the war in Bosnia.



4. The truth in every war has two sides, two stories. This book is half of truth about war in Bosnia.



5. This is a best book on war in Bosnia by foreign writer that I have found to date. It is certainly not biased as Mr. Cigar is christian and Bosniaks are muslims. It is a powerful account of events that happened there and recommended reading for everyone interested in Balkans!

No comments about Artists in Wood: American Carvers of Cigar-Store Indians, Show Figures and Circus Wagons.

No comments about THE CONNOISSEUR'S BOOK OF THE CIGAR.

5 comments about Perelman's Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars - 2007 Edition.

1. This book is nothing more than a listing of every known cigar style and brand from every manufacturer known by the author. For each manufacturer, you have the country of origin, whether its handmade or machine rolled, and each cigar's shape, length, and ring size, wrapper and filling. In some cases, the manufacturers own description is included for some information on the cigar.
   
   It tells you nothing in the way of product reviews from the writer or his staff; there is no rating system, nor a price guide that allows the buyer to evaluate whether he/she is paying a fair price for the product. Sadly, all of this is available on the book's web site. but not in the "pocket cyclopedia".
   
   If you are well-versed cigar smoker, I suspect this might be useful as a resource to tell you which cigars are still being made, and which styles are still available. It also summarizes brands that have ceased, resurrected, and new manufacturers, which is interesting in an "almanac" style review. But, if you are a novice, this book won't help all that much.



2. This is a book that has a quite complete list of different cigars around the world. Not very good for Brasilian or Cuban cigars - but has all different Vitolas and is a good tool to have back home.
   The introduction is quite shallow about cigars, almost useless, but the rest of the book is fantastic.
   It's not a book to read. But a reference book.
   I enjoyed buying it.



3. Perlman's has been the standard Cigar encyclopedia for years. It has a comprehensive listing of almost all cigars that are made in the year of publication.
   
   Unfortunately, since there are so many new and limited run cigars that come out each year, one's released after the publication date don't show up.
   
   Despite this limitation, I always buy the yearly edition so I can get a good overall view of what's out there.



4. This is not a how-to book. Nor is it a review book. It simply tells you the sizes of every cigar in production at the time the book was released. From that view point, it is helpful to people in the business, or people who want to use it as a reference guide (sort of like a cigar dictionary). If you're looking to learn about cigar smoking, then I would not recommend this book, but rather one of the "cigar smoking for dummies" books or a an internet resource.



5. This book has everything an OCD-type individual could want. I keep a datatbase of cigars i've smoked as well as my reviews/ratings on them. This is a very helpful tool for that purpose. I enjoy it, beacuse it also gives depth on the blends and wrappers which isn't always readily available.

No comments about Jack Mckeon: Baseball, Cigars & Saint Theresa.

No comments about Illustrated History of Cigars (The Pleasures of Life).

4 comments about The Cigar Roller.

1. Whereas Pablo Medina's first two novels, "The Marks of Birth" and "The Return of Felix Nogara," were panoramic, semi-satiric murals of Cuban society and the Cuban exile experience, his new book, "The Cigar Roller" is a pungently poetic miniature concentrating on one brutal, careless yet richly human character. Amadeo Terra--lover of earth--is the titular cigar roller, left paralyzed and speechless in a 1940s Tampa hospital after a massive stroke. He blinks, he drools, he defecates, he eats the tasteless mush his nurse spoon-feeds him. Then, one day, the nurse gives Amadeo a spoonful of pureed mango, and--like a debased, low-down Proust--he finds that the paradisal taste causes all the memories of his life to come tumbling back to him. In deliberately disordered but evocative detail, Medina contrasts Terra's miserable present with his rough-and-tumble past, his snatch-and-grab philosophy of life, and--at the end--the horrible secret he must finally face up to. Amadeo is often hateful, but--presented as we are with the totality of his thoughts--we hesitate to call him evil. To know is to understand, and possibly even to forgive. Amadeo's story is interlaced with the dramatic history of Cuba in the late 19th century--the Spanish occupation and native insurgency that led to the Spanish-American War--and should tantalize American readers enough to look deeper into the subject. Short and exquisitely honed, "The Cigar Roller" is a compelling character study that lingers in the memory.



2. Pablo Medina is a writer of elegant prose and a man of great sensibility. Like a master cigar roller who tighly rolls together a bundle of dry tobacco leaves, Medina has crafted a novel that is as powerful and pleasing as a good Cuban puro.
   
   It's amazing how this book can make you cry, both from laughter and nostalgia.
   
   Fenomenal, Pablo, como siempre.



3. Medina's novel about a Cuban exile during his last days at a nursing home is poetic and luminous in spite of the protagonist's repugnant shortcomings. Medina not only enlightens the reader on the art of cigar rolling and its importance in Cuban culture and society, he weaves a beautiful, heartbreaking tale of a life ill-lived and what truly matters.



4. The Cigar Roller is the story of a Amadeo Terra, a Cuban-born Cigar Roller that has been paralyzed by a stroke. Amadeo is housed in a nursing home in Florida, isolated from the world. His children pay the bills, but never visit. He is unable to move or talk. And to the outside world, he is no more responsive than a vegetable. One day, as the nurse was feeding Amadeo his lunch of baby food, his memories are sparked by the taste of mango. He is immediately transported back to his childhood in Cuba.
   
   This novel is very well-written, although it does follow the stream of consciousness writing that I'm not particularly fond of reading. Amadeo is a man that has ill-spent almost his entire life and has many deep regrets. He alternates from the present time through many episodes of his past life, some good and some bad. You see snippets of his marriage to Julia, a Cuban woman that immigrated to Florida with him and their three sons. You see bits of life as a Master Cigar Roller. Images of his many mistresses and infidelities are also abound. And the death of his young son that haunts him. But you are also drawn into his life as an invalid, trying desperately to make someone, anyone, realize he CAN understand. You are also drawn into the incredibly inadequate treatment the infirmed receive in this nursing home.
   
   Even though the book was well-written, it probably won't be making my Top lists anytime soon! It was a short book for me, but I found it incredibly difficult to read. It's hard to have a lot of empathy for a man that really, truly was so detestable. And I'm not a fan of stream of consciousness writing. I find it very hard to enjoy. I was hoping for more about Amadeo's life as a Cigar Roller and culture of Cuba, and less of the clinical side of the stroke.

3 comments about Nat Sherman's a Passion for Cigars: Selecting, Preserving, Smoking, and Savoring One of Life's Greatest Pleasures.

1. This book covers the entire range of the cigar experience, from the history of cigar making, through the various countries that produce the best tobacco and cigars, through selection and care, to how to give a cigar dinner (with recipes!). I've given away two copies to friends and I'm ordering more.



2. Sherman's book is a good introduction to the art of cigars. The glimpse into the history of one of NY's premier cigar establishments is especially interesting, and the graphics are good. On the downside, I think the author spends too much time promoting his own brands, and occasionally strays from the core subject.



3. One would think that one of the world-renowned cigar makers/cigar shop owners would be snobbish and elitist. WRONG! Mr. Sherman writes like a true aristocrat, that is, without any snobbery or pretense. This is a very readable and useful guide I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys cigars or just wants to know more about them.

3 comments about Zippo Lighters: An Identification and Price Guide (Identification and Value Guides (Krause)).

1. While the book has some interesting information on the subject of Zippo lighters, I feel too much space is used to show old magazine ads for Zippo lighters. This space could have been used for more pictures of actual Zippo lighters and updated pictures from inside the Zippo factory. The pictures of the plant itself show workers putting Zippos in the old flame boxes which were only used until 1976. The other main issue of my dissapointment was the apparent lack of research that went in to the writing of the book. There are many errors in the style names of lighters shown in the pictures as well as the values. The biggest error that stuck in my head was where they said Zippo manufacturing cleans the lighters before they return them to the customers after they go through the repair clinic.
   It is unfortunate that Mr. Pope didn't have the opportunity to finish the book he started, perhaps more research of facts would have been done before publishing.
   While the book that David Poore wrote years ago is a bit outdated on the values, it is a very valuable piece of reference material for the novice and seasoned Zippo collector. I would strongly encourage anyone thinking of buying a book on Zippos that they consider Mr. Poores book instead.



2. Nice pictures, but author knows nothing about Zippo! Captions don't fit the pictures, prices are way off, but its nice to look at. Would not use as a reference book.



3. Excellent book but not good to have alone. This is more of a supplemental.