Havana Nocturne

How the Mob Owned Cuba...and Then Lost It to the Revolution

By: T. J. English

Narrated by: Mel Foster

Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

In Havana Nocturne, T. J. English offers a riveting, multifaceted true tale of organized crime, political corruption, roaring nightlife, revolution, and international conflict that interweaves the dual stories of the mob in Havana and the event that would overshadow it: the Cuban Revolution.

Bringing together long-buried historical information and English's own research in Havana - including interviews with the era's key survivors - Havana Nocturne takes listeners back to Cuba in the years when it was a veritable devil's playground for mob leaders Meyer Lansky and Charles "Lucky" Luciano. Thanks to strong ties with the island's brutal dictator, President Batista, the mob soon owned the biggest luxury hotels and casinos and launched an unprecedented tourist boom.

But their dreams collided with those of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and others who would lead the country's disenfranchised to overthrow their corrupt government and its foreign partners - an epic cultural battle that English captures in all its sexy, decadent, ugly glory.

©2008 T. J. English (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"English's engaging narrative reads with the gripping quality of fiction: the dark underworld of Havana comes to life....Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)
"Crime writer English...unfolds a story whose main outline will be familiar to any fan of The Godfather: Part II, but whose twists and turns no screenplay could keep up with." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Dope.

This book was dope. Learned a lot. Best deal of the day so far. Six words remain till the end.

Well written

Interesting and riveting. Well documented and. Researched. Thank you for great entertainment and truthful information.

Interesting But Not Super Engaging

Intersting read but performance and story are a bit on the dry side. More history lesson than insider’s view. If you are a true mafia buff I would still recommend.

I expected more dish about the night life

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would make it less about the facts and figures and more about the beauty of the island and the people, the night life, the glitz and glamour.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something less historical. This makes two in a row about Latin countries that failed to bring the local feel I was after.

Did Havana Nocturne inspire you to do anything?

Stop reading it.

I want to like it

I want to like the book, but it comes across as fairly dry, despite the sometimes exciting material.

My download has a production problem in that 2 hours in part 1 are repeated. I'm not sure if that's a Blackstone problem or an Audible problem.

An excellent history lesson

Offers a fascinating look into an interesting and important period, and provides a real challenge to those who think Castro is evil.

Fabulous

If you could sum up Havana Nocturne in three words, what would they be?

One great book!

What about Mel Foster’s performance did you like?

not overly dramatic

Any additional comments?

Audible customers should not worry about the comments about the reader. I found him to be fine, not overly dramatic, which fits the book precisely, since it IS dramatic. This book is excellent- so well written and so fascinating. It kept me company on a long road trip, and I could not wait to get back behind the wheel. This story has it all: high drama, mob, politics, sex, money, and the assassination of JFK. And so well put together and researched. I'm recommending it to everyone.

Need-to-know Cuban-American history

Would you listen to Havana Nocturne again? Why?

I have listened to it again. Several times. Primarily for the analysis and opinion about an incredible, misunderstood period of American History. I felt enriched by knowing new things.

What did you like best about this story?

This was a story about the US Mafia, a dictator and the rise of Fidel Castro. It explains Cuba's unique evolution towards communism, some of the unknown story of Fidel, and the unbelievably ambitious activities of the Mafia. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. It's one of the real Gems of US history. You should not miss out on a good long gawk at this one. The portrayal of all the colorful/horrible mobsters can't be missed either. It's like Game of Thrones, except it's all real.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Castro was tried in secret, and turned it to his advantage. He was (at that moment) possibly the cleverest lawyer on earth. Also: Brave as Hell. It does not surprise me at all he is Cuba's most notable leader.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Everything you need to know about what happened in Cuba, and the people who did it.

Any additional comments?

It never fails to impress me how intertwined we are with the culture and history of the nations that bound us. We believe ourselves to be an island, but we're not. This is one story is about the Americas - America in the larger sense - the company of nations.

Business Trouble In Paradise

Before this book I had, of course, heard that the Mob once had ties to Cuba, but I never realized the extent of that involvement. I found this historical account to be very engaging and, at times, even quite exciting. The most interesting element is the business acumen exercised by the mob bosses who ran the casinos in Cuba as lucrative profit making ventures; staying within the local laws and customs. Their skills, garnered through years of illegal operations in the United States, served them well in dealing with the warlords of the Cuban dictatorship. Had it not been for the revolution of Fidel Castro the mob may have built a Caribbean empire; a sovereign underworld nation.

Mel Foster’s narration is quite dramatic and many of the people are given accents that help to keep the figures straight.

Interesting story, VERY DETAILED!

Very detailed information, at times far too detailed. Some of the tangents are a little too distant from the story line.
The narration is a little too slow. But that's rectified by playing the book at x1.25 speed.