The Reader's Companion to Cuba
Journalist Ryan (Reader's Companion to Mexico, Harcourt, 1993) has brought together articles excerpted from the works of 23 authors, ranging from Anthony Trollope to Pico Iyer, who give us a portrait of Cuba as seen through travelers' eyes. The pieces are arranged chronologically, starting in 1859 and ending in 1992. Richard Henry Dana and Anthony Trollope visited the island at the same time and had very different views. Dana loved it, but Trollope found few attractions in Havana. He thought that the United States should take it over, as indeed the United States wanted to do. Langston Hughes, in his 1930 visit, found the color bar worked against him, mostly because of American influence. While this is not a political book, most of the recent authors find the American embargo and policies to be wrong-headed, though many find flaws in the policies of the Cuban government. This is an excellent book for anyone, but if a trip to Cuba is anticipated, it would be a profitable reading experience.?George M. Jenks, Bucknell Univ., Lewisburg, Pa.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.