Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause

"Viva Bacardi" according to T. Graczewski. I took a fantastic cultural exchange trip to Cuba in November 2015. In preparation for the trip I read a variety of books about Cuba: biographies, memoirs, novels and histories. “Barardi,” by Tom Gjelten of NPR fame, was probably the single best introduction to the island’s history and contemporary affai. Amazon Customer said a trip to Cuba and thought it wold be great insight into its history and culture. I bought this book because I was planning a trip to Cuba and thought it wold be great insight into its history and culture. I wasn't disappointed. It is great historical account of not only the Bacardi family but also how the Rum industry has deep roots in Cuban culture and economy. The writing is excellent and its a joy . Complete but TMI, too much information. Kindle Queen Very complete history of the Bacardi empire as it intertwines with the history of Cuba. It is by turns fascinating, but often slows down because of so many names and details. I would say this book is definitive, just not always easily readable. It is a bit of a chore to finish the book. Gjelten is to be commended for his

With his intimate account of their struggles and adventures across five generations, Gjelten brings to life the larger story of Cuba's fight for freedom, its tortured relationship with America, the rise of Fidel Castro, and the violent division of the Cuban nation.. The company Facundo Bacardi, launched in Cuba in 1862, brought worldwide fame to the island, and in the decades that followed, his Bacardi descendants participated in every aspect of Cuban life. In this widely hailed book, NPR correspondent Tom Gjelten fuses the story of the Bacardi family and their famous rum business with Cuba's tumultuous experience over the last 150 years to produce a deeply entertaining historical narrative