Cigars, mojitos, beaches, baseball and Hemingway haunts are all very well. But for those who want to pack along 500 years of history with their sunscreen, here is a lively and unbiased primer on Cuba that reflects the island's remarkable history.
Covering Cuba's history from the first tourist--Christopher Columbus--to the latest of the CIA's 40 assassination attempts against President Fidel Castro, Cuba: A Concise History for Travellers covers Cuba from the off-limits birthplace of El Presidente to the country's most sacred site, the Virgin of Copper church.

Accompanied by more than 30 black and white photos, Cuba contains a one-of-a-kind Dictatorship Index, a CIA Hit (& Miss) List and information on:

* How and why Che Guevara died
* Fidel Castro's family tree and love life
* Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis
* The Mafia, gambling, prostitution

For tourists and armchair travellers alike, Cuba provides a thoughtful and fascinating look into the Caribbean's largest and most controversial country.