Habanos: The Story of the Havana Cigar by Nancy Stout (1997, Hardcover)

Throughout the history of the cigar, the habano has been unequivocally considerd the pinnacle of smoking pleasure. This unparalleled quality of the Havana cigar has bound the idea of Cuba with its most coveted export, and has held the imaginations of aficionados around the world for 500 years.

By way of explaining the enduring phenomenon known as the habano, author and photographer Nancy Stout journeys deep into the history and culture of a nation, beginning in the beautiful and often enigmatic capital of Havana, then striking out to one of the great plantations of the Vuelta Abajo, where the tobacco's delicate leaves grow under protective canopies, and to an agricultural collective in the Vuelta Arriba, where tobaco del sol thrives under Cuba's brilliant sun. Along the way she introduces us to the doctrinaire jefe of the Antonio Briones Montoto collective farm; a master grower whose family has been cultivating tobacco for more than 150 years; and a legendary cigar roller who gives a transfixing lesson in the art of rolling the perfect cigar.

The pursuit of the story of the Havana cigar extends into time as well as space. Included is a thorough history of Cuban tobacco cultivation, beginning with Columbus's first voyage to the West Indies and chronicling Cuba's legacy of exploration, conquest, and struggle for economic and political indepedence.

Habanos: The Story of the Havana Cigar is the ideal guide to that most potent symbol of luxury, disciplined craft, and, indeed, of Cuba itself.