"A good Cuban cigar closes the door to the vulgarities of the world." Franz Liszt The cigar has arrived. Long relegated to boardrooms and backroom card tables, the cigar has emerged to attain mass appeal while still holding on to its macho mystique. Amid the wide assortment of cigars available, the Havana stands head and shoulders above the rest. Grown on patches of land at the western tip of Cuba, cured, and rolled following centuries-old traditions, for decades illegal in the United States, it has a flavor-- and a cachet--all its own. From Christopher Columbus to Fidel Castro, the Havana cigar is deeply enmeshed in Cuba's history. An ideal introduction for the cigar neophyte as well as a superb guide for the aficionado, this book explores the making of the legendary cigar, revealing the 316 manoeuvres necessary to make one, and illuminating details about its various production sites. Beautiful imagery takes the reader into the artisanal world that has given the island an unmistakable ambiance.

Also included is a catalogue raisonne of Havana cigars, essential to any collector. After two years in Cuba researching the production of the cigar, Charles Del Todesco has penned a remarkable testament to this legendary status symbol, reviewing the hallowed history of cigars in Cuba, and describing in detail the processes involved in creating them. Original photography by Patrick Jantet reveals the beauty of the land and the hands and faces of the craftsmen and -women behind each Havana cigar. Also included is an invaluable catalogue raisonne of Havana cigars. 150 illustrations.