It appears the cigar has arrived. Long relegated to boardroom or back room card table, the cigar has emerged into broad daylight, attaining mass appeal while holding on to its macho mystique. And amid the available (or not so available) assortment of cigars, 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.After two years in Cuba researching the production of the cigar, Charles Del Todesco has pulled together a remarkable two-part testament to this legendary status symbol. In part one he reviews the hollowed history of cigars in Cuba, then describes in detail the processes involved in creating them. The color photographs that accompany his cogent text reveal the beauty of the land and the hands and faces of the craftsmen and women behind each new Havana. Part two is an invaluable cigar reference, featuring a catalogue raisonne that provides a handsome portfolio of all Havana cigars currently available, shown actual size.

An ideal intro.