See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Havana World Series
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside another edition of this book

Havana World Series (Hardcover)

by Jose Latour (Author) "The last day that Angelo Dick spent in Havana, Cuba-October 1, 1958-began in a most auspicious way around 2 A.M., in the ascending elevator cage..." (more)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Available from these sellers.


4 used from £4.50
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (1) 6 used & new from £1.36
Paperback (New edition) £6.99 £6.29 30 used & new from £0.01

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Comrades in Miami

Comrades in Miami

by Jose Latour
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £6.29
Tango for a Torturer

Tango for a Torturer

by Daniel Chavarría
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £6.99
Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road

by Richard Yates
4.5 out of 5 stars (78)  £4.69
Tropical Animal

Tropical Animal

by Pedro Juan Gutierrez
3.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £5.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Orion (21 Oct 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0752861670
  • ISBN-13: 978-0752861678
  • Product Dimensions: 24.3 x 16.5 x 3.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,851,761 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Philip Oakes, LITERARY REVIEW
'Nervy, nail-biting tale ... it's the detail in all parts of the book which makes it so gripping, so painfully authentic.' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review
'Nervy, nail-biting tale ... it's the detail in all parts of the book which makes it so gripping, so painfully authentic.' (Philip Oakes LITERARY REVIEW )

'Latour has been billed as the king of 'Cuban Noir' and this dark, action-filled gang-fest proves that he's more than worthy of the crown.' (DAILY RECORD ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
The last day that Angelo Dick spent in Havana, Cuba-October 1, 1958-began in a most auspicious way around 2 A.M., in the ascending elevator cage of the plush, twenty-two-story apartment building where he lived. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

1 Review
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "We're making a bundle. It's too good to be true...", 5 Feb 2004
By Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Havana World Series (Hardcover)
Billed as a master of "Cuban noir," Jose Latour presents a dark novel of gambling, the American mob, and violence in Havana in 1958, during the presidency of Fulgencio Batista, a friend of mob boss Meyer Lansky. Lansky is deeply involved with the Casino at the Capri Hotel, having made deals with many of the employees, inspectors, and supervisors. Now, during the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Braves, he also expects to rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars in bets on the games. A motley group of locals, working for Elias Naguib, a businessman with ties to New York mob boss Joe Bonanno, has been planning a "fool-proof" robbery of Lansky's take, but ironically, the death of Pope Pius XII and the early closing of the casinos "out of respect" on the last night of the World Series changes the timing of the heist, and a bloody mess results.

Tawdry Havana with all its neon tackiness and grubby glamour comes alive here. Corrupt politicians, paid-off police, and mobsters control businesses ranging from prostitution and abortion to the international sugar, jewelry, gaming, and spare auto parts industries. Massive collusion leaves the average citizen powerless to control his own destiny, as Latour recreates the atmosphere which propels Fidel Castro to power a few months after the novel concludes. By alternating Lansky's activities with the play-by-play of each of the six World Series games, the author creates a sense of credibility and realism, and as the bodies pile up, the internecine rivalry among New York mob families adds external complications to the complex internal struggles for influence in Havana.

Latour is an extremely precise, controlled writer who has plotted his novel to the last microdetail, leaving no loose ends, and the novel moves along smartly, despite its complexity. Developing drama and suspense through his careful selection of details and his ability to create a milieu by amassing specifics and piling them upon each other, he allows himself no forays into romantic description or heart-tugging literary pictures. What you "see" here of Havana appears to be presented with almost journalistic impartiality. Complex and exciting in its plotting and fully detailed in its depiction of 1958 Havana, this is a fine novel, bold and masculine in its presentation and full of the violence and uncertainty which presaged Castro's arrival into Havana. Mary Whipple

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Make A Wish

Get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk Wish List.

›More info on Wish Lists

  

Up to 50% off Dental Care

Braun Oral-B Professional Care 6000 Rechargeable Toothbrush - Pack of 2
Put a sparkle in your smile with up to 50% off selected Oral-B and Philips rechargeable toothbrushes.

›Up to 50% off power toothbrushes

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates