Magnificently evoking the country's romance and drama as well as its darker episodes of slavery and tyranny, this selection of journal entries, essays, and guidebook commentaries transports the reader to the days when Havana sheltered Caribbean pirate treasure ships and was the gateway to the Spanish empire in the New World. Later chapters reflect the "American era" when Cuba was transformed into a glittering tourist and gambler's paradise operated by the Mafia. The author of several books of poetry, two books on contemporary music, a libretto, and many other publications, Jenkins won the prestigious international James Joyce Foundation Suspended Sentence Award in 2004.  (CBA137, $15.95)