A unique history of Cuba, captured in the life and times of the famous rum dynasty
The Bacardis of Cuba, builders of a rum distillery and a worldwide brand, came of age with their nation and helped define what it meant to be Cuban. Across five generations, the Bacardi family has held fast to its Cuban identity, even in exile from the country for whose freedom they once fought. Now National Public Radio correspondent Tom Gjelten tells the dramatic story of one family, its business, and its nation, a 150-year tale with the sweep and power of an epic.
The Bacardi clan--patriots and "bon vivants," entrepreneurs and intellectuals--provided an example of business and civic leadership in its homeland for nearly a century. From the fight for Cuban independence from Spain in the 1860s to the rise of Fidel Castro and beyond, there is no chapter in Cuban history in which the Bacardis have not played a role. In chronicling the saga of this remarkable family and the company that bears its name, Tom Gjelten describes the intersection of business and power, family and politics, community and exile.

En 1862, Facundo Bacardi aposto por crear en Cuba una pequena destileria de ron, una bebida que hasta entonces solo consumian marineros y obreros. Pronto el ron Bacardi se convertiria en la bebida favorita de la isla y quedaria ligado a la identidad cubana.
Recorriendo la historia de la familia Bacardi, que siempre ha estado en primer plano en todos los grandes acontecimientos de la historia de Cuba --desde la Independencia hasta el actual embargo pasando por la Revolucion y Bahia de Cochinos-- Tom Gjelten ha escrito una epica narrativa que explica la Cuba moderna, sus tormentosas relaciones con Estados Unidos, la ascension de Fidel Castro --de la que se ofrece una perspective hasta ahora desconocida-- y la violenta division que sufre la nacion cubana desde entonces.