I liked: size, weight, respectful attitude toward Cuban people & history.
Had problems with: incomplete & outdated info. Check their website before you go.

The Rough Guide is extremley informative. It provides basic facts , contact information , and tips on travel to Cuba. I was surprised at the comprehensive information on all regions of Cuba , not just Havana. I'm going to test the book out this summer when I visit Havana , then I'll see if it deserves a higher rating.

This guide runs a very close second to Christopher Baker's Cuba: Moon Travel Handbook. It is extremely informative and the basic information section is one of the best.

The central part of the guide (accommodations, restaurants and sights) is one of the most accurate on the market (though McAuslan's comments are very terse). The maps were easy to use and above the average found in most other Cuban guides. This guide has one of the best bibliographies on Cuba found in a guide book today, but sadly lacks any mention of notable films that can be viewed to gain an appreciation of this country.

On the downside, the index DID NOT list hotels or restaurants and this required that you flip through the section until you find the listing you wanted (especially a hassle in Havana). There were NO email or Internet addresses to speak of (especially useful for the hotels) even though the published date is 2000. That is disappointing considering that almost every hotel listed in this book is, and have been using cyberspace for the past few years.

The strength of this guide, as with most Rough Guides, is its first hand knowledge that is geared for the budgeted adventure traveler. The selections that list accommodations and restaurants, included budget hostels and eateries that are often disregarded in other guides. A trademark to Rough Guides is the placement of the history, culture, people, etc. at the end of the guide instead of at the beginning.

Over all this is a VERY GOOD, and informative guide, that I strongly recommend. Only slightly better is "Cuba" by Christopher Baker's (Moon Travel Guides, [see review]) and just a notch behind is "Cuba" by David Stanley (Lonely Planet [see review]). Regardless, you will not go wrong with any of these three guides. Recommended