Smithsonian Institution Press is pleased to join Motta Fotografia, one of Europe's foremost publishers of photography, in presenting a series showcasing the work of postwar masters. Each book includes more than forty duotone or color images and represents an original approach to a particular theme by one of the century's finest documentary or fine-art photographers. Reports of poverty and waves of refugees have given most Americans the impression that contemporary Cuba is paralyzed by communist austerity and drained by economic isolation. Yet in Cuba y Cuba, Rene Burri, a Swiss-born documentary photographer who has turned his lens on the island since the early 1960s, records a people emanating quiet pride even as they wait for change.

Popular music in the Americas, from jazz, Cuban and Latin salsa to disco and rap, is overwhelmingly neo-African. Created in the midst of war and military invasion, and filtered through a Western worldview, these musical forms are completely modern in their sensibilities: they are in fact the very sound of modern life. But the African religious philosophy at their core involved a longing for earlier eras-ones that pre-dated the technological discipline of labor forced on captive populations by the European occupiers. In this groundbreaking new book, Timothy Brennan shows how the popular music of the Americas-the music of entertainment, nightlife, and leisure-is involved in a devotion to an African religious worldview that survived the ravages of slavery and found its way into the rituals of everyday listening. In doing so he explores the challenge posed by Afro-Latin music to a world music system dominated by a few wealthy countries and the processes by which Afro-Latin music has been absorbed into the imperial imagination.

From revolution to embargo, from the charms of old Havana to aquamarine seas and powdery beaches, from the hypnotic rhythms of Afro-Caribbean music to resilient, proud locals, "Travelers' Tales Cuba" burns with stories of Cuba's intriguing past and vibrant present.

The first career retrospective of Rene Burri, one of the world's greatest living photographers, is now available in paperback. Known the world over for his iconic images of Che Guevara and Brasília, Burri's remarkable and adventurous work is brought together in this career-spanning collection. More than a photography monograph, this is also a history book of the major political events and key personalities of the twentieth century seen through the eyes of one man. The photographs range through Europe to the Middle East, Vietnam, Cuba and beyond, and portray political and artistic figures like Che Guevara, Winston Churchill, Picasso and Le Corbusier. The culmination of several years of scholarly research by the distinguished writer Hans Michael Koetzle, this book reveals Burri's important contribution to reportage photography and forms a fascinating personal account of the history, politics and culture of the twentieth century.

Celia Sánchez is the missing actor of the Cuban Revolution. Although not as well known in the English-speaking world as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, Sánchez played a pivotal role in launching the revolution and administering the revolutionary state. She joined the clandestine 26th of July Movement and went on to choose the landing site of the Granma and fight with the rebels in the Sierra Maestra. She collected the documents that would form the official archives of the revolution, and, after its victory, launched numerous projects that enriched the lives of many Cubans, from parks to literacy programs to helping develop the Cohiba cigar brand. All the while, she maintained a close relationship with Fidel Castro that lasted until her death in 1980. The product of ten years of original research, this biography draws on interviews with Sánchez’s friends, family, and comrades in the rebel army, along with countless letters and documents. Biographer Nancy Stout was initially barred from the official archives, but, in a remarkable twist, was granted access by Fidel Castro himself, impressed as he was with Stout’s project and aware that Sánchez deserved a worthy biography. This is the extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman who exemplified the very best values of the Cuban Revolution: selfless dedication to the people, courage in the face of grave danger, and the desire to transform society.