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Earl Swagger #3
Havana
Havana, the sultry spring of 1953: gambling is expensive, sex is cheap, and death is free.
A half-hour by air from Miami, it's the world's hottest -- and most dangerous -- city. From the plush mobster casinos in Centro to the backstreet brothels on Zanja Street, you can get anything you want, for a price. The city is the linchpin of many the Mafia's, the CIA's, numerous American corporations', El Presidente's, and even the vice lords' of Old Havana. It must be protected at all costs.
But now there's a threat. A young lawyer, a kid named Castro, is giving speeches. He speaks of reform, of change, of self-determination. He speaks of...of revolution even.
This danger must be dealt with. So, into the steamy, sunny climate of corruption come two men, both unafraid, both skilled, both tough as ball bearings. They would be friends in a sane world, for they are so similar in their capabilities and experiences. But now they have to be enemies, because the Cold War is at its one is American, the other Russian.
The American is named Earl Swagger. A Medal of Honor winner on Iwo Jima, a toughened gunman from adventures in Hot Springs and the swamps of Mississippi, Earl has been conned by two young Old Boys of the CIA to become Our Gun in Havana.
The Russian, Speshnev, also a veteran of tough battles (from Spain in '36 to Berlin in '45, with a few stays in the gulag just for seasoning), has a similar he too is sent by strategic gamesters to pay attention to that same young orator. But his job is protection, not elimination.
Neither man's assignment will be easy. For, like an orchid hot house, Havana's climate grows spectacular the wise old mobster king Meyer Lansky, who runs the casinos for his nervous New York sponsors; the syndicate hitman Frankie Carbine, Frankie Horsekiller of the famed Times Square massacre; the secret police officer called Ojos Bellos -- Beautiful Eyes -- for his penchant to interrogate at scalpel point; the beautiful Filipina Jean-Marie Augustine, who knows so much; and even those crew-cut, cheery young CIA fellows on the embassy's Third Floor, behind whose baby-blues and tender faces lurk all manner of deviousness. And everybody wants something.
In Havana, Stephen Hunter has produced a truly epic adventure story, shot-through with violence, eroticism, and the pressures of big money and big politics, set in a legendary time and place. His hero, Earl Swagger, fights his enemies, his superiors, and his own temptations and, in the end, has to decide what is worth killing for -- and what is worth dying for. He knows only one thing for that he's a pawn in somebody else's game. But a pawn with a Colt Super .38 in his shoulder holster and the skill and will to use it fast and well is a formidable man, indeed.
A half-hour by air from Miami, it's the world's hottest -- and most dangerous -- city. From the plush mobster casinos in Centro to the backstreet brothels on Zanja Street, you can get anything you want, for a price. The city is the linchpin of many the Mafia's, the CIA's, numerous American corporations', El Presidente's, and even the vice lords' of Old Havana. It must be protected at all costs.
But now there's a threat. A young lawyer, a kid named Castro, is giving speeches. He speaks of reform, of change, of self-determination. He speaks of...of revolution even.
This danger must be dealt with. So, into the steamy, sunny climate of corruption come two men, both unafraid, both skilled, both tough as ball bearings. They would be friends in a sane world, for they are so similar in their capabilities and experiences. But now they have to be enemies, because the Cold War is at its one is American, the other Russian.
The American is named Earl Swagger. A Medal of Honor winner on Iwo Jima, a toughened gunman from adventures in Hot Springs and the swamps of Mississippi, Earl has been conned by two young Old Boys of the CIA to become Our Gun in Havana.
The Russian, Speshnev, also a veteran of tough battles (from Spain in '36 to Berlin in '45, with a few stays in the gulag just for seasoning), has a similar he too is sent by strategic gamesters to pay attention to that same young orator. But his job is protection, not elimination.
Neither man's assignment will be easy. For, like an orchid hot house, Havana's climate grows spectacular the wise old mobster king Meyer Lansky, who runs the casinos for his nervous New York sponsors; the syndicate hitman Frankie Carbine, Frankie Horsekiller of the famed Times Square massacre; the secret police officer called Ojos Bellos -- Beautiful Eyes -- for his penchant to interrogate at scalpel point; the beautiful Filipina Jean-Marie Augustine, who knows so much; and even those crew-cut, cheery young CIA fellows on the embassy's Third Floor, behind whose baby-blues and tender faces lurk all manner of deviousness. And everybody wants something.
In Havana, Stephen Hunter has produced a truly epic adventure story, shot-through with violence, eroticism, and the pressures of big money and big politics, set in a legendary time and place. His hero, Earl Swagger, fights his enemies, his superiors, and his own temptations and, in the end, has to decide what is worth killing for -- and what is worth dying for. He knows only one thing for that he's a pawn in somebody else's game. But a pawn with a Colt Super .38 in his shoulder holster and the skill and will to use it fast and well is a formidable man, indeed.
480 pages, ebook
First published October 7, 2003
345 people are currently reading
1071 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Hunter
110 books1,965 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
October 31, 2013
High summer in Cuba, 1953, and Havana gleams with possibility. Flush with booming casinos, sex and drugs, Havana is a lucrative paradise for everyone from the Mafia, Domino Sugar, and United Fruit to pimps, porn-makers, and anyone looking to grab a piece of the action - including the Cuban government, which naturally honors the interests of its old ally, Uncle Sam.
Of course, where there's paradise, trouble can't be far behind. Trouble, in this case, makes its entrance in the terrifically charismatic and silver-tongued form of a young revolutionary named Fidel Castro. The Caribbean is fast becoming a strategic Cold War hub, and Soviet intelligence has taken Castro under its wing. The CIA's response is to send the one man capable of eliminating Castro: the legendary gunfighter and ex-Marine hero Earl Swagger, who proved his lethal talent in the national bestsellers Hot Springs and Pale Horse Coming.
In Cuba, Earl finds himself up to his neck in treacherous ambiguity where the old rules about honor and duty don't apply, and where Earl's target seems to have more guts and good luck than anyone else in Cuba.
January 5, 2013
I do all my "reading" through listening to audio books. I loved the Earl Swagger books! I thought that Stephen Hunter did very well writing the time period. You just couldn't help but have the utmost respect for Earl. The only problem was the first two books had the same reader and he was perfect as the voice of Earl, very deep and rich a very masculine voice. But then this book they changed the reader. THEY RUINED THE BOOK!!! The writing was great but the reader was was pretty much the anti Earl. He had a very feminine voice and didn't have the same drawl or slowness that makes a good old southern boy. It felt like I had started a whole new book series. I couldn't believe they would ruin such a good story!!
October 23, 2014
Not a bad read, but he made caricatures of the main characters. The hero, Earl Swagger, was such a hero - good, faithful, loyal. The bad guys were so vile, dumb & almost comical, in some cases. It was just over the top.
The basic story was kind of interesting; Cuba before Castro took over. At the end of the book are two short articles that Hunter did after researching the area for his book.
For those fans of Bob Lee, we find out why he learned to shoot so well. If you haven't read any other books, Bob Lee Swagger, Earl's son, is the hero in several others, one of the best snipers in the world. I really liked a couple of these books.
The basic story was kind of interesting; Cuba before Castro took over. At the end of the book are two short articles that Hunter did after researching the area for his book.
For those fans of Bob Lee, we find out why he learned to shoot so well. If you haven't read any other books, Bob Lee Swagger, Earl's son, is the hero in several others, one of the best snipers in the world. I really liked a couple of these books.
March 21, 2018
Actually a lot better than most of the later Swagger novels, if you can ignore the racist stereotyping of Cubans, and Italians, and Jews, and the complete absence of strong female characters.
October 20, 2013
For background to Stephen Hunter's books, see my review of "Point of Impact."
Richard Hunter’s hero Bob Lee Swagger had a heroic father, Earl Swagger--Marine First Sergeant, Medal of Honor Winner, survivor of five Pacific island invasions in WWII, and Arkansas State trooper murdered in 1955. Several of Bob Lee Swagger series involve Dad, and Hunter has written a three-volume Earl Swagger series: Hot Springs, Pale Horse Coming, and Havana.
In this third of the series the CIA has become concerned about the loyalties of a young Cuban lawyer named Fidel Castro and is looking for the right man to “neutralize” him. The Soviet Union is looking for the right man to support and protect him. Earl Swagger gets involved on one side, and a Russian cockroach-eating bon vivant is released from the Siberian gulag to take the other side.
The real story is the incompetence and corruption of the Cuban government under Batista. The iconic real mafioso Meyer Lansky and a fictional Chicago killer named Frank "The Horsekiller" Carbine play parts in this tale: Lansky is the smart one; Frank is a blustery but dangerous idiot, Castro is a naive self-appreciating semi-idiot, and the Russian is a laugh riot. The CIA is a hive of animosities with class winning over smarts.
But, still, this is one of Hunter's weaker books. If only Bob Lee had joined his father on this jaunt!
Reviewed Books by Stephen Hunter
Earl Swagger Series
Hot Springs
Pale Horse Coming
Havana
Bob Lee Swagger Series
Point of Impact
Black Light
Time to Hunt
The 47th Samurai
Night of Thunder
I, Sniper
Dead Zero
The Third Bullet
Ray Cruz Series
Soft Target
Richard Hunter’s hero Bob Lee Swagger had a heroic father, Earl Swagger--Marine First Sergeant, Medal of Honor Winner, survivor of five Pacific island invasions in WWII, and Arkansas State trooper murdered in 1955. Several of Bob Lee Swagger series involve Dad, and Hunter has written a three-volume Earl Swagger series: Hot Springs, Pale Horse Coming, and Havana.
In this third of the series the CIA has become concerned about the loyalties of a young Cuban lawyer named Fidel Castro and is looking for the right man to “neutralize” him. The Soviet Union is looking for the right man to support and protect him. Earl Swagger gets involved on one side, and a Russian cockroach-eating bon vivant is released from the Siberian gulag to take the other side.
The real story is the incompetence and corruption of the Cuban government under Batista. The iconic real mafioso Meyer Lansky and a fictional Chicago killer named Frank "The Horsekiller" Carbine play parts in this tale: Lansky is the smart one; Frank is a blustery but dangerous idiot, Castro is a naive self-appreciating semi-idiot, and the Russian is a laugh riot. The CIA is a hive of animosities with class winning over smarts.
But, still, this is one of Hunter's weaker books. If only Bob Lee had joined his father on this jaunt!
Reviewed Books by Stephen Hunter
Earl Swagger Series
Hot Springs
Pale Horse Coming
Havana
Bob Lee Swagger Series
Point of Impact
Black Light
Time to Hunt
The 47th Samurai
Night of Thunder
I, Sniper
Dead Zero
The Third Bullet
Ray Cruz Series
Soft Target
March 20, 2008
Havana is another in the series of the Earl Swagger novels written by Hunter. Swagger is an expert rifleman, a highly decorated World War II hero, a police officer, and an all around tough guy.
In 1953, Swagger is brought to Cuba for the purpose of killing a young upstart revolutionary named Castro. Castro has gained some fame, but in regards to actually running a revolution is little more than an unwashed klutz. The Soviets have imported a mentor for Castro, and this character is by far the most interesting character. Add to this mixture the gangsters seeking to control Cuba and you have a mix for a decent read.
However, I never quite come to grips with the motivation of some of the characters. One of the gangsters, Frankie Carbine, in exile for a mistake he made in the states, is neither a character I can understand, much less love or hate. Why Swagger is willing to let himself knowingly be manipulated is beyond my understanding? And why he chooses to deal with Castro in the manner he does in the confrontation just hits me as absurd when contrasted with the actual climactic moments of the novel.
Still, Hunter writes a good action yarn, but it is only one step above pulp gangster fiction and I did not enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed some of the other novels in this series.
In 1953, Swagger is brought to Cuba for the purpose of killing a young upstart revolutionary named Castro. Castro has gained some fame, but in regards to actually running a revolution is little more than an unwashed klutz. The Soviets have imported a mentor for Castro, and this character is by far the most interesting character. Add to this mixture the gangsters seeking to control Cuba and you have a mix for a decent read.
However, I never quite come to grips with the motivation of some of the characters. One of the gangsters, Frankie Carbine, in exile for a mistake he made in the states, is neither a character I can understand, much less love or hate. Why Swagger is willing to let himself knowingly be manipulated is beyond my understanding? And why he chooses to deal with Castro in the manner he does in the confrontation just hits me as absurd when contrasted with the actual climactic moments of the novel.
Still, Hunter writes a good action yarn, but it is only one step above pulp gangster fiction and I did not enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed some of the other novels in this series.
June 13, 2014
A disappointment...
Havana didn't really do it for me at all. All the characters, including the brief and almost gratuitous appearances by a young Bib-Lee are very two-dimensional and wooden; and the use of the Castro character is more a gimmick than a useful part of the plot. It would have been better if the identity of the Castro character had not been revealed until the end so that there was more an element of uncertainly about his survival. As someone else said in another review, all the characters are caricatures: the very cool good guy, the devious unscrupulous CIA, the dodgy Russians, the incompetent Cubans, and the greasy greedy Mafia.
The plot is pretty average and uninspiring. A better story could have been told if the author had opted to not further milk the Swagger franchise - if it were entitled Hillbilly in Havana, you would have most of the story right there - and built the story around Zek 4715, by far the best and most interesting character in the story.
Comparing this to the other Swagger stories - I have only read ones in the Bob-Lee series - I think that this book is a sign that the Swagger franchise is pretty much expended. That is hinted at in the author's note where he thanks his publisher for the idea of 'Earl in Havana' as none of his (Stephen Hunter's) ideas for a next book were that good.
Havana didn't really do it for me at all. All the characters, including the brief and almost gratuitous appearances by a young Bib-Lee are very two-dimensional and wooden; and the use of the Castro character is more a gimmick than a useful part of the plot. It would have been better if the identity of the Castro character had not been revealed until the end so that there was more an element of uncertainly about his survival. As someone else said in another review, all the characters are caricatures: the very cool good guy, the devious unscrupulous CIA, the dodgy Russians, the incompetent Cubans, and the greasy greedy Mafia.
The plot is pretty average and uninspiring. A better story could have been told if the author had opted to not further milk the Swagger franchise - if it were entitled Hillbilly in Havana, you would have most of the story right there - and built the story around Zek 4715, by far the best and most interesting character in the story.
Comparing this to the other Swagger stories - I have only read ones in the Bob-Lee series - I think that this book is a sign that the Swagger franchise is pretty much expended. That is hinted at in the author's note where he thanks his publisher for the idea of 'Earl in Havana' as none of his (Stephen Hunter's) ideas for a next book were that good.
August 12, 2011
Not quite as good as "Hot Springs" but still an excellent action thriller filled with more plot twists and wild intrigue than you could ever possibly throw a stick at. (Not that you'd ever throw a stick at such things.... unless they were brought to you by Tom Clancy. I've wanted to throw sticks at his books before). Hunter is a master of this sort of writing and while the violence and manly man action is the main attraction, there are beautiful little passages of brilliant description, social commentary and thoughtfulness that you wouldn't expect from an 'action thriller'. That's why I read Hunter. He really knows guns too, which is a huge plus. Most fiction writers seem to have come from the USA Up All Night school of firearms.
January 15, 2018
Another superbly crafted and entertaining novel in the Swagger series. This one kicks off with a terrific example of foreshadowing. Earl has his young son out on his first deer hunt explaining that the art of the hunt is having the patience to know when the moment is right for taking your prey. Of course this plays out for Earl himself later in the story. Enjoyed the Speshnev character who had a touch of Swagger in him and allowed the author to sprinkle some delightful humor throughout the novel. I don't think Stephen Hunter ever gets enough credit for how well he uses humor in these novels to balance out the violence. Probably would have given this the full 5 stars had Frenchy met a hard reckoning at the hands of Earl.
April 1, 2014
What a great character Swagger is. All American hero, hopelessly square and a straight shooter. Literally and figuratively. Surround him with a delighful potpourri of mafia, commies, sadists, crooked politicians, prostitutes and double agents and somehow, SOMEHOW, he comes through it all and back to the sanity that is rural Arkansas.
Add to that a Swagger-loving Rusky who is getting the young Fidel Castro up and going and you have a great adventure. The duplicity and cruelty of the other characters are totally believable and you want to believe there are enough Earl Swaggers around to keep us regular folks safe and sound. Gosh darn it.
Add to that a Swagger-loving Rusky who is getting the young Fidel Castro up and going and you have a great adventure. The duplicity and cruelty of the other characters are totally believable and you want to believe there are enough Earl Swaggers around to keep us regular folks safe and sound. Gosh darn it.
March 31, 2019
There is something beautiful about reading a Stephen Hunter book. This one goes back to Bob Lee's daddy, Earl and boy is it one heck of a story. The prose is enough to put the reader in Havana, Cuba in the 50s; the story is fluid, the humour is lovely, and I'm wondering if more recently, Lee Child is influenced by Mr Hunter. Earl Swagger is unstoppable, inflappable, integrity personified. The hero. No wonder Bob turned out so.
I watched 2 seasons of Shooter but cannot approve of the casting because in my mind I have Mr Hunter's Swagger and there is something else about the man that the series could not portray.
Don't miss this one!
I watched 2 seasons of Shooter but cannot approve of the casting because in my mind I have Mr Hunter's Swagger and there is something else about the man that the series could not portray.
Don't miss this one!
April 25, 2017
Superbly written, showcasing the values each of the main characters live by, some likable, some despicable. All enjoyable to read.
___
"Oh. Well thanks for the truth."
"I didn't plan this world. I only live in it. If I didn't have responsibilities and I saw you at that bar and you smiled at me like that, I'd have fought the pacific all over again for you. But that can't happen. You know it, I know it. Knowing you has been the best thing about this trip by far. I wish there was more, but there ain't. That's the truth."
"You always tell the truth. What a terrible, terrible gift."
___
"Oh. Well thanks for the truth."
"I didn't plan this world. I only live in it. If I didn't have responsibilities and I saw you at that bar and you smiled at me like that, I'd have fought the pacific all over again for you. But that can't happen. You know it, I know it. Knowing you has been the best thing about this trip by far. I wish there was more, but there ain't. That's the truth."
"You always tell the truth. What a terrible, terrible gift."
January 11, 2012
Earl Swagger is back and tough as ever. After the first few pages of the book, I thought I knew the ending (since it involves Fidel Castro) but there are a few surprising plot twists. As always, there are interesting characters and a lot of he-man action. And great ending!
I also got a kick out of reading about Havana in its heyday because it brings to mind stores of my grandparents and mother vacationing there is the 30’s. What a place!
I also got a kick out of reading about Havana in its heyday because it brings to mind stores of my grandparents and mother vacationing there is the 30’s. What a place!
January 1, 2019
It's difficult to write a novel that involves a relatively recent historical moment and person. And, in my opinion, Havana has that struggle. Castro is written as a fool - he doesn't bathe, he womanizes, he is politically clueless, etc. Granted, I could imagine that some of these things are true to some degree, but they are played as absolute caricatures. It's the Russian who is far more interesting than the man of the country they novel is named after.
April 18, 2018
Had a hard time getting started on this book, but finally around page 300 it started to get better for me. Action junkie I guess. Rate it a 2.5, lowest of all my ratings by far. Have read and loved all his other books so far.
December 3, 2012
I am sorry, I just cannot accept the thought of Earl Swagger getting beaten up. Nope, can't do.
This book scores a two for just that.
This book scores a two for just that.
January 30, 2016
The audio book reader did not fit the book well, so my review may be skewed negatively...
April 14, 2016
Great Book
November 22, 2019
If you like guns you'll like this author. He goes on and on about different guns but the action is great.
May 27, 2020
SUBJECTIVE READER REVIEW WITH PLOT SPOILERS FOLLOWS:
All hail, for Stephen Hunter ranks among the best of storytellers! 'Havana' held special interest for me as it was set in 1953 Cuba. I was born in 1951, so the decade of the 1950s was always history book stuff, but Hunter puts a totally different spin on it than any newspaper possibly could! I was amazed to the point of near boredom at Hunter's grasp of detail about greater Havana and Cuba until he pointed out in the Acknowledgements that 1) his editor suggested 'Earl in Havana' and 2) he traveled there and spent some time getting to know the place! Even so, the jaded Shanghai Theater, in the most jaded part of the city Zanja, was long gone so Hunter had to retreat to a familiar magical source--fantasy!
To set the stage, Earl is approached by Arkansas US Rep Henry Etheridge, D-AR, to travel to Havana with him as his bodyguard. It took the sway of every connect pol in Arkansas to finally get him to go, and of course he regretted it within 24 hours. With the need to reassure Cuba's reinstated President Batista as the advertised reason for going, Earl soon discovers that Etheridge is the worst cunthound imaginable, even worse than Joe Kennedy Sr, according to Patterson's book I'm now reading, and the reason he wanted to visit was to have sex with as many Havana prostitutes as possible. He achieved his goal, but made a drunken insistent proposal to a whore named Esmeralda at the Shanghai Theater in Zanja who took exception, bringing in the house bouncers and all hell breaks loose.
'Havana' takes place in 1953, and the story behind the story is the early appearance of a young speech maker named Fidel Castro. The military intelligence part of the Cuban Army is led by the most fearsome and Satanic enforcer in Hunter's imagination's history; to wit, Captain Ramon Latavistada, known as Ojos Bellos, or beautiful eyes. Ramon's calling card is the scalpel, used to slice the eyes out of arrested revolutionaries during interrogation. Musta been before Pentothal. After an attack on the Cuban Army barracks in Santiago, Ramon encourages enough intel leaks to learn that the attack was Castro's first act of military defiance. So Fidel Castro becomes public enemy number one to Ojos Bellos, uh oh.
I've left out the most important underlying reality of 1953 Cuba; Havana was Meyer Lansky's 'Pearl of the Antilles' for the decade of the 1950s, and Batista facilitated Lansky's eventual control of all of the prostitution and drug business. So, we have four power players on the scene; Meyer Lansky, Crime Boss granted Cuba as his territory, American Fruit company executives, the Cuban government and finally the US military and Central Intelligence Agency. The Soviets' first play in Cuba was to become the young Castro's mentor, but that took the best part of a decade. The way Stephen Hunter explained it to us was that the historical juxtaposition of New York versus Chicago crime families was threatened when Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel transformed Las Vegas from the desert. So Havana became New York's Vegas and all were happy again, that is, until somebody blew Siegel's head apart during his assassination in LA in 1947. Interestingly, Meyer Lansky really like Ben, and will do anything to revenge his killing.
The CIA, actually Walter 'Frenchy' Short, enlists Earl's help in tracking down Castro to preempt the revolution. Frenchy Short is on Earl's high suspicion list since he disappeared right before Earl's posse was all but annihilated in 'Hot Springs,' Earl Swagger #1, but Frenchy convinces Earl he's the only one who can track down the Cuban. They do track Castro and Peshken down, but Earl refuses to kill Castro since he's done nothing to earn it. Ojos Bellos' trackers arrive just as the Police arrest Castro, and Earl is arrested and sent to prison. When he manages to escape, he seeks out the grateful whore from the Shanghai Theater, Esmeralda, to hide him out until things cool off.
From that moment forward, 'Havana' becomes the most compelling crime thriller imaginable. Now I've had to develop storylines before bringing on the fireworks myself as an author. But if you're a Stephen Hunter fan, you ARE ABSOLUTELY GONNA LOVE THE MOST DEPRAVED FORM OF REVENGE AND RETROBUTION that Ramon and Earl focus on one another.
Almost 3000 readers averaged a rating of 3.85 among Goodreads' flock. I think you can tell that I disagree with them severely. If you can find this book, published in 2003, get it and learn about the 1950s in Cuba and the world. Hunter's one helluva historian!
All hail, for Stephen Hunter ranks among the best of storytellers! 'Havana' held special interest for me as it was set in 1953 Cuba. I was born in 1951, so the decade of the 1950s was always history book stuff, but Hunter puts a totally different spin on it than any newspaper possibly could! I was amazed to the point of near boredom at Hunter's grasp of detail about greater Havana and Cuba until he pointed out in the Acknowledgements that 1) his editor suggested 'Earl in Havana' and 2) he traveled there and spent some time getting to know the place! Even so, the jaded Shanghai Theater, in the most jaded part of the city Zanja, was long gone so Hunter had to retreat to a familiar magical source--fantasy!
To set the stage, Earl is approached by Arkansas US Rep Henry Etheridge, D-AR, to travel to Havana with him as his bodyguard. It took the sway of every connect pol in Arkansas to finally get him to go, and of course he regretted it within 24 hours. With the need to reassure Cuba's reinstated President Batista as the advertised reason for going, Earl soon discovers that Etheridge is the worst cunthound imaginable, even worse than Joe Kennedy Sr, according to Patterson's book I'm now reading, and the reason he wanted to visit was to have sex with as many Havana prostitutes as possible. He achieved his goal, but made a drunken insistent proposal to a whore named Esmeralda at the Shanghai Theater in Zanja who took exception, bringing in the house bouncers and all hell breaks loose.
'Havana' takes place in 1953, and the story behind the story is the early appearance of a young speech maker named Fidel Castro. The military intelligence part of the Cuban Army is led by the most fearsome and Satanic enforcer in Hunter's imagination's history; to wit, Captain Ramon Latavistada, known as Ojos Bellos, or beautiful eyes. Ramon's calling card is the scalpel, used to slice the eyes out of arrested revolutionaries during interrogation. Musta been before Pentothal. After an attack on the Cuban Army barracks in Santiago, Ramon encourages enough intel leaks to learn that the attack was Castro's first act of military defiance. So Fidel Castro becomes public enemy number one to Ojos Bellos, uh oh.
I've left out the most important underlying reality of 1953 Cuba; Havana was Meyer Lansky's 'Pearl of the Antilles' for the decade of the 1950s, and Batista facilitated Lansky's eventual control of all of the prostitution and drug business. So, we have four power players on the scene; Meyer Lansky, Crime Boss granted Cuba as his territory, American Fruit company executives, the Cuban government and finally the US military and Central Intelligence Agency. The Soviets' first play in Cuba was to become the young Castro's mentor, but that took the best part of a decade. The way Stephen Hunter explained it to us was that the historical juxtaposition of New York versus Chicago crime families was threatened when Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel transformed Las Vegas from the desert. So Havana became New York's Vegas and all were happy again, that is, until somebody blew Siegel's head apart during his assassination in LA in 1947. Interestingly, Meyer Lansky really like Ben, and will do anything to revenge his killing.
The CIA, actually Walter 'Frenchy' Short, enlists Earl's help in tracking down Castro to preempt the revolution. Frenchy Short is on Earl's high suspicion list since he disappeared right before Earl's posse was all but annihilated in 'Hot Springs,' Earl Swagger #1, but Frenchy convinces Earl he's the only one who can track down the Cuban. They do track Castro and Peshken down, but Earl refuses to kill Castro since he's done nothing to earn it. Ojos Bellos' trackers arrive just as the Police arrest Castro, and Earl is arrested and sent to prison. When he manages to escape, he seeks out the grateful whore from the Shanghai Theater, Esmeralda, to hide him out until things cool off.
From that moment forward, 'Havana' becomes the most compelling crime thriller imaginable. Now I've had to develop storylines before bringing on the fireworks myself as an author. But if you're a Stephen Hunter fan, you ARE ABSOLUTELY GONNA LOVE THE MOST DEPRAVED FORM OF REVENGE AND RETROBUTION that Ramon and Earl focus on one another.
Almost 3000 readers averaged a rating of 3.85 among Goodreads' flock. I think you can tell that I disagree with them severely. If you can find this book, published in 2003, get it and learn about the 1950s in Cuba and the world. Hunter's one helluva historian!
December 14, 2017
Six-word review: Dragooned, shot at, refuses to kill.
I know Earl Swagger could only exist in fiction but I'm hooked anyway.
The story opens as 1953 Cuba is feeling the effects of a lot of Mafia investment and the re-election of Bautista as El Presidente. The cold war American response is to over-react to any threat even from a little-known blowhard named Fidel Castro. Russia too sees an opportunity with the charismatic Castro and rehabilitates a discredited spy, Speshan, to mentor him and foment revolution on the island.
Walter Short, an ex-colleague of Earl's, suggests bringing him to Cuba under diplomatic cover to assassinate Castro. Although Earl is happy in his role as a State Trooper, he is persuaded to go to Cuba as a bodyguard for Arkansas's senior senator.
The rest of the book is filled with lots of action, conspiracies, and surprising relationships. Earl, of course, refuses to murder anyone, is attacked himself, goes into hiding, and eventually triumphs over the forces of evil by sticking to his principles with the surprising help of Russian agent, Speshan.
As I confessed earlier, even though, Earl is a bit of a stereotype, I like the stories Hunter writes. This is true whether the story involves Earl or later his son, Bob Lee Swagger, better known as the "Shooter" in the movie of the same name.
If you don't like conflict and blood, do not read this or any of the Hunter books. But if you do like fast-paced thrillers, try this book or one of his others. You'll like it.
I know Earl Swagger could only exist in fiction but I'm hooked anyway.
The story opens as 1953 Cuba is feeling the effects of a lot of Mafia investment and the re-election of Bautista as El Presidente. The cold war American response is to over-react to any threat even from a little-known blowhard named Fidel Castro. Russia too sees an opportunity with the charismatic Castro and rehabilitates a discredited spy, Speshan, to mentor him and foment revolution on the island.
Walter Short, an ex-colleague of Earl's, suggests bringing him to Cuba under diplomatic cover to assassinate Castro. Although Earl is happy in his role as a State Trooper, he is persuaded to go to Cuba as a bodyguard for Arkansas's senior senator.
The rest of the book is filled with lots of action, conspiracies, and surprising relationships. Earl, of course, refuses to murder anyone, is attacked himself, goes into hiding, and eventually triumphs over the forces of evil by sticking to his principles with the surprising help of Russian agent, Speshan.
As I confessed earlier, even though, Earl is a bit of a stereotype, I like the stories Hunter writes. This is true whether the story involves Earl or later his son, Bob Lee Swagger, better known as the "Shooter" in the movie of the same name.
If you don't like conflict and blood, do not read this or any of the Hunter books. But if you do like fast-paced thrillers, try this book or one of his others. You'll like it.
April 15, 2012
If you like action movies like Die Hard and action shows like 24, give Stephen Hunter a chance. This is an early Cold War book, it's s mafia book, amd the good guys and bad guys are clearly defined. The supporting cast is where the mystery and ambiguity comes in, making the reader who who is on whose side, what the goals of each side are, and indeed, how many sides are on this polygon. Hunter thoroughly accomplishes this feat; I never felt lost or confused.
The writing's pretty good, too. Don't expect literature, as this is a popular fiction adventure, but I'd be hard-pressed to name many authors who can tun violence into such a detailed ballet. The blue-collar characters behave like they should, and Hunter has an eye for the raw detail of place - from the glamor of 1950s Havana to the squallor and desperation of the criminal districts. He should also be commended for weaving actual historical events into the fabric of his fictional tale. It's a skill not every writer has. I felt like I was experiencing a new facet of something I learned about in school, like a declassified addendum to the textbooks. It's fun when that works, and here, it most certainly does.
The writing's pretty good, too. Don't expect literature, as this is a popular fiction adventure, but I'd be hard-pressed to name many authors who can tun violence into such a detailed ballet. The blue-collar characters behave like they should, and Hunter has an eye for the raw detail of place - from the glamor of 1950s Havana to the squallor and desperation of the criminal districts. He should also be commended for weaving actual historical events into the fabric of his fictional tale. It's a skill not every writer has. I felt like I was experiencing a new facet of something I learned about in school, like a declassified addendum to the textbooks. It's fun when that works, and here, it most certainly does.
August 23, 2015
HAVANA is another entertaining thriller, showcasing the workmanlike qualities of Stephen Hunter's writing -- the easy-going voice, the vibrant attention to locale and time, the tight pacing.
This one is set in Batista's Cuba, and takes place in the Earl Swagger time line of the Swagger family cosmology. As with most of Hunter's other novels, the author seamlessly weaves actual historical figures into the narrative: Ernest Hemingway, mobster Meyer Lansky, a callow and vainglorious Fidel Castro.
Somehow, this work didn't bump up into the upper tier of Hunter's novel for me. Maybe it's all the stabbing, back-stabbing, and double back-stabbing by the CIA and KGB types. It's undoubtedly realistic, but in this case, it became just a bit too much. It could be that it made Swagger feel like too much of a tool in a bigger machine, rather than the proactive hero we want. Earl needed more "screen time," I think. The constant cutting also turned the narrative somewhat choppy.
But, as noted, it's still an entertaining and readable outing. As far as I can recall, Hunter has never written a BAD book -- and that's saying something.
This one is set in Batista's Cuba, and takes place in the Earl Swagger time line of the Swagger family cosmology. As with most of Hunter's other novels, the author seamlessly weaves actual historical figures into the narrative: Ernest Hemingway, mobster Meyer Lansky, a callow and vainglorious Fidel Castro.
Somehow, this work didn't bump up into the upper tier of Hunter's novel for me. Maybe it's all the stabbing, back-stabbing, and double back-stabbing by the CIA and KGB types. It's undoubtedly realistic, but in this case, it became just a bit too much. It could be that it made Swagger feel like too much of a tool in a bigger machine, rather than the proactive hero we want. Earl needed more "screen time," I think. The constant cutting also turned the narrative somewhat choppy.
But, as noted, it's still an entertaining and readable outing. As far as I can recall, Hunter has never written a BAD book -- and that's saying something.
September 28, 2013
This was the third book by Stephen Hunter with Earl Swagger as its leading subject. This book like the others was based upon true events. It was about Cuba before the communist revolution and the factors that caused the revolution. Cuba under the then Cuban dictator was corrupt. It was run by the the criminal element. Prostitution, gambling and drugs flourished. This lead to the people revolting. Unfortunately they went from the frying pan into the fire, that being communism. Earl, with much doubt in his mind was sent to curb this pending revolution but instead saw what was really happening. He chose to let the Cubans pick their destiny rather than kill Fidel Castro as a young man. This book is X-Rated. Accordingly I found it difficult to read the foul language and about the evil events that really happened. This was a strong reason for me not rating the book 5 of 5 stars. Read this book for your entertainment and historical reference but be prepared for a very vivid description of the dark side of human existence.
June 1, 2017
Written with witt & humor, but much of the ending gets tedious and some vital detail is left out. There's some historical fiction on Castro, his failed revolt--attack on the military barracks, but much is fanciful.
1953, Havana is booming; casinos, sex, drugs, the mafia, big companies & the gov't is allied with Uncle Sam. Then Fidel brings revolution & backing from the Soviets. The US sends Earl to kill Castro. The USSR brings prisoner 4715, old Speshnev from a Siberian gulag to protect Fidel. Things go awry, Speshnev saves Earl's life & Earl won't kill unless it's a fair fight. The CIA hires the Mafia to kill Earl for his failing. Castro is arrested by the Cubans. Earl escapes and goes home.
(Historically, Castro was only imprisoned a few years after his failed revolt. He then goes to Mexico & other places, builds a following, resumes the revolt and eventually takes control of Cuba).
1953, Havana is booming; casinos, sex, drugs, the mafia, big companies & the gov't is allied with Uncle Sam. Then Fidel brings revolution & backing from the Soviets. The US sends Earl to kill Castro. The USSR brings prisoner 4715, old Speshnev from a Siberian gulag to protect Fidel. Things go awry, Speshnev saves Earl's life & Earl won't kill unless it's a fair fight. The CIA hires the Mafia to kill Earl for his failing. Castro is arrested by the Cubans. Earl escapes and goes home.
(Historically, Castro was only imprisoned a few years after his failed revolt. He then goes to Mexico & other places, builds a following, resumes the revolt and eventually takes control of Cuba).
June 6, 2020
This is the last in the Earl Swagger trilogy, but not the end of the story. This time Earl is tapped to do a dirty job for the CIA courtesy of one Walter Short. Now you may remember Walter from Hot Springs, if not just let me say read it before you read this one. Because things will be clearer to you about Walter. Does Earl do the job he is sent to do and if so why did he or didn't he? You good reader will have to find out. To say there are a few plot twists is like saying there are a few peanuts in a bag of peanuts. There are some interesting characters in this book from the old Russian spy to the preppy American spy. I have never been to Cuba, but after this story it feels like I know a little more about the place. After this you might want to read "Black Light" by Stephen Hunter to find out this story comes to an end.
August 29, 2008
This was an entertaining read. I'm a huge fan of Earl Swagger from "Hot Springs", but the second book featuring him was a little bit of a disappointment.
This one was a good read and largely because it focused on so many of the supporting characters. The old Russian spy, Frenchy (from Hot Springs), the horny senator from Arkansas, the Ivy League CIA officer, the violent mafia gunner, the sadistic Cuban torturer, etc. Oh yeah, and a young Fidel Castro too.
Hunter painted a picture of Cuba during the 50's that I feel probably was largely accurate. He admits that some of the things involving Castro he took liberties with, but it was still a very fun look at that time.
And yes, the action was very good. It's a Stephen Hunter novel after all.
This one was a good read and largely because it focused on so many of the supporting characters. The old Russian spy, Frenchy (from Hot Springs), the horny senator from Arkansas, the Ivy League CIA officer, the violent mafia gunner, the sadistic Cuban torturer, etc. Oh yeah, and a young Fidel Castro too.
Hunter painted a picture of Cuba during the 50's that I feel probably was largely accurate. He admits that some of the things involving Castro he took liberties with, but it was still a very fun look at that time.
And yes, the action was very good. It's a Stephen Hunter novel after all.
September 10, 2013
It’s Cuba in 1953. Battista and Bacardi are in charge along with the CIA and the mob. Everybody’s nervous though because change is in the air. Enter a steely teetotaling war hero (the return of the improbably named Earl Swagger), a wily KGB agent with a heart of gold, a trigger happy gunman. Throw in a whoring Congressman, a couple of CIA schemers, a torturer, a mysterious Portuguese woman, and a surprisingly human young Fidel Castro (oh, and a Hemmingway cameo). It sounds like a potboiler, but somehow Hunter keeps it all moving along and throws in plenty of twists along the way. And what I especially liked was Hunter’s journalistic eye and his keen observations on the social and political processes of the day, which made this a cut above the usual spy thriller.
April 21, 2018
Not as good and flowing as his blockbuster, Point of Impact. Interesting story anyway, this one mixes Yankee Imperialism, Communism, Mafia, Brothels, drugs and booze and dysfunctional Cuba and nerdy Harvard Grads. Earl Swagger and American hero icon is outclassed in this fast moving read by his Red counterpart, who seems to know the where, how, and why of Cuba politics. But, instead of being enemies Mr Vumholdt - vacuum salesman in Cuba, this is humorous and good, his cover. His real name Speshnev develops a respectable admiration of Earl and likewise. Both see their superiors as idiots which they are.
March 19, 2016
I have had a passion lately for Stephen Hunter books and although I enjoyed this book about Cuba in the fifties, it was not among my favorites. It was well researched and gave the feel of the fifties Cuba with its mobsters, Castro revolutionaries, U. S. government cronies and, of course, Earl Swagger. It started sentimentally and it ended similarly, but in between was a cast of ruthless characters that I think I saw in the "Texas Chainsaw Murders". In any case Hunter can keep you awake at all hours turning pages.
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