Santiago Rag [Paperback]

Al Gowan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A young musician and his cellmate, son of a Sioux chief, join Roosevelt's Rough riders. But in the Cuban jungle, they find enemies even more deadly that the Spanish.

Advance praise for SANTIAGO RAG:

"A magnificent novel, the product of painstaking historical research. Al Gowan has constructed his story of the Spanish-Cuban-American War so that the personality and actions of each character pulls us along to the surprising outcome.
The exuberant Theodore Roosevelt is impeccably rendered. But more important, Gowan brings to light the valor, pride and patriotism of the Cuban mambi." -Jose A. Adan, Academia de la Historia de Cuba E-

"I could hardly put SANTIAGO RAG down. This must-read novel will lead to an understanding of America's emergence as a world power in a way that a hundred histories have failed to do. Gowan hides neither the blemishes not the bravery of his characters. SANTIAGO RAG is quite an achievement." -- Larry Daley, great grandson of Cuban General Calixto Garcia

About the Author

Al Gowan was born in East St. Louis, Illinois. He has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts since 1970, where he began writing poetry, short stories and finally, novels. His poems have appeared in Midlands, Fan Magazine and on an electronic billboard in Harvard Square. Short stories have been published in Ploughshares, Tennessee Quarterly, the Painted Hills Review and Quixote Quarterly. In 1996, Zamora's Tattoo, his first novel, was published by on-line publisher Bibliobytes. Editors and critics have described his writing as very visual. This should not be surprising since Al Gowan has been a practitioner and teacher of graphic design for over four decades.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Access Pr (June 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966389409
• ISBN-13: 978-0966389401
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,755,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Al Gowan - a great storyteller, February 7, 2008

By 

Luisa Galvao - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Santiago Rag (Paperback)

Al Gowan's novel - Santiago Rag - starts on June 1897, an year preceding the beginning of the Spanish-Cuban-American war.

The reader is introduced to this historical period through the knotty relationship of the fictional characters who build and sustain a continuous action of the Romantic period of American history.

In a very visual and vivid narrative Gowan presents and brings fictional characters into life in interactions with historical characters.

The makings of the war, personal interests, strategies are depicted in front of our eyes. Battlefield narratives contain the rhythm of a real battle and transport the reader into the action. The narrative's dynamic rhythm suggests the possibility of a screenplay.

A reading that helps to better understand the period of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders.

This novel drove me to read his earlier "Zamora`s Tattoo" and his short stories in "Fort Momma" which, published in Portuguese, have been receiving attention in Brazil.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Santiago Rag is an engrossing novel of hardship and battle, November 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Santiago Rag (Paperback)

History buffs and everyday readers alike will find Santiago Rag an engrossing novel profiling the men who fought in Cuba and at the battle of San Juan Hill. Al Gowan uses information passed down from his grandfather and written accounts of participants to weave a compelling story of the hardships in those days and the battle against the enemy and disease. Included are photographs he took recently in Cuba of locations described in the book. As we celebrate the anniversary of the Spanish-American War, Santiago Rag is a great way to experience what those times were like. Jim Armstrong, Publisher and Editor, MILITARY RETIREE NEWS, Tampa, Florida

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Santiago Rag is an expert mixture of History and Story, August 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Santiago Rag (Paperback)

It was a great pleasure for me to read this book. Al Gowan seems to be a real military expert when depicting the historical background for the actions of his heros. I was very surprised to find how media conscious Theodore Roosevelt was in this first American blitzkrieg, a very American quality even today. I also liked the writing style of this book which reminds me of a screen play - short, fast paced expositions of characters and locations. All in all, "Santiago Rag" is an expert mixture of famous people and more-or-less ordinary people during the Spanish-American War, showing also the race issue as it was in 1898 and how it might compare today.