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.
