Cuba Libre (novel) explained

Cuba Libre
Author:Elmore Leonard
Cover Artist:Chip Kidd (designer)
Country:United States
Language:English
Publisher:Delacorte Press
Pub Date:1998
Media Type:Print (Hardcover)
Preceded By:Riding the Rap
Followed By:Pagan Babies

Cuba Libre is a 1998 historical novel written by Elmore Leonard. The story takes place in 1898, immediately before the outbreak of the Spanish–American War.[1] [2]

Plot summary

Ben Tyler, a cowboy and sometime bank robber, is released from prison and is recruited by his old boss to ship a string of horses to a rich American sugar baron in Cuba. Their ship arrives in Havana harbor shortly after the explosive destruction of the warship USS Maine, amid rumors that war between Spain and the United States of America is imminent.

Notes and References

  1. The master of the low-lifes: Writing about bums, thugs and mugs, Elmore Leonard basks in late-life success;Portman, Jamie. The Spectator [Hamilton, Ont] 21 Feb 1998.
  2. Ripping good reading set in stormy Cuba; Elmore Leonard spins a smooth yarn: Mandel, Charles. Edmonton Journal [Edmonton, Alta] 15 Mar 1998.