title: The Yankee Comandante: The Untold Story of Courage, Passion, and One American's Fight to Liberate Cuba
author: Michael Sallah
description: <span><span>***starred review***A nonfiction account of an unlikely American hero in revolutionary Cuba that succeeds as both a thriller and a love story. While working at the Toledo Blade, Miami Herald reporter Sallah and AP reporter Weiss. . . .met a remarkable woman living in Toledo, a Cuban &eacute;migr&eacute; and former political prisoner whose story inspired another newspaper series and this book. When she was Olga Maria Rodriguez, she had fallen in love with and married a man who initially didn&#39;t even speak her language, an American named William Morgan who had found purpose in his difficult, directionless life by joining the revolutionary forces in Cuba to overthrow Fulgencio Batista. His experience in the U.S. Army had ended with him going AWOL, but his superior military skills helped him overcome the distrust of his Cuban comrades and earn the admiration of the country&#39;s citizenry, who were &quot;hailing him as a hero of a revolution that was about the change the course of history.&quot; Yet there was tension in the revolutionary forces between Morgan&#39;s Second Front and Fidel Castro&#39;s 26th of July Movement, as the former remained committed to liberating the country and holding elections while the latter was consolidating power and turning the new government into a communist dictatorship. Even greater complications ensued as Morgan was recruited for a plot to assassinate Castro, turned double agent by revealing the plot to the targeted dictator while continuing to play along, and ultimately found himself stripped of his American citizenship and imprisoned by the Cuban government. His widow&#39;s memories help humanize a complicated and conflicted man whose story sheds fresh light on the pivotal period in U.S.-Cuban relations. Beyond the political implications and entanglements, the story engrosses with its fast-paced, plainspoken narrative.</span></span> (<i>Kirkus</i>)<br /><br /><span><span>A work of classic journalism, a compelling narrative that is a combination of interviews, documents, and news accounts form the time. . . .The stakes are many and real, the characters are compelling, and the shifting allegiances make for effective suspense. This is a good story told well, making </span><span style="font-style:italic;">The Yankee Comandante a worthy read.</span></span> (<i>Foreword Reviews</i>)<br /><br /><DIV>Praise for <I>Tiger Force</I>:<BR><BR>&quot;<I>Tiger Force </I>adds a graphic, frightening dimension to our knowledge of ourselves. It is bound to be read far into the future.&quot;<BR>&mdash;<I>Washington Post</I><I> Book World<BR><BR></I>&ldquo;Sallah and Weiss have done the American public a service by piecing together this story. ... This is one shining example of how journalism can fulfill its most noble aims: informing and consquently empowering the public.&rdquo;<BR>&mdash;<I>San Francisco Chronicle<BR></I><BR>&ldquo;Riveting.&rdquo;<BR>&mdash;<I>Dever Post<BR><BR></I>&ldquo;A troubling yet gripping expos&eacute; ... The authors recount the disturbing details in a direct, journalistic style that makes it difficult to put the book down.&rdquo;<BR>&mdash;<I>Columbus Dispatch<BR></I><BR>&ldquo;An engrossing story that will fill the reader with both horror and shame.&rdquo;<BR>&mdash;<I>Wisconsin State Journal<BR><BR></I>&ldquo;Sobering and relevant ... The authors vividly convey the demanding environment in which the soldiers had to survive. ... Timely reading.&rdquo;<BR>&mdash;<I>American Heritage<BR><BR></I>&quot;A compelling, chilling story ... a primer on journalistic technique, the narrative drawn from firsthand accounts ... The result is one of the most important books on the Vietnam War.&quot;<BR>&mdash;<I>Bookmarks </I>magazine<BR><BR>&quot;A vital and damning glimpse at what really goes on behind the wartime headlines.&quot;<BR>&mdash;<I>Metro</I><BR><BR>&quot;An outstanding book ... In the best tradition of investigative journalism, the authors let the story speak for itself.&quot;<BR>&mdash;<I>Publishers Weekly </I>starred review<BR><BR>&quot;Searing ... Difficult to put down ... Highly recommended.&quot;<BR>&mdash;<I>Library Journal</I></div>
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  # A Gunner Aboard the Yankee
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Russell Doubleday, et al, Edited by H. H. Lewis
  
  
  This page formatted 2005 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
  
  
  PREFACE.
  
  
  CHAPTER I. IN WHICH THE “YANKEE” GOES INTO
  
  
  COMMISSION.
  
  
  CHAPTER II. IN WHICH WE GET UNDER WAY AT LAST.
  
  
  CHAPTER III. IN WHICH THE “YANKEE” CRUISES FOR
  
  
  PRIZES.
  
  
  CHAPTER IV. WE GET ORDERS TO GO SOUTH.
  
  
  CHAPTER V. A WILD GOOSE CHASE.
  
  
  CHAPTER VI. WE BECOME COAL HEAVERS.
  
  
  CHAPTER VII. WE ENTER THE “THEATRE OF WAR.”
  
  
  CHAPTER VIII. WE JOIN SAMPSON'S FLEET.
  
  
  CHAPTER IX. CLEAR SHIP FOR ACTION.
  
  
  CHAPTER X. WE BOMBARD SANTIAGO DE CUBA.
  
  
  CHAPTER XI. A PERILOUS MOMENT.
  
  
  CHAPTER XII. IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURE.
  
  
  CHAPTER XIII. A NARROW ESCAPE.
  
  
  CHAPTER XIV. WE ENGAGE IN A SEA FIGHT.
  
  
  CHAPTER XV. COALING IN THE TROPICS.
  
  
  CHAPTER XVI. “REMEMBER THE FISH.”
  
  
  CHAPTER XVII. IN GOD'S COUNTRY.
  
  
  CHAPTER XVIII. THE “YANKEE” ARRIVES OFF SANTIAGO
  
  
  
  
  
  CHAPTER X