Yankee Come Home; On the Road from San Juan Hill to Guantánamo

Freelance journalist and professor (River Valley Community College, N.H.) Craig combines an investigator’s eye with academic research to present a disturbing account of the U.S.’s relationship with Cuba. He traveled there “because there’s a Cuban bay that’s been a U.S. naval base since 1898..... because my stepson is standing guard behind a machine gun... in Iraq... [and] because patriotism has begun to feel like grief.” Craig details Cuba’s history from its time as a Spanish colony through his trip in 2005 that is the genesis of his account. He maintains objectivity through that factual presentation, even though his personal politics are never far from the surface. Craig admires the Cubans, and his observations of the differences and nuances between our languages and cultures informs his presentation. There is, however, no empathy for the Communist regime or for U.S. policy, “where we ditched our republican ideals for the charms of empire,” with what is known to us as the Spanish-American War. In the end, Craig’s is a persuasive condemnation of U.S. foreign policy. Agent: Wendy Strothman. (Aug.)