Death of Somoza

If truth is stranger than fiction, historical fact can be just as fascinating, as Alegria and Flakoll prove here. Originally published in Nicaragua and Venezuela, this fast-paced account of the pursuit of the elusive Anastasio Somoza Debayle by his self-appointed assassins (a commando team composed of revolutionary veterans of Argentina's ""dirty war""), provides the missing chapter of the Nicaraguan revolution. Because this reads like a suspense novel with elements of espionage, it will be of interest to a curious cross section of readers including military intelligence buffs, mystery lovers and students of Latin American affairs. The text includes many voices of its true-life ""characters"": Susana, the young rebel; Ramon, the grizzled freedom fighter; even that of a lamenting Somoza, the deposed dictator--quoted from his book Nicaragua Betrayed, published in 1980. Alegria is an eminent Salvadoran poet, journalist and author of numerous books including Luisa in Realityland and Family Album. Flakoll, her husband, collaborator and translator, died last year. (May)