The “fast-paced, fascinating, often shocking” account of hired guns and their heroic adventures in hotspots around the world—includes photos (Milwaukee Journal). Merc is a classic; first published in 1979, its characters and stories are as vivid and worthy of retelling today. American soldiers of fortune have seen action on nearly every battlefield in history—from the Revolutionary War to modern times, men like John Early, a member of the famed Selous Scouts who hunted terrorists in Rhodesia. They fight because they enjoy combat, for causes in which they passionately believe, for money, or simply for adventure. The mercs profiled in this book range from West Point graduates and Harvard poets to former CIA agents and ex-cons. They are men like William Morgan, a guerrilla leader in the Cuban uprising against Fulgencio Batista, later imprisoned and executed by Fidel Castro; David Marcus, raised in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, who went on to a brilliant career in law and reform politics and died in 1947 fighting for the survival of a tiny new nation called Israel; William Brooks, Vietnam Special Forces veteran who, down and out in a cheap Paris hotel, joined the French Foreign Legion and ended up in a remote African outpost where he lived on Coke, salt tablets, and paregoric while fighting Somali insurgents; and George Bacon, an ex-CIA operative in Laos with mysterious connections, who died fighting Cubans in Angola. Because their private histories parallel the larger history of unconventional warfare and political upheaval, Merc provides insight into global conflicts—but most of all it is a fast-paced, eye-opening account of a little-known but fascinating way of life.
When Fidel Castro and his rebel expeditionary force landed on the southeast coast of Cuba in 1956, Jay Mallin was in Cuba reporting on the landing. As a correspondent for Time magazine, The Washington Times and other publications, Mallin has covered Castro and his rise to power ever since. Covering Castro contains the texts of many of the most important articles and book chapters written by Mallin since he began to write about the Cuban revolutionary. Castro's victory march across Cuba to Havana in 1959 and the subsequent communist takeover are reported. There are also profiles of Castro's younger brother Raul and the legendary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. During the Bay of Pigs invasion Mallin eluded Castro's police who were hunting down American correspondents and sought sanctuary in the Swiss embassy. In this book, Mallin reveals a vital reason for the failure of the U.S.-supported invasion. Castro's foreign adventures extended into Africa where in Angola Cuba maintained its largest overseas military force. As news director of Radio Marti, Mallin made two trips to Angola. On one occasion, he flew in a small, darkened plane over Cuban-controlled territory. Mallin also provides details about Castro's extensive subversive campaign to extend his power and influence throughout Latin America. As the dictator's long arm reached into the southern Caribbean, the author marks the beginning of Castro's decline with the American liberation of Grenada. Thus, Castro's empire had begun to crumble. Covering Castro includes four new chapters written especially for this book. Here Mallin describes the long and turbulent relationship between Cuba and the Soviet Union that spanned three Cold War decades. He takes a look at present U.S.-Cuban and Russian-Cuban relations and discusses possible future scenarios for Castro and Cuba. Covering Castro is an enlightening eyewitness account of the tumultuous Castro years and will be of specific interest to historians, journalists, political scientists, students and Cuba area specialists.
- Full-color interiors - Each biography is over 100 pages - Series features both historical and contemporary figures - Perfect for doing reports or additional reading Curriculum Standards: Grades 5-8 Social Studies Standards Time, Continuity, and Change: II - Identify and use key concepts, such as chronology, conflict, and change, to explain, analyze, and show connections among patterns of historical change and continuity. Individual Development & Identity: IV - Relates personal change to social, cultural, and historical contexts. - Describes personal connections to place--as associated with community and nation. Individuals, Groups, & Institutions: V - Demonstrate an understanding of concepts such as status and social class in the interactions of individuals and social groups. Power, Authority, & Governance: VI - Identify representative leaders from various levels and branches of the U.S. government.
A good account of the vicissitudes, fascination, and dangers of covering Fidel Castro; author says, in the end, 'it has been highly satisfying.' Book contains good material on Cuba's foreign adventures, its espionage network, behind-the-scenes accounts of major decisions, and other information"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.
The “fast-paced, fascinating, often shocking” account of hired guns and their heroic adventures in hotspots around the world—includes photos (Milwaukee Journal). Merc is a classic; first published in 1979, its characters and stories are as vivid and worthy of retelling today. American soldiers of fortune have seen action on nearly every battlefield in history—from the Revolutionary War to modern times, men like John Early, a member of the famed Selous Scouts who hunted terrorists in Rhodesia. They fight because they enjoy combat, for causes in which they passionately believe, for money, or simply for adventure. The mercs profiled in this book range from West Point graduates and Harvard poets to former CIA agents and ex-cons. They are men like William Morgan, a guerrilla leader in the Cuban uprising against Fulgencio Batista, later imprisoned and executed by Fidel Castro; David Marcus, raised in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, who went on to a brilliant career in law and reform politics and died in 1947 fighting for the survival of a tiny new nation called Israel; William Brooks, Vietnam Special Forces veteran who, down and out in a cheap Paris hotel, joined the French Foreign Legion and ended up in a remote African outpost where he lived on Coke, salt tablets, and paregoric while fighting Somali insurgents; and George Bacon, an ex-CIA operative in Laos with mysterious connections, who died fighting Cubans in Angola. Because their private histories parallel the larger history of unconventional warfare and political upheaval, Merc provides insight into global conflicts—but most of all it is a fast-paced, eye-opening account of a little-known but fascinating way of life.
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