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Campaigning in Cuba
An account of the Spanish-American War of 1898 written by the American explorer and lecturer who was the author of "Tent Life in Siberia" and "Siberia and the Exile System". First published 1899.
- GenresHistory
269 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2007
About the author
George Kennan
164 books17 followersGeorge Kennan was an American explorer noted for his travels in the Kamchatka and Caucasus regions of Russia.
Do not confuse with his great-nephew, diplomat and historian George Frost Kennan (1904-2005)
Do not confuse with his great-nephew, diplomat and historian George Frost Kennan (1904-2005)
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 25, 2019
George Kennan (this is the elder, not his nephew) was quite the interesting guy. I don't know if I would properly describe him as an explorer or a journalist. I read his books about exploring Siberia (in winter), surveying a route for a telegraph line that was never made. I also read his books describing the Tsar's exile system, and his reporting of the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée. He was observant and intelligent and courageous.
Here he travels to Cuba with the Red Cross and Clara Barton at the time of the Spanish-American war. This is not the work of a war correspondent. He witnesses very little combat, but does get a great first-hand look at the logistics of the campaign and the results. He's also not a military man, but his critique of General Shafter in the last chapters of this work is incisive.
He begins with the mess outside Tampa before the troops depart. I've read better descriptions of the situation there (in The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, for example), but once he's on the ground in Cuba he hits his stride. He walks all the important terrain and meets most of the key people. His critique at the end isn't just from his own observations but is supported by other documentary evidence.
As may be expected of a personal narrative of this period, the book has no photographs, no index, no bibliography, and few footnotes.
Here he travels to Cuba with the Red Cross and Clara Barton at the time of the Spanish-American war. This is not the work of a war correspondent. He witnesses very little combat, but does get a great first-hand look at the logistics of the campaign and the results. He's also not a military man, but his critique of General Shafter in the last chapters of this work is incisive.
He begins with the mess outside Tampa before the troops depart. I've read better descriptions of the situation there (in The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, for example), but once he's on the ground in Cuba he hits his stride. He walks all the important terrain and meets most of the key people. His critique at the end isn't just from his own observations but is supported by other documentary evidence.
As may be expected of a personal narrative of this period, the book has no photographs, no index, no bibliography, and few footnotes.
Displaying 1 of 1 review