This is the story of Bernard Appleby and his experiences circa 1897-1898, after trying to help a friend and ending up under suspicion of murder he flees England for the United States of America. During this transit he encounters a wealthy entrepreneur who links him up with employment as an arms smugger into Cuba during the lead up to the Spanish-American war. After the boat is sunk and he is marooned in Cuba he links up with local insurgents fighting the Spanish. It's during this phase we obtain a time frame of the setting with the sinking of the USS Maine which was sunk in February 1898. Amongst all this we have Appleby's romantic interest in a particular lady overshadowing his decisions from the beginning to the end.

The plot is okay, but in my opinion the narrative just wasn't that captivating. If you're really interested in Cuban insurgent fighting against the Spanish you may find interest in the topic as this does make up a good portion of the book and there are some reasonable scenes. Yet that being said I found it to be a largely forgettable vintage adventure novel. ( )