San Juan 1898 - Angus Konstam

The background to the Spanish American war lay in the Cuban insurrection of 1895-1898 and the cruelty with which it was suppressed by Cuba's Spanish overlords. The spark which ignited the rising tension into open war was the destruction on 15 February 1898 of the USS Maine with the loss of over 250 men, the result of a mysterious explosion in Havana harbour. A naval court of inquiry blamed Spain and the US declared war on Spain on 25 April. Angus Konstam's fascinating book guides us through the whole Cuban operation which was characterised by appalling command and control and poor reconnaissance. It cost the Americans over 1,500 killed but effectively saw the end of Spain's dominion in the 'New World', and America's emergence as a world power.