Review: True Historical Adventure
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2014
In a work that blurs the line between novel and creative nonfiction, David Gaughran's new book follows the strange, mercurial career of Yankee adventurer Lee Christmas. Set around the turn of the 20th century, Christmas's true life exploits included involvement in several Central American coups and revolts.Christmas's adventures come across as both fascinating and infuriating, the actions of a literal train wreck of a man who smashed up a locomotive while drunk, served as gun runner and mercenary for two-bit dictators in Honduras, and drank, whored, and married his way across several countries, while somehow surviving adventures that killed many a lesser man.Gaughran brings this story to life with lucid writing and authentic historical details. Highly recommended to readers of adventure fiction and history, as well as anyone interested in American adventurism and meddling in Latin America.