As is usual in July, I found myself immersed in a good historical novel. Once again I found myself in the 1860s as the Civil War is raging. However, like a previous review, this time I was not in the frigid north of Canada, but in the sunny climate of Havana on the island of Cuba. It is here that one young sailor finds himself caught in a series of frustrating twists, with the Spanish government on one side, Confederate spies on another, and a not too sympathetic Union Navy in front of him, this poor lad finds himself caught in a Harbor of Spies.
I was first drawn to this book by a comment on a message board talking about Spain in the Civil War. What many do not realize is that Spain, while neutral in the Civil War, made a fortune off running the Union blockade. Cuba, and Havana especially, sympathized with the Confederacy. The island ran on slavery much the same as the Antebellum South, with plantations making coffee, sugar, and other cash crops which sustained the wealth of Imperial Cuba. Unsurprisingly then, the planters of the island sided with the slaveowners of the Confederacy.
This made Havana a very strategic port. It was close to the Gulf coast, and fast steamers or stealthy sailing ships could threat their way through the Union blockade and deliver much needed arms and ammunition to the Confederacy, while bringing back valuable cotton in return. It was a lucrative business, and many men in the island made their fortunes in this trade, doing much to keep the war going for the Confederate cause.
Enter into this story, Everett Townsend, a young Maryland born sailor who was drummed out of the Naval Academy shortly after the outbreak of the war. He has fled to a small sailing schooner travelling to Cuba with a load of Maine lumber, trying to find his way after disappointing his father. A tragic accident has left him in command of the little ship, and then a surprising encounter will introduce him to the world of espionage, deceit and blockade running that all runs from Havana. When he saves an escaped prisoner from the infamous El Morro prison, his life takes a very sudden turn.
Like my last civil war read, this story is intriguing largely because it explores the foreign reactions to the American Civil War. There's some mention of the big players, Lincoln, Seward, Davis and Lee, but it is very much in the background. The focus is all on the Spanish government in Havana, the Confederate agents there, and the Union agents trying to stop them.
I quite enjoyed this story because it takes place in a country I've visited and come to love (Cuba) and it does regal the reader with historic details of the island under Spanish rule. From the fabulous culture to the horrors of slavery, the author paints a vivid picture of the island in the 1860s. The city of Havana especially is given a lot of love to show off both the slums of poor workers, sailors, and slaves, but also the opulent wealth of the Spanish Empire and the islands slaver aristocracy. The society comes alive and we see a very fascinating, and disturbing one.
It is though, a story with many nautical themes, and as such it does not disappoint! The running of the blockade is explored in fascinating detail. I admit I was quite surprised at the depth of knowledge and research the author put into getting the small pictures of blockade running right. The nautical runs into Southern ports and out again to Cuba was breathtaking and had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to not sweat bullets like the sailors on the little blockade runner here. It gave me an appreciation for the historical bravery of men who ran the Union blockade of the South whether for ideological reasons or profit!
Secondary to this though, is the exploration of the many espionage acts taking place against the backdrop of the Civil War. This book goes to great lengths to explore the ways spying and counter-intelligence worked in the 1860s. Conflicting loyalties, ideology, and greed certainly all play their parts! Whether it is street level informants, foreign agents, or blockade runners, we get a look at how the cat and mouse game of shell sales and ship registry worked to make the lucrative machine of blockade running function. I was very impressed by the detail and story telling elements worked into these depictions, and it was quite fun to see it all come together in various runs! The way shifting loyalties play a part is key to the story and I won't spoil anything!
It is a very interesting story, espionage aside, about mysterious heritage, conflicted loyalties, and the city of Havana and the society it promotes. I did find some of the mysteries to be well played up, with an overall satisfying conclusion, but thought the book could have been even fifty pages longer to bring those issues which Townsend struggles with to a more satisfying and intimate conclusion. Though the story did leave some dangling plot lines which, probably, should have been addressed, it does an excellent job in bringing Townsend's character arcs satisfyingly forward.
Harbor of Spies is an excellent piece of historical fiction, and well worth reading for its action, intrigue and amazing depiction of such a pivotal piece of the Civil War that often gets overlooked in the battles and politics most history buffs focus on. I'm thrilled I picked this one up!
