me his video copies of three Cuban-set films, most important Our Man in Havana, which, among other delights, is the best photographic record of Havana in the fifties available. From Marc Dozal at Noirfilm.com I got another batch of film noirs with Cuban settings or occasional Cuban motifs, including Miami Expose and Affair in Havana. Marc also found me a copy of Our Man in Havana that I didn't have to give back and could study at my leisure. So in some sense my roman noir is set in a film noir. My good friend and hunting partner John Bainbridge gave me a superb proofreading job. And thanks again to Bob Beers, who voluntarily maintains a website at www.stephenhunter.net. Why he does this I have no idea, but he seems to enjoy it.
A few confessions: I am aware that the Earl of Havana doesn't connect in perfect joinery with the first Earl, of Black Light so many years ago. I trust readers will understand that he's grown in complexity and experience as I've stayed with him over the past few books. Possibly in some better future I'll have a chance to do another pass on Black Light-I suppose when Harvard brings out the Collected Novels of Stephen Hunter-and reconcile the two Earls into one figure.
I should also say that the pistol I refer to consistently as the Super.38 is now called a.38 Super. I'm not sure when the Super migrated to the rear of the construction, but all the original Colt period documents of the gun call it a Super.38 through the fifties at least. Mine, built in 1949, is stamped 'Colt Super.38' on the slide. I decided to go with Colt. If they don't know, who does?
Finally, as to historicity. The CIA was clearly aware of Castro as early as 1953; the rest I've jiggered to suit my dramatic needs, and had a hell of a good time doing so. For the record, everything is where I say it is in the book and it looks like I say it looks. I make certain adjustments for the sake of simplicity and because I am a novelist, not a historian: other rebel initiatives on the night of July 26, 1953, meant to coincide with the attack on the barracks, I chose to ignore. (By the way, a really good historical narrative on Moncada in English has yet to be written; some brilliant young nonfiction writer out there, get busy.) Fidel was captured a few miles north of where I place him, not on a beach but in a farmhouse while he slept, though his capturer was indeed Lieutenant Sarria; there was an infamous torturer in Santiago named Ojos Bellos, though what became of him I don't know. I hope it wasn't pretty.
Finally, we have no idea when Soviet contact with Castro began. I've enjoyed imagining that it began in 1953. Whatever, History will absolve me.
