Hitler’s Man in Havana

by: Thomas D. Schoonover

Published by: The University Press of Kentucky

Reviewed by Richard Skaff

Schoonover has composed a historical testament that captures the evil of man and the Macchiavellian politics that are behind it. He has written a captivating and meticulous book about Heinz Lüning, a mediocre spy who was sent to Cuba to collect information concerning Allied maneuvers and commerce in the Caribbean.

During World War II, Latin America was one of the few parts of the world that was not directly involved. The Latin American experience was relatively stable, while the Caribbean was a vital strategic transit site for allied transoceanic shipping through the Panama Canal.

In Hitler’s Man in Havana, author Schoonover explains the politics of WWII espionage in Latin America! He expresses these basic thoughts:

— War is a necessary evil that induces change, reduces population, rewrites history, and remaps the world.

— He who controls the present controls the past, and shapes it in the best form that behooves his current political needs.

— From CIA to NSA, to MI6, to the German Abwehr, espionage continues to fascinate our minds, grip our attention, and captivate our admiration.

— Unfortunately, violence and power appeal to the inner hankering of every man who aspires to be famous, indestructible, and mighty.

The book is written eloquently and gracefully. The author attempts to elucidate great details and information about a period of time that was symbolized with ruthlessness and intrigue. He also edifies the role of Heinz Lüning and Nazi espionage in Latin America, and narrates the role of this unfortunate and inept man who was suddenly thrustin the international limelight, and used as a political tool by the Allied.
Lüning was a drinker and a womanizer, an under-trained spy with modest intelligence and no sincere desire to serve his motherland. Soon after Lüning began the service in Cuba, his incompetence has led to his ultimate fate of being the only German spy executed in Latin America during World War II.

Finally, the book will provide the reader who harbors passion for history with an electrifying and rich account of details that expose the political upheavals of the time. It also tracks Lüning’s activities and explains the broader course in the region and in counterespionage.

Armchair Interviews says: Good read with insights about that part of the world during WWII.