"You set yourself on fire, you're still not as hot as me." Song lyrics

In 1914, newspaper war correspondent Christopher Marlowe Cobb "Kit" goes to Mexico to report on that country's Civil War.

President Woodrow Wilson had sent U.S. soldiers to Mexico and interest in the war by people in the United States increased.

This is a time in Mexico that things are exciting and Kit comes across other dignitaries such as journalist and novelist Richard Harding Davis.

The Germans seem to be helping the Mexicans who have a number of people trying to take over the government.  Poncho Villa was the best known and Kit is trying to write a story about Poncho Villa.

After a coup by Huerta, Poncho Villa formed his own army to oppose him.  He was originally a bandit and still robbed trains to get the money to fight the war.

Kit spots a spy and learns something about the German's wanting to support Villa and hope that he might invade the United States.

Kit is a swashbuckling type of person, he thinks nothing of grabbing a gun to help his cause and falls in love with a Mexican woman who was originally a laundress.  While Kit is not trying to get information about his stories, he tries to get closer to this woman.

The story is written in a literary manner with good descriptions and keen dialogue. The short history about the Mexican Revolution is informative and the plot is compelling and the conclusion is highly satisfactory.