Abyss

Seventeen years of simmering aggression had led to a boiling point between the Soviet Union and the United States. The two sides had been sparring since the end of World War II, various zones of influence battled for in Europe. The arrival of the charismatic rebel Fidel Castro in Cuba, his nationalization of industries, his spurning by the USA, and his embrace of Communism brought the Cold War closer to the United States.

Castro and Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev formed an alliance, and the United States grew concerned. The evidence of missiles in Cuba and their ability to strike a large swath of the United States when ready ushered in the Cuban Missile Crisis. President John F. Kennedy and his advisors would need to decide between diplomacy or military action to confront this threat head-on. The wrong move would prove catastrophic.

Abyss by Max Hastings is a comprehensive examination of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the background to the high noon showdown between the global superpowers. Hastings breaks down the various cast of characters that dominated the scene and explains how rational thinking overcame the hawks in Washington and Moscow to preserve the world from a nuclear conflagration. A+ history from a pre-eminent historian.