“We’re eyeball to eyeball…and I think the other fellow just blinked.”
How close did the world come to nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Answer: too close. Between 16-29 October 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a standoff where the fate of humanity hung in the balance.
Considered by many to be the closest the two global superpowers came to a full-blown conflict during the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis began following the discovery of Soviet nuclear weapons housed on the island by US U2 spy planes. President John F Kennedy’s and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s decisions in the weeks following the discovery could have easily kickstarted WW3 though, thankfully, a diplomatic resolution was found and a nuclear hotline was established to help avoid similar incidents. Join us at What We Reading for the best Cuban Missile Crisis books, examining the causes, pivotal decisions, potentially deadly alternative histories and the lasting legacy of the confrontation.
Nuclear Folly: A History Of The Cuban Missile Crisis – Serhii Plokhy
Written as tensions around the world continue to escalate, author Serhii Plokhy reminds readers of the most pivotal moment in the Cold War with an international perspective on the events and decisions behind the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Through the eyes of John F Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, Fidel Castro and all of the advisers and generals around them, Plokhy brings to life the torturous decision-making that escalated the incident and, thankfully, resolved it. Drawing on a range of White House tapes as well as Soviet archival material (including recently declassified sources from the KGB), Nuclear Folly is a vividly illustrated guide into the anxiety and drama of those days, providing us with a means of grappling with the diplomatic issues posed today.
Essence Of Decision: Explaining The Cuban Missile Crisis – Graham T. Allison And Philip Zelikow
Lauded as one of the most important political science books written in the post-WW2 era, Essence of Decision is a unique and comprehensive examination of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Utilising the latest revelations revealed by the Kennedy Tapes and declassified Soviet files, it features the most interesting theories and events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis.
As well as being a brilliantly composed piece of historical non-fiction, Essence of Decision is also a fascinating insight into the mechanics of those in power. By exploring the concept of decision-making under pressure, it attempts to answer the question of how should citizens understand the actions of their government.
Thirteen Days: A Memoir Of The Cuban Missile Crisis – Robert F. Kennedy
Throughout thirteen days in October 1962, few people shared the behind-the-scenes story of the standoff between superpowers as well as Robert F. Kennedy. The closest confidant to his brother during the crisis, Thirteen Days documents the roles and responsibilities of the participants and the sometimes hour-by-hour updates they supplied the President with.
Now featuring a foreword from distinguished historian and Kennedy adviser Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. explaining the legacy of the book, Thirteen Days remains one of the best Cuban Missile Crisis books for whisking readers into the heart of the incident that had the whole world holding its breath.
The Cuban Missile Crisis: A History From Beginning To End – Hourly History
For a book on the Cuban Missile Crisis that is concise and straight to the point, Hourly History’s edition on the incident is one of the best options. Renowned for condensing even the biggest of historical events into books that are accessible and easily finished within an hour, the team chronicle the events of the crisis from beginning to end providing readers with all the information they need to understand it.
Documenting everything from the discovery of the weapons by U2 spy planes, the wealth of different responses JFK was presented with, all the way to how a resolution was reached, this is one of the best Cuban Missile Crisis books for a solid overview of the events and stakes at play.
Gambling With Armageddon: Nuclear Roulette From Hiroshima To The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1945-1962 – Martin J. Sherwin
Pulitizer Prive winning author of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer Martin J. Sherwin documents the Cuban Missile Crisis, its potential for nuclear holocaust and its wider historical context for the first time in Gambling with Armaggedon.
Offering an hour-by-hour insight into the pivotal moments that defined the crisis, Gambling with Armaggedon remains one of the best Cuban Missile Crisis books for understanding the origins, scope and consequences of the evolving place of nuclear weapons in the modern world. Delving into new sources and materials never before available, it is a fascinating insight into everything from the philosophies and mentalities of the two world superpowers at the time, to how the crisis came to be JFK’s greatest coming-of-age moment.
Abyss: The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 – Max Hastings
Veteran war reporter and historian Max Hastings takes on the Cuban Missile Crisis in his 2022 book, Abyss. Capturing the feeling of stalemate that could have so easily spiralled into an apocalypse, it is a compelling read that blends fascinating character portraits, military collisions and the big-picture analysis of the social, economic and political forces that dictated the actions on all fronts.
Providing a fresh international context on an extraordinary showdown, Hastings masterfully captures how the crisis gripped the world. The result is a triumphant analysis of why both sides eventually backed away from mutually assured destruction, though not before they came perilously close to disaster.
The Armageddon Letters: Kennedy, Khrushchev, Castro In The Cuban Missile Crisis – James G. Blight And Janet M. Lang
Released on the 50th anniversary of the incident, two of the most authoritative experts on the Cuban Missile Crisis recreate the drama through the eyes of the three leaders in the eye of the storm.
Organised through the letters exchanged by Kennedy, Khrushchev and Castro as the crisis developed and heightened, Blight and Lang examine the physical and psychological realities faced by the leaders in Washington, Moscow and Havana. A stunning piece of revolving writing, The Armaggedon Letters grips readers and whisks them back to October 1962 when the geopolitical landscape more closely resembled the premise of an apocalyptic work of fiction.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
