--Richard Holbrooke, "The New York Times Book Review""Riveting and highly informative, One Minute to Midnight portrays the intense human drama of mankind on the brink of an unthinkable war." I bought this book a few years ago and have had reason to go back and read portions of it. One Minute To Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War By Michael Dobbs Hardcover, 426 pages Alfred A. Knopf List Price: $28.95 It is first rate great history and a great read! “One Minute to Midnight is nothing less than a tour de force, a dramatic, nail-biting page-turner that is also an important work of scholarship. "—Martin Sherwin, coauthor of American Prometheus"At a time of danger for a nation it is important for political leaders first to think, then to think more and try avoid shooting. Even for those who are not history nerds like myself, Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2018, Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2018. In One Minute to Midnight, Michael Dobbs, a seasoned investigative reporter and foreign correspondent with the Washington Post, provides a hour-by-hour account of the Cuban Missile Crisis. He took his place at the center of the long table beneath the presidential seal, his back to the Rose Garden. “How do you know this is a medium-range ballistic missile?” asked the president. . Veteran Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs has pored over previously untapped American, Soviet, and Cuban sources to produce the most authoritative book yet on the Cuban missile crisis. Their frowns dissolved into smiles as the president got up from his leather-upholstered seat and led his daughter back toward the door of the Cabinet Room. Never did I know how very close we came to nuclear war and how fully deployed our nuclear arsenal was. Just how close we came to a nuclear exchange, on numerous occasions, is truly frightening. One of the fields contained tubelike objects, others oval-shaped white dots neatly lined up next to one another. Just how close we came to a nuclear exchange, on numerous occasions, is truly frightening. There have been several iterations of the "Missile Crisis" story. ISBN-10: 0091796660 The president smiled. Written like a thriller, One Minute to Midnight is an exhaustively researched account of what Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. called “the most dangerous moment in human history,” and the definitive book on the Cuban missile crisis. This is a systematic account of the Cuban missile crisis from the American, Soviet and Cuban points of view. Facing him across the table were his brother, his vice president, and his national security adviser. As a reporter for The Washington Post and a foreign correspondent having covered the collapse of communism, Dobbs’s careful attention to detail and knowledge of this event is evident throughout the book. Please try your request again later. True story of the men and women who struggled to prevent mass murder and disaster at a US Air Force base—and their heroic response to both tragedies. You don't want to miss this! Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. For those readers who were alive in 1962, as well as those born since, this book should convince all, … Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Michael Dobbs combines the skills of an experienced investigative journalist, a talented writer and an intelligent historical analyst. He has taught at leading American universities, including Princeton, the University of Michigan, and Georgetown. . Didn't get bored at all reading this. Schlesinger, Bobby Kennedy, and others gave us an initial - and limited - look into the crisis through US eyes. Written like a thriller, One Minute to Midnight is an exhaustively researched account of what Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. called “the most dangerous moment in human history,” and the definitive book on the Cuban missile crisis. It gave me a great understanding of what was happening around me during those thirteen days. As the story unfolds the author describes events from the perspective of those involved. There have been many books written previously about the events of October 1962, but in this superb account, Michael Dobbs casts new light on certain aspects of the crisis (for example, the accidental flight of a U2 plane over Eastern Siberia), as well as de-bunking several myths which have developed over the years. Here, for the first time, are gripping accounts of Khrushchev's plan to destroy the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo; the handling of Soviet nuclear warheads on Cuba; and the extraordinary story of a U-2 spy plane that got lost over Russia at the peak of the crisis. Fortunately by the end of that day Kennedy was turning things around. This book comprehensively examines how the erstwhile Allies divided Berlin after World War II and set the stage for the Cold War and the Berlin Wall. "—Kirkus Reviews"Dobbs presents new and often startling information that again confirms that the 'thirteen days in October' brought the world to the edge of an unprecedented cataclysm. The events are presented chronologically, which gives us a minute-by-minute account, and therefore it reads like a thriller. His research is stunning. Michael Dobbs combines the skills of an experienced investigative journalist, a talented writer and an intelligent historical analyst. The NCOs were mum about our objective, but one told me it would be happening within 24-48 hours. Kennedy was held back by the belligerence of many of the top military echelon, especially Curtis LeMay and Thomas Power, who openly advocated as a matter of general policy a nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union; while Khrushchov was held back by the adventurism and rashness of Castro, who saw no reason why nuclear holocaust should not be risked if it meant destruction of American imperialism and who advocated a nuclear first strike by the Soviets to achieve this. The book is very well written. Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? "—The Philadelphia Inquirer"Gripping. The length?” “The length of it, yes.” CIA experts had spent the last thirty-six hours poring over thousands of reconnaissance photographs of the hills and valleys of western Cuba. As much stories to burnish the legend of JFK as historical accounts, these initial versions still help to shape the view of the crisis for many Americans. These promotions will be applied to this item: Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. John F. Kennedy would later remark that the site could be mistaken for “a football field.” After examining the photographs earlier that morning, his brother Bobby had been unable to make out anything more than “the clearing of a field for a farm or the basement of a house.” To help the president understand the significance of the photos, Lundahl had labeled them with arrows pointing to the dots and blotches, along with captions reading “ERECTOR LAUNCHER EQUIPMENT,” “MISSILE TRAILERS,” and “TENT AREAS.” He was about to display the briefing boards when there was a commotion outside the door. Early life and education. Please try again. Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2019. 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