In October 1962, at the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union appeared to be sliding inexorably toward a nuclear conflict over the placement of missiles in Cuba. 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. In his hour-by-hour chronicle of those near-fatal days, Dobbs reveals some startling new incidents that illustrate how close we came to Armageddon.
Here, for the first time, are gripping accounts of Khrushchev’s plan to destroy the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo; the accidental overflight of the Soviet Union by an American spy plane; the movement of Soviet nuclear warheads around Cuba during the tensest days of the crisis; the activities of CIA agents inside Cuba; and the crash landing of an American F-106 jet with a live nuclear weapon on board.
Dobbs takes us inside the White House and the Kremlin as Kennedy and Khrushchev—rational, intelligent men separated by an ocean of ideological suspicion—agonize over the possibility of war. He shows how these two leaders recognized the terrifying realities of the nuclear age while Castro—never swayed by conventional political considerations—demonstrated the messianic ambition of a man selected by history for a unique mission. As the story unfolds, Dobbs brings us onto the decks of American ships patrolling Cuba; inside sweltering Soviet submarines and missile units as they ready their warheads; and onto the streets of Miami, where anti-Castro exiles plot the dictator’s overthrow.
Based on exhaustive new research and told in breathtaking prose, here is a riveting account of history’s most dangerous hours, full of lessons for our time.
Author: Michael Dobbs
Publisher: Knopf
Customer Reviews
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Suspensefull and well written
Finished this one in 9 days - it was truly engaging and very suspenseful, particularly when one considers that everything is true and well-documented by a talented and sophisticated writter. I recommend.
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The Evil That Little Men Do
This is the story of a few despicable, egotistical ideologues who held the fate of millions on their finger tips in a high stakes game of chicken in October, 1962. Fidel Castro was understandably p*ssed at the U.S. for her repeated attempts at sabotaging his beloved revolution, but that's hardly justification for insisting on a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the U.S. military and population at large. And the man who started it all was none other than Mr. Khrushchev, who came to his senses one minute to midnight to avoid a disaster of monumental proportions, and decided Castro was too trigger happy to be entrusted with launch codes to Russian nukes. Mr. Khrushchev was under the mistaken belief that his military would secretly transfer over 40,000 Russian troops and install a ridiculous number of nuclear weapons pointed at the U.S. from Cuba.
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<br />Perhaps the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis were necessary to convince the crackheads with the power to start nuclear wars that this wasn't such a swell idea afterall. Once the nuclear machination was set in motion, neither JFK, nor Khrushchev was in complete control of events. As JFK eloquently stated, "There's always some sonofabitch who doesn't get the word," referring to a little man (a minor player) taking a course of action, whether accidentally or deliberately, that can culminate in an all out nuclear war. There were a few of these instances detailed in "One Minute To Midnight".
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<br />Through meticulous research, Mr. Dobbs has pieced together an unbiased account of the Cuban Missile Crisis, with new revelations that is sure to keep even history buffs entertained.
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I remember we were so close
This book is breathtaking. I was six years old when it all happened. I have read much on the Cuban Missile Crisis and thought all that could be said was said. However, I have been proved wrong. There is new information that reveals just how close we came to nuclear war. It is a book that reveals the humanness of Kennedy and Khruschev and the situations of mischance that can lead to resolution of conflcit or catastrophe.
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<br />Young people of this generation should read this book and learn its lessons for the future. Perhaps former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara said it best in his film, "Fog of War": "The indefinte exsitence of nuclear weapons and human faliibility will destroy nations." Enough said, read the book!
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Incredible
Having lived through the Cuban Missile crises I found this book to be exciting, revealing, and a most fascinating read of the interaction between the political and military leaders of the United States, USSR, and Cuba. It also gave me chills to read how close we came to nuclear war, and how much we misunderstood the capabilities of the Russian military. It seems to be a constant thread in our military in that they repeated this poor assessment in the Viet Nam war, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. History books such as this should be must reading for all college freshman, for all budding young politicians, and for all military leaders. It is only through books such as this do we have any hope of changing future direction by understanding the mistakes of the past, such that we can avoid nuclear holocausts, or any wars in fact.
<br />For those of us addicted to James Bond and Tom Clancy novels, this book trumps them all, and it is all the more chilling and remarkable, as it is non-fiction.
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Most accurate history of Cuban Missile Crisis to date!
Michael Dobbs applies his journalistic skill to bring the drama and stress of the Cuban Missile Crisis alive for another generation. Dobbs writes in his acknowledgements and notes on sources, "What is there new to say about a subject that has been so exhaustively studied?" He answers himself with "The answer, it turned out, is a great deal." I could not agree with him more.
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<br />Like most Americans, my knowledge of the Cuban Missile Crisis was shaped by Hollywood in movies such as Roger Donaldon's "Thirteen Days". While the movie was accurate on most of the major events, Dobbs goes where no one else has ventured before. He reviewed original American, Cuban, and Russian source documents to tread a lot of new territory. Dobbs sets the record straight with some surprising revelations, as well as some corrections to "well-known" facts that have taken on a mythology of their own over the years.
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<br />"One Minute to Midnight" tells the story from all three perpectives - American, Russian, and Cuban. The Cuban sources were more restricted, so the full Cuban point of view is the least well developed. However, Dobbs does an excellent job describing the political relationships between Kruschev and Castro. Along these same limes, he also revealed the military command and control structures in place for all three sides of the conflict.
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<br />Dobbs reviewed raw intelligence reports, letters from home, and official records to triangulate the "real story". The Marines were able to follow a Russian convoy as they approached the perimeter of Guantanamo Bay. The Marines were very aware of the size and locations of the Russian forces, but the special weapons the Russians brought with them would have been very surprising indeed. This Russian State secret was kept for more than 30 years, but Dobbs reveals this grim reality for the first time.
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<br />In addition to the drama unfolding in the Caribbean, Dobbs looks at other factors that affected the crisis. If America attacked Cuba, would the Russians have attacked Berlin? What about Turkey? Certainly no superpower would allow its forces to be attacked without extracting a pound of flesh from the enemy.
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<br />Dobbs also looks at all of the American intelligence collection efforts. From the high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, to the low-level A-8 Crusaders that provided very detailed photography of the missile sites. He also recounts the efforts of the USS Oxford, a signals intelligence ship that skirted Cuba in international waters.
<br />No story of the missile crisis would be complete without telling the tale of the brave Cuban nationals who untook sabotage missions against the Castro regime.
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<br />Dobbs is an accomplished story-teller. His writing style brings the story alive. Historians should take note - this is the kind of writing that keep readers interested. This book is an absolute must have!
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<br />SPOILER WARNING: As an example of the mythology that Dobbs sets straight, he reveals the truth of the "eyeball to eyeball" confrontation between Soviet Missile Carrying ships and the American navy. Kruschev's aim was to install the missiles in Cuba, forcing America to accept them as fait accompli. Because of the initial U-2 overflights, the plan was revealed before more missiles could be brought into Cuba. Kruschev blinked, and ordered the additional warheads outside the quarantine zone to return to port. The US Navy and missile ships never got within a few hundred miles of each other.
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