Anatomy of the Cuban Missile Crisis

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James A. Nathan

ISBN: 0-313-29973-0

ISBN-13: 978-0-313-29973-5

DOI:

256 pages

Greenwood Press

Publication: 11/30/2000

List Price: $51.95 (UK Sterling Price: £35.95)

Availability: Print on demand

Media Type: Hardcover

Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4

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Series Title: Greenwood Press Guides to Historic Events of the Twentieth Century

Description: The Cuban Missile Crisis is the closest the United States came to nuclear war during the Cold War era. Facing down the buildup of Soviet missiles in Cuba in 1962, President John F. Kennedy took a calculated risk and succeeded in negotiating the removal of those weapons after weeks of teetering on the brink of war. This riveting narrative and ready-reference guide captures the drama of that crisis. Eleven chapters trace the unfolding of events from the United States, Cuban, and Soviet perspectives.

Ready reference features include: a blow-by-blow chronology of daily events during the Crisis, lengthy biographical profiles of the nine key players, including Cuba's Fidel Castro, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, and key Kennedy Cabinet members who were part of Kennedy's Crisis team; the text of 19 primary documents, including conversations in the Oval Office and memoranda that put the reader inside the crisis room, and Kennedy's speeches to the nation; and an annotated bibliography of print and electronic sources suitable for student research. James Nathan, an expert on the Cuban Missile Crisis, provides an interesting narrative with all the high drama of the Crisis, along with a contemporary historical perspective that will help readers to gain an understanding of the event that symbolized the height of the Cold War and its long-term significance.

Table of Contents:

Series Foreword by Randall M. Miller
Preface
Chronology of Events
The Cuban Missile Crisis Explained
Introduction
Kennedy, Apocalyptic Power, and the Cold War Backdrop
Enter Cuba
Cuba: Cold War Competition and Containment by Stealth
The Politics of a "Perfect Failure"
"Blowback" and Berlin
Cuba: "The Top Priority in the United States Government--All Else Is Secondary"
August 1962: Spotting the Buildup, Planning for the Worst
Thirteen Days on the Brink of War
The Nuclear Dimension
Conclusion
Biographies: The Personalities Behind the Cuban Missile Crisis
Bibliography
Index

About the Author: JAMES A. NATHAN is Khaled bin Sultan Eminent Scholar at Auburn University, Montgomery./e A former Foreign Service Officer, he has also taught at the University Delaware, Johns Hopkins University, SAIS, the Naval War College and the Army War College. He is the author or coauthor of six books and some 70 articles on international affairs.

LCC Class: 973


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