The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis with Sir Max Hastings

<p>The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis is reckoned to be one of the most perilous events in history, when the World  faced a looming nuclear collision between the United States and Soviet Union. During those weeks, the world gazed into the abyss of potential annihilation.</p><p>I speak with Sir Max Hastings whose new history <a href='https://amzn.to/3DZBwS3'> Abyss: The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962</a> tells the story from the viewpoints of national leaders, Russian officers, Cuban peasants, American pilots and British disarmers. The period is brought to life with eye-witness interviews, archive documents and diaries, White House tape recordings, and top-down analysis. More than purely a focus on the 13 days of the crisis, the book provides context through the Cold War experiences of Fidel Castro’s Cuba, Nikita Khrushchev’s Russia, and Kennedy’s America. </p><p>Among the areas we discuss are how Cuba became a crisis, the failure of intelligence on both sides,  and those nail-biting Thirteen Days in which Armageddon beckoned.</p><p><b> Buy the book an support the podcast</b><a href='https://amzn.to/3rlPLsM'><b> https://amzn.to/3rlPLsM</b></a></p><p><b><em>Cold War history is disappearing; however, a simple monthly donation will keep this podcast on the air. You’ll become part of our community and get a sought after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. </em></b></p><p><b><em>Just go to </em></b><a href='https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/'><b><em>https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/</em></b></a></p><p>If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.</p><p>I am delighted to welcome Sir Max Hastings  to our Cold War conversation…</p><p><b>Episode notes here </b><a href='https://coldwarconversations.com/episode246/'><b>https://coldwarconversations.com/episode255/</b></a></p><p><b>Follow us on Twitter here </b><a href='https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod'><b>https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod</b>