The Abyss: Nuclear Crisis Cuba 1962

In The Abyss, Max Hastings turns his focus to one of the most terrifying events of the mid-twentieth century—the thirteen days in October 1962 when the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. Hastings looks at this defining moment of the Cold War with fresh eyes, focusing on the people at the heart of the crisis—America President John F. Kennedy, Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro, and a host of their advisors.

Combining in-depth research with Hasting’s well-honed insights, The Abyss is a character-driven work of political history that unfolds on a wide, colorful canvas. As the action moves back and forth from Moscow to Washington, DC, to Havana, Hastings seeks to explain, as much as to describe, the attitudes and conduct of the Soviets, Cubans, and Americans, and to recreate the tension and heightened fears of countless innocent bystanders whose lives hung in the balance. Reflecting on the outcome of these events, he reveals how the aftermath of this momentous crisis continues to reverberate today.

Powerful, and riveting, filled with compelling detail and told with narrative flair, The Abyss is history at its finest.

This definitive account of the Cold War’s most dangerous moment reveals:

• Brinkmanship at the Highest Level: A minute-by-minute look at the tactical and psychological maneuvering between Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro as the world held its breath.
• A True Three-Sided Story: For the first time, the crisis is explored not just from the perspective of Moscow and Washington, but with an in-depth focus on the motivations and actions of the Cubans.
• The Human Perspective: Beyond the war rooms, discover the stories of the pilots, sailors, and ordinary citizens whose lives were caught in the crossfire of a potential nuclear apocalypse.
• Lasting Global Consequences: A sharp analysis of how the lessons learned—and ignored—during those thirteen days continue to shape international relations in the 21st century.