Abyss
The Cuban Missile Crisis 1962
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Abyss
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Narrated by:
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John Hopkins
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By:
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Max Hastings
About this listen
A Times History Book of the Year 2022
From the #1 bestselling historian Max Hastings ‘the heart-stopping story of the missile crisis’ Daily Telegraph
The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was the most perilous event in history, when mankind faced a looming nuclear collision between the United States and Soviet Union. During those weeks, the world gazed into the abyss of potential annihilation.
Max Hastings’s graphic new history tells the story from the viewpoints of national leaders, Russian officers, Cuban peasants, American pilots and British disarmers. Max Hastings deploys his accustomed blend of eye-witness interviews, archive documents and diaries, White House tape recordings, top-down analysis, first to paint word-portraits of the Cold War experiences of Fidel Castro’s Cuba, Nikita Khrushchev’s Russia and Kennedy’s America; then to describe the nail-biting Thirteen Days in which Armageddon beckoned.
Hastings began researching this book believing that he was exploring a past event from twentieth century history. He is as shocked as are millions of us around the world, to discover that the rape of Ukraine gives this narrative a hitherto unimaginable twenty-first century immediacy. We may be witnessing the onset of a new Cold War between nuclear-armed superpowers.
To contend with today’s threat, which Hastings fears will prove enduring, it is critical to understand how, sixty years ago, the world survived its last glimpse into the abyss. Only by fearing the worst, he argues, can our leaders hope to secure the survival of the planet.
©2022 Max Hastings (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
‘Grabs from the get-go… as if this were the very best fiction’ Daily Mail
‘A brilliant, beautifully constructed and thrilling re-assessment of the most perilous moment in history’ Daily Telegraph
‘Frightening but hopelessly addictive’ The Times
What listeners say about Abyss
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- TonyG
- 25-10-22
Detailed analysis well narrated
As someone who was told at school that we could all be incinerated during the events of 1962 this book is compelling listening for anyone who fears the same outcome 60 years later. The crowning of Emperor Xi in 2022 serves to remind us all how a tiny group of individuals could destroy the whole planet.
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3 people found this helpful
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- yandinazetland@bigfoot.com
- 11-01-23
A frightening story of (my) our time.
A well timed insight into the Cuban Crisis and the cast of characters that took the world to the edge of destruction.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 20-03-23
Brilliant book, brilliant narration
Yet another completely masterful exploration of a pivotally important historic moment. Brilliantly written and wonderfully narrated.
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- djmp
- 20-09-23
Superb
The book maintains the high standard of the author. Absorbing, engaging persuasive and thought provoking.
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- Anonymous User
- 05-03-24
One of the most influential books ive heard
Excellent book - critical analysis of how decisions are made and how the chaos of the world can be managed.
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- P. Kapoor
- 16-01-23
Excellent
A very well researched and written book and narrated very well too - highly recommended. Important parallels drawn between then and now
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1 person found this helpful
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- karmapanda
- 20-03-23
Very good
Informative, well researched and good narration. At once illuminating but also frightening and has relevance for our modern world.
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- Mr J Coates
- 12-01-23
Max Hastings Best!
In my humble estimation this is the historian's best book - and that is really saying something!
I never knew anything beforehand about the Cuban missile crisis and now I know everything I need to know thanks to this magisterial work. The whole listening experience was greatly enhanced by the narrator. My previous listen was a book called 'First Casualty' (also highly recommended) read by John Hopkins and his narration skills are just perfect for these historical genres. So that is a double reason to purchase this book on the Cuban crisis.
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- Anonymous User
- 30-03-24
Excellent Summary Of The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
Hugely enjoyable and informative summary of the CMC. Would recommend highly to those who have little or no knowledge of this part of history.
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- Jig Knitters
- 15-01-23
Informative and interesting
Well written, good narration but best of all a good listen. The amount of detail is phenomenal yet it never loses the listener in information overload.
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1 person found this helpful