The Cuban Missile Crisis

Welcome to the website for The Cuban Missile Crisis !

For thirteen days in October of 1962, a truly perilous flirtation with nuclear war developed between the United States and the USSR, as the superpowers argued over the installation of Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba. Launched by rash judgment and concluded through circumspect leadership, the Cuban Missile Crisis acted as a catalyst for change during the Cold War. Resolved through back-channel negotiations, the moment is popularly remembered as the closest the world has ever come to full-scale nuclear war.

Using government memoranda, personal letters, and newspaper articles, The Cuban Missile Crisis details the actual events of the political history, while explaining widespread public response. Alice George introduces the history of Cold War America and contextualizes its political, social, and cultural legacy.

This companion website provides additional resources to support the book, including primary documents, an image gallery, videos, and links to online resources.