Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-arc of this book.

Historical Fiction is my jam, but I truthfully have never read a historical fiction book about the Cuban Missile Crisis, the only things that I remember is what I learned in school 45 years ago (no I'm not that old, but still you get the point).

I really loved learning about something that I truthfully remember nothing about, this was very well-researched, and very informative from my perspective. I highly would recommend this book if you're into historical fiction, or even history non-fiction novels.

I was 6 when the nuclear showdown known as the Cuban missile crisis took place in 1962. The only thing I remember was practicing getting under our school desks and covering our heads in the case the Soviet Union dropped a nuclear bomb on the American. Did I understand what all this meant? Nope.

As I’ve gotten older, I find myself interested in events from my younger years. Jeff Shaara’s newest historical fiction book, The Shadow of War, was the perfect book for me to have a better understanding of this near tragic event. It is told from the perspective of several different players, both American and Soviet.

I enjoy historical fiction because I’m more apt to stick with it. This is a well researched book told in a very readable fashion. I learned a lot!

The Shadow of War by Jeff Shaara is historical fiction based on the time from the Bay of Pigs to the end of 1962 and the nuclear missile crisis in Cuba. It was very well-done, fact-based and well-researched. The only fictional part of it were the conversations had by the actors, for instance, President Kennedy, the Attorney General, Khrushchev and is staff, et al. It was primarily a non-fiction book in form and content and a very readable one. This was a frightening time in our history and he managed to convey that emotion as well as a fair appraisal of what was going on throughout it all. It was well-done. Thanks, Jeff Shaara for another educational historical fiction book!

I was invited to read The Shadow of War by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #JeffShaara #TheShadowOfWar

The Shadow of War, Jeff Shaara’s new novel, paints a detailed picture of the Cuban Missile Crisis that greatly enhances my memories as a junior high student at the time. I recall duck and cover practices under our school desks and my older brother's stocking canned foods and bottled water in our home’s sub-basement where my family hoped we might survive nuclear fallout if Russian missiles based in Cuba targeted the Strategic Air Command based in Omaha a couple hours away.

Shaara begins with Florida-based Cuban immigrants landing on the Cuban coast to help the CIA carry out what they were told would be a well-supported campaign to topple Fidel Castro. Waiting for supplies that don’t arrive and massive air cover that ends up consisting of a single plane quickly shot down by Cuban jets, they feel betrayed. The Bay of Pigs invasion becomes one of American history's fiascos.

The story next turns to recently elected President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert Kennedy as they react to the Bay of Pigs failure. Having previously insisted that Americans would never invade Cuba to take down Castro, President Kennedy decides to admit American involvement and accept blame for the failure. Shaara makes clear what I hadn’t known or understood as a child—that the Bay of Pigs invasion was not Kennedy’s plan, but an inherited one and that he had called off military support to the immigrants on the ground out of fear that the world would realize it was not a Cuban refugee-planned attack, but an American-backed one.

From there, Shaara traces the months leading up to the Cuban Missile crisis, using historical records, diaries, and other such documents to. He recounts ,events through a variety of viewpoints, political, military and civilian, free world and communist world. While most of the book focuses on the Cuban Missile Crisis, on key figures involved on both sides, and on civilian experience of those events, the Epilogue helps fill in the aftermath.

Unlike most historical fiction in which writers depict fictional characters caught up in momentous events, sometimes crossing paths with famous real-life figures, The Shadow of War features only historic figures. Rather than making up the dialogue, Shaara draws it from historic records, using lines gleaned from his meticulous research. Perhaps the dialogue’s very factualness occasionally makes it seem somewhat awkward when fit into the historical narrative, but there is no questioning the accuracy with which Shaara recreates these tense months of U.S. and Russian/Cuban relations and brings home how close the world came to nuclear war.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader egalley of this excellent new book by Jeff Shaara.

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Wow. I was unnerved after-the-fact as I read this book. You see, I largely grew up in Florida, a mere 90 miles away from Cuba as the news kept reminding us. Although too or too naive to fully grasp the sense of fear many adults knew, it still made an impact. While I've read history books about the time, there's been a sort of filter between the events of those readings and me as a reader, so to speak. This one tore down that filter. You are there. You are living this nightmare. Shaara puts us, to paraphrase a line from Hamilton, in the rooms where it happened. And, unlike my younger self, I'm old enough now to shiver as I realize how very, very close we came to annihilation. That's the power of Jeff Shaara's writing style. While historical fiction, he evokes that "you are there" sense, relying on in-depth research and extensive readings to create the scenes that reveal how close we came to the edge.

I won't detail the cat-and-mouse games that lead us to that point as, quite frankly, I'd be depriving you of experiencing the scenario as it unfolds by trying to even hit the highlights. Trust me, there are many, from the opening scenes revolving about the Bay of Pigs fiasco to the aftermath, revealing not only how Kennedy's stand paid off -- and it came close to not doing so -- so what happened to each of the players of the story. One thing I will note, however, is how this showed the growing maturity of both John and Robert Kennedy, their ability to learn from mistakes, as well as their ability to accept their responsibility for the situation. The thoughts attributed to Joseph Russo, another real character you'll get to know well throughout the story, at the end should also evoke thought.

History buffs or those who lived through this should grab a copy of this book as soon as possible. If old enough, you'll be compelled to read, even as you shudder after the fact, realizing how close we came to not growing up. Teachers, history teachers in particular, of which I was one, you definitely need to read this book and make sure it's on library shelves. Thank you to #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress for sharing this early glimpse of, well, what I'm rather glad happened too early in my life to have left much impact. I hope we never come face to face with possible annihilation again.

Shaara never disappoints in his highly detailed histories of some of the biggest moments in our nation's history. The Shadow of War takes the reader behind the scenes as President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev play a game of war that could have ended in world destruction during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I enjoyed learning all of the machinations that happened to keep us from launching nuclear weapons at each other, ensuring the annihilation of both countries' citizens. I wasn't alive during this crisis but I can't imagine how scary it was for the American public. Shaara does a great job at getting into the heads of these leaders and showing how the tension deescalated.

Perfect gift for Father's Day!

THE SHADOW OF WAR covers one of the all-time scariest post war periods in the U.S., when an untested President and his advisors thought they might be looking at a direct confrontation with the USSR. It has made for endless movies, TV shows and yes, not a few, tense books about the period. I had hoped that author Jeff Shaara would write a tense and exciting book along the lines of something Tom Clancy might have created. That is not this book. This is a much more low key depiction of events and is a far slower read of a novel. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I have been a Jeff Shaara fan since his first book God’s and Generals in 1996 but prior to that had been a fan of the author’s father Michael Shaara since 1974 and his book Killer Angels. I’d never been very interested in Civil War history but reading that book opened my eyes and helped me see how exciting history was. I have eagerly read just everything he’s written since then and was so excited to read this when the publisher reached out. In The Shadow of War, the author brings light to those incredible days in Oct 1961 referred to as The Cuban Missile Crisis. Without taking egregious liberties, he helps t paint a picture of all the persons, emotion, politics that swirled around and needed to be sensitively navigated. I highly recommend this volume and anything else by this author.

#theshadowofwar #netgalley

I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written and a good suspense/thriller book, with a good plot and well-developed characters.

In order to really understand history, you'd have to go in time and be there when the tensions and threats against the US were in play. As so many other, I learned of the Cuban Missile Crisis from a school book that had been heavily edited to cast the US in the best light possible. This book, THE SHADOW OF WAR, gives a much more detailed look at how close the US came to a nuculear war in the early 1960's. These men whom the American publi trusted, had fame thrust upon them in an era where diplomacy was not the first answer to a looming threat. Jeff Shaara does an excellent job of manintaining a neutral look at the who, whay, where, when and why. If you are a history junkie, or know someone who is, this book is for you. 5 easy stars.

The Shadow of War by Jeff Shaara is a phenomenal historical fiction that dives into the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The writing was excellent. Shaara puts the reader in the Soviet Union and the United States, not only in the location but in the minds of the people who were there.
It was a beautiful novel, beautifully written, and I loved it.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Brilliant recreation of those dark days in October 1962. I think Mr. Shaara not only gives you a real feel for the time period but also does an amazing job of getting into the heads and motivations of the key characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading history. It will make a great Father’s Day gift!

The Shadow of War: A Novel of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Jeff Shaara is the latest novel by this author. This is my second read written by Mr. Shaara. This time Mr. Shaara gives us the historical fiction version of the Cuban Missile Crisis during October 1962. While it is a work of fiction the author’s research is evident. It shows a heavily researched book written with aplomb.

The story is written from several perspectives which brings to life some of the people involved in this crisis. The most important perspectives are President John F. Kennedy, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and the Russian Ambassador.

The author reveals throughout the book how very close we came to having a nuclear war. Another interesting reveal was how, in the end, Khrushchev and Kennedy were fearful of starting a war that could destroy mankind. The book explored how each leader evolved in their thinking and how they made covert concessions in order for them to ‘save face’. Mr. Shaara made these powerful men come to life as real human beings involved in this sit on the edge of your seat historical event. We learn about their strengths and weaknesses. We get a glimpse of Bobby Kennedy’s and Nikita Khrushchev’s lives away from their stressful jobs.

If you are a historical fiction fan this book should be on your reading list. There is so much information that is brought to light. It was a fascinating read. Mr. Shaara has done a wonderful job.

I would like to thank Mr. Shaara, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Shadow of War</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Shaara's latest novel about the Cuban Missile Crisis should terrify any reader. On the surface, the early sixties were full of optimism and American exceptionalism. Cuba, a small island just 90 miles from Key West, became the nexus of a nuclear confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. The two leaders, Nikita Khrushchev and John Kennedy, struggled to predict the other's intentions while surrounded by contradictory advice. How close the world came to destruction is clearly revealed.

Shaara excels at depicting how global historical events affect ordinary people. Thus, in this novel, readers not only see political leaders and their advisors but also people whose knowledge of events is limited to television news. The impact of the crisis, however, is no less real.

This is one for fans of historical fiction who like the idea of learning more about an event through a variety of viewpoints, Robert F Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and the fictional Joseph Russo, an English professor at Florida State University, each look at events differently. This has clearly been well researched and it will be educational for those unfamiliar with what happened. That said, there's a lack of tension (we do know what happens) and at times it's less entertaining than instructional. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Over to others,

Historical fiction is a tricky genre. Re-creating conversations based on even impeccably researched historical events doesn't always work, but Shaara has done a great job here. He accurately portrays the Cuban Missile Crisis and the national and international tension while Khrushchev and Kennedy faced off in 1962.

The main points of view are Russia and the U.S. with some time spent on Castro and Cuba. The Russians didn't care for Castro -- they thought he was a hothead and they didn't trust him. And both Kennedy and Khrushchev had to deal with pressure from the more hawkish advisors who urged military action. Shaara also presents the political maneuvering that surrounded the participants.

Kennedy was relatively inexperienced at international relations, and at first he was not respected by Khrushchev. But Russia's underestimating of Kennedy's resolve came at a high cost.

Shaara adds an epilog that explains what happened after that fraught 2 week period. This was a well-paced and compelling read about a critical event that hasn't had much recent analysis. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

For someone who doesn't know much about the Cuban Missile Crisis, this might be a fine book. However, I found that it didn't really evoke the panic and fear that accompanied the crisis. One of the reasons I read the book is because I love The Killer Angels, written by the author's father, did such a great job of portraying key players in a crisis as humans with real personalities and feelings. I did not get that same feeling with this book. It seemed more like a history book retelling with some dialogue than really getting to know the people involved as human beings with real thoughts and feelings and lives outside the conflict. There were times I could see the author try to bring those things in, but they fell flat for me.

This isn't my first Jeff Shaara book. I was pretty impressed with "The Frozen Hours," and I looked forward to reading "The Shadow of War," about the Cuban Missile Crisis.

I'm not quite old enough to remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, but I am from the "duck and cover" generation and do remember nuclear attack drills in school. I'm also a student of history and well acquainted with how close to the edge our world got. Still, with this novelization, mixing well known facts with the interactions of some key players, I was hoping for a taught historical novel that would bring those days to greater life.

Well, it wasn't quite what I'd hoped. Yes, there was some tension and interesting interactions, but for a period of time overflowing with the highest tension, fear and emotion, the dialogue wasn't anything taut or unusual. It felt more like the main characters were reading their lines from a text book. Overall, not a bad book, but not a great one, either. If you're not familiar with the Cuban Missile Crisis, then you might find this more intense than I did.

My thanks to NetGalley for letting me read and review this advance copy.

The Cold War is in full swing in the early 1960’s. Following WWII, Europe was divided between the USSR and the “free world.” The fact that Berlin was within East Germany but was still occupied by Allied forces as well as Soviet forces was straining diplomacy. When Fidel Castro decides to ally with the USSR, tensions in the Western hemisphere begin to increase. And when the US backs Cuban refugees as they invade, although totally unsuccessfully, the Bay of Pigs, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev sees an opportunity. Told basically from the viewpoint of three people - Robert F. Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Joseph Russo, an “everyday” American living in Florida, the tension is palpable - is RFK’s brother up to the challenge? Will Castro be bellicose enough to ignite another world war? How will Khrushchev handle the hardliners who are in power in Russia? What are the ramifications to American citizens? While we know the end result before we read the book, Shaara has brought a realistic vision of what happened during those fateful few weeks in 1962.

Jeff Shaara is clearly one of the best writers of historical fiction today. His ability to delve into subjects that haven’t gotten a lot of coverage (at least in my opinion) engages the reader. I was in high school at the time of the Cuban missile crisis and was not fully aware of exactly what brought on the events and the potential consequences. This book certainly highlighted the tensions of the time and brings some context to US/USSR relations in the 1960’s. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

Enthralling, enjoyable, and thought-provoking
What an enthralling and enjoyable and thought-provoking book! The publisher’s writeup describes it as a novel set in the days and nights of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I think it would be more accurate to describe it as narrative history; it succeeds both as a gripping read and as an insight into a truly scary time in US history.
The three main viewpoint characters are all real people: Bobby Kennedy, who was President Kennedy’s highly trusted advisor as well as Attorney General, Nikita Khrushchev (!), and Joseph Russo, an English professor in Florida who later wrote a bestselling book on the Civil War. Each of these men struggles with the potential effects of decisions on how to treat the issue of weaponry in and around Cuba. The book details multiple meetings among the US decisionmakers and their advisors. We hear the arguments for various paths of action or inaction and the dangers of each. As someone who lived during that era, I certainly was aware of the news reporting on the subject but never really thought of what it would be like actually to be involved in making the decisions that would affect the destiny of the countries involved and potentially the world. The inclusion of Russo’s struggles as a member of the public was also helpful, perhaps especially for those who did not live though that time. Seeing his interactions with and worries about his family as he responded emotionally to the news broadcasts brought the problem alive in a different way. All the protagonists emerge as real people with personalities, which we often forget when we only encounter them on screen or in the news reports and trust that the author made those personalities as true-to-life as possible based on information available.
Shaara does a nice job of evoking the era. He brought smiles to my face when I read details like Russo’s family enjoying a TV dinner and a frown at the description of Russo’s neighbor building a bomb shelter.
Speaking of smiles, there are a surprising number of “Ha ha” reactions on my kindle at the often sardonic comments the decisionmakers make while they deliberate.
This was the first book I have read by Jeff Shaara. I don’t know if the quality of this book is typical of his writing, but I certainly am going to find out!
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.