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.

As a young child I don't recall the events as they happened. In school the Bay of Pigs episode was mentioned briefly. So it is a pleasure to read The Shadow of War. The novel invites one to feel the characters perspectives, primarily those of President John F. Kennedy, brother and Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Russian Premier Kruschchev, and college professor Russo (for a family perspective).

It was a time when fear of Communism was still present, Berlin was a divided city, the Berlin Wall was built, and the Moscow-Washington hotline did not exist. It was a turning point period that needs to be remembered especially the continuing challenges for Civil and individual Rights.

If only Jeff Shaara wrote the history books that were taught in schools students would have a better understanding of history.

As always it was fascinating to learn the different perspectives of a historical event and the back stories the public never learns.

The Shadow of War by Jeff Shaara is a well-researched novel and accurate account of the events comprising the Cuban Missile Crisis. More than that, it also supplies a version of the possible motivations, machinations, and strategies of superpowers, and the effects of those politics on the people governed by these superpowers.
It is fascinating reading, as Shaara personalizes JFK, RFK, Khrushchev, and even some of the lesser players and advisors. He provides the reader insight into the past history of WWII, Khrushchev’s tactics to eventually gain power after Stalin, and the bungling of the aborted Bay of Pigs invasion. Adlai Stevenson’s dramatic portrayal of Zorin lying to the UN is well-described.
Perhaps some of the most crucial insights are scenes depicting the effects of the drama of the Cuban Missile Crisis as portrayed, and hyped, by the media. As a high school student, I was one of the millions who lived through the Crisis, glued to the nightly news broadcasts and the multiple presidential addresses to the nation, watching history play out each night. To illustrate the effects of the broadcasts and media coverage, Shaara inserts scenes of the ordinary Russo family and neighbors as they experience civilian angst.
More than 60 years later, in retrospect, it is apparent that both Khrushchev and Kennedy were heroes who made the peaceful disengagement possible.
I found the author’s tendency to use sentence fragments and run-overs a bit distracting, but the overall dramatic delivery and compelling storyline overcame the distraction.
This is an excellent historical fiction account of the Cuban Missile Crises, and I recommend it to readers interested in this time of US history.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I found this to be an extraordinary account of the Cuban missile crisis told from both American and Soviet viewpoints, revealing startling military perspectives from both sides. Had both militaries been the ultimate decisionmakers, there could well have been mutual nuclear destruction.

This was an incredibly informative book, and I was pleased to learn so much about what went on behind the scenes in the U.S., Soviet Union, and to a lesser degree, Cuba. Also very interesting was the significant role in the Cuban missile crisis decisionmaking played by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Not typical for an Attorney General, but he was a trusted advisor to his brother the President and sat in on many Excomm meetings. And that Krushchev was highly concerned about Castro’s impulsive behavior and how it could negatively affect the negotiation of the crisis was a total revelation to me.

As an elementary-school student at the time, I barely heard of the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, nor how it played into later decisionmaking during the Missile Crisis. We were constantly told by teachers and the news that New York City-area was a prime missile target and we had virtually constant missile/air raid drills, Our teachers were very fearful and during one notable drill the teachers whispered that it was the “real thing” this time and we’d all be destroyed in a few minutes! Terrifying,. We were never as relatively calm as were Joseph Russo’s boys. Nor did I later ever hear of the profound domestic political threat faced by Krushchev after what was viewed as him “caving” to the U.S.

All in all, this was an immersive and highly informative account of a critical time for the world, which was pretty clearly on the brink of destruction. I could barely put the book down. Highly recommended.

Jeff Shaara’s historical novel “The Shadow of War” imparts much information about the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Those desiring a “primer” on that 13-day event may find the book somewhat helpful. But those hoping for a good novel may be very disappointed. I know I was.

Most of the historical novels I’ve read tell stories about fictional characters during an important event or time in history. Sometimes those fictional characters interact with notable historical figures (as in Herman Wouk’s “Winds of War/War and Remembrance” saga), and sometimes they don’t (as in Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind.”) But “The Shadow of War” employs, almost exclusively, historical figures as fictional characters. President Kennedy, his brother Robert, Nikita Khrushchev, and the cabinet members, aides, and military men who served them take up almost the entirety of the novel.

Those characters spend most of the novel engaging in lengthy conversations, many of which are devoted to imparting information to readers rather than to creating absorbing dramatic scenes. And Mr. Shaara employs equally long narrative descriptions about the events of the crisis. The result is a book that is didactic in the extreme. I often found myself wondering whether I was reading a non-fiction history instead of a novel. I never was made to feel like I was in the midst of the story’s events and I never experienced any of the emotions (the worry, the fear, the anxiety, the anger) that many Americans felt during the crisis.

Moreover, I was never sure what was real and what was fiction. Did the Kennedy brothers and Khrushchev engage in the conversations Shaara sets forth? Or the internal ruminations he depicts? Or are they simply the product of his imagination? Yes, the major events of the crisis are set forth, as are many of the political, diplomatic, and military considerations that might/must/could have been at play. But I had trouble discerning what was actual history as opposed to the author’s suppositions.

I also had trouble believing Mr. Shaara’s characterizations of the Kennedy brothers. Of course, I never met either brother. However, I’ve seen news reports and documentaries and read various non-fiction books and articles that have portrayed the nature of their relationship as well as the style of their conversation. Mr. Shaara’s characterizations seemed at odds with the historical record.

Bottom line? For me, the book just didn’t work. Then again, other early readers/reviewers have given it high marks, so my assessment could very well be wrong.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a complimentary ARC. All of the foregoing is my independent opinion.

Wow, I just finished Jeff Shaara’s new book “The Shadow of War: A Novel on the Cuban Missile Crisis”, I could not put it down. I was a small child in 1962 when the world as we know it almost came to an end. Despite knowing what happened (and many of the details) I found myself at times almost paralyzed with fear with just how close we came to a nuclear war. I kept coming back to how fortunate we were as a nation to have had President Kennedy at that time. He was the cool head in the room full of military brass who were willing to go to war in Cuba and hope that it didn’t mean the end of mankind. I remember hearing stories from my parents of the fear that they had and the plans to go to the north woods to try and stay safe (almost as foolish as those who build bomb shelters in their backyards). But we do what we think we must.

But what strikes me even more is wondering what the outcome would have been if someone else was President at the time, or if Khrushchev was not willing to back down. Having a leader who has empathy and compassion is so important in a time of crisis. I urge you to take the time and read it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I've read one other book from the author, an historical fiction novel about Theodore Roosevelt that I liked, but didn't love. I think part of the problem is that I know so much about TR that reading a fictional account of part of his life was a little weird for me. But that's my hang-up.

I liked this novel going through the events that led up to the Cuban Missile Crisis much better, even though like Roosevelt, I've read and watched countless books and documentaries on the Kennedys.

I thought it was interesting to have multiple POV: Robert F. Kennedy, Nikita Krushchev, and some fictional man who lives through what had to be a very scary time for Americans.

As someone who has read a lot on the subject, I could tell when conversations were taken from actual recordings or other documentation. That didn't detract from the story, however. A good solid read.

I read Michael Shaara’s Killer Angels in college, and discovered how historical fiction could make history more understandable, even exciting to read. Jeff Shaara has followed in his father’s footsteps by authoring several novels in the historical fiction genre. Putting characters in historical WWII battles, the Korean War, the Civil War, and the Revolutionary War opens the imagination to what these conflicts could have been like.
The Shadow of War doesn’t quite make the grade as a historical fiction novel. Perhaps that’s because the Cuban Missile Crisis is from recent history, in my lifetime, and shouldn’t have to be imagined. Why not go with the straight facts? Surely, records of the tense deliberations between Kennedy and his staffers exist.
Perhaps it’s these records Jeff Shaara relied upon to write this book. But instead of painting a broad picture to flesh out scenes and dialogue, I’m left wondering, did it really happen like that?
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital copy of The Shadow of War: A Novel of the Cuban Missile Crisis, in exchange for my unbiased review.

@StMartinsPress #NetGalley #TheShadowofWar #JeffShaara #CubanMissileCrisis #JFK #1960s

"The Shadow of War: A Novel of the Cuban Missile Crisis, published by St. Martin's Press (who provided me with an ARC for review purposes), and written by Jeff Shaara was something of a revelation to me. I have read most of his formidable canon as well as his father's iconic text, "The Killer Angels." and this is the first time that a comparison of the father and the son fairly leaped from the page. What I mean is, in this book, with its intensely familiar subject matter and cast of characters, Jeff Shaara seems to capture some of the fire which illuminated his father's famous book on the Battle of Gettysburg. That is a very high bar to reach, but in his use of real historical characters like John and Robert Kennedy as well as Nikita Khrushchev, and in the way he explores their shared and warring assumptions about their actions and motivations he captures the complex interplay that his father captured in "The Killer Angels." It is difficult to put this book down, not least because I can remember the events it describes as they played out in my own life (yes I am that old). The shared humanity of the protagonists and antagonists in this book is startling, and it produces an almost jolting effect on the reader as they grasp the point. The point is, of course, that our common humanity erases and trivializes the causes we quarrel about amongst ourselves when placed beside the monstrous possibility of something like thermonuclear war. This is, I think, a high point in Jeff Shaara's career as a writer. History is more vivid in his imagined fictional narrative than even our most accomplished historians could hope to make it. Reading it is like reaching an epiphany as everything comes together in a cohesive narrative to reveal the shared but deeply flawed humanity at its core.

Thank you to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for an early copy of The Shadow of War by Jeff Shaara

Author Jeff Shaara's The Shadow of War may be a work of fiction but reads like a play with ever-present dialog moving the reader to the moment of ultimate confrontation with stakes never before apparent in human history. Whether one has a recollection of the events of
October 1962 or confronts the Cuban Missile crisis only in a history book, this is an account of the facts revealed through not only main characters President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev but support personnel Robert F. Kennedy, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and members of the Russian leadership as well.

Shaara begins and ends the novel with Robert Kennedy as he works tirelessly to support his brother and organizes the Excomm group of advisers who will decide the nation's fate.. They will rue the Bay of Pigs debacle and move to set the United States on a new course of toughness when it is discovered that Russia is assembling weapons of mass destruction in Cuba, much to the delight of a power-crazed Fidel Castro. The back-and-forth dealings between the United States and Russia will keep the reader turning the pages.

A parallel story focuses on history teacher Joseph Russo, a Florida resident who like so many Americans does not understand the extent of the danger and the position the world is in. Jeff Shaara shares a surprise regarding Joseph Russo at the end of the novel.

For all the power that the leaders of these countries hold, it will be the insight offered by a Russian of the younger generation that will tip the balance and convince the Nikita Khrushchev to abandon the Cuban mission.

On a personal note, after reading the text of the bulletin, I went to You Tube to listen to President John F. Kennedy's speech to the American people on October 22, 1962, outlining the events in Cuba and stating the demands the U. S. made to Russia in order to avoid a war. A youngster at the time and unable to understand its significance, I am grateful to Jeff Shaara for bringing this all-important historical novel to readers everywhere.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was a very informative book about the Cuban Missile Crisis, mostly told through the eyes of President Kennedy and Robert Kennedy. I had heard of this time in history, but I did not really know much about it. Jeff Shaara writes in a very understandable, engaging style. i would recommend this book to all students of history. I plan to read more books by Jeff Shaara. I like to read and learn about history, and I think he has become one of my favorite historical authors.

A very interesting and informative read. I love history and reading about true events and this book was filled with insights I wasn't previously aware of. I found it very enjoyable.

Jeff Shaara is a master at historical novels and telling the stories behind what the history books tell us. This one details the Cuban Missile Crisis and is a very interesting read for anyone interested in Kennedy history or simply the history of our country and why we are where we are at today. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I learned a lot about the time period and the events that shaped that portion of Kennedy's presidency.