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Defcon-2 : Standing on the Brink of Nuclear War During the Cuban Missile Crisis by Norman Polmar (2006, Hardcover)
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- Buy It NowDefcon-2: Standing on the Brink of Nuclear War During the Cuban Missile Crisis
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherWiley & Sons Canada, The Limited, John
ISBN-100471670227
ISBN-139780471670223
eBay Product ID (ePID)46820020
Product Key Features
Edition2
Book TitleDefcon-2 : Standing on the Brink of Nuclear War During the Cuban Missile Crisis
Number of Pages412 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year2006
TopicMilitary / Nuclear Warfare, United States / 20th Century, International Relations / Arms Control, Sociology / General, International Relations / General
IllustratorYes
GenrePolitical Science, Social Science, History
AuthorNorman Polmar
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.3 in
Item Weight17.8 Oz
Item Length9.5 in
Item Width6.5 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2005-013196
Reviews* Veteran military analysts Polmar ( Spyplane , etc.) and Gresham ( Seapower , etc.) distinguish their examination of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis from scores of other books on the subject by detailing how military maneuvers undertaken months in advance led to the tense showdown. The book's title, which is also the name of a Discovery Channel documentary based on this volume, comes from the acronym for Defense Condition Two, the Unites States' highest state of military alert short of war. The only time America went to DEFCON-2 during the Cold War was on October 22, 1962, the day that President Kennedy publicly denounced the Soviet Union's construction of missile launching sites in Cuba. The authors, who interviewed Russian, American and Cuban military men who had leading roles in the showdown, provide new logistical information on how the Soviet Union moved a small nuclear arsenal to Cuba. They deftly meld accounts of what happened in the sea and air with descriptions of the political and intelligence operations in Washington and Moscow. Thoroughly researched and suspenseful, their book is an excellent choice for fans of Cold War history. (Feb.) ( Publishers Weekly , January 9, 2006) "" DEFCON-2 provides significantly more detail than any existing books on the subject. It's a valuable addition to the library of any intelligence professional."" ( Naval Intelligence Professional Quarterly ) ""One of the most striking accounts of the Cold War."" ( Sea Power magazine), Veteran military analysts Polmar ( Spyplane , etc.) and Gresham ( Seapower , etc.) distinguish their examination of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis from scores of other books on the subject by detailing how military maneuvers undertaken months in advance led to the tense showdown. The book's title, which is also the name of a Discovery Channel documentary based on this volume, comes from the acronym for Defense Condition Two, the Unites States' highest state of military alert short of war. The only time America went to DEFCON-2 during the Cold War was on October 22, 1962, the day that President Kennedy publicly denounced the Soviet Union's construction of missile launching sites in Cuba. The authors, who interviewed Russian, American and Cuban military men who had leading roles in the showdown, provide new logistical information on how the Soviet Union moved a small nuclear arsenal to Cuba. They deftly meld accounts of what happened in the sea and air with descriptions of the political and intelligence operations in Washington and Moscow. Thoroughly researched and suspenseful, their book is an excellent choice for fans of Cold War history. (Feb.) ( Publishers Weekly , January 9, 2006) " DEFCON-2 provides significantly more detail than any existing books on the subject. It's a valuable addition to the library of any intelligence professional." ( Naval Intelligence Professional Quarterly ) "One of the most striking accounts of the Cold War." ( Sea Power magazine), * Veteran military analysts Polmar ( Spyplane , etc.) and Gresham ( Seapower , etc.) distinguish their examination of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis from scores of other books on the subject by detailing how military maneuvers undertaken months in advance led to the tense showdown. The book's title, which is also the name of a Discovery Channel documentary based on this volume, comes from the acronym for Defense Condition Two, the Unites States' highest state of military alert short of war. The only time America went to DEFCON-2 during the Cold War was on October 22, 1962, the day that President Kennedy publicly denounced the Soviet Union's construction of missile launching sites in Cuba. The authors, who interviewed Russian, American and Cuban military men who had leading roles in the showdown, provide new logistical information on how the Soviet Union moved a small nuclear arsenal to Cuba. They deftly meld accounts of what happened in the sea and air with descriptions of the political and intelligence operations in Washington and Moscow. Thoroughly researched and suspenseful, their book is an excellent choice for fans of Cold War history. (Feb.) ( Publishers Weekly , January 9, 2006) " DEFCON-2 provides significantly more detail than any existing books on the subject. It's a valuable addition to the library of any intelligence professional." ( Naval Intelligence Professional Quarterly ) "One of the most striking accounts of the Cold War." ( Sea Power magazine), "DEFCON-2 provides significantly more detail than any existing books on the subject. It's a valuable addition to the library of any intelligence professional." ("Naval Intelligence Professional Quarterly")
Dewey Edition22
Dewey Decimal973.922
Table Of ContentForeword by Tom Clancy.Preface.Acknowledgments.Glossary.Technical Notes.1. Most Dangerous Moments.2. Imbalance of Terror.3. The Cuban Decision: Coming to America.4. Cuba: The American View.5. Operation Anadyr.6. Surveillance and Discovery.7. ExComm.8. Consensus and Notification.9. Taking Action.10. Crisis beneath the Waves.11. The View from the Kremlin.12. "Until Hell Freezes Over!".13. Back Channels and Telegrams.14. OPLAN 316: Invasion!15. From SIOP to Dr. Strangelove.16. The Deal: The Turkish Card.17. Withdrawal.18. Legacy: The Anadyr Effect.Appendix A: The Membership of ExComm.Appendix B: U-2 Missions Flown during Operation Anadyr.Appendix C: U.S. Naval Forces in the Caribbean.Appendix D: Soviet Missile Characteristics.Notes.Bibliography.Photo Credits.Index.
SynopsisThe closest we've ever come to the end of the world ""DEFCON-2 is the best single volume on the Cuban Missile Crisis published and is an important contribution to the history of the Cold War. Beyond the military and political facts of the crisis, Polmar and Gresham sketch the personalities that created and coped with the crisis. They also show us how close we came to the edge without becoming sensationalistic."" -Larry Bond, bestselling author of Dangerous Ground Spy-satellite and aerial-reconnaissance photos reveal that one of the United States's bitterest enemies may be acquiring weapons of mass destruction and the means to use them against the American homeland. Administration officials refuse to accept intelligence professionals' interpretation of these images and order an end to spy missions over the offending nation. More than a month later, after vicious infighting, the president orders the spy missions to resume. The new photos reveal an array of ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking deep within U.S. territory. It appears that the missiles will be fully operational within one week. This is not a plot setup for a suspense novel; it is the true story of the most terrifying moment in the 45-year Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union: the Cuban Missile Crisis. DEFCON-2 tells this tale as it has never been told before--from both sides, with the help of hundreds of recently declassified U.S. and Soviet documents, as well as interviews with numerous former spies, military figures, and government officials who speak out here for the first time., The closest we've ever come to the end of the world ""DEFCON-2 is the best single volume on the Cuban Missile Crisis published and is an important contribution to the history of the Cold War. Beyond the military and political facts of the crisis, Polmar and Gresham sketch the personalities that created and coped with the crisis. They also show us how close we came to the edge without becoming sensationalistic."" --Larry Bond, bestselling author of Dangerous Ground Spy-satellite and aerial-reconnaissance photos reveal that one of the United States's bitterest enemies may be acquiring weapons of mass destruction and the means to use them against the American homeland. Administration officials refuse to accept intelligence professionals' interpretation of these images and order an end to spy missions over the offending nation. More than a month later, after vicious infighting, the president orders the spy missions to resume. The new photos reveal an array of ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking deep within U.S. territory. It appears that the missiles will be fully operational within one week. This is not a plot setup for a suspense novel; it is the true story of the most terrifying moment in the 45-year Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union: the Cuban Missile Crisis. DEFCON-2 tells this tale as it has never been told before--from both sides, with the help of hundreds of recently declassified U.S. and Soviet documents, as well as interviews with numerous former spies, military figures, and government officials who speak out here for the first time., The closest we've ever come to the end of the world "DEFCON-2 is the best single volume on the Cuban Missile Crisis published and is an important contribution to the history of the Cold War. Beyond the military and political facts of the crisis, Polmar and Gresham sketch the personalities that created and coped with the crisis. They also show us how close we came to the edge without becoming sensationalistic." --Larry Bond, bestselling author of Dangerous Ground Spy-satellite and aerial-reconnaissance photos reveal that one of the United States's bitterest enemies may be acquiring weapons of mass destruction and the means to use them against the American homeland. Administration officials refuse to accept intelligence professionals' interpretation of these images and order an end to spy missions over the offending nation. More than a month later, after vicious infighting, the president orders the spy missions to resume. The new photos reveal an array of ballistic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking deep within U.S. territory. It appears that the missiles will be fully operational within one week. This is not a plot setup for a suspense novel; it is the true story of the most terrifying moment in the 45-year Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union: the Cuban Missile Crisis. DEFCON-2 tells this tale as it has never been told before--from both sides, with the help of hundreds of recently declassified U.S. and Soviet documents, as well as interviews with numerous former spies, military figures, and government officials who speak out here for the first time.
LC Classification NumberE841.P65 2006
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Oct 14, 2020
DEFCON-2. The label or moniker for placing US military forces on the highest state of military alert, just one step prior to nuclear war.
I was looking for a book that would explain how the "best and brightest" people would handle the pressure of being on the edge of nuclear war. This book gives a great explanation, from Nikita Khrushchev, to JFK, to RFK, and all of the Excom group deciding how to handle the placement of soviet missiles in Cuba. You might be enthralled to learn how these men acted under extreme pressure--some great (JFK) and Khrushchev, to the idiotic (Castro). Also, the top military advisors, from both the soviet union and the USA wanted to go to war immediately. Fortunately, JFK and Khrushchev were rational men, and nuclear war was avoided. Interestingly enough, the soviets found the withdrawal of the missiles from Cuba a humiliating defeat, and quietly removed Khrushchev from office. Khrushchev was lucky to survive with his life, and allowed to quietly retire. DEFCON-2 is the label for the United States military forces being placed on the highest state of military alert, the final step before declaration of war.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
