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Of course “Fallout” features a few straight-up heroes and villains. They also have a nation and families they want to protect Sheinkin was lucky enough to interview Khrushchev’s son Sergei, an American citizen from 1999 until his death last year. Life magazine pointed out the upside of building such a structure: “If war never comes, children can claim it for a hideaway, father can use it for poker games and mother can count on it as a guest room.”īoth Khrushchev and Kennedy are portrayed as political animals who don’t want to appear weak. Another dubious idea, spread by the government and others, was that ordinary Americans could survive a thermonuclear attack by ducking, covering or building a fallout shelter. There was also the Bay of Pigs, a U.S.-backed invasion of Cuba that was among several unsuccessful plots against Fidel Castro.
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Kennedy said to his aides, “It is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization.” Other initially mystifying features of the Cold War include the divided city of Berlin, located 110 miles away from West Germany in East Germany Sheinkin makes clear why it was the most contested place on earth. On one of the infamous 13 days in October 1962, President John F. “Fallout” offers young readers information rather than reassurances. Part 2’s heading, “The Hedgehog and the Pants”? A question Nikita Khrushchev asks his defense minister - “What if we throw a hedgehog down Uncle Sam’s pants?” - that sets in motion the missile crisis. The chapter title “ZUGZWANG”? A connection between chess and diplomacy. From here, cutting between multiple story lines and locations, Sheinkin presents many more riddles to be solved. Sheinkin begins his story in June 1953 with 13-year-old Jimmy Bozart, a Brooklyn paperboy who happens upon a piece of Soviet tradecraft, a hollow nickel containing an encrypted message.
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Learn what you should be reading this fall: Our collection of reviews on books coming out this season includes biographies, novels, memoirs and more.Want to keep up with the latest and greatest in books? This is a good place to start.
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