Three-time National Book Award nominee and Newbery Honor author Steve Sheinkin recounts the "most intense years of the Cold War" with a cinematic writing style that is keenly detailed.
In 1948, three years after the end of World War II, the Soviets and Americans, former allies who "crushed Hitler" and won the war in Europe, are clashing over postwar plans. The two countries find themselves "locked in a struggle for power and influence over the world" as American leaders encourage the establishment of democratic governments and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin pushes for the spread of Communism. Thus, the Cold War begins. In Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown, Sheinkin (Born to Fly; Undefeated) presents a well-researched, engrossing account of the events building to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the "single most dangerous moment in human history." Sheinkin engages readers with both the big and small events of the Cold War by using dialogue, a conversational tone and descriptive language. His documentary-style writing is a bird's-eye view of incidents that marries lesser-known historical figures with high-profile events, showing the human aspect of the war.
A sense of urgency is apparent as Sheinkin moves through the events that brought the world to the brink of World War III. Switching rapidly between the viewpoints of Washington and Moscow, Sheinkin recounts the story as if it were a chess match between two grandmasters. In an epilogue, Sheinkin tells readers what happened to the major players in the years following the "eyeball-to-eyeball" moment in Cuba, and briefly touches on what ended the standoff between the two greatest powers in the world. Look no further for informative and entertaining nonfiction. --Lana Barnes, freelance reviewer and proofreader