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Alice L. George

Awaiting Armageddon: How Americans Faced the Cuban Missile Crisis Hardcover – October 22, 2003

by Alice L. George (Author)

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For thirteen days in October 1962, America stood at the brink of nuclear war. Nikita Khrushchev's decision to place nuclear missiles in Cuba and John F. Kennedy's defiant response introduced the possibility of unprecedented cataclysm. The immediate threat of destruction entered America's classrooms and its living rooms. Awaiting Armageddon provides the first in-depth look at this crisis as it roiled outside of government offices, where ordinary Americans realized their government was unprepared to protect either itself or its citizens from the dangers of nuclear war.

During the seven days between Kennedy's announcement of a naval blockade and Khrushchev's decision to withdraw Soviet nuclear missiles from Cuba, U.S. citizens absorbed the nightmare scenario unfolding on their television sets. An estimated ten million Americans fled their homes; millions more prepared shelters at home, clearing the shelves of supermarkets and gun stores. Alice George captures the irrationality of the moment as Americans coped with dread and resignation, humor and pathos, terror and ignorance.

In her examination of the public response to the missile crisis, the author reveals cracks in the veneer of American confidence in the early years of the space age and demonstrates how the fears generated by Cold War culture blinded many Americans to the dangers of nuclear war until it was almost too late.

Print length

264 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date

October 22, 2003
Dimensions

6 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

0807828289
ISBN-13

978-0807828281
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Alice George succeeds in exploring a neglected aspect of the much-studied Cuban missile crisis. By showing how the average American responded to the threat of Soviet missiles in Cuba, her book fills an important gap in the scholarly literature.(Robert A. Divine, University of Texas at Austin) -- Review

Review

[An] admirable social history . . . especially notable for its portrayal of how children were traumatized. . . . George skillfully demonstrates that the crisis was inflamed by the Cold War culture. . . . [A] first-rate investigation . . . Strongly recommended.--Library Journal

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of North Carolina Press (October 22, 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0807828289
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0807828281
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,261,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,866 in Nuclear Weapons & Warfare History (Books)
- #57,710 in Sociology (Books)
- #152,159 in United States History (Books)

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Alice L. George

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Alice L. George is an independent historian with a special interest in America during the 1960s. She has authored or co-authored eight books, primarily focusing on Twentieth Century American history or Philadelphia history. She has written a new biography, John Glenn: The Last American Hero, which will be released in November. She earned a Ph.D. in history from Temple University in 2001, a master of liberal arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, and a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College in 1974. Prior to becoming a historian, she was a senior editor at the Charlotte (NC) News, the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Detroit Free Press, and the Philadelphia Daily News. She serves as vice chair of the board at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, vice chair of the national Theodore Roosevelt Association, and a member of the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, the National Space Club and Foundation, and the Planetary Society. Born in Hickory, North Carolina, she resides in Philadelphia.

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jay_the_bus_driver

Well written in a journalistic style that flows and entertains while telling the story.

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2015

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Great concept for a book, in that each chapter explores a different facet of the missile crisis, such as what the state of preparedness was at the time of the crisis, and another chapter on the Kennedy administration's level of transparency, etc. I am a history major, and usually am assigned books written by historians who are often more concerned with showing how meticulous their research was, or selling a point of view that agrees with their particular academic bent. Ms George is not a historian, but a print journalist, and her narrative flows much more naturally and is much more enjoyable to read than those typical books. Where historians often dig down into miniscule, tedious details, she has an economy of words that is refreshing. Knowing her background is in newspapers it almost seems as if each chapter of the book could have been a stand-alone article, possibly in a series. I recommend this thoughtful, well written book.

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Michael Makar

Nuclear Confrontation 2006?

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2005

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Just what would the government tell us at the brink of a nuclear war? I believe very little. The intense media we have over relatively small events today would certainly amplify the helpless feeling of not just the US population but of the world about another nuclear confrontation.

What I was looking for in this book was a description of the sheer terror that people might feel if we thought Russia or China was about to attack. Ask someone the sequence of events leading up to a nuclear attack in progress and the answers vary widely. If people knew how bad a nuclear attack, just one warhead, would be and thought it was about to happen they would be dropping on the streets from fright. The author describes this when comparing 1962 to the 2001 terrorist attacks. Compound the feeling most people had that day many times over and you can imagine the emotional and physical affect on people. Next take away the tv, phones, Internet and power as the attack gets underway and life in a digital void is a frightening thought.

The section about effects on children is interesting as some experts told adults to confront and talk about the issue with the children. Others told adults to just shut off the television/radio and don't over stimulate the child. Seemed like good advice for 2001 when children in school were subjected to continuous television replays with aircraft crashing into buildings.

Good topic and book.

2 people found this helpful

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James D. Crabtree

How we faced doomsday

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2009

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The material itself is pretty good, once you get past the nay-saying of the threat of communism and the typical "Red Scare" rhetoric (extremely out of place in a book written about a crisis triggered by the creation of a Soviet missile base within missile range of D.C. and NYC). I had expected a collection of personal anecdotes by Soldiers, civilians, housewives, policymakers, etc. but instead it is a book of contexts and social reactions. How did the state of U.S. civil defense effect government workers? How did mobilization effect Soldiers sent to Florida? How did the media view the Blockade? The author puts all this together in a way that is informative and easy to read. She also has the latest information that we have discovered about the missile crisis, including the presence of Soviet tactical nukes in Cuba.

A good book but it was just short of being an EXCELLENT book. Especially when the author seems to imply that there was somthing wrong with anticommunists... men and women who opposed a system which killed millions in the name of political correctness.

3 people found this helpful

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John Ben Sutter

A Must Buy

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2003

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I sat down to read this book immediately upon receipt and have just come up for air. I could not put it down. (UPS dropped the Amazon shipment at my door this afternoon.) Upon completion of it, I am compelled to share my reaction immediately. For anyone who lived through this period or has an interest in our country's nuclear history, George's work is important. It's something you cannot miss. Many of us boomer have vague but indelible memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis from our youth. We learned then that we lived under (and continue to) the threat of annihilation. For those who share this experience, this book fills in many gaps in our understanding of this pivotal event in our lives and the direction of the country. It is a book long overdue. George does the subject justice. She is a fine writer and has uncovered and woven together fascinating details, developing a vivid picture of life during that week. I hope Alice George is now at work on another such masterpiece. I thank her for this book.

2 people found this helpful

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Pat James

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

This is a great exploration of the experience of living through the Cuban missile crisis. Lucid, well-crafted.

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