Yes, at $58 (Prime), one must save and budget for this book, which just became available in English (a fabulous translation; also, terrific editor's notes interspersed). The author, the late Sergo Mikoyan, was the son of Krushchev's top lieutenant, Anastas Mikoyan, Deputy Prime Minister. He bases this account on his own observations (he accompanied his father on many of the diplomatic missions); his father's accounts; and, quite refreshingly, more than 50 contemporaneous primary documents (notes, telegrams/cables, transcriptions of meetings)--all from the confidential Soviet and Cuba perspective. Each document appears verbatim, and each chapter has excellent source notes.
Time frame is late October to late November 1962. So far as the world believes, the "Cuban Missile Crisis" is over. But for the Soviets, reality is that they have one heck of a mess on their hands. Numerous tactical nuclear weapons--not known to the U.S. nor included in the Soviet pledge to extricate--remain in Cuba, and the Kremlin wants to keep them on the island. But Castro increasingly disturbs and worries the Soviets in his anger that the Kremlin did not apprise him of talks and results. First opposing nuclear deployment in Cuba, Castro (and Che Guevara, most notably) are defiant, untrusting and passionate about the prospect of Cuba being the only nuclear power in South America. Besides, what reason would Castro have to believe America's non-invasion pledge? Soviet concern about Castro's intentions quickly becomes deadly alarm. The USSR decides it wants to remove the secret nukes, but Castro is volatile.
Anastas Mikoyan later joked that being sent to resolve this extremely dangerous mess was pay-back for his having opposed initially deployment in Cuba. With a dying wife at home, he dedicates every ounce of his remarkable diplomatic, intellectual and personable skills to gaining the trust of the Cuban and U.S. leadership, and maintaining the Kremlin's confidence in him. An "old' Bolshevik, he admires the roots and aims of Castro's revolution but convinces Castro that "dying beautifully" in a nuclear engagement defeats his goals. Son Sergo's account of a penultimate four-hour meeting with Castro on November 22, 1962, to finally convince Castro to acquiesce to all nuclear removal, alone may be worth the book's price for amateurs (and professionals) fascinated by the worst crisis of the second half of the 20th century.
Anastas Mikoyan emerges as perhaps the "hero"--certainly the indispensable person--in truly resolving the crisis.
ISBN-13:
978-0804762014
ISBN-10:
0804762015
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