It is the 1960s, and Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union grow ever more chilling. Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev spoke of wanting peaceful coexistence with the US and other capitalist entities, yet he also flexed his nuclear power and threatened, “We will bury you.”

Young upstart John F. Kennedy found himself inheriting sensitive worldwide entanglements with the Soviets as he took over the presidency. He watched as Khrushchev commanded the building of the Berlin Wall and was put in the difficult position of controlling a rebellion against the Castro regime in Cuba, which would spectacularly fail in an incident known as the Bay of Pigs invasion.

In THE SHADOW OF WAR, Jeff Shaara brings readers on a dive into this harrowing period, where the world watched as the two major superpowers seemed destined to propel themselves into a war that would have terrible repercussions for all of humanity. The novel explores both sides of the collision course that brought two nations to the brink of nuclear armageddon.

"THE SHADOW OF WAR is another in a growing line of exceptionally told historical pieces by Jeff Shaara. A tale that would not be believed had it not been true, this is a rapid-fire page-turner of a story that does not let up or disappoint."

Numerous perspectives are utilized in bringing the action to life. There are three key viewpoints as the story unfolds: Khrushchev, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and college English professor Joseph Russo, who lives with his family in Florida. Kennedy and Khrushchev are each surrounded by a complex web of men who wish to make their opinions known on what to do with the missiles in Cuba. Some want a peaceful solution. Others seek a bombing and invasion of the island by US forces or an arming and launching of the missiles against the US as soon as practicable to show the might of the Soviet system and its arsenal.

Shaara takes us into the rooms where the conflict unfolds. While one might not believe that sitting in circles and discussing photos and plans would be riveting reading, there is a great deal of tension that rises up as the crisis develops. Once again, Shaara deftly weaves his story using historical recordings and documents, including memoirs from those who lived through the events. Even though we all know the outcome of this recent history, his experience as a gifted storyteller rises to the surface.

You understand Khrushchev and his desire to establish a base in Cuba, to threaten the US the way he feels threatened by the missiles stationed in Turkey. You see how he would look at Kennedy --- as young and inexperienced --- and, after the failure of the Bay of Pigs, how that inexperience makes him seem weak and likely unwilling to push back against the arming of the island. You also see the great struggle within the Kennedy camp: How do we exhibit strength and impress upon the Soviets that they may not have a foothold in this hemisphere? How do we show a willingness to push back without also pushing for conflict that could lead to war?

As these two leaders confer with their subordinates, being pulled in different directions almost daily, the common man finds representation in Russo and his Tallahassee family. A neighbor has built a bomb shelter in advance of the threat. The children have begun practicing the “duck and cover” routine in school, which Russo notes is folly as a desk won’t stop nuclear fallout. All unfolds around them as they watch military convoys roll through town on their way to the south of Florida, and their fear is pushed ever more to the fore as Kennedy brings confirmation of the Soviet missiles to the American public via an address to the nation. Shaara shows just how confused and frightened the common man was at that time, living under the shadow of events beyond their control, and being able to do nothing but hope that wisdom and patience would prevail.

Other perspectives are given throughout, utilized by Shaara to heighten the impact of the tensions that truly moved the world to the brink. They include Jose Perez San Roman, a fighter who feels betrayed by the administration as his forces in Cuba are overrun; General Issa Pliyev, the Russian in charge of the building of the launch sites in Cuba; torpedo officer Grayson, who was involved in the quarantine of the island by the US Navy; and Vasily Arkhipov, the Soviet naval officer in the submarine off the coast of Cuba who refused to allow the captain of the vessel to launch their “special weapon” against the US after losing contact with Moscow. Each of their stories, although brief, adds necessary layers to the churning tensions.

THE SHADOW OF WAR is another in a growing line of exceptionally told historical pieces by Jeff Shaara. A tale that would not be believed had it not been true, this is a rapid-fire page-turner of a story that does not let up or disappoint.