How Long to Read Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis

How Long Does it Take to Read Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

It takes the average reader 7 hours and 16 minutes to read Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Serhii Plokhy

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

"The definitive history.…With his masterly book, Mr. Plokhy has sounded a warning bell." — The Economist A harrowing account of the Cuban missile crisis and how the US and USSR came to the brink of nuclear apocalypse. Nearly thirty years after the end of the Cold War, today’s world leaders are abandoning disarmament treaties, building up their nuclear arsenals, and exchanging threats of nuclear strikes. To survive this new atomic age, we must relearn the lessons of the most dangerous moment of the Cold War: the Cuban missile crisis. Serhii Plokhy’s Nuclear Folly offers an international perspective on the crisis, tracing the tortuous decision-making that produced and then resolved it, which involved John Kennedy and his advisers, Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro, and their commanders on the ground. In breathtaking detail, Plokhy vividly recounts the young JFK being played by the canny Khrushchev; the hotheaded Castro willing to defy the USSR and threatening to align himself with China; the Soviet troops on the ground clearing jungle foliage in the tropical heat, and desperately trying to conceal nuclear installations on Cuba, which were nonetheless easily spotted by U-2 spy planes; and the hair-raising near misses at sea that nearly caused a Soviet nuclear-armed submarine to fire its weapons. More often than not, the Americans and Soviets misread each other, operated under false information, and came perilously close to nuclear catastrophe. Despite these errors, nuclear war was ultimately avoided for one central reason: fear, and the realization that any escalation on either the Soviets’ or the Americans’ part would lead to mutual destruction. Drawing on a range of Soviet archival sources, including previously classified KGB documents, as well as White House tapes, Plokhy masterfully illustrates the drama and anxiety of those tense days, and provides a way for us to grapple with the problems posed in our present day.

How long is Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Serhii Plokhy is 426 pages long, and a total of 109,056 words.

This makes it 144% the length of the average book. It also has 133% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 9 hours and 55 minutes to read Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis aloud.

What Reading Level is Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Serhii Plokhy is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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