One Minute to Midnight, by Michael Dobbs
The events of the Cuban Missile Crisis could not be any better researched in One Minute to Midnight, a non-fiction book by Michael Dobbs. As a reporter for The Washington Post and a foreign correspondent having covered the collapse of communism, Dobbs’s careful attention to detail and knowledge of this event is evident throughout the book. Dobbs depicts the Cuban Missile Crisis on a minute-to-minute account by splitting chapters into small sections, allowing for impartial insight into the true events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Dobbs successfully constructs a detailed interpretation of the Cuban Missile Crisis by presenting how the events of the crisis were beyond the control of Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro as a result of the momentum that had been building which was bringing the world closer to nuclear annihilation than ever before.
Dobbs allows for any reader to imagine the tension occurring at this moment in history, showing how a small misstep stemming from these events could have triggered the start of a nuclear war. Dobbs dives right in to the heart of the Cold War from the very beginning, as John F. Kennedy studies Central Intelligence Agency photographs given to him. As Kennedy decides to respond by air attack, ground invasion, or naval blockade as tensions quickly elevate. Eventually, Kennedy decides best course of action would be to put a naval blockade around Cuba, in order to hopefully avoid the dire situation resulting from a direct military conflict. Although Kennedy seems to have the current events under relative control, the crisis soon speeds up, leaving Kennedy unable to regulate the events arising.
Eventually, Kennedy learns that these are no ordinary missiles stationed at Cuba but instead nuclear missiles that are pointed directly at the United States of America. In the meantime, an American military plane carrying a nuclear weapon accidently enters Soviet airspace. Dobbs vividly describes this encounter to convey the fear in the pilot’s eyes. Dobbs writes, “After yelling frantically for help, he picked up a radio station off the nose of the aircraft, playing what sounded like Russian folk music. The strains of balalaikas, accordions, and Slavic voices came in ‘loud and clear.’ Maultsby finally figured out where he was.” Kennedy has no control over these types of events unfolding during the crisis. Although this occurrence was unknown to Kennedy at the time, it could have easily triggered the start of a war had the Soviets decided to take this blunder as a threat. In the books preface, Dobbs states, “If seemingly minor characters sometimes threaten to take over the narrative, it is worth remembering that any one of these subplots could have become the main plot at any time.” Dobbs makes it clear that the fate of the Cuban Missile Crisis did not simply lie in the hands of Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro, but in the hands of every member of their respective militaries.
In the afterword of the book, Dobbs continues his point by stating that “The real good fortune is that men as sane and level-headed as John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev occupied the White House and the Kremlin in October 1962.” This again invokes another facet of Dobbs’s central point, that one rebellious or irrational person was able to change the course of history. In addition, Dobbs thinks both Americans and Soviets alike should have been grateful that decisions were being handled by rational and stable people. These carefully depicted events, as well as other dramatic incidents such as nuclear missiles being pointed directly at the American military base of Guantánamo Bay, all contribute to the suspense unfolding throughout the book, complete with maps and photos clarifying the details of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Dobbs explains the purpose of Soviets sending missiles to Cuba as a way to protect Cuba from American aggression, to equalize the balance of power, and to “teach the imperialists a salutary lesson.” Cuba had recently formed a relationship with the Soviets, based off the ideals of communism. In return, the Soviets wanted to protect their new ally from “invulnerable aggression.” Sending missiles to the small island on ninety miles from the United States would give them protection in the future. Another reason to send the missiles was to balance the current amount of influence between the two superpowers. This would show the Soviet Union to be a stronger nation, one that is able to fight and defend. Khrushchev writes, “We Russians have suffered three wars over the last half century: World War I, the Civil War, and World War II. America has never had to fight a war on her own soil, at least not in the past fifty years.” Lastly, Khrushchev wants to show the significance of having to fight a war on their own land. By sending missiles to Cuba, Khrushchev achieved these three main objectives.
From the moment that Kennedy knows of the missiles stationed at Cuba, the Americans interpret this action as a great threat to their national security. The United States understands this act to be such a large danger for two reasons. The United States has repeatedly been trying to prevent a communist influence in the Western Hemisphere. Also, the Americans do not like the fact that nuclear missiles are stationed only ninety miles away from their mainland. This causes much frustration surrounding the USSR’s deployment of missiles to Cuba.
Through much negotiations and empty threats, the Soviets and the Americans each came to an agreement, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. This arrangement between the two superpowers came in the form of a secret compromise. The Soviet Union was to remove its missiles and military presence from Cuba, while the United States secretly removed its nuclear missiles stationed in Italy and Turkey. At the time, it was widely believed that the United States had won the Cuban Missile Crisis. This was due to the fact that the removal of the nuclear weapons in Italy and Turkey was not able to be seen by the general public; only the removal of missiles from Cuba was known. It was not simply as a result of the ‘missile swap’ that caused the United States to win the Cuban Missile Crisis. For the Soviet Union, the effects of the crisis were felt for many years after, harming their influence and respect around the world. The winner of the Cuban Missile Crisis was essentially decided a little less than thirty years after the crisis, as a result of the collapse of communism.
Dobbs’s historical account of the Cuban Missile Crisis is truly riveting. With each turn of a page comes an unpredicted and unexpected twist. Dobbs retains a relatively balanced bias throughout the book, thus allowing for a greater understanding of the true events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Whether an adolescent or an adult, or a scholar or a casual reader, this book can be enjoyed by all. Its informative writing, combined with its exciting surprises, makes it a true jewel illustrating one of the tensest moments in world history, the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The New York Times's review of One Minute to Midnight can be found here
Dobbs allows for any reader to imagine the tension occurring at this moment in history, showing how a small misstep stemming from these events could have triggered the start of a nuclear war. Dobbs dives right in to the heart of the Cold War from the very beginning, as John F. Kennedy studies Central Intelligence Agency photographs given to him. As Kennedy decides to respond by air attack, ground invasion, or naval blockade as tensions quickly elevate. Eventually, Kennedy decides best course of action would be to put a naval blockade around Cuba, in order to hopefully avoid the dire situation resulting from a direct military conflict. Although Kennedy seems to have the current events under relative control, the crisis soon speeds up, leaving Kennedy unable to regulate the events arising.
Eventually, Kennedy learns that these are no ordinary missiles stationed at Cuba but instead nuclear missiles that are pointed directly at the United States of America. In the meantime, an American military plane carrying a nuclear weapon accidently enters Soviet airspace. Dobbs vividly describes this encounter to convey the fear in the pilot’s eyes. Dobbs writes, “After yelling frantically for help, he picked up a radio station off the nose of the aircraft, playing what sounded like Russian folk music. The strains of balalaikas, accordions, and Slavic voices came in ‘loud and clear.’ Maultsby finally figured out where he was.” Kennedy has no control over these types of events unfolding during the crisis. Although this occurrence was unknown to Kennedy at the time, it could have easily triggered the start of a war had the Soviets decided to take this blunder as a threat. In the books preface, Dobbs states, “If seemingly minor characters sometimes threaten to take over the narrative, it is worth remembering that any one of these subplots could have become the main plot at any time.” Dobbs makes it clear that the fate of the Cuban Missile Crisis did not simply lie in the hands of Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro, but in the hands of every member of their respective militaries.
In the afterword of the book, Dobbs continues his point by stating that “The real good fortune is that men as sane and level-headed as John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev occupied the White House and the Kremlin in October 1962.” This again invokes another facet of Dobbs’s central point, that one rebellious or irrational person was able to change the course of history. In addition, Dobbs thinks both Americans and Soviets alike should have been grateful that decisions were being handled by rational and stable people. These carefully depicted events, as well as other dramatic incidents such as nuclear missiles being pointed directly at the American military base of Guantánamo Bay, all contribute to the suspense unfolding throughout the book, complete with maps and photos clarifying the details of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Dobbs explains the purpose of Soviets sending missiles to Cuba as a way to protect Cuba from American aggression, to equalize the balance of power, and to “teach the imperialists a salutary lesson.” Cuba had recently formed a relationship with the Soviets, based off the ideals of communism. In return, the Soviets wanted to protect their new ally from “invulnerable aggression.” Sending missiles to the small island on ninety miles from the United States would give them protection in the future. Another reason to send the missiles was to balance the current amount of influence between the two superpowers. This would show the Soviet Union to be a stronger nation, one that is able to fight and defend. Khrushchev writes, “We Russians have suffered three wars over the last half century: World War I, the Civil War, and World War II. America has never had to fight a war on her own soil, at least not in the past fifty years.” Lastly, Khrushchev wants to show the significance of having to fight a war on their own land. By sending missiles to Cuba, Khrushchev achieved these three main objectives.
From the moment that Kennedy knows of the missiles stationed at Cuba, the Americans interpret this action as a great threat to their national security. The United States understands this act to be such a large danger for two reasons. The United States has repeatedly been trying to prevent a communist influence in the Western Hemisphere. Also, the Americans do not like the fact that nuclear missiles are stationed only ninety miles away from their mainland. This causes much frustration surrounding the USSR’s deployment of missiles to Cuba.
Through much negotiations and empty threats, the Soviets and the Americans each came to an agreement, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. This arrangement between the two superpowers came in the form of a secret compromise. The Soviet Union was to remove its missiles and military presence from Cuba, while the United States secretly removed its nuclear missiles stationed in Italy and Turkey. At the time, it was widely believed that the United States had won the Cuban Missile Crisis. This was due to the fact that the removal of the nuclear weapons in Italy and Turkey was not able to be seen by the general public; only the removal of missiles from Cuba was known. It was not simply as a result of the ‘missile swap’ that caused the United States to win the Cuban Missile Crisis. For the Soviet Union, the effects of the crisis were felt for many years after, harming their influence and respect around the world. The winner of the Cuban Missile Crisis was essentially decided a little less than thirty years after the crisis, as a result of the collapse of communism.
Dobbs’s historical account of the Cuban Missile Crisis is truly riveting. With each turn of a page comes an unpredicted and unexpected twist. Dobbs retains a relatively balanced bias throughout the book, thus allowing for a greater understanding of the true events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Whether an adolescent or an adult, or a scholar or a casual reader, this book can be enjoyed by all. Its informative writing, combined with its exciting surprises, makes it a true jewel illustrating one of the tensest moments in world history, the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The New York Times's review of One Minute to Midnight can be found here