Nonfiction

Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown

Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown

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  • Create Date：2021-10-07 06:51:36
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Steve Sheinkin
  • ISBN：1250149010
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Summary

New York Times bestselling author Steve Sheinkin presents a follow up to his award-winning book Bomb: The Race to Build -- and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon， taking readers on a terrifying journey into the Cold War and our mutual assured destruction。

As World War II comes to a close， the United States and the Soviet Union emerge as the two greatest world powers on extreme opposites of the political spectrum。 After the United States showed its hand with the atomic bomb in Hiroshima， the Soviets refuse to be left behind。 With communism sweeping the globe， the two nations begin a neck-and-neck competition to build even more destructive bombs and conquer the Space Race。 In their battle for dominance， spy planes fly above， armed submarines swim deep below， and undercover agents meet in the dead of night。

The Cold War game grows more precarious as weapons are pointed towards each other， with fingers literally on the trigger。 The decades-long showdown culminates in the Cuban Missile Crisis， the world's close call with the third—and final—world war。

Praise for BOMB:

A Newbery Honor book
A National Book Awards finalist for Young People's Literature
A Washington Post Best Kids Books of the Year title

“This is edge-of-the seat material that will resonate with YAs who clamor for true spy stories， and it will undoubtedly engross a cross-market audience of adults who dozed through the World War II unit in high school。” —BCCB， starred review

“。。。reads like an international spy thriller， and that's the beauty of it。” —School Library Journal， starred review

“[A] complicated thriller that intercuts action with the deftness of a Hollywood blockbuster。” —Booklist

“A must-read…” —Publishers Weekly， starred review

“A superb tale of an era and an effort that forever changed our world。” —Kirkus， starred review

Also by Steve Sheinkin:

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure， Heroism & Treachery
The Port Chicago 50: Disaster， Mutiny， and the Fight for Civil Rights
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
Which Way to the Wild West？: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward Expansion
King George: What Was His Problem？: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution
Two Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War
 Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America

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Reviews

Katie ，

Intense！ As with Most Dangerous， Sheinkin takes the complicated subject of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis and makes it all understandable in a gripping way。

Jamie ，

I did not know much about the Cold War or the Cuban Missile Crisis， but I sure do now。 I learned so much about Kennedy （and his heroism during WWII） and Kruschev。 We came dangerously close to nuclear war。 I am glad luck and common sense helped ease the tensions。 A great literary nonfiction read。

Alexa Hamilton ，

Steve Sheinkin is my go to for narrative non-fiction that entertains and informs really well。 These are targeted at middle school age， and the way things are explained work for middle school and up。 If you want to know about the cold war and spies and the bay of pigs in detail， with information about the humans involved and their humanity， this is the book for you even if you're an adult。 I really enjoyed how much Russian spy information he managed to get in there， that part is super interesting Steve Sheinkin is my go to for narrative non-fiction that entertains and informs really well。 These are targeted at middle school age， and the way things are explained work for middle school and up。 If you want to know about the cold war and spies and the bay of pigs in detail， with information about the humans involved and their humanity， this is the book for you even if you're an adult。 I really enjoyed how much Russian spy information he managed to get in there， that part is super interesting and not covered in history textbooks。 。。。more

Maureen Tully ，

Another thoroughly researched and well written book from Steve Sheinkin。 I had no idea how close we came to a nuclear war， so this was a real eye-opener。

Betsy ，

Fascinating！

Julia ，

4。5-Once again， Steve Sheinkin brings history to life。 This one took a while to set the stage but I always love reading his books。 This is basically the sequel to "Bomb"。 4。5-Once again， Steve Sheinkin brings history to life。 This one took a while to set the stage but I always love reading his books。 This is basically the sequel to "Bomb"。 。。。more

Megan ，

Another great Sheinkin book。 Stories well-told， excellent narration。

Linda Quinn ，

This middle grade book looks at a moment in history that not many of us know， the beginning of the Cold War and the espionage and intrigue that fueled it。

Trisha ，

Spending the majority of my life during the cold war years I have to say this book was very interesting。 But hey what book that has spies， and bombs wouldn't be pretty cool。 Those days of duck and cover （like it would really help） are gone and kids today have their own wars they grew up with。 This book picks up after World War II when the US and their ally USSR turn on each other and become each others enemy。 When the U2 spy plane is new and the US thought they had the upper hand。 This book has Spending the majority of my life during the cold war years I have to say this book was very interesting。 But hey what book that has spies， and bombs wouldn't be pretty cool。 Those days of duck and cover （like it would really help） are gone and kids today have their own wars they grew up with。 This book picks up after World War II when the US and their ally USSR turn on each other and become each others enemy。 When the U2 spy plane is new and the US thought they had the upper hand。 This book has plenty of action and suspense galore， but I think the title has much more meaning than just nuclear。 This is a great book that tells the history of that period。 。。。more

Virginia ，

This non-fiction title reads like a thriller！ It is geared to middle school ages but very readable for older readers as well。 It seems very well-researched and looks at multiple perspectives， which makes it quite interesting and shows the complexity of the time period。 I haven't read anything by this author before but I would definitely pick up another of his books。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a digital review copy。 Publish date September 7。 This non-fiction title reads like a thriller！ It is geared to middle school ages but very readable for older readers as well。 It seems very well-researched and looks at multiple perspectives， which makes it quite interesting and shows the complexity of the time period。 I haven't read anything by this author before but I would definitely pick up another of his books。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a digital review copy。 Publish date September 7。 。。。more

Virginia McGee Butler ，

Steve Sheinkin brings nail-biting history to life again in his new book Fallout。 This book follows his Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon， winner of a Newbery Honor award and a National Book Awards finalist。 Fallout， a vivid portrayal of the Cold War， should be in the awards cycle for the coming year as well。 Sheinkin fills his book with the people of the Cold War beginning with a paperboy whose pay includes a hollowed-out nickel used to pass along spy secrets。 Steve Sheinkin brings nail-biting history to life again in his new book Fallout。 This book follows his Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon， winner of a Newbery Honor award and a National Book Awards finalist。 Fallout， a vivid portrayal of the Cold War， should be in the awards cycle for the coming year as well。 Sheinkin fills his book with the people of the Cold War beginning with a paperboy whose pay includes a hollowed-out nickel used to pass along spy secrets。 He includes the spies， one that is inept; the schoolchildren practicing hiding under their desks in case of a nuclear blast; Francis Gary Powers， the captured U-2 pilot; Harry Seidel， tunnel digger and rescuer working to bring East Berliners past the Berlin Wall; and the major competitors – Krushchev， Kennedy， and Castro， who nervously try to outbluff each other。 The gripping story moves among these main participants and others with finely drawn characters taking part in a plot that would make a great fictional thriller， except that it is all true。 The Soviets have seen the atomic bomb at the end of World War II and don’t want to come in second。 The United States is equally fearful of coming in second。 Both work on the next and bigger bomb and wind up with the capability between them of destroying the world。 Castro and Cuba have the capability of being the catalyst that sets off this third World War。 Few people knew how close the world came to being annihilated by hydrogen bombs。 This book is listed for ages ten and up， but the “up” has no limit。 Even those who remember the time will feel the tension in this meticulously researched account。 History buffs and lovers of spy thrillers of all ages will love it。 。。。more

Leonardo ，

I would like to thank Net Galley and the author for providing with access to a review copy of this book。This book offers a well research and highly entertaining trip through the post War World II nuclear， political， and conflict history。What I found most interesting were the background stories behind the many well know historical crisis described in the book。 They add very good nuance to the content。The information of presented in an easy to digest manner and flows well。 Easy to read and goes by I would like to thank Net Galley and the author for providing with access to a review copy of this book。This book offers a well research and highly entertaining trip through the post War World II nuclear， political， and conflict history。What I found most interesting were the background stories behind the many well know historical crisis described in the book。 They add very good nuance to the content。The information of presented in an easy to digest manner and flows well。 Easy to read and goes by rapidly as the story/information comes in a engaging suspenseful manner。 。。。more

Clay ，

I'm not a rabid history buff， but Steve Sheinkin can turn me into one for the length of his riveting books。 This one reads like a thriller and though it's well-aimed at younger readers， this far older reader took took it with her everywhere she could listen and listened， barring in her sleep， more or less straight through。 Recommended， especially for understanding what history has to teach us about the future before us all。 May we pay close attention。 I'm not a rabid history buff， but Steve Sheinkin can turn me into one for the length of his riveting books。 This one reads like a thriller and though it's well-aimed at younger readers， this far older reader took took it with her everywhere she could listen and listened， barring in her sleep， more or less straight through。 Recommended， especially for understanding what history has to teach us about the future before us all。 May we pay close attention。 。。。more

Lauren Hicks ，

10 out of 5 stars！！ Sheinkin does it again！！ I did not know much about the Cold War except for bits ehre and there， but after reading this AMAZING book， I feel like I understand it！ Sheinkin has a way of storytelling that absolutely grips me and doesn't let go！ He gives enough detail to picture whats happening without too much to bore me！ He is the master of nonfiction in my opinion， and I will never stop recommending this book just like I haven't stopped recommending his others！ Absolutely phen 10 out of 5 stars！！ Sheinkin does it again！！ I did not know much about the Cold War except for bits ehre and there， but after reading this AMAZING book， I feel like I understand it！ Sheinkin has a way of storytelling that absolutely grips me and doesn't let go！ He gives enough detail to picture whats happening without too much to bore me！ He is the master of nonfiction in my opinion， and I will never stop recommending this book just like I haven't stopped recommending his others！ Absolutely phenomenal！！ 。。。more

Carin ，

Steve Sheinkin is the best！ Certainly when it comes to kids’ nonfiction， but also I’ve always learned many interesting things when I read his books and I’m an adult！ He’s particularly good at topics like this which are confusing。 I am not sure that I truly understood either the Bay of Pigs invasion or the Cuban Missile Crisis before now。 From a timeline point of view， this book falls squarely between BOMB and Most Dangerous。Covering the first several years of the Cold War， when it really escalat Steve Sheinkin is the best！ Certainly when it comes to kids’ nonfiction， but also I’ve always learned many interesting things when I read his books and I’m an adult！ He’s particularly good at topics like this which are confusing。 I am not sure that I truly understood either the Bay of Pigs invasion or the Cuban Missile Crisis before now。 From a timeline point of view， this book falls squarely between BOMB and Most Dangerous。Covering the first several years of the Cold War， when it really escalated， this book also has spies， cosmonauts， and East Berlin escapees。 The spies are fascinating， especially learning about specifics like a hollow nickel and dead drops。 And the stories about East Berlin escapes were inspiring。 But the most fun facts I learned were about Yuri Gagarin。 First， he didn’t tell anyone he was going to be blasting off into orbit。 His sister-in-law heard about it on the radio and went running in to tell his mother while he was in space。 And just to show how accurate Sheinkin’s research is， he specifically mentioned Gagarin making a note while in space using a pencil。 （This isn’t in the book but the United States spent millions of dollars developing a pen that could be used in zero gravity， while the USSR just switched to a pencil and saved millions。）He covers a lot of ground in this book， and it’s always intriguing， explained clearly and simply， and he keeps the narrative driving forward with propulsion。 If you loved BOMB， you should read this （or get it for your kid。） 。。。more

Darla ，

Without a doubt， Steve Sheinkin is the narrative nonfiction king when it comes to Juvenile literature。 This new release highlighting the Cuban Missile Crisis reads like adrenaline fiction。 And it's all true！ Backed up by pages and pages of footnotes and an extensive bibliography。 His sense of timing is impeccable and he doesn't leave any loose ends。 His Epilogue gives us the closure we need for all the major players。 Here is a final quote from the book that sums it all up so well:Finally， with h Without a doubt， Steve Sheinkin is the narrative nonfiction king when it comes to Juvenile literature。 This new release highlighting the Cuban Missile Crisis reads like adrenaline fiction。 And it's all true！ Backed up by pages and pages of footnotes and an extensive bibliography。 His sense of timing is impeccable and he doesn't leave any loose ends。 His Epilogue gives us the closure we need for all the major players。 Here is a final quote from the book that sums it all up so well:Finally， with hindsight， how close did the world really come to World War III in October 1962？ How close did humans come to wiping our species off the planet？ How does the Cuban Missile Crisis compare with twenty-first century threats such as terrorism， climate change， and pandemic disease？ This is open to discussion and debate。 But it's interesting to hear from the people who were there。Highly recommended for 10 and up。 Thank you to Roaring Book Press and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Ron Baumer ，

A great book on the Cuban Missile crisis and how close the world came to a Third World War。 The story is well developed and the first hand accounts and personal insights of those who were there really enhances the book and your understanding。 It is a terrific read for the history enthusiast。Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。

Magdalena ，

I posted the following review on my personal blog:From the author of the award-winning 2012 book Bomb， this newer book covers similar topics and has the same fast-paced， narrative writing style， almost sounding like fiction but with a wider cast of characters。 While Bomb focused mainly on scientists and technology， Fallout features spies and politicians。 Bomb took place during World War II， although the events it describes led directly to the Cold War， but Fallout is entirely about the Cold War， I posted the following review on my personal blog:From the author of the award-winning 2012 book Bomb， this newer book covers similar topics and has the same fast-paced， narrative writing style， almost sounding like fiction but with a wider cast of characters。 While Bomb focused mainly on scientists and technology， Fallout features spies and politicians。 Bomb took place during World War II， although the events it describes led directly to the Cold War， but Fallout is entirely about the Cold War， specifically focusing on the Cuban Missile Crisis and the events that led to it。 Given the book’s teenage target audience， it does an excellent job of covering the complicated political situation in great detail。 In fact， despite the fact that I went through a phase when I read everything I could find that mentioned President Kennedy， this book is probably the most thorough description of the Cuban Missile Crisis that I’ve ever read。 I highly recommend this book for teenagers and adults alike， including those who don’t normally enjoy nonfiction or war stories。 Sheinkin’s writing is so engaging that I’m sure somewhere out there， there will be some readers who will discover that they’re more interested in the topic than they would have guessed。 。。。more

Cindi ，

Thank you to the author， publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook copy of this title in exchange for my review。This is a middle grade level history of the Cold War。 I haven't read others by this author， but I will look for them in the future and recommend him to those with younger children。 The writing style was engaging and the history seemed well researched， making for a page turner。 Thank you to the author， publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook copy of this title in exchange for my review。This is a middle grade level history of the Cold War。 I haven't read others by this author， but I will look for them in the future and recommend him to those with younger children。 The writing style was engaging and the history seemed well researched， making for a page turner。 。。。more

Charles ，

I thought I was going to read a fictional spy thriller。 Fallout turned out so much better。 The history to the Cold war is covered well。 I grew up in the shadow of the bomb and was familiar with most of the events。 I was thrilled with the details of things and the things I knew little or nothing about。 This is a great account of what happened。 I was very impressed with the bibliography that documented the sources for the account。 I heartily recommend this book as an engaging and accurate account I thought I was going to read a fictional spy thriller。 Fallout turned out so much better。 The history to the Cold war is covered well。 I grew up in the shadow of the bomb and was familiar with most of the events。 I was thrilled with the details of things and the things I knew little or nothing about。 This is a great account of what happened。 I was very impressed with the bibliography that documented the sources for the account。 I heartily recommend this book as an engaging and accurate account of the events。 I hope young people will read it and gain perspective on real history。 There are so many lessons here we should know about。 。。。more

Ron ，

“Fallout” by Steve SheinkinYou could call “Fallout” a sequel to Sheikin’s great book， “Bomb”， published in 2012。 In “Fallout” Sheinkin writes about an amazing collection of the events leading up to and including the Cuban missile crisis。 Much has been written about the subject but this book succinctly tells the story of the tumultuous events of the 50’s and 60’s that brought the world to the brink of total devastation。 “Fallout” is a quick read that seems more like a thriller novel but the reade “Fallout” by Steve SheinkinYou could call “Fallout” a sequel to Sheikin’s great book， “Bomb”， published in 2012。 In “Fallout” Sheinkin writes about an amazing collection of the events leading up to and including the Cuban missile crisis。 Much has been written about the subject but this book succinctly tells the story of the tumultuous events of the 50’s and 60’s that brought the world to the brink of total devastation。 “Fallout” is a quick read that seems more like a thriller novel but the reader never loses track of the grim reality that the world faced in 1962。 The reader will hear how the bomb， the H bomb， spies， the space race， U2 spy planes， nuclear armed russian subs， and missiles in Cuba that were literally minutes away from being armed with devastating nuclear warheads all came together to nearly bring human civilization to its knees。 Adding to all of this are stories of how incredible mishandling and incredible luck also played huge roles in this incredible story。So much ground is covered， yet Sheinkin does not linger too long on any event。 The writing is to the point， yet covers these events sufficiently。 The book never becomes bogged down which left me waiting to see what might be revealed on the next page。 It's a real page turner！Five stars！ This is a great book。Thanks to NetGalley， I received an Advanced Reader Copy ARC in exchange for this honest review。 。。。more

David ，

Solid secondary summary of the first half of the Cold War。 Honestly， par for the course for Sheinkin。

Terri ，

Once again， Steve Sheinkin examines a complex topic and makes it clear， concise， and cogent with his thoroughly researched and documented narrative nonfiction。 His latest book follows in the spirit of his award-winning Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon。 Fallout examines the development of the hydrogen bomb and the arms race that followed， culminating with the Cuban Missile Crisis。 Early chapters explain Nikita Khrushchev’s rise to power and Cold War espionag Once again， Steve Sheinkin examines a complex topic and makes it clear， concise， and cogent with his thoroughly researched and documented narrative nonfiction。 His latest book follows in the spirit of his award-winning Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon。 Fallout examines the development of the hydrogen bomb and the arms race that followed， culminating with the Cuban Missile Crisis。 Early chapters explain Nikita Khrushchev’s rise to power and Cold War espionage efforts by both the USSR and the USA。 Soviet spy Rudolph Abel and American U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers are examined in some depth， chronicling the eventual capture and conviction of the two， and the 1962 exchange of the two by the two world powers in Berlin。 The importance of the divided city of Berlin in the Cold War is stressed， and Sheinkin introduces readers to a little-known hero: Harry Seidel， a former bicycle racer who risked his life to assist hundreds of East Berliners to escape across the Berlin Wall to freedom in the West。 Closing chapters closely document the escalation of tension and fear that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the battle of wills between the wily Khrushchev and the young American president， John F。 Kennedy。 Sheinkin’s attention to small details and liberal use of quotes brings the characters and events to life and will engage both middle grade readers and adults in what may well have been the most dangerous conflict in the history of mankind。 This outstanding work is a must purchase for both public and school libraries。 。。。more

Lies Garner ，

Sheinkin does it again。 He makes learning about political intrigue fascinating！ I could not stop talking about details of this book with family -- including those who were raising families during the Cold War。 Some knew a few of the details Sheinkin includes， but no one had the breadth of knowledge I gained from reading Fallout。 I especially love small insights that take just a few lines， but are so important for understanding the time and place。。。 such as the timing of the first James Bond film Sheinkin does it again。 He makes learning about political intrigue fascinating！ I could not stop talking about details of this book with family -- including those who were raising families during the Cold War。 Some knew a few of the details Sheinkin includes， but no one had the breadth of knowledge I gained from reading Fallout。 I especially love small insights that take just a few lines， but are so important for understanding the time and place。。。 such as the timing of the first James Bond film being released with bombs on an island the major plot point at the same time as the Cuban Missile Crisis。 Ironic that so many have nostalgia for the "good old days" when you see how scary those days were。Thanks to NetGalley for ARC 。。。more

Kim McGee ，

4 1/2 starsThis is a perfect example of what Steve Sheinkin does best - he delivers an exciting burst of history that pulls readers in by presenting a "fly on the wall" view instead of a barrage of facts and figures。 WWII is at an end and soon Stalin will be gone which transitions the Soviet Union into a new threat for the Western world - communism。 The U。S。 and the Soviets are battling for a new frontier as they invent scary weapons， bigger bombs and develop the technology that will launch one 4 1/2 starsThis is a perfect example of what Steve Sheinkin does best - he delivers an exciting burst of history that pulls readers in by presenting a "fly on the wall" view instead of a barrage of facts and figures。 WWII is at an end and soon Stalin will be gone which transitions the Soviet Union into a new threat for the Western world - communism。 The U。S。 and the Soviets are battling for a new frontier as they invent scary weapons， bigger bombs and develop the technology that will launch one of them into space first。 Photographs are interspersed to cement what life was really like and put a human face to the uncertainty and fear。 He adds anecdotes about people whose lives we know and also those behind the scene superstars so the reader has a well rounded view of what life was like。 Adults， teens and of course middle grade readers will learn much and be thoroughly entertained。 This would be my choice for a family road trip audiobook。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

Absolutely fantastic！！ If I had the budget I would be pre-ordering a set of these books for my school。 Fallout follows the creation of the fusion bomb and the dramatic events of the Cold War （Berlin Wall， Bay of Pigs Invasion， Cuban Missile Crisis， spycraft and more。） Sheinkin's writing is easy for a middle-schooler to understand， but explains events that most adults didn't know （Did you know a black bear in Duluth， MN triggered an alarm to send off pilots with nuclear bombs？） If you liked Bomb Absolutely fantastic！！ If I had the budget I would be pre-ordering a set of these books for my school。 Fallout follows the creation of the fusion bomb and the dramatic events of the Cold War （Berlin Wall， Bay of Pigs Invasion， Cuban Missile Crisis， spycraft and more。） Sheinkin's writing is easy for a middle-schooler to understand， but explains events that most adults didn't know （Did you know a black bear in Duluth， MN triggered an alarm to send off pilots with nuclear bombs？） If you liked Bomb by Steve Sheinkin， you will LOVE Fallout。 I got this ARC from Netgalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Ms。 Yingling ，

E ARC provided by NetgalleyAnother interesting， extremely well research book from this author。 I enjoy how he looks at events from the points of view of a variety of people involved in them， and the Cold War doesn't have as many books about it as， say， WWII。 It is a lot of information， though， and middle schoolers might find it too much for pleasure reading unless they have a huge interest in the time period。 Since this era of history is not covered in our curriculum， I may pass on purchase。 E ARC provided by NetgalleyAnother interesting， extremely well research book from this author。 I enjoy how he looks at events from the points of view of a variety of people involved in them， and the Cold War doesn't have as many books about it as， say， WWII。 It is a lot of information， though， and middle schoolers might find it too much for pleasure reading unless they have a huge interest in the time period。 Since this era of history is not covered in our curriculum， I may pass on purchase。 。。。more

Karen Arendt ，

Steve Sheinkin is an amazing author。 I have enjoyed every nonfiction book he has written。 Fallout is by far his best one yet。 Focused on the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis， Sheinkin ferrets out the smallest details and weaves them into a complex yet surprisingly riveting story。 The pace never slows down and gentle reminders are given for people who played a small part and may have gotten forgotten during reading。 Sheinkin has a special knack with history！

Libby ，

It's rare to find a well-researched YA nonfiction book that is written so compellingly that it reads like a novel， without resorting to fictionalization。 That's what Sheinkin does masterfully in Fallout。 Obviously， I knew the end of the story。 There's no spoiler in saying that the Cuban Missile Crisis didn't start World War III。 But I still found myself wanting to know what would happen in each new chapter。 Highly recommended not only for YA readers， but for others like me who were only toddlers It's rare to find a well-researched YA nonfiction book that is written so compellingly that it reads like a novel， without resorting to fictionalization。 That's what Sheinkin does masterfully in Fallout。 Obviously， I knew the end of the story。 There's no spoiler in saying that the Cuban Missile Crisis didn't start World War III。 But I still found myself wanting to know what would happen in each new chapter。 Highly recommended not only for YA readers， but for others like me who were only toddlers when the crisis happened and who want to know about history that happened in our lifetimes。Review based on an eARC provided through NetGalley。 。。。more

Lee-ann ，

Thank you to netgalley for providing an egalley for review。 Steve Sheinkin does it again！ While this is an incredibly complicated part of history， Sheinkin manages to parse out the narrative to make this whole convoluted， many layered piece of history into an easily followable， exciting narrative。 Extensive source notes are included and pictures along the way help to entice readers into this complicated bit of American and World history。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0