The Shadow of War: a historical fiction that puts readers in the middle of the tense moments of 1962

The Shadow of War by Jeff Shaara is an in-depth fact-based historical fiction about the heart-stopping moments of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Opening with the failed Bay of Pigs invasion as President John F Kennedy deals with its fallout. From Washington to Moscow to Havana, readers are taken along the tension-filled rooms and offices as destroyers circle Cuba as Soviet subs lurk beneath the surface and U-2 spy planes running recon from the sky and CIA operatives on the shores of Cuba. The question becomes who will make the first move, a wrong move and set off a war. We may know how the events played out but do we know the behind the scenes actions leading to those thirteen days in October 1962? How close was war? 

Jeff Shaara has been the name in fact based historical fiction for decades with his trademark "you are there" immediacy. His story definitely puts the readers in the middle of the historical events with realistic details. The Shadow of War holds to this standard as the opening chapter puts the reader right smack into the middle of the Bay of Pigs and does not let up as the pieces move quickly in this real life game of chess and cat mouse with fingers itching near the trigger. Even though I knew the outcomes of these events, Mr. Shaara has a way to write the events as if we are experiencing the tensions firsthand. If you enjoy historical fiction with political intrigue, I highly recommend The Shadow of War. 

The Shadow of War is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook