The Shadow of War

A Novel of the Cuban Missile Crisis

By: Jeff Shaara

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

"Michael's changing accents magnify our ability to follow and enjoy the novel. The compelling production transports listeners to the suffering of the entrenched infantry living in lice-filled uniforms and the pilots who stood in their cockpits to reach the firing mechanism of their machine guns. In a thick German accent, the historic Red Baron comes to life in a way that no printed page could ever portray"—AudioFile on To The Last Man, an Earphones Award winner

From the bestselling author comes the story of rising conflict between the super-powers that gripped the world, a global war that almost happened: The Cuban Missile Crisis.

In 1961, the new president John F. Kennedy, inherited an ill-conceived, poorly executed invasion of Cuba that failed miserably and set in motion the events that put the U.S. and the Soviet Union on a collision course that nearly started a war that would have enveloped much of the world.

Extensively researched and vividly imagined, The Shadow of War brings to life the many threads that lead to the building crisis between the Soviet Union and the United States in 1962.

Told from a multitude of perspectives and voices, from the Russian engineer attempting the near impossible task of building the missile launch facilities in Cuba, to the U.S. Navy commanders who ships are sent to "quarantine" Cuba, to the Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev, desperately trying to maintain a challenging balancing act between the conflicting demands of various powerful forces, to the brothers Kennedy (Bobby and JFK) who can't allow Russia to land nuclear missiles in Cuba, or to appear weak in confronting Khrushchev, but keenly understand how close they are dancing to the edge of war.

Shaara brings to life all the action and actors, famous and little known, that embodied a war that almost happened, the Cuban Missile Crisis.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

©2024 Jeff Shaara (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"A gripping story of foes stepping away from the brink of annihilation."—Kirkus Reviews

Shaara again for the win!!!

It doesn’t not matter the topic or subject matter but Jeff Shaara is winning. Frozen Ground. The Rising Tide. Etc etc all continue on the trail that his father blazed with Killer Angels. He has taken the genre of historical “fiction” to a new level. Years ago I met one of the people from his WW2 books who was working as a docent at the WW2 museum in New Orleans. Shaara has covered it all just about The Civil War East and West The American Revolution WW1 and WW2. He is the master of these type stories

A Thrilling Account of a Frightening Time

Having lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis as a young boy, I still felt captivated by Jeff Shaara's account of an event in human history that could have resulted in the start of World War III. It brought back many memories of what we went through and made one realize just how close we came to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Paul Michael, as always, delivered a stirring narration that puts both he and the author at the top of my list of favorite audiobook teams. I look forward to their next project.