In this pulse-pounding historical novel, New York Times-bestselling author David L. Robbins, with his signature meticulous research, brings to life 1961?the most dangerous year in modern history.
When a simple fuse blows in the autopilot of Gary Francis Powers' high-altitude surveillance flight in May 1960, the Russians shoot down his plane. This small tech failure initiates a series of international incidents that shake the world. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's threatening responses directly influence the razor-thin election of John F Kennedy ("Jack") over Richard Nixon in America's closest presidential election.
Throughout the following year, relatively inexperienced Jack is forced to match wits with Nikita, the master survivor, polemicist, and strategist who threatens a thunderstorm of missiles that he may or may not possess. Jack tries to negotiate but is keenly aware that any mistakes could lead to a nuclear war.
Robbins' riveting narrative encompasses the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the sudden rise of the Berlin Wall, the tank face-off at Checkpoint Charley, Nikita banging his shoe at the United Nations, and Jack's expansion of the Vietnam conflict. Both men, and their dramatically different backgrounds, leap off the page as they test each other's will, pressing the two superpowers to the brink.
David L. Robbins brings you the masterful, true tale of 1961, when the fate of mankind hung in the balance between Jack and Nikita.
