Fallout
Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown
1 of 2 copies available
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.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
September 7, 2021 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593154908
- File size: 236475 KB
- Duration: 08:12:39
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 890
- Text Difficulty: 4-5
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Reviews
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Roy Samuelson, who narrated Sheinkin's prize-winning BOMB, delivers his newest nonfiction. Listeners who were enthralled by the first audiobook will again be gripped, this time by his compelling dramatization of the Cold War era. Right away, Samuelson renders an impressive blow-by-blow account of a Russian espionage operation. As transitions back and forth in time provide context for historical situations, each skillful recounting by author and narrator embodies the tension felt during this era. Historical personages, major and minor, become substantial with Samuelson's portraits, and vivid descriptions of events--from the construction of the Berlin Wall to the amassing of nuclear weapons and the frightening standoff at the Bay of Pigs--build with the intensity of a thriller. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from September 13, 2021
This twisty spy story interweaves tautly paced political drama to document the perilous Cold War period and escalating conflict between the United States and Soviet Union. Newbery Honoree Sheinkin immediately hooks readers with an account of how a 1953 chance exchange of two hollow coins with film hidden inside tipped the CIA off to a Soviet spy ring; eventually, the lens extends to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the standoff between U.S. president John F. Kennedy and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. In addition to spies and political machinations, Sheinkin skillfully describes the science behind the race to develop fission bombs and conquer space, the nuclear threat and mutually assured destruction, and how the fear, bomb shelters, and classroom drills infused everyday life. Throughout, the highly charged narrative maintains a strong perspective and keen attention to detail, rounding out the figures involved—such as the American pilot Gary Powers, who flew U-2 jets to spy on Russia—with character and personality. The midsection can sometimes lag as it details the intricate chess game between Kennedy and Khrushchev, but b&w photographs heighten the tension in this dramatic and informative chronicle. Ages 10–up.
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