Almost fifty years later, the Cuban Missile Crisis stands alone in world history as a truly perilous flirtation with nuclear war, an event that could have taken millions of lives on both sides. Launched by rash judgment and concluded through the wisdom of chastened and circumspect leadership, the crisis acted as a catalyst for change, both good and bad, in the Cold War. Most of all, it illuminated a path that drew leaders of the two superpowers away from reckless gamesmanship. In the 21st Century, the Cold War is part of history, but the nuclear weaponry remains a danger. Using government memoranda, personal letters, newspaper articles and other primary sources The Cuban Missile Crisis, details the actual events of the political event while also explaining widespread public response. In four pithy chapters, George introduces the history of Cold War America while contextualizing its political, social, and cultural legacy.