Awaiting armageddon, how Americans faced the Cuban Missile Crisis, Alice L. George
Type
Label
Awaiting armageddon, how Americans faced the Cuban Missile Crisis, Alice L. George
Language
eng
Index
no index present
Literary Form
non fiction
Main title
Awaiting armageddon
Medium
electronic resource
Nature of contents
dictionaries
Responsibility statement
Alice L. George
Sub title
how Americans faced the Cuban Missile Crisis
Summary
For thirteen days in October 1962, America stood at the brink of nuclear war. Nikita Khrushchev's decision to place nuclear missiles in Cuba and John F. Kennedy's defiant response introduced the possibility of unprecedented cataclysm. The immediate threat of destruction entered America's classrooms and its living rooms. Awaiting Armageddon provides the first in-depth look at this crisis as it roiled outside of government offices, where ordinary Americans realized their government was unprepared to protect either itself or its citizens from the dangers of nuclear war.During the seven days between Kennedy's announcement of a naval blockade and Khrushchev's decision to withdraw Soviet nuclear missiles from Cuba, U.S. citizens absorbed the nightmare scenario unfolding on their television sets. An estimated ten million Americans fled their homes; millions more prepared shelters at home, clearing the shelves of supermarkets and gun stores. Alice George captures the irrationality of the moment as Americans coped with dread and resignation, humor and pathos, terror and ignorance.In her examination of the public response to the missile crisis, the author reveals cracks in the veneer of American confidence in the early years of the space age and demonstrates how the fears generated by Cold War culture blinded many Americans to the dangers of nuclear war until it was almost too late
Target audience
adult
Classification
Contributor
Creator
Subject
- Cold War + Social aspects -- United States
- Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 + Public opinion
- Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 + Social aspects
- United States -- Social conditions -- 1960-1980
- Electronic books
- Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
- Nuclear warfare + Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Civil defense -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Public opinion -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- United States -- Politics and government -- 1961-1963
Content
Incoming Resources
- Has instance1
Outgoing Resources
- Classification1
- Contributor1
- Creator1
- Subject10
- Cold War + Social aspects -- United States
- Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 + Public opinion
- Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962 + Social aspects
- United States -- Social conditions -- 1960-1980
- Electronic books
- Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
- Nuclear warfare + Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Civil defense -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Public opinion -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- United States -- Politics and government -- 1961-1963
- Content1