Fallout, by Steve Sheinkin

(Hardcover, 352 pages, first published in 2021)

New York Times bestselling author Steve Sheinkin presents a follow up to his award-winning book Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, taking readers on a terrifying journey into the Cold War and our mutual assured destruction.

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 shows 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.

Cautions: Redeemed Reader notes, "Sheinkin doesn’t shy away from quoting historical figures’ profanity and foul language, although he uses asterisks in many instances. On the one hand, we cringe. But on the other, the language does help reveal the strain some of these leaders were under as they tried to figure out what the enemy was up to." See full review here.

Ages: 15+