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Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown
New York Times bestselling author Steve Sheinkin presents a follow up to his award-winning book 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 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.Winner of the 2022 Kids' Book Choice Award for 6th to 8th Grade Book of the YearA Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of 2021A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of 2021A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the YearPraise for A Newbery Honor book A National Book Awards finalist for Young People's LiteratureA Washington Post Best Kids Books of the Year title“This is edge-of-the seat material that will resonate with YAs who clamor for true spy stories, and it will undoubtedly engross a cross-market audience of adults who dozed through the World War II unit in high school.” —BCCB, starred review“...reads like an international spy thriller, and that's the beauty of it.” —School Library Journal, starred review“[A] complicated thriller that intercuts action with the deftness of a Hollywood blockbuster.” —Booklist, , starred review“A must-read…” —Publishers Weekly, starred review“A superb tale of an era and an effort that forever changed our world.” —KirkusAlso by Steve The Notorious Benedict A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & TreacheryThe Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football TeamMost Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam WarWhich Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward ExpansionKing What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2021
195 people are currently reading
2969 people want to read
About the author
Steve Sheinkin
45 books696 followersFrom: http://stevesheinkin.com/about/
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and my family lived in Mississippi and Colorado before moving back to New York and settling in the suburbs north of New York City. As a kid my favorite books were action stories and outdoor adventures: sea stories, searches for buried treasure, sharks eating people… that kind of thing. Probably my all-time favorite was a book called Mutiny on the Bounty, a novel based on the true story of a famous mutiny aboard a British ship in the late 1700s.
I went to Syracuse University and studied communications and international relations. The highlight of those years was a summer I spent in Central America, where I worked on a documentary on the streets of Nicaragua.
After college I moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for an environmental group called the National Audubon Society. Then, when my brother Ari graduated from college a few years later, we decided to move to Austin, Texas, and make movies together. We lived like paupers in a house with a hole in the floor where bugs crawled in. We wrote some screenplays, and in 1995 made our own feature film, a comedy called A More Perfect Union (filing pictured below), about four young guys who decide to secede from the Union and declare their rented house to be an independent nation. We were sure it was going to be a huge hit; actually we ended up deep in debt.
After that I moved to Brooklyn and decided to find some way to make a living as a writer. I wrote short stories, screenplays, and worked on a comic called The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey. In 2006, after literally hundreds of rejections, my first Rabbi Harvey graphic novel was finally published.
Meanwhile, I started working for an educational publishing company, just for the money. We’d hire people to write history textbooks, and they’d send in their writing, and it was my job to check facts and make little edits to clarify the text. Once in a while I was given the chance to write little pieces of textbooks, like one-page biographies or skills lessons. “Understanding Bar Graphs” was one of my early works. The editors noticed that my writing was pretty good. They started giving me less editing to do, and more writing. Gradually, I began writing chapters for textbooks, and that turned into my full-time job. All the while, I kept working on my own writing projects.
In 2008 I wrote my last textbook. I walked away, and shall never return. My first non-textbook history book was King George: What Was His Problem? – full of all the stories about the American Revolution that I was never allowed to put into textbooks. But looking back, I actually feel pretty lucky to have spent all those years writing textbooks. It forced me to write every day, which is great practice. And I collected hundreds of stories that I can’t wait to tell.
These days, I live with my wife, Rachel, and our two young kids in Saratoga Springs, New York. We’re right down the road from the Saratoga National Historical Park, the site of Benedict Arnold’s greatest – and last – victory in an American uniform. But that’s not why I moved here. Honestly.
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and my family lived in Mississippi and Colorado before moving back to New York and settling in the suburbs north of New York City. As a kid my favorite books were action stories and outdoor adventures: sea stories, searches for buried treasure, sharks eating people… that kind of thing. Probably my all-time favorite was a book called Mutiny on the Bounty, a novel based on the true story of a famous mutiny aboard a British ship in the late 1700s.
I went to Syracuse University and studied communications and international relations. The highlight of those years was a summer I spent in Central America, where I worked on a documentary on the streets of Nicaragua.
After college I moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for an environmental group called the National Audubon Society. Then, when my brother Ari graduated from college a few years later, we decided to move to Austin, Texas, and make movies together. We lived like paupers in a house with a hole in the floor where bugs crawled in. We wrote some screenplays, and in 1995 made our own feature film, a comedy called A More Perfect Union (filing pictured below), about four young guys who decide to secede from the Union and declare their rented house to be an independent nation. We were sure it was going to be a huge hit; actually we ended up deep in debt.
After that I moved to Brooklyn and decided to find some way to make a living as a writer. I wrote short stories, screenplays, and worked on a comic called The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey. In 2006, after literally hundreds of rejections, my first Rabbi Harvey graphic novel was finally published.
Meanwhile, I started working for an educational publishing company, just for the money. We’d hire people to write history textbooks, and they’d send in their writing, and it was my job to check facts and make little edits to clarify the text. Once in a while I was given the chance to write little pieces of textbooks, like one-page biographies or skills lessons. “Understanding Bar Graphs” was one of my early works. The editors noticed that my writing was pretty good. They started giving me less editing to do, and more writing. Gradually, I began writing chapters for textbooks, and that turned into my full-time job. All the while, I kept working on my own writing projects.
In 2008 I wrote my last textbook. I walked away, and shall never return. My first non-textbook history book was King George: What Was His Problem? – full of all the stories about the American Revolution that I was never allowed to put into textbooks. But looking back, I actually feel pretty lucky to have spent all those years writing textbooks. It forced me to write every day, which is great practice. And I collected hundreds of stories that I can’t wait to tell.
These days, I live with my wife, Rachel, and our two young kids in Saratoga Springs, New York. We’re right down the road from the Saratoga National Historical Park, the site of Benedict Arnold’s greatest – and last – victory in an American uniform. But that’s not why I moved here. Honestly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
August 25, 2021
Without a doubt, Steve Sheinkin is the narrative nonfiction king when it comes to Juvenile literature. This new release highlighting the Cuban Missile Crisis reads like adrenaline fiction. And it's all true! Backed up by pages and pages of footnotes and an extensive bibliography. His sense of timing is impeccable and he doesn't leave any loose ends. His Epilogue gives us the closure we need for all the major players. Here is a final quote from the book that sums it all up so well:
Finally, with hindsight, how close did the world really come to World War III in October 1962? How close did humans come to wiping our species off the planet? How does the Cuban Missile Crisis compare with twenty-first century threats such as terrorism, climate change, and pandemic disease?
This is open to discussion and debate. But it's interesting to hear from the people who were there.
Highly recommended for 10 and up. Thank you to Roaring Book Press and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Finally, with hindsight, how close did the world really come to World War III in October 1962? How close did humans come to wiping our species off the planet? How does the Cuban Missile Crisis compare with twenty-first century threats such as terrorism, climate change, and pandemic disease?
This is open to discussion and debate. But it's interesting to hear from the people who were there.
Highly recommended for 10 and up. Thank you to Roaring Book Press and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2022
Riveting stuff. I couldn’t put this down. This is brilliantly structured and fast-paced and written in Sheinkin’s typically racy style. It’s got presidents and pilots and scientists and spies and submariners and Cuban rebels and the space race; it packs in so much detail about the Cold War without ever feeling like it’s skimming the surface - or slogging through it all.
A great beginning -
It’s all here, and it’s all coherent. I’m sure it’s not comprehensive, in the sense that it’s impossible for 303 pages to summarize an entire decade, much less the lives of pivotal world leaders (and I’m also sure, in the source materials, that someone somewhere considered definitive was not completely honest) - but this is the stuff history classes should be made of.
This might be Sheinkin’s best book yet. It’s masterful.
A great beginning -
Jimmy took the new coin and went back to playing stickball. He would be in college before he realized that he’d stumbled into a series of events that were moving the globe’s two great powers to the brink of the third - and final - world war.Fascinating personalities -
Khrushchev’s son Sergei, who was training to be a rocket scientist, asked his father why he didn’t roar to the world about the offensive and illegal American flights.And quite the Acknowledgements section -
Nikita told his son: “The weak complain against the strong.”
I’m especially grateful to Dr. Sergei Khrushchev, who generously agreed to answer my questions about those private talks he had with his father during the missile crisis. Dr. Khrushchev, who became a U.S. citizen in 1999, died in June 2020. Through his writing and lectures, he has given us insight into key moments of Cold War history that literally could not have come from anywhere else.This is impressively researched - I read all the notes in the back - and full of little, important details often unemphasized: the victims of the H-bomb testing, and JFK’s bad back and the recording equipment he used, and the heroes who tried to topple the Berlin Wall, and the Soviet show trials, and the CIA’s collaboration with a mobster.
It’s all here, and it’s all coherent. I’m sure it’s not comprehensive, in the sense that it’s impossible for 303 pages to summarize an entire decade, much less the lives of pivotal world leaders (and I’m also sure, in the source materials, that someone somewhere considered definitive was not completely honest) - but this is the stuff history classes should be made of.
This might be Sheinkin’s best book yet. It’s masterful.
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December 27, 2023
At times it felt highly disjointed, but how else to present a complex narrative of the ultimate Cold War show-down between the US and Russia—specifically, between two men with massive egos and a world-ending need to never be seen as weak.
I could have dealt with a few less repetitions of "fear has wide eyes," which would probably have been fine in print but in audio certain linguistic tics can turn into ear-grating idioms.
I could have dealt with a few less repetitions of "fear has wide eyes," which would probably have been fine in print but in audio certain linguistic tics can turn into ear-grating idioms.
January 31, 2023
"That story is still unfolding. We don't know how it ends."
Warning: I have absolutely no idea how to review this genre of book, so bear with me.
Well. This was certainly an interesting read. (Interesting as in the information inside it, and it was. . . Odd? I honestly don't know. . .)
I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It was fine. It had stuff I liked. There were parts where it was fine. And there were parts where I was confused. . .
The information in this book was presented clearly (most of the time), and the "story" was told from a narrator POV. It was just the way the dates were presented. It skipped around to different years, going backwards, them forwards, and it was all super confusing to me to know when these events took place. (I mean. I know the general dates, but the specific dates, to put them in contrast with other events that were described in this book.) Just like a little date at the top of the chapter would've been nice, or something like that.
One things I thought about (quite frequently) was a map. Sometimes at the end of the chapters there were photos and sometimes there were maps (which were quite helpful). It was a pain going back and trying to find the maps in this book when they just could've been put in the beginning. Honestly. Just a couple of pages for a map. It would've been super helpful.
It was definitely kinda interesting learning about this topic, as I don't know anything about wars. The information was presented in a clear, straightforward way- for middle graders- which, even though I'm not a middle grader, it was still super helpful as I knew absolutely nothing about the Cold War coming into this. There were times it would still get a little confusing, but if a middle grader was looking for a book on the Cold War, I would definitely recommend this to them.
Another thing I found. . . Odd(?) was the. . . Swearing? So, I mean, there were kinda swear words, but there were asterisks between them, which I've never seen in a book. And maybe it's because I know too many naughty words and the contexts they're typically used in, but it was pretty easy for me to figure out what they were?? I mean, not all the letters were asterisks, which also made it easier. I guess what I'm trying to say is: why. . .? These were words that definitely could've been cut if the author didn't want to use them, and I don't understand why he didn't, because there typically isn't cursing in middle grade books? (and it wasn't the swear words like damn and hell they were um more intense)
I'm sorry, this doesn't really affect the quality of the story, but it was still odd.
This definitely could've been a solid three stars, maybe for for me, but the reason for my low rating was probably my lack of interest in the subject. I mean, it was interesting to learn about the subject for a little, but then I was kinda done and I wanted to move on. So I guess this just wasn't for me.
I suppose that's all I have to say about this book, so now the three questions. . .
Would I recommend this book?
If you're interested in the Cold War, this is a great book with direct clear information. But if you're not interested in that, then it probably isn't for you.
If this was a movie, what would I rate it?
I mean. . . PG-13, fear/half swearing?? (This is definitely still a middle grade read though)
Will I read this author's other books?
I mean, probably not as this book didn't really interest me and all his other books seem to be nonfiction and historical as well.
Warning: I have absolutely no idea how to review this genre of book, so bear with me.
Well. This was certainly an interesting read. (Interesting as in the information inside it, and it was. . . Odd? I honestly don't know. . .)
I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It was fine. It had stuff I liked. There were parts where it was fine. And there were parts where I was confused. . .
The information in this book was presented clearly (most of the time), and the "story" was told from a narrator POV. It was just the way the dates were presented. It skipped around to different years, going backwards, them forwards, and it was all super confusing to me to know when these events took place. (I mean. I know the general dates, but the specific dates, to put them in contrast with other events that were described in this book.) Just like a little date at the top of the chapter would've been nice, or something like that.
One things I thought about (quite frequently) was a map. Sometimes at the end of the chapters there were photos and sometimes there were maps (which were quite helpful). It was a pain going back and trying to find the maps in this book when they just could've been put in the beginning. Honestly. Just a couple of pages for a map. It would've been super helpful.
It was definitely kinda interesting learning about this topic, as I don't know anything about wars. The information was presented in a clear, straightforward way- for middle graders- which, even though I'm not a middle grader, it was still super helpful as I knew absolutely nothing about the Cold War coming into this. There were times it would still get a little confusing, but if a middle grader was looking for a book on the Cold War, I would definitely recommend this to them.
Another thing I found. . . Odd(?) was the. . . Swearing? So, I mean, there were kinda swear words, but there were asterisks between them, which I've never seen in a book. And maybe it's because I know too many naughty words and the contexts they're typically used in, but it was pretty easy for me to figure out what they were?? I mean, not all the letters were asterisks, which also made it easier. I guess what I'm trying to say is: why. . .? These were words that definitely could've been cut if the author didn't want to use them, and I don't understand why he didn't, because there typically isn't cursing in middle grade books? (and it wasn't the swear words like damn and hell they were um more intense)
I'm sorry, this doesn't really affect the quality of the story, but it was still odd.
This definitely could've been a solid three stars, maybe for for me, but the reason for my low rating was probably my lack of interest in the subject. I mean, it was interesting to learn about the subject for a little, but then I was kinda done and I wanted to move on. So I guess this just wasn't for me.
I suppose that's all I have to say about this book, so now the three questions. . .
Would I recommend this book?
If you're interested in the Cold War, this is a great book with direct clear information. But if you're not interested in that, then it probably isn't for you.
If this was a movie, what would I rate it?
I mean. . . PG-13, fear/half swearing?? (This is definitely still a middle grade read though)
Will I read this author's other books?
I mean, probably not as this book didn't really interest me and all his other books seem to be nonfiction and historical as well.
December 13, 2021
FALLOUT
This book focuses on events of the Cold War from about 1948-1963. The race between the two super powers, the USA and the USSR, for ever increasing military dominance and building bigger and better bombs was at its peak. Gathering information on each other’s progress was a major focus, competition intense.
Spying was at at premium. Russian spy Rudolf Abel infiltrated the US. Gary Powers flew reconnaissance missions over Russian in the U2. The Space Race expanded with cosmonaut Yuri Gagarian’s flight into outer space. Oleg Penkovski acted as a double agent gathering information while in the USSR and secretly passing it on to the British and the US.
And the divide between the superpowers grew involving other countries around the world. The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961. The Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis brought communism closer to the West. The threat of all out nuclear war became very real. Bomb shelters were built, duck and cover taught to school children, and stockpiling became common. Secret underground bunkers for elite leaders were constructed. Tensions were very high.
President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Leader Nitika Khrushchev maneuvered through these delicate times and this book presents many details of their internal and political struggles. Fidel Castro’s role as the Cuban leader is also examined.
The author has done a fantastic job of taking a period of time with many complex issues and turning it into a terrifically exciting read. It’s an excellent example of how history writing, done right, is every bit as exciting as the most fanciful thriller novel. It is extremely well researched with footnotes, quotations, maps and photographs.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Steve Sheinkin, and Roaring Brook Press (Holtzbrinck Publishing) for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This book focuses on events of the Cold War from about 1948-1963. The race between the two super powers, the USA and the USSR, for ever increasing military dominance and building bigger and better bombs was at its peak. Gathering information on each other’s progress was a major focus, competition intense.
Spying was at at premium. Russian spy Rudolf Abel infiltrated the US. Gary Powers flew reconnaissance missions over Russian in the U2. The Space Race expanded with cosmonaut Yuri Gagarian’s flight into outer space. Oleg Penkovski acted as a double agent gathering information while in the USSR and secretly passing it on to the British and the US.
And the divide between the superpowers grew involving other countries around the world. The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961. The Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis brought communism closer to the West. The threat of all out nuclear war became very real. Bomb shelters were built, duck and cover taught to school children, and stockpiling became common. Secret underground bunkers for elite leaders were constructed. Tensions were very high.
President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Leader Nitika Khrushchev maneuvered through these delicate times and this book presents many details of their internal and political struggles. Fidel Castro’s role as the Cuban leader is also examined.
The author has done a fantastic job of taking a period of time with many complex issues and turning it into a terrifically exciting read. It’s an excellent example of how history writing, done right, is every bit as exciting as the most fanciful thriller novel. It is extremely well researched with footnotes, quotations, maps and photographs.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Steve Sheinkin, and Roaring Brook Press (Holtzbrinck Publishing) for the opportunity to read and review this book.
July 5, 2023
FAST PACED. RIVETING. Well researched. Couldn't put it down. I thought I knew a little bit about the Cuban missile crisis - but reading this, I finally understand the intensity of this situation and how lucky the world was that WWIII did not start as a result (which would have brought an end to a big chunk of the world with millions of lives lost in both the USA and the Soviet Union).
Even if this period is not a part of "the curriculum" you teach, it's worthy of your students' time - lots of implications for how we make sense of history since then and going forward. As Sheinkin writes at the very end, "My big takeaway is that these guys [involved in the crisis] were smart--and they nearly blew up the planet. We can be smarter. From now on, no matter what type of threat we're facing, let's not depend on luck."
Steve Sheinkin is a "go to" author for me. Never disappoints. I'd recommend this for 6th-12th grade students crazy for a well-written historical read.
Even if this period is not a part of "the curriculum" you teach, it's worthy of your students' time - lots of implications for how we make sense of history since then and going forward. As Sheinkin writes at the very end, "My big takeaway is that these guys [involved in the crisis] were smart--and they nearly blew up the planet. We can be smarter. From now on, no matter what type of threat we're facing, let's not depend on luck."
Steve Sheinkin is a "go to" author for me. Never disappoints. I'd recommend this for 6th-12th grade students crazy for a well-written historical read.
December 22, 2021
This was a fantastically informative book all about the Cold War. So much information was shared yet in a digestible way for upper middle grade/early YA readers. I as an adult reader learned many things in reading Fallout. The bulk of the book centers around the nuclear arms race after WWII and the potential catastrophic events that could have happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s. There was also information about Soviet/US spies as well as brief dialogue regarding the Berlin Wall. Very fascinating stuff if you ask me. I'm so glad Steve Sheinkin added this to his collection of nonfiction books for young readers.
August 24, 2023
This book was really good!
I liked all the insight on the Cold War. Originally I knew a lot about World War I and World War II but I didn't know much about the Cold War except that it wasn't really a war. I feel like it gets downgraded because it wasn't an outright declaration of war.
This book was all about these different spies that nobody knew about. It was actually kind of funny considering the topic. You didn't know if who knew that you knew all these secrets.
I liked all the insight on the Cold War. Originally I knew a lot about World War I and World War II but I didn't know much about the Cold War except that it wasn't really a war. I feel like it gets downgraded because it wasn't an outright declaration of war.
This book was all about these different spies that nobody knew about. It was actually kind of funny considering the topic. You didn't know if who knew that you knew all these secrets.
November 25, 2021
Richie’s Picks: FALLOUT: SPIES, SUPERBOMBS, AND THE ULTIMATE COLD WAR SHOWDOWN by Steve Sheinkin, Roaring Brook, September 2021, 352p., ISBN: 978-1-250-14901-5
“We love to laugh and play and run
And we would never start a war
We’re all afraid of bombs and guns
We know that one fight leads to more”
– Peter Alsop, “The Kid’s Peace Song” (1986)
“‘There is no escaping the fact that nuclear conflict would leave a tragic world,’ declared the opening pages of Fallout Protection, a U.S. government booklet published by the millions in late 1961. ‘The experience would be terrible beyond imagination and description.’
But not to worry! If you happened to survive the burst of heat and the shock wave, there was plenty you could do! Remove clothing that may have been contaminated by radiation. the booklet suggested. Wash your skin and hair. Fill sinks and tubs with clean water.
Then get into your shelter–you did prepare a shelter, right? A well-stocked shelter must have first aid supplies, a radio, flashlight, extra batteries, and cases of food. ‘Select familiar foods,’ the booklet advised. ‘They are more heartening and acceptable during times of stress.’
And don’t forget about a can opener.”
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
In 2012, back when today’s adolescents were being captivated by THE NAPPING HOUSE and GREEN EGGS AND HAM, Roaring Brook published Steve Sheinkin’s BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD–AND STEAL–THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON. http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/w/pag...
An absolute must-read for tweens and teens, BOMB was subsequently awarded the Sibert Medal; a Newbery Honor; the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction; and was chosen a National Book Award finalist.
For me, BOMB was history.
For me, FALLOUT, Steve Sheinkin’s follow-up to BOMB, is my history.
I can vividly recall being in Miss Kalish’s first-grade class (1961-62) and Mrs. Mulvey’s second-grade class (1962-63), and participating in the drills where we would duck under our desks and cover our heads, in order to practice surviving a nuclear attack.
As if.
Thanks to FALLOUT, I understand a million times better now how close we came to having the world end during and around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. No future of the Beatles, moon landings, gay weddings, Facebook, or iPhones. At the conclusion of the book, author Steve Sheinkin explains that, after the fall of the Soviet Union, “former U.S. and Soviet officials began meeting to share their recollections of the crisis, their fear, even their secrets.”
This explains a lot. I’d spent much of the book wondering how the author had access to so many riveting details regarding discussions and debates taking place in the White House, in the Kremlin, and aboard four Soviet subs that arrived in Cuba, as the action–fifty-nine years ago–was heating up.
I’ve always tried to moderate my fears about military leaders salivating for a war. FALLOUT reveals that, unfortunately, my suspicions are well-grounded. Had JFK given the generals the last word, we probably wouldn’t be here today
The spy stories are a significant aspect of FALLOUT and are equally engrossing. The book begins with the jaw-dropping tale of a Brooklyn paperboy who drops a few coins in a stairwell and accidentally discovers a hollow nickel filled with a Soviet spy’s microfilm.
Remember Hiroshima.
These days, the U.S., Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea all possess nuclear arsenals. This Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful that saner minds have (so far) prevailed, and pray that none of these weapons ever gets used or fall into the wrong hands.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com
“We love to laugh and play and run
And we would never start a war
We’re all afraid of bombs and guns
We know that one fight leads to more”
– Peter Alsop, “The Kid’s Peace Song” (1986)
“‘There is no escaping the fact that nuclear conflict would leave a tragic world,’ declared the opening pages of Fallout Protection, a U.S. government booklet published by the millions in late 1961. ‘The experience would be terrible beyond imagination and description.’
But not to worry! If you happened to survive the burst of heat and the shock wave, there was plenty you could do! Remove clothing that may have been contaminated by radiation. the booklet suggested. Wash your skin and hair. Fill sinks and tubs with clean water.
Then get into your shelter–you did prepare a shelter, right? A well-stocked shelter must have first aid supplies, a radio, flashlight, extra batteries, and cases of food. ‘Select familiar foods,’ the booklet advised. ‘They are more heartening and acceptable during times of stress.’
And don’t forget about a can opener.”
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
In 2012, back when today’s adolescents were being captivated by THE NAPPING HOUSE and GREEN EGGS AND HAM, Roaring Brook published Steve Sheinkin’s BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD–AND STEAL–THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON. http://richiespicks.pbworks.com/w/pag...
An absolute must-read for tweens and teens, BOMB was subsequently awarded the Sibert Medal; a Newbery Honor; the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction; and was chosen a National Book Award finalist.
For me, BOMB was history.
For me, FALLOUT, Steve Sheinkin’s follow-up to BOMB, is my history.
I can vividly recall being in Miss Kalish’s first-grade class (1961-62) and Mrs. Mulvey’s second-grade class (1962-63), and participating in the drills where we would duck under our desks and cover our heads, in order to practice surviving a nuclear attack.
As if.
Thanks to FALLOUT, I understand a million times better now how close we came to having the world end during and around the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. No future of the Beatles, moon landings, gay weddings, Facebook, or iPhones. At the conclusion of the book, author Steve Sheinkin explains that, after the fall of the Soviet Union, “former U.S. and Soviet officials began meeting to share their recollections of the crisis, their fear, even their secrets.”
This explains a lot. I’d spent much of the book wondering how the author had access to so many riveting details regarding discussions and debates taking place in the White House, in the Kremlin, and aboard four Soviet subs that arrived in Cuba, as the action–fifty-nine years ago–was heating up.
I’ve always tried to moderate my fears about military leaders salivating for a war. FALLOUT reveals that, unfortunately, my suspicions are well-grounded. Had JFK given the generals the last word, we probably wouldn’t be here today
The spy stories are a significant aspect of FALLOUT and are equally engrossing. The book begins with the jaw-dropping tale of a Brooklyn paperboy who drops a few coins in a stairwell and accidentally discovers a hollow nickel filled with a Soviet spy’s microfilm.
Remember Hiroshima.
These days, the U.S., Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea all possess nuclear arsenals. This Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful that saner minds have (so far) prevailed, and pray that none of these weapons ever gets used or fall into the wrong hands.
Richie Partington, MLIS
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December 20, 2021
Excellent in every way. Particularly in its presentation to younger readers. Sheinkin’s ability to pull together a multitude of connective tissue while maintaining a breath-taking narrative is staggering.
December 9, 2021
Steve Sheinkin is amazing. His narrative non-fiction for young adults is riveting, concise, beautifully written and thoroughly researched. I could not put this book down. So much to learn about the nuclear arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States following WWII. And terrifying to realize just how close we were to nuclear annihilation during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1961. Full of spies, double agents and secret missions, on both sides, this book reads like a thriller spy novel. But it's true. Don't miss this one.
May 20, 2021
Sheinkin tells the story of the Cold War, and the stories leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. I found the book information, but even more, it was a page turner that I could not put down. The information presented could have been in a spy thriller. My history classes never explained how close the world was to nuclear devastation.
March 14, 2022
Really good info in this book and I think it will be a good middle grade/ya cold war resource.
Narration by Roy Samuelson was well done.
Narration by Roy Samuelson was well done.
May 10, 2023
Reads like a narrative. Way more about the Cold War than I ever learned in school! Lots of anecdotes about people involved in the conflict, some famous, some just regular citizens. I recommend.
April 29, 2022
Steve Sheinkin does it again transforming post World War II history into Cold War, page-turning suspense about the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis in particular.
He makes narrative nonfiction a delight to read, and he distills a lot of information and characters into a coherent story.
When I was in AP US History, we did not study past World War II. I highly recommend all of Steve Sheinkin's books because he also provides detailed footnotes at the end of each chapter with sources for all of the stories.
New favorite stories: Paperboy Jimmy Bozart finds a hollow nickel leading to the discovery of Soviet spies.
Captain Vasili Arkhipov was a Russian submarine officer that stopped the firing of a nuclear missile.
Andrei Sakharov, father of the Soviet Union's hydrogen bomb who spoke out about the danger of nuclear fall out. He was awarded the Novel Peace Prize in 1975, but was not allowed to leave the USSR to receive it. He said, "Never trust a government that doesn't trust its own people."
Harry Seidel, a german cyclist, who helped dozens of East Berliners escape to West Berlin, and finally captured in the 7th tunnel but survived imprisonment.
He makes narrative nonfiction a delight to read, and he distills a lot of information and characters into a coherent story.
When I was in AP US History, we did not study past World War II. I highly recommend all of Steve Sheinkin's books because he also provides detailed footnotes at the end of each chapter with sources for all of the stories.
New favorite stories: Paperboy Jimmy Bozart finds a hollow nickel leading to the discovery of Soviet spies.
Captain Vasili Arkhipov was a Russian submarine officer that stopped the firing of a nuclear missile.
Andrei Sakharov, father of the Soviet Union's hydrogen bomb who spoke out about the danger of nuclear fall out. He was awarded the Novel Peace Prize in 1975, but was not allowed to leave the USSR to receive it. He said, "Never trust a government that doesn't trust its own people."
Harry Seidel, a german cyclist, who helped dozens of East Berliners escape to West Berlin, and finally captured in the 7th tunnel but survived imprisonment.
February 10, 2022
This was a really good book! And non-fiction too! It fits into what I'm studying in history currently, and overall, Steve just does an amazing job making history exciting and really communicating the real tension and excitement of the era. I'm surprised I got through a non-fiction, but it was so fun to read, and I even feel smarter after reading it!
April 30, 2022
You know a book is good when you want your road trip to be longer so you can finish listening. Absolutely incredible! I love this author and always learn so much from his books. Could not recommend this book more highly!
May 15, 2023
How the hell are we still alive? How damn lucky were we in this moment of crisis?
Sheinkin writes a gripping thriller giving you a deep insight into the front and back page figures of the Cold War.
Sheinkin writes a gripping thriller giving you a deep insight into the front and back page figures of the Cold War.
November 15, 2021
Perfect book to read after Bomb. The intensity of this historic time oozes through the pages.
November 30, 2021
This is brilliantly spell-binding. It may be Sheinkin's best work yet. So much information so cleverly presented. The way he hands the reader pieces of the puzzle and then brings it all together in the end and does it with real history is truly amazing.
July 29, 2022
Fascinating and there were so many details I had never heard about before. Books like this should be used in middle school and high school. They would make such a difference.
April 15, 2024
Everything Steve Sheinkin writes is fantastic
June 20, 2023
A perfect retelling of the Cold War, secrets, spies, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. I knew about half of this, but I couldn't put it down. Extremely engaging and informative.
July 15, 2021
Steve Sheinkin is an amazing author. I have enjoyed every nonfiction book he has written. Fallout is by far his best one yet. Focused on the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Sheinkin ferrets out the smallest details and weaves them into a complex yet surprisingly riveting story. The pace never slows down and gentle reminders are given for people who played a small part and may have gotten forgotten during reading. Sheinkin has a special knack with history!
July 18, 2022
Three and a half stars. Mostly engaging story-telling although it was sometimes hard to keep track of all the side storylines, and I had hoped that they would all converge a little more at the end.
Helpful basic overview of an episode about which I knew embarrassingly little. Seems important history, given the current world situation, and I'm glad for a quality young adult telling of it.
Helpful basic overview of an episode about which I knew embarrassingly little. Seems important history, given the current world situation, and I'm glad for a quality young adult telling of it.
July 11, 2022
Steve Sheinkin is one of my favorite authors and he didn't disappoint. He does so well in presenting history in an understandable way. The Cuban Missile Crisis happened before I was born and I've heard about it, but never really knew or understood about it until now. Definitely recommend!
September 20, 2021
4.5-Once again, Steve Sheinkin brings history to life. This one took a while to set the stage but I always love reading his books. This is basically the sequel to "Bomb".
January 9, 2023
Interesting and easy to follow. I enjoyed getting to fill a lot of gaps I had in my understanding of this part of history.
December 30, 2021
Reliving a Very Scary Time
Please visit I. David’s blog: Focus on Non-Fiction at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
In Fallout: Spies, Superbombs and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown, author Steve Sheinkin tells the story of the early years of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. I typically choose to read long dense non-fiction books for the purpose of learning something new about an historical era. Since I have read extensively on the Cold War and lived through the era I did not read this book to learn something new. Instead, I read it specifically to see how Sheinkin would handle these scary times.
Sheinkin is a master at telling a complex story in a highly accessible manner. His books are aimed at young readers. But they are also great for readers of any level seeking a concise, suspenseful and well written explanation of the covered events. I have been a fan of Sheinkin’s ever since reading his book entitled Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Viet Nam War in which he tells the story of Daniel Ellsberg’s disclosure of the Pentagon Papers.
In Fallout Sheinkin does not disappoint. The early Cold War years were defined by the threat of nuclear war and world annihilation. Sheinkin weaves his action-packed narrative through spies, politicians and military leaders to show all of the circumstances that could have led to the end of the world as we know it. He included everything that made the early Cold War era terrifying, including Nikita Khrushchev’s promise to “bury” us, the downing of Gary Powers’ U-2 spy plane over Russia, the fear of radiation poisoning from atmospheric nuclear weapon testing, the preparation of bomb shelters, the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and, finally, the Russians attempt to install nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba.
Sheinkin has written more than an excellent history of the early years of the Cold War. He has managed to take the reader back in time and to make them feel what it was like to live in a world in which nuclear war was a real threat. I give this book 5 stars and highly recommend it, especially for young readers who want to know what life was like for their parents and grandparents while they were growing up in a world that seemed to be on the brink of the final World War.
Please visit I. David’s blog: Focus on Non-Fiction at
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
In Fallout: Spies, Superbombs and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown, author Steve Sheinkin tells the story of the early years of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. I typically choose to read long dense non-fiction books for the purpose of learning something new about an historical era. Since I have read extensively on the Cold War and lived through the era I did not read this book to learn something new. Instead, I read it specifically to see how Sheinkin would handle these scary times.
Sheinkin is a master at telling a complex story in a highly accessible manner. His books are aimed at young readers. But they are also great for readers of any level seeking a concise, suspenseful and well written explanation of the covered events. I have been a fan of Sheinkin’s ever since reading his book entitled Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Viet Nam War in which he tells the story of Daniel Ellsberg’s disclosure of the Pentagon Papers.
In Fallout Sheinkin does not disappoint. The early Cold War years were defined by the threat of nuclear war and world annihilation. Sheinkin weaves his action-packed narrative through spies, politicians and military leaders to show all of the circumstances that could have led to the end of the world as we know it. He included everything that made the early Cold War era terrifying, including Nikita Khrushchev’s promise to “bury” us, the downing of Gary Powers’ U-2 spy plane over Russia, the fear of radiation poisoning from atmospheric nuclear weapon testing, the preparation of bomb shelters, the failed Bay of Pigs invasion and, finally, the Russians attempt to install nuclear-armed missiles in Cuba.
Sheinkin has written more than an excellent history of the early years of the Cold War. He has managed to take the reader back in time and to make them feel what it was like to live in a world in which nuclear war was a real threat. I give this book 5 stars and highly recommend it, especially for young readers who want to know what life was like for their parents and grandparents while they were growing up in a world that seemed to be on the brink of the final World War.
March 14, 2022
This is a meticulous history of some of the Cold War's most notorious spies told in a spell-binding narrative. It starts with a hollow coin and how it ends up -- mistakenly -- in a paperboy's hands. It's eventually traced back to its creator, Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, who ends up in prison and the subject, much later in the book, of a spy exchange between the two Cold War super powers, the USSR and USA.
It does a great job of setting the scene with the death of Stalin and Khrushchev taking over in the USSR. It's Soviet history most kids won't get in middle school, so it's a great companion to grades 6-8 Social Studies Common Core standards that focus more on US history of this time period.
It continues through the US presidents Eisenhower to Kennedy and how some think Khrushchev manufactured the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the interim, it examines but doesn't put quite as much focus on the building of the Berlin Wall, several attempts to smuggle people out of East Berlin, and the subsequent escalation of the Cold War to the point of almost starting another war.
It's an awesome history on my favorite subject, Cold War spies and intrigue, and as such a great title to add to a classroom shelf.
Teachers Note: The publisher offers a FREE Discussion Guide with 10 questions.
For teachers looking to pair this with middle grade Cold War historical fiction, I strongly recommend the historical fiction books, The Enemy: Detroit, 1954, by Sara Holbrook; Suspect Red, by L.M. Elliott; and / or Spy Runner, by Eugene Yelchin.
It would also pair well with the historical fiction A Night Divided, by Jennifer A. Nielsen, as that story centers around an escape under the Berlin Wall.
Also for teachers looking for shorter-format non-fiction spy case histories, I recommend Marc Favreau's Spies: The Secret Showdown between America and Russia, which contains 10 short (10-15 page) case histories of infamous Cold War spies.
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
It does a great job of setting the scene with the death of Stalin and Khrushchev taking over in the USSR. It's Soviet history most kids won't get in middle school, so it's a great companion to grades 6-8 Social Studies Common Core standards that focus more on US history of this time period.
It continues through the US presidents Eisenhower to Kennedy and how some think Khrushchev manufactured the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the interim, it examines but doesn't put quite as much focus on the building of the Berlin Wall, several attempts to smuggle people out of East Berlin, and the subsequent escalation of the Cold War to the point of almost starting another war.
It's an awesome history on my favorite subject, Cold War spies and intrigue, and as such a great title to add to a classroom shelf.
Teachers Note: The publisher offers a FREE Discussion Guide with 10 questions.
For teachers looking to pair this with middle grade Cold War historical fiction, I strongly recommend the historical fiction books, The Enemy: Detroit, 1954, by Sara Holbrook; Suspect Red, by L.M. Elliott; and / or Spy Runner, by Eugene Yelchin.
It would also pair well with the historical fiction A Night Divided, by Jennifer A. Nielsen, as that story centers around an escape under the Berlin Wall.
Also for teachers looking for shorter-format non-fiction spy case histories, I recommend Marc Favreau's Spies: The Secret Showdown between America and Russia, which contains 10 short (10-15 page) case histories of infamous Cold War spies.
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
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