The Abyss: Cuban Missile Crisis




« back to classes page
ClassGraphic Imagine the superpowers within hours of nuclear war and the fate of millions resting on a few men's decisions. After President Kennedy’s failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961, the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, sought to protect Cuba and counterbalance US missiles stationed in Europe. He secretly sent nuclear weapons to Cuba, initiating a standoff that brought two superpowers to the brink of disaster while the rest of the world held its breath. Join us for robust discussions on one of history's most perilous conflicts. We will read The Abyss: Nuclear Crisis in Cuba 1962 by Max Hastings (Harper Collins Publishing, 2022). Hastings has authored twenty-eight books. Former editor in chief of the London Daily Telegraph and editor of the London Evening Standard, his masterful narrative reveals how close the world came to annihilation “when eyeball to eyeball the other side finally blinked.” Together, we'll explore the events that still reverberate.

Class Details

14 Session(s)
Weekly - Mon

Location
500 Davis Center

Instructor
Multiple

Tuition: 

$0.00

Email olli@northwestern.edu for more information. Send to Friend »

Schedule Information

Skip dates: (No class on 05/25/2026)

Date(s) Class Days Times Location Instructor(s)
3/2/2026 - 6/8/2026 Weekly - Mon 09:45 AM - 11:45 AM Evanston, 500 Davis Center  Map Harold Primack  ; George Maliekal 

Recommended Classes