Fallout: Spies, superbombs, and the ultimate Cold War Showdown

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product (Fallout) through Raincoast Books.  Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so.

The Cold War was a chess game between two world powers that lasted from 1946 to 1991.  It was a time of spies, nuclear threat, and the race to space.   Steve Sheinkin races us through the cold war in his book Fallout.  Learn how a series of unfortunate events lead us to the brink of nuclear war and the determination of a submarine captain to hold to his orders that kept us from it. 

What I am reviewing

Raincoast books, in conjunction with Roaring Brook Press, sent me this magnificant hardcover middle school read.  It is entitled Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown.  Centering around the Cuban Missile Crisis we are introduced to spies, the superpowers of the USA and Russia, and see heroes in action.   Mistakes happened, the vagaries of life brought near crisis, and determination to do better was seen.  Steve Sheinkin, through the use of carefully crafted words and good images paints us an overall picture of this time in history. 

 352 pages which have been divided into three parts along with an epilogue.  Written for youth 10-14.  Categories are Non-fiction, history, military and USA history. 

 I’ve reviewed a couple other Steve Sheinkin books in the past.  Mr. Sheinkin’s writing is well suited for middle school readers.  Providing enough action combined with fact to make for a fast-paced, enjoyable read.

• Born to Fly: women flyers in a race
• Undefeated: Jim Thorpe, residential schools, and hockey

Digging Deeper into Fallout

Fallout is a chapter book divided into three parts.  The introduction with the paperboy and the mystery of the hollow coin is fantastic.  It added a very personal spin to a book with a variety of interesting characters.  I learned so much!  It did feel like an overview especially since I know there was so much that happened during the Cold War. The overview aspect did not detract since the focus was on the Cuban Missile Crisis.  It has left me hungering to learn about the Cold War though.

Most of the book is text.  I loved the personal touches added, like understanding Kennedy was a man who lived in pain, or that Khrushchev loved playing chess.   There were lots of names and dates and activities. I did occasionally get a bit mixed up, but overall the timeline was very smooth. In fact I would have loved if a simple timeline had been included.  You’ll find a great bibliography and source notes included. 

Not only will you find photos scattered throughout the text, you’ll also find images dividing up each of the sections.  I love having all the players in front of me.  Knowing what people look like helps make history easier to remember. don’t you find?

Add it to your shelves?

Do you like history, get this book!

If you are studying USA history and just need an overview book for middle or high school, get this book!  You’ll find it quite suitable to a homeschool unit on the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Or perhaps, you just find the cold war an interesting time in history, get this book!

Or maybe, you have a highschooler who likes to write essays.  Using this book as a launching pad for ideas might help fill an Language Arts credit. 

You won’t regret it.  Fallout by Steve Sheinkin is well worth reading for it’s thorough overview of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the events leading up to it.  It’s a fast-paced, intriguing moment in history.  Spies abound, heros exist, and history weaves together.