About this episode

The episode discusses the escalation of the Cuban Missile Crisis following the downing of an American spy plane over Cuba.

Soviet anti-aircraft fire takes down an American spy plane over Cuba, as the crisis spirals. The pilot is killed. With nuclear missiles almost ready for launch in Cuba, how can the two superpower leaders pull back from the brink of war? This is the personal and political history of the Cuban Missile Crisis, told by Nina Khrushcheva and Max Kennedy.

People in this episode

Guests: Nina Khrushcheva, Max Kennedy

Topics covered

• Cuban Missile Crisis
• Cold War
• superpower relations
• military conflict
• political history

Keywords

• Cuban Missile Crisis
• spy plane
• nuclear missiles
• Kennedy
• Khrushchev
• Cold War
• Cuba

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Cuba

More episodes of The Bomb

• Recommending: 13 Minutes Presents Artemis II · March 29, 2026 · 5 min
• Kennedy and Khrushchev: 10. Fallout · February 1, 2026 · 43 min
• Kennedy and Khrushchev: 8. The logic of war · January 18, 2026 · 38 min
• Kennedy and Khrushchev: 7. Eyeball to eyeball · January 11, 2026 · 38 min
• Kennedy and Khrushchev: 6. Kennedy’s move · January 4, 2026 · 37 min
• Kennedy and Khrushchev: 5. The crisis: Day one · December 28, 2025 · 37 min

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