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Above and Beyond: John F. Kennedy and America's Most Dangerous Cold War Spy Mission Hardcover – Illustrated, April 17, 2018

by Casey Sherman (Author), Michael J. Tougias (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 149 ratings
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From the authors of the bestselling The Finest Hours comes the riveting, deeply human story of President John F. Kennedy and two U-2 pilots, Rudy Anderson and Chuck Maultsby, who risked their lives to save America during the Cuban Missile Crisis

During the ominous two weeks of the Cold War's terrifying peak, two things saved humanity: the strategic wisdom of John F. Kennedy and the U-2 aerial spy program.

On October 27, 1962, Kennedy, strained from back pain, sleeplessness, and days of impossible tension, was briefed about a missing spy plane. Its pilot, Chuck Maultsby, was on a surveillance mission over the North Pole, but had become disoriented and steered his plane into Soviet airspace. If detected, its presence there could be considered an act of war.

As the president and his advisers wrestled with this information, more bad news came: another U-2 had gone missing, this one belonging to Rudy Anderson. His mission: to photograph missile sites over Cuba. For the president, any wrong move could turn the Cold War nuclear.

Above and Beyond is the intimate, gripping account of the lives of these three war heroes, brought together on a day that changed history.

Selected as a "Top 10 Nonfiction Books to Read" (2018) by the MA Book Awards
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    360 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    PublicAffairs
  4. Publication date
    April 17, 2018
  5. Dimensions
    6.38 x 1.25 x 9.63 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1610398041
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1610398046
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The authors eloquently convey the difficulties and tensions involved in the [U-2] flights, dramatically magnified during the crisis, when miscalculations could instigate disastrous response by either side....This superbly written, tense, and sometimes sad account views the Cuban Missile Crisis from an unusual and telling perspective."―Booklist, starred

"Unfolds like a spy thriller and serves as an unnerving cautionary tale in a time of reckless brinksmanship."―Boston Globe

"A novelistic approach that involves dramatically recreated scenes and interweaving story lines... The focus on two lesser-known figures gives the book an added dimension beyond other Cuban Missile Crisis histories....[Above & Beyond] hums when describing the strategic maneuvering in Washington.... The authors will leave readers with a greater appreciation of the work required to combat the 'miscalculations, incorrect interpretations, and breakdowns in command and control that could lead to war'."―Publishers Weekly

"Sherman and Tougias present an absorbing account of heroic U-2 pilots Rudolph Anderson and Charles Maultsby and their harrowing missions.... Fascinating."―Library Journal

"The authors have assembled a page-turning narrative. An edifying history that, given America's current global diplomatic stance, is also timely and hopefully instructive to those faced with similarly dire circumstances."―Kirkus Reviews

"A you-are-there retelling of the Cold War's scariest hours."―Military Times

"A fast-paced read with exciting recollections of this tumultuous time guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat....thrilling and nerve-wracking....Even though you know the outcome, it's still enough to get the heart pounding and palms sweating as Kennedy ponders and the U-2 pilots soar into the cross-hairs of history."―Providence Journal

"Readers get a front row seat to a dramatic moment in history."―Cape Cod Times

"Here is the Cuban Missile Crisis as you've never seen it before: through the eyes of the men who flew over the island at 72,000 feet, photographing the missiles that confronted Kennedy with the real possibility of nuclear war. Sherman and Tougias tell their story with pace, riveting new detail, and tremendous economy of style. To be read at one sitting with a stiff Scotch at your elbow."―Giles Whittell, New York Times bestselling author of Bridge ofSpies

"Above and Beyond is a thrilling, inspiring story that would make for relevant reading in any era, but today feels essential. It takes you inside the rooms, inside the cockpits, and sometimes inside the minds of the people confronting the most dangerous moments in human history. A tribute to true patriotism and courage, this bookreminds us that the bravest warriors, the ones who make the biggest differences, are often the ones who never fire a shot."―Jeffrey E. Stern, coauthor of The 15:17 to Paris

"The Cuban Missile Crisis: it may be the most terrifying thirteen days in human history. Live it again in Above and Beyond, the riveting new book by Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias. Climb aboard the most famous spy plane of them all, the legendary U-2, and photograph missile sites. Take a seat in the White House Situation Room to deliberate with President Kennedy on those photographs. Turn the pages all night and marvel yet again at the intrepid bravery of those pilots, and at the leadership that was calm, thoughtful, and steady, yet resolute in the face of unimaginably high stakes. It's an adventure yarn worthy of a great spy novelist and a cautionary tale for our dangerous times."―William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bayand Bound for Gold

"Intriguing... reassuring and disquieting. Reminds us of how resilient, inspired and successful American military, industrial and political leadership could be in the direst days of the Cold War."―Wall Street Journal

"Just when you think the story can't get any better there is a cover-up."―The Patriot Ledger

"An exciting account of the Cuban Missile Crisis with plenty of detail about the spyplanes and the brave men who flew them...The authors of the best-selling The Finest Hours have worked their magic again with this engaging true-life thriller."―Aviation History

About the Author

Casey Sherman is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author of 13 books: The Finest Hours, Boston Strong, Animal, Hunting Whitey, 12, A Rose for Mary, Bad Blood, Black Irish, and Black Dragon. Both The Finest Hours and Boston Strong (Patriots Day) have been made into major motion pictures. He received the Edward R. Murrow Award for Journalistic Excellence and has been nominated for an Emmy Award. A featured guest on major television networks and news programs, Sherman is a contributing writer for TIME, Washington Post, Boston Magazine & Boston Herald. He has lectured at the National Press Club and the US Coast Guard Command Center in Washington, DC. He lives in Massachusetts.

Michael J. Tougias is the author and coauthor of twenty-nine books, including So Close to Home (Pegasus, 2016), Rescue of the Bounty (Scribner, 2014), A Storm too Soon (Scribner, 2013), The Finest Hours (Scribner, 2010), Fatal Forecast (Scribner, 2007), and Ten Hours Until Dawn (St Martin's Press, 2005). Tougias has written for the New York Times and several other prestigious magazines and newspapers, and has lectured across the country to groups as diverse as Fortune 500 Corporations, Associations and Public Libraries. He lives in Massachusetts and Florida.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs; Illustrated edition (April 17, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1610398041
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1610398046
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 1.25 x 9.63 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 149 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Casey Sherman

    Casey Sherman

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Casey Sherman is a New York Times Bestselling Author of 13 books including The Finest Hours (now a major motion picture starring Casey Affleck & Chris Pine), Boston Strong (the basis for the film Patriots Day starring Mark Wahlberg), Animal & Hunting Whitey.

    Sherman is also the author of 12, Search for the Strangler, Animal, Bad Blood, Black Irish, Black Dragon, Above & Beyond and The Ice Bucket Challenge.

    Sherman is a contributing writer for TIME, Esquire, Washington Post, Boston Herald and Boston Magazine and has appeared as a guest an analyst on more than 100 television news programs.

    Sherman is a graduate of Barnstable High School (Cape Cod), Fryeburg Academy (Fryeburg, Me.) and Boston University.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Michael J. Tougias

    Michael J. Tougias

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    I've written and co-written 30 books for adults and have been fortunate enough to land on the NY Times Bestseller list and had a Disney movie made on The Finest Hours. I've also written several books for children age 8-13, some of which are part of my "True Rescue Series" with MacMillan Publishing, and others part of "True Survival Series" with Little Brown. You can learn more about me and see videos related to my books and my presentations at www.michaeltougias.com.

    Some of my previously out of print books are back on Amazon but they can be tricky to find. So after the name of the book write Michael Tougias Communications in the search for Blizzard of 78, River Days-CT River, Nature Walks in Central MA, Until I Have No Country: A Novel of King Philip's War, New England Wild Places

    My latest books are:

    1) Extreme Survival: Lessons From Those Who Have Triumphed Against All Odds

    2) No Will Set You Free: Learn to Say No, Set Boundaries, Stop People Pleasing

    3) The Waters Between Us: A Boy, A Father, Outdoor Misadventures, and the Healing Power of Nature. A coming of age story, a father/son relationship, my Dad's courage in the face of years of adversity, and finally a celebration of nature at my remote cabin in Vermont. While the book has it's serious side it also has laugh out loud humor like A Walk In The Woods.

    4) Claws (This is a kids book age 9-14. Think "Jaws" only this time its a 7 foot lobster! See the spot on review by Midwest Book Review when you search for the book here on Amazon.

    5) Abandon Ship: The True WWII Story About the Sinking of the Laconia

    I write on a variety of topics which could roughly be grouped as follows:

    TRUE SURVIVAL & RESCUE STORIES: my books include "Overboard!", "Ten Hours Until Dawn", "The Finest Hours" (now a Disney movie), "A Storm Too Soon", "Rescue of the Bounty", "Fatal Forecast", and "So Close to Home"

    HISTORY: "King Philip's War" (co-author), "Quabbin", "The Blizzard of 78", "Above & Beyond: JFK and America's Most Dangerous Spy Mission"

    HUMOR AND THE OUTDOORS: "There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse: The Vermont Misadventures of a Mountainman Wannabe"

    MEMOIR & OUDOOR ADVENTURE: "The Waters Between Us: A Boy, A Father, Outdoor Misadventures, and the Healing Power of Nature.

    YOUNG ADULT/MIDDLE READER: "Attacked at Sea", "The Finest Hours", "Into the Blizzard", "A Storm Too Soon", "Claws", "In Harms Way" "Rescue of the Bounty" "Abandon Ship"

    I'm not sure what I'll do next. But I'll follow my intuition. And, of course, the topic has to be something I feel passionate about. I give presentations about my books across the country and also give inspirational talks for businesses on decision-making and reaching difficult goals. You can learn more at www.michaeltougias.com Thank you for all your support! Michael Tougias

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
149 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars I am the U-2 pilot that Michael Tougias interviewed and ...
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
I am the U-2 pilot that Michael Tougias interviewed and dedicate this book to. I, to my surprise found the book extremely well researched and what surprised me is the many incidents of swordplay uncovered as actions performed by the principals of JFK's EXCOM. The Soviets shot two SA-2s at me two days before the Soviets shot down and Killed Major Rudy Anderson while over Banes Cuba on 27 October 1962, All our film as taken control of by the CIA on landing from an overflight of Cuba and rushed to the National Photographic Center for development and exploitation by the CIA. Why didn't the EXCOM show those pictures to the President of the Soviet attempted shootdown of my U-2 on the 25th if October. I now wonder why Sherman and Tougias did not examine that in this book. I wish they had as now Our Presidents are still being manipulated by unelected officials in our FBI, CIA and DOJ. It needs to stop!
38 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the scariest books I have ever read.
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
I knew we were close to nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis but I didn't know how close we really were. It is really scary at how many of the generals and advisors wanted war. And especially Curtis Lemay, who even after Khrushchev said he would remove the missiles, told Kennedy he was lying and that we should bomb and invade Cuba immediately.

JFK, because he had been involved in war, stood up to his advisors and the generals and did everything he could to give peace a chance by putting himself in
Khrushchev's shoes.

What is really scary is if our current president ever faces a similar crisis.
17 people found this helpful
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Hammarhead
4.0 out of 5 stars Above & Beyond: The Cuban Missile Crisis through the eyes of the U-2 Pilots
Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
Above & Beyond focuses on the U-2 Pilots as well as through the eyes of the political figures involved in this tense retelling of the crisis. Much information, which will be new to many readers like myself, will be fascinated by this account.
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Kell
5.0 out of 5 stars An Historical Account That's a Page Turner!
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2018
Verified Purchase
If you want to experience the Cuban missal crisis, this is the book to read. I am old enough to remember it and have read other accounts and even saw a documentary (which was excellent), but this book actually puts you right there. And the story it tells is gripping and so well written that you don't want to put it down.. If you're a Tom Clancy fan or a Ludlum fan or even a fan of Tom Wolf's "The Right Stuff", this book is for you. You'll meet the heroes that kept us out of World War III.
11 people found this helpful
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R C
5.0 out of 5 stars An insiders look at history
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2022
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Americans need more books like this. Too much history is being washed under the rug today
One person found this helpful
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B
5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth a read! Vacation friendly
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2021
Verified Purchase
Fascinating read! No spoilers, but I had no idea things were this bleak during the Cuba Missile Crisis. Well researched and written, this book provides insight into a time not many may be familiar with, and along the way, gives you insight into JFK and his demeanor.
2 people found this helpful
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Prayer Wiz
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book.
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2022
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I knew we had come close to nuclear war but this book shows that we were much closer than I had known.
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Herb Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars What TRUE leadership looks like!
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2018
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There is nothing about this book I didn't like. I am thoroughly familiar with the works of both of these gentlemen, and they are each good writers on their own. I remember this era well, as I was in the Massachusetts National Guard at the time and we were almost activated. What I most liked about this read were the details they went into that I was unaware of. In 1962 there was no Cable therefore no 24 endless news cycle.
7 people found this helpful
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