SEE YOU LATER, ALLIGATOR

The Cuban Missile Crisis had Americans flocking to church in droves as the Russians ferried atomic warheads to the island nation just 90 miles from Florida. The crisis ended quickly and decisively, but was there more to the story? William F. Buckley, Jr., opines that President Kennedy had some help from the dashing diplomat Blackford Oakes. He sent Oakes to Havana to negotiate with Fidel and Raul Castro and Che Guevara for a peaceful end to the standoff. Narrator Geoffrey Blaisdell has a sophisticated style. His wry, and often dry, performance is engaging and keeps the listener glued to the story, which takes Oakes from the boardroom to the brig—and a date with a Cuban firing squad. M.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2009]