Reviews

"This is history at its best: meticulous research distilled into luminous prose and a gripping narrative. This is not only the finest book ever written on the Bay of Pigs fiasco, but also one of the most balanced, keen-eyed surveys of the early days of the Kennedy administration. A page-turner that packs as much of a punch as the best of fiction thrillers, Rasenberger's "The Brilliant Disaster" lays bare many a bleached bone, but, in the process, also provides readers with invaluable treasure: a clearer understanding of the relation between past, present, and future." "--"Carlos Eire, National Book Award winning author of "Waiting for Snow in Havana"

"While certainly not the first history of the invasion, "The Brilliant Disaster" is among the finest. Its context is richly detailed, its tempo novelistic. Forthright and accessible, it delineates a convoluted chain of events leading to humiliation and tragedy." -"Miami Herald"

"If you like Mad Men, spy novels, and brilliant writing, you'll love The Brilliant Disaster. I'f you're new to any of these, consider Jim Rasenberger your guide to one of the most fascinating and dramatic episodes of America, post-Korea, pre Vietnam and the Cold War. He has written an amazing account that speeds along, one dramatic cloak and dagger scene after another, all judiciously reported. The people in his book come to life, vividly-you hear them, see them, and understand them, although you may not agree with them. This is highly entertaining and engrossing history." -Doug Stanton, author of "Horse Soldiers"