figures:. Because they operated in secret, these men are not well known to history, but within the inner circles of Washington, they were regarded as the best and the brightest. Their fall was a great personal tragedy with momentous consequences: the reckless acts of these men nearly plunged the United States into World War III during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and their plots have fueled conspiracy theorists ever since. Drawing on extensive interviews with old spooks and the social friends and family of his subjects, Thomas has written a highly readable narrative that brings to life a crucial piece of American history.