The Missile Crisis - Part One

The Missile Crisis - Part One

Author: Simone Whitlow October 2, 2024 Duration: 30:17
On 16th October 1962, American President John F Kennedy was presented with three indistinct photos taken of several tubes laid out in a field in Cuba. Kennedy at first took the scene for a football field. His brother Robert, on viewing the scene, wondered if it depicted a farm house in mid construction.  It was, of course, a nuclear missile site in mid construction, and the following thirteen days brought humanity closer to nuclear war than any time before of since.  This fortnight, and next we’re looking at the Cuban Missile Crisis, primarily from the perspective of three potentially inciting incidents - one involving two saboteurs, another a spy plane, and the third a Foxtrot submarine. Sources Include: One Minute to Midnight by Michael DobbsAnd Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen     Support the show on Patreon for $2 US a month and get access to exclusive content, or Try our 7 Day Free Trial.  Patrons get bonus content, and an Ad-Free feed… usually a day or two early.  |Patreon| Or, if you’re looking to support us other ways - please leave Tales a like and a review wherever you listen, and/or share Tales with a friend. Creative projects like Tales grow best by word of mouth, and higher star ratings etc also make it easier for folk to find us.  Tales of History and Imagination is on | Facebook |TikTok | Threads | YouTube |    Music, writing, narration, mixing yours truly- with one credit I needs must acknowledge today. I stole the melody for the marimba music that plays under the Miguel Orozco parts from the verses of Jimmy Soul’s ‘If You Wanna Be Happy.’ Soul, in turn, had stolen that melody from the Trinidadian Calypso great Roaring Lion’s ‘Ugly Woman’ - no commentary meant on either artist, Mrs Soul or Mrs Lion - just needed a melody from that general location…   

Simone Whitlow hosts Tales of History and Imagination, a podcast dedicated to unearthing those peculiar, overlooked stories that conventional history books often skip. Each episode feels like a conversation about a fascinating secret, whether it's delving into the life of an obscure figure who tried to alter our very concept of time or examining the panic caused by a legendary beast in eighteenth-century France. You'll encounter the clever pranksters and the enigmatic side characters-the individuals who played brief but unforgettable cameo roles on the world's stage. Rather than re-treading well-worn narratives, this show seeks out perspectives rarely considered, finding the extraordinary within the ordinary march of events. Listening to this podcast is an exercise in curiosity, where major historical moments are often reframed through a surprising, human lens. It’s for anyone who suspects the past is far weirder and more wonderful than they were taught, blending rigorous research with a storyteller's sense of wonder. The result is a consistently engaging mix that sits at the crossroads of history, culture, and sheer human imagination.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Tales of History and Imagination
Podcast Episodes
The Sacred Band -Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:18
This week, on Tales we return to Thebes, to see how their Sacred Band is working out for them. We learn a little bit about Spartan King Agesilaus’ lost love, and we meet a warlord named Jason. This is part two of a three…
The Sacred Band - One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:32
This week, on Tales we journey to ancient Thebes, a Greek City state suddenly - unexpectedly - under the control of their foes, Sparta. When you have lost your freedom to a despot, and are fighting for your very survival…
The Tichborne Claimant - Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:53
This week, on a much waylaid episode of Tales we return to the Tichbornes,’ as Tom Castro makes his play for the land, money and titles. Does it turn out he was, in fact Roger Charles Tichborne - long thought lost at sea…
Tales From The Patreon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:18
This week on Tales I am still, technically, on holiday - and was hoping to re-release one of five old episodes still left from the first season. This plan has been derailed somewhat. My voice is still recovering from my…
Update: The 2025 Season Cliffhanger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26
Hi all, apologies for the delay. I posted up on the blog site I was unwell with pneumonia, then it occurred to me a lot of folk never visit the blog site and I better put something up here as well. Anyway, please hit pla…
The Miser of Marcham Park - Revisited [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:05
This week on Tales we enter the vaults to revisit - and re-record - one of the five early episodes still on here that was recorded on my cheap, starter microphone. (We’ll knock the other four off next year in mid-season…
The Tichborne Claimant - One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:10
Quick note all: This episode is approx 29 minutes long… I’ve accidentally left some background music or something muted at the end + will delete that and re-upload once home again…Sorry all, there is no secret Easter egg…
The Polaris Expedition - Two [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:43
This week On Tales we return to the Arctic, the year 1871. Charles Francis Hall has passed on, mysteriously, after drinking a suspiciously sweet, yet metallic coffee. What will happen to the expedition as power passes to…
The Halifax Gibbet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:14
This week On Tales we take a slight detour from the Polaris Expedition: I think where that Tale goes IS shocking, but not terribly in a Halloween horror kind of way… So this week we’re taking a ride to the town of Halifa…
The Polaris Expedition - One [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:36
This week On Tales we travel back to 1871, to take a journey to the top of the world. Our intrepid hero, Charles Francis Hall has dreams of becoming the first man to stand on the North Pole - but dreams can sometimes go…