Depth of Silence

On October 27, 1962, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet submarine B-59 was trapped deep in the Caribbean. US Navy destroyers were dropping depth charges to force it to surface. Inside, the air conditioning had failed, temperatures rose to 120°F, and carbon dioxide levels were toxic. The captain, believing war had already started, ordered the launch of a nuclear torpedo. "The Depth of Silence" focuses on Vasili Arkhipov, the Commodore on board who stood between humanity and extinction. Unlike other subs, B-59 required unanimous consent from three officers to launch. The captain and the political officer screamed "Fire!". Arkhipov said "No." This book reconstructs the most dangerous moment in human history, minute by minute. It explores the psychological pressure of the suffocating heat, the terrifying sound of depth charges, and the incredible moral courage of one man who refused to start the apocalypse based on a guess. Arkhipov was never honored in his lifetime; this book gives him the recognition he deserves as the man who saved the world.