THE BRILLIANT DISASTER, a “balanced, engrossing account” (Kirkus Reviews, starred) of the Bay of Pigs Crisis, is now available in paperback. It was recently listed among NPR’s “Outstanding Softcover Releases.” Buy it now on Amazon.
Read More »
Now in Paperback
The Brilliant Disaster
Just released from Jim Rasenberger: THE BRILLIANT DISASTER: JFK, Castro, and America’s Doomed Invasion of Cuba’s Bay of Pigs at bookstores April 2011. A remarkably gripping account of America’s Bay of Pigs crisis, drawing on long-hidden CIA documents and delivering, as never before, the vivid truth—and consequences—of five pivotal days in April 1961. >> Learn More <<...
Read More »
The Brilliant Disaster on NPR
All Things Considered: “50 Years Later: Learning From The Bay Of Pigs” Listen to the interview / read the transcript on NPR’s All Things Considered. “Fifty years ago Sunday, a brigade of around 1,500 CIA-trained soldiers stormed the beach in Cuba’s Bay of Pigs. It was the opening phase of a secret mission to overthrow Fidel...
Read More »
Op-Eds
The LA Times: White House Situation Room: History’s center stage The ‘Sit Room’ puts the president squarely in the middle of the action, expanding his command and control. By Jim Rasenberger | Published May 9, 2011 The New York Times: Thinking Through Assassination The death of Osama bin Laden By Jim Rasenberger | Published May 5,...
Read More »
Recent Praise for The Brilliant Disaster
Read all the reviews and praise HERE. “From Castro’s journey to New York, where he was greeted by thousands of cheering Americans, to an examination of the CIA’s role in the invasion, the book is filled with copiously researched historical information. Yet, thanks to Rasenberger’s skillful writing, Brilliant Disaster reads more like a thriller...
Read More »
Photographs from the Bay of Pigs
Visit a gallery of photographs taken by the author at the Bay of Pigs, during research for The Brilliant Disaster.
Read More »
The Bay of Pigs: A Brief Timeline: Five Days in April, 1961
April 15: The attack begins in the early hours of a Saturday morning. The CIA-backed brigade of Cuban exiles sends eight B-26 bombers from Nicaragua to Cuba to destroy Fidel Castro’s air force on the ground. Staged to look like an internal revolt by Castro’s own men, the air raid is only partly successful. At least six...
Read More »
