Florida Talks Zoom In Series—Florida and the Untold Story of the Cuban Missile Crisis

In this presentation based on the book Above and Beyond, New York Times bestselling author Michael Tougias chronicles the 13 harrowing days of the Cuban Missile Crisis and outlines the steps President Kennedy made to reach a decision on a course of action. Special emphasis is given to the heroes of the crisis: the U-2 pilots that flew from Orlando to Cuba to secure proof of nuclear missiles.

Michael J. Tougias is a New York Times bestselling author and co-author of 30 books for adults and 6 books for young adults. He is best known for his non-fiction narratives of survival and rescue stories. Disney adapted The Finest Hours into a film starring Chris Pine and Casey Affleck. Tougias speaks to groups across the country about his work.

This event is part of the “Arte Viva! Festival” occurring through Spring 2024 on the Paradise Coast. Arte Viva! is a celebration of the beauty and wonder of Hispanic arts, music, and history. Registration is required to attend. This program is part of Marco Island Historical Society’s “Zoom In” 2023/2024 series.

This Florida Talks program is a partnership between Florida Humanities and the Marco Island Historical Society. Funding for this program was provided by Florida Humanities and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the aforementioned entities.