A history of the southern theater of the Cold War: the city of Miami, from two leading espionage experts.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was perhaps the most dramatic and dangerous period of the Cold War. What's less well known is that the city of Miami, mere miles away, was as much a part of Cold War history as Washington DC or Moscow. With its population of Communist exiles from Cuba, its strategic value for military operations, and its lax business laws, Miami was an ideal environment for espionage.

The City Built by Spies tells the history of how the entire city of Miami was constructed in the image of the US-Cuba rivalry. From the Bay of Pigs invasion to the death of Castro, the book shows how Miami is a hub for money and cocaine but also secrets and ideologies. And throughout it all, the CIA has lurked, quietly but significantly, trying to wage a war against Communism that may be unwinnable.

A unique and complex history full of secret operations, corruption, and crime, The City Built by Spies tells the story of a city like no other. 

Dr. Vince Houghton is the Director, National Cryptologic Museum. He is the former Historian and Curator of the International Spy Museum. He has a PhD in Diplomatic and Military History from the University of Maryland, and is a veteran of the United States Army. Dr. Houghton has made numerous media appearances, on a variety of media platforms. These include CNN, NBC News, Fox News, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Travel Channel, The History Channel, The American Heroes Channel, Vanity Fair, Maxim, ESPN.com, and many more.

Eric Driggs currently works for the United States Southern Command out of the Pentagon as a Congressional Liaison. He spent the previous 10 years as the Governmental & External Affairs Officer for Coast Guard Seventh District, which oversees Coast Guard operations in South Carolina, Georgia, the peninsula of Florida, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the Caribbean Basin. He has also worked as a Cuba Analyst at the University of Miami’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies.