by A.L. Kennedy
First published 1969
Robert Kennedy sits in the West Wing as reports arrive about Soviet missiles in Cuba. The year is 1962, and nuclear war feels possible. For thirteen October days, he watches his brother President John Kennedy navigate the most dangerous crisis of the Cold War. Kennedy describes each participant in the hour by hour negotiations. He shows how decisions get made when the stakes involve human survival. The author captures the weight his brother carries as he chooses between military action and diplomacy. Soviet ships move toward Cuba while American forces prepare for war. Kennedy records the arguments, the doubts, and the careful moves that pull both superpowers back from disaster. This account shows how close the world came to nuclear conflict and how a few people in a room shaped history.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, world-war-ii, biography-memoir, political-thriller, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-figures, political-intrigue
Setting: Cuba, Soviet Union, United States, West Wing
Period: 1962, Cold War
190 pages · Paperback · Pan