| The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Concise Edition | 
 enlarge | Author: Philip Zelikow
Creators: Ernest R. May, Philip D. Zelikow
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Category: Book
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Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 189185
Media: Paperback
Edition: Concise
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1
ISBN: 0393322599
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.922
EAN: 9780393322590
ASIN: 0393322599
Publication Date: January 2002
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 Behind closed doors ... September 18, 2004
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
Have you ever wondered what is being said behind closed doors, in those places where important decisions are made?. If you have, Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow allow you to learn just that, at least regarding the conversations that took place in the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
This book contains the transcriptions of those discussions, and many notes that contribute to clarify certain details that the reader might well not be aware of. The editors of "The Kennedy tapes" are able to offer us this unexpected treat thanks to the fact that an audio tape recorded the conversations of the committee that was formed to deal with the crisis. It is generally thought that only President Kennedy and his secretary knew that their words were being recorded, and we can easily believe that when we realize that the different functionaries said exactly what they thought, without wasting time in order to formulate their ideas in a politically correct way :)
It is almost scary to know how little did the persons involved in the decision making process know about what was really happening at that time, and about how would the URSS react to their optional courses of action. But then, I guess that complete information is never available, and less during a crisis of that magnitude... However, after reading these pages, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if, for example, USA had launched a preventive attack on Cuba. The answers to that question are many, and none of them is good. I suppose we should be grateful to President Kennedy and his advisors, for somehow arriving to a course of action that avoided the real possibility of a nuclear war.
I think it is worthwhile to point out that the editors of this book wrote not only an interesting introduction, but also an excellent conclusion to this book. The introduction explains very well the Cold War context in which this crisis developed, and how recent and ongoing events affected the perspective of the decision makers. On the other hand, the conclusion sums up what happened, taking into account "the other side" (URSS), and the peculiarities of the decision-making process in Soviet Russia. The editors also include their own considerations, all of which I consider worthwhile remembering. For example, when they reflect on the kind of lesson they think this book can teach to the reader, they say that "Someone who wants to learn all that can be learned from this extraordinary record of decision-making needs not only to notice how the process stutters and veers amid barrages of detail but also to infer how individuals of different backgrounds and temperaments are sorting the detail, discerning choices, and electing among those choices (...)".
"The Kennedy tapes" is a rather impressive book due to the fact that it is quite long. However, it is also very helpful if you want to know more about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the kind of environment that surrounds difficult decisions in the higher levels of authority. It is certainly more comfortable to believe that those decisions are at all times informed and rational, but unfortunately (as this book shows) that not always happens. May and Zelikow say that "Reconstruction that oversimplifies or ignores the incessant tension between realities and beliefs makes us no wiser. By coming fully to grips with the particulars of past moments of choice, we may become better able to handle our own". We can only hope that is the case...
On the whole, I think you will benefit a lot from reading this book. It allows you the opportunity to really "listen" to what happened in the discussions surrounding the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, without intermediaries. Take advantage of the privilege of listening to what happens behind closed doors!.
Belen Alcat
 The Evil Voice of The Council on Foreign Relations Speaketh February 8, 2004
6 out of 72 found this review helpful
The Authors, Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow, (both billed as editors-supposedly of the tapes) are members of the super-evil Council on Foreign Relations (CFR,) a secret society founded by the Rockefellers for the sole benefit of the Rockefellers and their small cadre of treasonous lap dogs who control scads of other secret societies under the guise of tax-exempt foundations that collectively, persistently, even feverishly work toward that sacrosanct goal that despots and tyrants like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, the Rockefellers, John McCloy, Prescott Bush, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry have sought to enforce upon mankind for centuries; globalization under a New World Order absolutely controlled by the Rockefellers and their cohorts; a world order under one world government under which the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and U.S. sovereignty would cease to exist!Like the Warren Report, this work covers only what the CFR wants Americans to believe on the subject. Americans are supposed to naively believe that nothing else of consequence can be found on those tapes by other researchers. This is utter whitewash. Don't waste a penny on this un-American trash. If you love America and cherish the freedom guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, invest the money you would spend on this propaganda in whatever it takes to ensure that these monsters are stopped once and for all.
 A definite "insiders" tale... April 26, 2001
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
I'd really like to give this 3 1/2 stars (not quite 4 stars). This book is not for the average history reader...you will be confused and sometimes mis-led as you slog through these transcripts. The saving grace for this book is the authors' interjections at the beginning and end of each chapter to kind of summarize what just transpired (...a complete sentence is a rarity here...just what you'd expect from real time transcripts). Also, the Introduction and Conclusion sections are classic history telling and made me wish that the authors would write their own story of the "Crisis". Overall, worthwile for the Cuban Missile Crisis buff, but be prepared for slow reading.
Fascinating Actual Account of History February 12, 2001
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
To be honest, I bought this book used after seeing the movie "13 Days." In fact, I ordered this book the very night I came home from the movie, wondering if it would be worth the money spent.. Now, having read through it, I must admit that this was a very fascinating and intriguing book. The book is an actual copy (i.e. transcript) of taped conversations that occurred in the Whitehouse during the Cuban Missile crisis. The book was so fascinating for the sole fact that it presents (true to life) all the details which were actually being spoken of, on, about, etc. The reader can actually sense the emotion, tension, anguish, and despair that comes out in some of these conversations. In fact, the intensity in this book puts the movie to shame (which is usually the case with most good books). This book consists of conversation's of the National Security Council, President Kennedy,Robert Kennedy, and the President's advisors. The book is very revealing and honest (since it is true to life) and it paints a very vulnerable picture of just how easy things could fall apart in this 'invincible' place we call home. Fortunately, we as readers today actually know the outcome is positive. However, the terror comes through the pages when, as I read, the realization that these men have no idea what is going to happen as this whole situation unfolds. That was one of the riveting things about this book. Overall, this is a great book for those who are interested in American history, or Presidential history, etc. I recommend it, especially since it is so fascinating and also because it is an actual account word for word accurate. That makes for great objective history.
One of the best books ever written. January 23, 2001
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
I think that this is a very interesting book. When I found out that it was being published, I bought it right away. I've read a lot of books about the Cuban Missile Crisis, but this is the first book that I've read about this subject that has the truth about events that occurred in the White House during the crisis. The book had a lot of action and suspense that kept me interested and excited throughout the entire book. It also accurately includes Kennedy's attempts to end the crisis and to avoid the pressures by the Joint Chiefs to make President Kennedy either attack the missile sites or invade Cuba. I thought that this was a really good book and I really enjoyed reading it. I also think that this book is worth reading.
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