The Cuban Missile Crisis in American Memory: Myths versus Reality (Stanford Nuclear Age Series) [Paperback]

Sheldon Stern (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 5, 2012 | Series: Stanford Nuclear Age Series

This book exposes the misconceptions, half-truths, and outright lies that have shaped the still dominant but largely mythical version of what happened in the White House during those harrowing two weeks of secret Cuban missile crisis deliberations. A half-century after the event it is surely time to demonstrate, once and for all, that RFK's Thirteen Days and the personal memoirs of other ExComm members cannot be taken seriously as historically accurate accounts of the ExComm meetings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Cuban Missile Crisis in American Memory offers a compelling reassessment of [the] events [of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis]. Using tapes of ExComm meetings (the ad hoc group formed to meet the crisis), Stern challenges much of the received wisdom. In particular, he rejects Robert F. Kennedy's dovish self-portrayal in Thirteen Days (1969), finding instead a consistent hardliner who, for instance, opposed an American naval blockade in favor of air strikes."—James Clyde Sellman, Colloquy

"In Stern's judgment, President Kennedy displayed leadership, remaining calm during the crisis and staring down his belligerent civilian advisers and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. . . Recommended."—S. G. Rabe, CHOICE

"The latest addition to the outstanding Stanford Nuclear Age series . . . Informed and informative, The Cuban Missile Crisis in American Memory: Myths versus Reality is a seminal work of impressive scholarship and a highly recommended addition to academic library 20th Century American History reference collections in general, and 'U.S. – Soviet Union Cold War Studies' supplemental reading lists in particular."—James A. Cox, The Midwest Book Review

"The Cuban missile crisis may be the most thoroughly documented yet grossly misunderstood episode in Cold War history, and the value of Sheldon Stern's splendid book is that it punctures the myths and unearths the truth so compellingly, drawing on irrefutable evidence, that you'll never think about the crisis or about JFK and his 'best and brightest' advisers in the same way again."—Fred Kaplan, Slate's "War Stories" columnist; author of 1959 and The Wizards of Armageddon

"For nearly half a century national security decision makers have relied on three lessons derived inappropriately from the Cuban missile crisis: success depends on (1) the threat of superior force, (2) toughness and inflexibility, and (3) the use of a small ad hoc group like the ExComm to advise the President. Sheldon Stern's trenchant analysis, based on the most careful and exacting review to date of the ExComm's recorded conversations, turns the three traditional missile crisis lessons on their head. He effectively demonstrates that the outcome depended on President Kennedy's repeated refusal to use or threaten to use force, and on his persistent search for a compromise that could end the stand-off peacefully. Most important, Stern highlights that the ExComm did not provide Kennedy with the well-considered advice he supposedly used to avoid war, but instead Kennedy directed its discussions towards the conclusions he sought. This is a clearly written, timely, and significant contribution to our understanding of the Cuban missile crisis."—Philip Brenner, American University

About the Author

Sheldon M. Stern taught U.S. history at the college level for more than a decade before becoming historian at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts from 1977 to 2000. He was the first non-member of the ExComm, as well as the first historian, to listen to and evaluate all the secret White House tape recordings made during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Stern is the author of Averting the Final Failure: John F. Kennedy and the Secret Cuban Missile Crisis Meetings (2003), and The Week the World Stood Still: Inside the Secret Cuban Missile Crisis (2005), both in the Stanford University Press Nuclear Age Series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press (September 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804783772
• ISBN-13: 978-0804783774
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Setting the record straight February 2, 2013

By Fastwalk

Format:Paperback

This book provides an insightful look at what really happened as leaders of JFK's administration debated what to do during the tense days of the Cuban missile crisis. The author relies on the actual tapes of what was said at the meetings of JFK and his top advisors. This provides what might be an unprecedented look at how decisions are reached during crises.

The book allows us to understand the confusion and stress that affect participants' advice. Many advisors contradicted themselves--almost never wtih acknowledgement that they were changing their minds, but simply by advocating different positions as the discussion proceeded. Remarkably, the only person in the meetings who seemed to have a touchstone to which he returned again and again was the President, John F. Kennedy. He was not swayed by the frenetic advice of his top officials who urged him to bomb the Cuban missile sites, board Soviet ships, or invade Cuba. He remained calm and focused throughout lengthy discussions with advisors who were all too ready to risk nuclear war.

The book lays waste to later claims of various participants that they were far-seeing statesmen who found a way to resolve the crisis with the Soviet Union. Put simply, those who claimed this lied. RFK was first among the liars with his self-serving account of the crisis in his book, Thirteen Days. He offered hawkish advice throughout and seemed obsessed with electoral politics at the expense of world safety. MacGeorge Bundy provided a steady flow of patronizing and hawkish advice to the President. This guy was supposed to be smart? Maybe in his own mind, but the actual record of what was said at the meetings showed him to be a pompous fool ready to plunge the world into war. He patronized the president, who mainly responded to his provocations with calm forbearance.

I'm not a JFK fan and I believe his actions helped precipitate the Cuban missile crisis. That said, this account of how the crisis was resolved shows that JFK was determined to reach a peacful settlement with the Soviet Union. He knew the Jupiter missiles in Turkey were worthless and was ready to trade them (albeit secretly) for the withdrawal of Soviet missiles from Cuba. Maybe the failed Bay of Pigs invasion had strengthened his will to resist bullying by so-called military and national security experts.

This book provides an absorbing account of an event that shook the world and sets the record straight on what people actually advised President John F. Kennedy to do during the crisis. Most fell short during the event and lied about it later. It's wonderful that the tapes of the meetings provide a basis for an accurate account. This book provides that history and corrects the record. I recommend it to all who want to understand crisis management, the real hitory of the Cuban missile crisis, and the falsehoods of many who have previously written about it.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The real story November 15, 2012

By KadiyaRp

Format:Paperback

Anyone interested in learning how the Cuban Missile Crisis really went down should take a look at this book. The author examines the public version of the crisis in the Kennedy White House against what was actually said in ExComm tapes that were later released. So many facts were hidden or misrepresented in the version we've all learned growing up. The tapes show that you can't trust the version Robert McNamara, McGeorge Bundy or even RFK have created. It really contradicts RFK's 'Thirteen Days' a lot.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuba December 13, 2012

By John S. Porterfield

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I lived through this as a child. About 20 years ago, when we were cleaning out my grandmother's house, we found a huge stash of pills. Turns out they were to be used to put us all to sleep if the Russians launched missles during this crisis. The book is outstanding as the author has pretty much the first take on the tapes that covered this dangerous event. Those that made themselves to be calm heroes really are not. Lots of incite and great history.