Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis (Paperback)

by Robert F. Kennedy (Author), Arthur Schlesinger Jr. (Foreword) "ON TUESDAY MORNING, October 1962, shortly after 9:00, President Kennedy called and asked me to come to the White House..." (more)
Key Phrases: naval quarantine, missile sites, President Kennedy, Soviet Union, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
As a principal figure in resolving the crisis Robert Kennedy brings to it extraordinary authority, with his own insights, perspectives and very important revelations of the decision-making process at the highest level, on the brink of nuclear holocaust. [He] shows us what happens to the most competent and trusted men under stress. Above all, perhaps his most valuable contribution is the way he recounts the events of what superficially seems to have been exclusively a military crisis, while constantly posing moral and philosophical problems. -- David Schoenbrun, New York Times Book Review

Product Description
The unique, gripping account of the perilous showdown between the United States and the Soviet Union. During the thirteen days in October 1962 when the United States confronted the Soviet Union over its installation of missiles in Cuba, few people shared the behind-the-scenes story as it is told here by the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy. In a clear and simple record, he describes the personalities involved in the crisis, with particular attention to the actions and attitudes of his brother, President John F. Kennedy. He describes the daily, even hourly, exchanges between Russian representatives and American. In firsthand immediacy we see the frightening responsibility of two great nations holding the fate of the world in their hands.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; Reissue edition (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393318346
• ISBN-13: 978-0393318340
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,772 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #5 in	Books > History > Military > Weapons & Warfare > Nuclear
  #11 in	Books > History > Americas > Caribbean & West Indies > Cuba
  #29 in	Books > History > United States > 20th Century > 1960s

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Historical Lesson about Human Nature and our own Mortality, March 13, 2001

By	Anthony McClain (Washington, D.C., United States) - See all my reviews

"Thirteen Days", a memoir by Robert Kennedy has become one of the most insightful and behind-the-scenes accounts of one of the most studied military confrontations in history. It was a time in which the world looked nuclear annihilation directly in the eyes over the course of 13 dramatic days in October of 1962.

RFK, an intricate player throughout the process, lays out in chilling recollection the Cuban Missile Crisis and how close we actually came to that fateful day when the world's superpowers would square off with nuclear weapons. RFK's first-hand account articulately provides a perspective on what was going on in the minds of the players involved. It allows the reader to understand the enormous weight their decisions carried, as well as all of the pressures that affected each of them.

While a generation remembers a stoic President Kennedy giving his on-air address condemning the soviet supply of offensive weapons into Cuba, "13 Days" brings into account all of the human factors that affected these men as they sought to do what they felt was right.

This was a time in our nation's history when leadership was most needed. With the encouragement of the President, these individuals sought to learn from the mistakes of the past while also sympathizing with the Soviets who were also thrust into this position. The Soviets would not let a military attack go unwarranted, but at the same time had families of their own and ultimately wanted the same outcome from this standoff; a peaceful conclusion.

The decisions that were made by the ExComm would impact the history of the world and all of its inhabitants. It was a trying time that tested the souls of the leaders of the world and proved to be a turning point in world events. As JFK security advisor McGeorge Bundy aptly put it, "Having come so close to the edge, we must make it our business not to pass this way again." President Kennedy did his best to put it all in perspective; "For in the final analysis, our most basic link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."

"13 Days" lays out the sequence of events that brought us all to this realization. It is a historical account that also touches upon the fragility of human nature and teaches us all a valuable lesson about our own mortality.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful memoir of nuclear crisis, January 13, 2001

By	Robert Oliver "Rob" (Salt Lake City, Utah) - See all my reviews

Robert Kennedy wrote "Thirteen Days" a short time before his death in 1968. He never had the chance to rewrite and add additional material to his book; but as written it is a riveting account of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. In the Autumn of 1962 the Soviet Union was placing nuclear missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy had to respond to that imminent threat, and the question was what course to take about the dangerous situation in Cuba. There were many that favored an immediate overwhelming military response to destroy the missiles; but Robert Kennedy favored surrounding the island with a naval blockade instead. He believed that a military attack on Cuba could lead to nuclear war, and that it should only be undertaken if there was no other choice. President Kennedy and his advisors spent many agonizing hours trying to consider every possible miscalculation or false step that could result in catastrophe. They sought to learn from the history of the past, and tried to follow a path of understanding in dealing with the Soviet Union and Cuba. The decisions that were made about Cuba would affect the lives of everyone on earth, and the lives of future generations as yet unborn. In this book the momentous events of the crisis in 1962 are seen through the eyes of Robert Kennedy. He opens the door to that time as only one who was there could, and gives many valuable insights into the mind of his brother the President. He helps us to understand what really happened in October 1962; and why. This is a very fine book, containing lessons of history that should always be remembered during times of great crisis.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is only because of great and humble men we are here today, January 7, 2003

By	Courtney (St. Louis) - See all my reviews

While I was not yet born when RFK and JFK were alive, I would have to say they are two of the greatest men in American history. Robert Kennedy brings his readers closer to a situtation that is almost beyond the scope of the human mind. His account of the Cuban Missile Crisis makes us realize how close we have come to the end and absolutely shows us that it is only because of great men we are here. This book reminds us how close we came to the end and the critical role Jack and Bobby played in bringing us back. I only hope that current and future leaders of the world read this account and understand what they understood...we are all mortal and we all love our children. Those are the things that will save us, Jack and Bobby knew that and it is obvious in this extrodrinary book.