Thirteen Days (book)
Encyclopedia
Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis is Robert F. Kennedy
's account of the Cuban Missile Crisis
of 1962. The book was released in 1969, a year after his assassination
.
Thirteen Days describes the meetings held by the Executive Committee (ExComm
), the team assembled by US President John F. Kennedy
to handle the tense situation that developed between the US and the USSR following the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba
, 90 miles (144.8 km) from Florida
. Robert Kennedy, who was the US Attorney General at the time, describes his brother John's leadership style during the crisis as involved, but not controlling. He explains, for example, that the president would often withhold his views in meetings, knowing that others would tend to parrot his ideas rather than offer honest appraisals. Robert Kennedy viewed the military leaders on the council sympathetically, and recognized that their lifelong concentration on war was difficult to set aside.
The book was used as the basis for the 1974 television play The Missiles of October
. In 2000, the theatrical film Thirteen Days
was produced using the same title, but based on an entirely different book, The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis by Ernest May
and Philip Zelikow. This contains some information (the shooting down of a U-2 spy plane over Cuba during the crisis) which Kennedy was not able to reveal because it was classified at the time.
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
's account of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
of 1962. The book was released in 1969, a year after his assassination
Robert F. Kennedy assassination
The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a United States Senator and brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, took place shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California...
.
Thirteen Days describes the meetings held by the Executive Committee (ExComm
ExComm
The Executive Committee of the National Security Council was a body of United States government officials that convened to advise President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962...
), the team assembled by US President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
to handle the tense situation that developed between the US and the USSR following the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, 90 miles (144.8 km) from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Robert Kennedy, who was the US Attorney General at the time, describes his brother John's leadership style during the crisis as involved, but not controlling. He explains, for example, that the president would often withhold his views in meetings, knowing that others would tend to parrot his ideas rather than offer honest appraisals. Robert Kennedy viewed the military leaders on the council sympathetically, and recognized that their lifelong concentration on war was difficult to set aside.
The book was used as the basis for the 1974 television play The Missiles of October
The Missiles of October
The Missiles of October is a 1974 docudrama made-for-television play about the Cuban missile crisis. The title evokes the book The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman about the missteps among the great powers and the failed chances to give an opponent a graceful way out, which led to the First...
. In 2000, the theatrical film Thirteen Days
Thirteen Days (film)
Thirteen Days is a 2000 docudrama directed by Roger Donaldson about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US political leadership. Kevin Costner stars, with Bruce Greenwood featured as John F. Kennedy....
was produced using the same title, but based on an entirely different book, The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis by Ernest May
Ernest May (historian)
Ernest Richard May was an American historian of international relations whose 14 published books include analyses of American involvement in World War I and the causes of the Fall of France during World War II...
and Philip Zelikow. This contains some information (the shooting down of a U-2 spy plane over Cuba during the crisis) which Kennedy was not able to reveal because it was classified at the time.