Cuban Missile Crisis: Thirteen Days in October:

The sudden surge in public interest in the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis has resulted in a major motion picture (Roger Donaldson's Thirteen Days, see review in this issue) plus the release of several videos, all claiming to present the "inside story" of what actually happened during those terrible days in October. And terrible they were...make no mistake about it. Those of us old enough to remember the screaming headlines, the school drills, the TV talks from President Kennedy, and our parents' worried expressions were almost certain that we would be incinerated in a nuclear war at any moment. Not even the attack on Pearl Harbor made Americans feel so vulnerable. Using a montage of interviews with average Americans, combined with historical photographs of the committee of men who literally held the fate of the world in their hands, the first tape offers a complete overview of the situation. The second video details the efforts of a CIA agent who was also working for the Soviets--Erich Neumeth--to "interpret" for President Kennedy and his somewhat skeptical group of advisors just what Khrushchev was saying and thinking during the exchange of letters and notes. The combination of an excellent price and the usual Goldhil quality makes this a notable addition for both school and public library collections. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)