Cuban Missile Crisis: Three Men Go to War

For 13 days in October 1962, the world stood on the brink of nuclear holocaust, its fate in the hands of three men. U.S. President John Kennedy was untested, but was sure he could charm most leaders into his way of thinking. Soviet Premier Khrushchev acted gruff, but his worldview was tempered by the horrors his country had witnessed during World War II. Cuban leader Fidel Castro was the wild card, a fiery Marxist determined to prevent a U.S. invasion, and bent on humiliating the superpower 90 miles from his island. Filmmakers John Murray and Emer Reynolds' PBS-aired documentary presents a 50th anniversary look at the Cuban Missile Crisis, which caught the world by surprise when Soviet nuclear missiles were quickly and secretly installed in Cuba. Drawing on commentary from historians, late Kennedy speechwriter Ted Sorensen, Khrushchev's son, and others, the film unfolds the day-to-day drama, which included the risky role of American low-level reconnaissance flights, a possible blockade confrontation at sea involving nuclear-tipped warheads, a United Nations standoff, and hawkish military advice givers on all sides (also noting that the rudimentary slow communication technology of the time increased the danger of fatal miscalculations). Scratchy Oval Office tapes reveal the extraordinary tensions at play between Kennedy, Air Force general Curtis LeMay, and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. Of course, face-saving, restraint, and trust between superpowers ultimately affected the outcome: in the end, Kennedy withdrew some obsolete missiles from Turkey, and did not retaliate when a U-2 pilot was killed flying over Cuba. Offering a valuable refresher course on a two-week period when the world came to a standstill, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)