Maximum danger

"In Maximum Danger, Robert Weisbrot for the first time considers the Cuban missile crisis in the full context of history. He moves beyond now common interpretations to argue that John Kennedy in fact explored no new policy frontiers but instead faithfully reflected a remarkable cold war consensus. Buffeted by partisan sniping, public opinion, and the force of policies inherited from the Eisenhower administration, Kennedy pursued a variety of options while trying to minimize confrontation with the Soviets to a degree consistent with his political survival. In Mr. Weisbrot's penetrating,…