Berlin 1961 Kennedy, Khruschev, and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth

Checkpoint Charlie, 27 October 1961. At 9pm on a damp night, the Cold War reaches crisis point. US and Soviet tanks face off across the East-West divide, only yards apart. One mistake, one nervous soldier, could spring the tripwire for nuclear war . . . Frederick Kempe's gripping book tells the story of the Cold War's most dramatic year, when Berlin became what Khrushchev called 'the most dangerous place on earth'. Kempe re-creates the war of nerves between the young, untested President Kennedy and the bombastic Soviet leader as they squared off over the future of a divided city. He interweaves this with stories of the ordinary citizens whose lives were torn apart when the Berlin Wall went up - and the world came to the brink of disaster. 'Fast-paced, dramatic . . . a great story. Both an enriching history and a rollicking good read.' Washington Post 'A lively, meticulous account of a crucial year, when the third world war nearly started in Berlin.' Economist, Books of the Year 'A gripping, well-researched and thought-provoking book with many lessons for today.' Henry Kissinger 'History at its best . . . significantly enlightens our understanding of the complexity of the Cold War.' Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Advisor to President Carter