Berlin 1961

May 24, 2011

Tony rated it

Shelves: firstreads-wins

I love winning Goodreads Giveaways. Not because I get it for free but because I get it first!

Time it was and what a time it was. It was.

The power and weapons of one country controlled by one man: a bully, a binge drinker, a man who felt it insignificant to detonate millions of people, and a man who felt the political pressure of appearing weak. The power and weapons of another country controlled by one man: an indiscriminate sex addict, juiced on amphetamines, steroids...moreI love winning Goodreads Giveaways. Not because I get it for free but because I get it first!

Time it was and what a time it was. It was.

The power and weapons of one country controlled by one man: a bully, a binge drinker, a man who felt it insignificant to detonate millions of people, and a man who felt the political pressure of appearing weak. The power and weapons of another country controlled by one man: an indiscriminate sex addict, juiced on amphetamines, steroids, testosterone, phenobarbital, procaine and hormonal concoctions, with a shallow, theoretical understanding of geopolitics, a man who felt the political pressure of appearing weak. Actors, playing a part. The play was Berlin 1961.

The Berlin created by the defeat of Germany in 1945 was a fundamental mistake. You can't create a country miles away in a conference room, with a pencil, a map and a straight-edge. Divide a country up, on paper no less, and the absurdity should be manifest. Yet, post-bellum Germany was fractured based not on language, ethnicity or heritage, but by political philosophy.

Stupid. Pointless, all of it. And yet, 50 years ago, two leaders, in over their heads, almost blew us up.

There are different ways to tell this tale, like a conductor's 'read' of a well-known score. Frederick Kempe tells this story well, in an almost day by day fashion. I might have given Khrushchev's American tour more comedy and Kennedy's speech at the Berlin Wall more brio. But Kempe got it right in my view. I like his ultimate verdict - that Kennedy's lack of fortitude in Berlin, 1961 went a long way to ensuring the length of the Cold War - better than, say, Beschloss, who thematically insisted on labelling Kennedy bad at crisis avoidance but brilliant at crisis management. History by soundbite.

For all of Kennedy's missteps, however, the guy could give one helluva speech. At the Berlin Wall, he soared. Lasst Sie nacht Berlin kommen.

And that is why, after revisiting that terrifying time, I can say with absolute certainty that I too am a jelly donut.

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Apr 30, 2011

Gregg rated it

Shelves: first-reads

I won Berlin 1961 in a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway. Thank you!

Using recently released documents and a
"re-examination" of material contemporary to the events or previously released, Fredrick Kempe has written a compelling story. Whether or not you agree with some of his conclusions regarding the fortitude of President Kennedy, his response to the Berlin Crisis and the possibility that the Cold War was extended by three decades because of Kennedy's apparent inabili...more

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Jan 11, 2012

John rated it

Shelves: books-i-own, history

Historians of the Cold War have regarded as its worst crisis, the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, often citing it as its most significant event. However, in his "Berlin 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev, And The Most Dangerous Place On Earth", former journalist Frederick Kempe has made a most compelling case instead for the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Berlin Wall's construction in the late summer and early fall of 1961, culminating in a standoff between A...moreHistorians of the Cold War have regarded as its worst crisis, the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, often citing it as its most significant event. However, in his "Berlin 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev, And The Most Dangerous Place On Earth", former journalist Frederick Kempe has made a most compelling case instead for the confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Berlin Wall's construction in the late summer and early fall of 1961, culminating in a standoff between American and Soviet tanks at Checkpoint Charlie in late October. Kempe has written such an extraordinary work of historical and political science scholarship that this book deserves ample recognition as an instant classic of Cold War history, and one which will be remembered by present and future generations of historians and political scientists. Moreover, Kempe tells such a compelling tale that readers might err in thinking that this is a Len Deighton or John Le Carre novel, not a substantial tome of historical nonfiction. Quoting from General Brent Scowcroft's elegant Introduction, "Fred Kempe's contribution to our crucial understanding of that time is that he combines the "You Are There" storytelling skills of a journalist, the analytical skills of a political scientist, and the historian's use of declassified U.S., Soviet, and German documents to provide unique insight into the forces and individuals behind the construction of the Berlin Wall------the iconic barrier that came to symbolize the Cold War's divisions."

Kempe's book will be regarded by many as provocative, especially to those possessing a favorable view of John F. Kennedy's presidency. If nothing else, "Berlin 1961" is a most damning indictment of Kennedy's woeful inexperience and ignorance with regards to foreign policy; indeed, one could draw unflattering parallels between Kennedy's handling of American foreign policy in 1961, especially with regards to the Soviet Union and its allies, with those of the current President. Relying on recently declassified American, Soviet and German documents, as well as from other sources, Kempe demonstrates how Kennedy misinterpreted initial peaceful overtures from Khrushchev, and then how Kennedy was outwitted by Khrushchev, first at their ill-fated Vienna summit, and then, months later, as the crisis in Berlin pushed the United States and the Soviet Union toward the brink of nuclear war. Moreover, he explains how Kennedy's response to the Berlin Wall's construction was effectively, Kennedy's acquiescence in keeping the status quo, recognizing as permanent, a divided Germany and a Europe divided between the Western NATO democracies and the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact totalitarian dictatorships, or rather, as Kempe himself concludes, "What Kennedy could not undo was the Wall that had risen as he passively stood by, which for three decades and perhaps for all of history would remain the iconic image of what unfree systems can impose when free leaders fail to resist." He offers a most gripping portrayal of a Kennedy administration at war with itself, between "doves" and "hawks", between the likes of United States ambassador to the Soviet Union E. Llewellyn "Tommy" Thompson and former United States Secretary of State Dean Acheson. Equally compelling is Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev's strained relationship with East German leader Walter Ulbricht, which demonstrates that it was Ulbricht, not Khrushchev, who was most responsible for the Berlin Wall's construction, having drafted its plans weeks before obtaining the Soviet leader's approval. And yet, readers may regard as most memorable, the graphic accounts of East Berliners who risked death, in their attempts at gaining freedom across the Berlin Wall during its construction.

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Jun 02, 2011

Steven Buechler rated it

A fascinating look back at one of the most pivotal and dangerous events of the 20th Century. Fill with both official and personal accounts of the time.
from page 485
"The world now knows what President Kennedy did not envision at the time: that the Berlin Wall would fall in November 1989, that Germany and Berlin would be unified a year later in October 1990, and that the Soviet Union itself would collapse a year after that, at the end of 1991. Given the Cold War's happy ending, it h...more

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May 25, 2011

Tony rated it

Shelves: history

Kempe, Frederick. BERLIN 1961. (2011). ****.
It’s difficult to read a book of history when the period covered is well within your lifetime and memory span. Although most of the events covered in this book were known to me, what makes it more or less required reading is the release over the years of previously classified documents. “1961” was the year Kennedy took over as president. One of the early items on his agenda was a meeting with Kruschev in Vienna. It was there that he cam...more

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Jan 20, 2012

Maurice Frontz rated it

Shelves: army, german, history, twentieth-century, cold-war

The Berlin crisis of 1961 included the East German-inspired erection of the Berlin Wall and the face-off between Soviet T-54 and American Patton tanks at Checkpoint Charlie. Author Frederick Kempe believes the Berlin Crisis was perhaps the defining moment of the Cold War, rather than the Cuban Missile Crisis which occurred the following year. Kempe believes that Kennedy failed in allowing the Wall to be built and in acquiescing to later East German refusal of free access of all four powers to th...moreThe Berlin crisis of 1961 included the East German-inspired erection of the Berlin Wall and the face-off between Soviet T-54 and American Patton tanks at Checkpoint Charlie. Author Frederick Kempe believes the Berlin Crisis was perhaps the defining moment of the Cold War, rather than the Cuban Missile Crisis which occurred the following year. Kempe believes that Kennedy failed in allowing the Wall to be built and in acquiescing to later East German refusal of free access of all four powers to the Soviet zone, the action that provoked the Checkpoint Charlie crisis. Kennedy's inaction, according to Kempe, stabilized the Iron Curtain for 30 years - until 1989, when the Wall finally fell.

However, Kempe also asserts that Kennedy understood that the first year of his administration was a failure on the foreign policy front, and learned from it. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy understood that West Berlin could be used by Soviet Premier Kruschschev as either a bargaining chip in negotiations, or would invade West Berlin in the case of an American invasion of Cuba. He therefore took Berlin into consideration in his handling of the crisis. Furthermore, the Missile Crisis taught Kennedy once and for all that only the certain threat of force would deter the Soviets, a lesson he was uncertain of when faced with the specter of nuclear conflict over the status of Berlin. By 1963 and Kennedy's 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech, there was to be no mistake that Kennedy and henceforth the United States regarded the freedom of West Berlin as a vital national interest which would demand all-out war.

While Kempe suggests that the thirty-year imprisonment of East Germans behind the Iron Curtain might have been averted had Kennedy acted more decisively, the larger narrative also grants that the lessons of history, especially considering the new threat of mutual assured destruction, were not obvious at the time and had to be learned. Both hawks and doves will continue to argue over the merits of Kennedy's handling of the crises of 1961-62, while arguing over the handling of crises in the present day which will call for more judgments based on incomplete information which will affect lives of millions all over the world.(less)

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Jul 10, 2011

Michael A.n. rated it

Extraordinarily well researched. The tragedy of letting an entire generation be locked up is spelled out, but it also shows what few tools President Kennedy had at his disposal short of potentially starting a new (albeit short) world war.

As weak as Kennedy is, his candor and self-criticism is refreshing.

Lucius Clay's comes out "smelling like a rose," Adenauer less so, and Willy Brandt has earned more respect than I ever thought he'd earned.

Khruchev ...more

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Aug 08, 2011

Anthony Pacifico rated it

This was an interesting book about the tension between the US and the former Soviet Union over the status of Berlin in 1961. I always thought the closest we came to nuclear war was over the Cuban Missie Crisis in October 1962. But this book makes it very clear that the events in August and September of 1961 were clearly the closest we ever came to nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

The author chronicles in detail the way in which Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev played the young, inexp...moreThis was an interesting book about the tension between the US and the former Soviet Union over the status of Berlin in 1961. I always thought the closest we came to nuclear war was over the Cuban Missie Crisis in October 1962. But this book makes it very clear that the events in August and September of 1961 were clearly the closest we ever came to nuclear war with the Soviet Union.

The author chronicles in detail the way in which Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev played the young, inexperienced new President John F. Kennedy. Khruschev threatened, cajoled and sweet-talked Kennedy into a corner when it came to the status of West and East Berlin. Kennedy's indecisiveness about how to respond to Khruschev gave him and the East German leader, Walter Ulbricht, the impetus they needed to close the border between West and East Berlin by building the Berlin Wall. This led to a faceoff of Soviet and American troops in Berlin. The photos of Soviet tanks and US tanks facing each other at Checkpoint Charlie was still chilling to see today. All it would have taken was for one nervous Soviet or American soldier to fire one bullet and it would have sparked World War III.

There is a lot of new and interesting material in this book, especially the seriousness with which Kennedy and some of his more aggressive advisers actually planned for and considered a nuclear first strike on the Soviet Union. They foolishly believed that the US could knock out enough Soviet missile sites before the Soviets responded. Fortunately for all of us, and the rest of the planet, cooler heads prevailed.

The author also makes the compelling argument that Khruschev initiated the Cuban Missile Crisis because he sincerely believed Kennedy did not have the backbone to do anything. Kennedy's strong handling of that crisis surprised Khruschev and his advisers and ultimately led to Khruschev being deposed.

For those of us who were around in 1961, and remember some of the brouhaha over West and East Berlin at the time, this was an eye-opening look at that situation. (less)

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May 28, 2011

Robert Morrow rated it

4.5 stars (out of 5).

The quality I have admired most in President Kennedy was his ability to grow, to learn from his mistakes. This is the story of many of his early mistakes. The source of those mistakes was brilliantly identified by the author as Kennedy not wanting to deal with the problem he had inherited in Berlin (much like President Obama not wanting to deal with the problem he had inherited in the economy), but almost trying to wish it away so he could deal with what he consid...more

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May 13, 2011

Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com rated it

Shelves: 2011

“Berlin 1961” by Frederick Kempe is a non-fiction book which follows the political turmoil in 1961, a defining year in US-Soviet relationship. Nikita Khrushchev called Berlin "the most dangerous place on earth”, reading this book I found out why.

The book is divided into 3 parts:
Part I: “The Players” – the author introduced Nikita Khrushchev, John F. Kennedy, Walter Ulbricht and Konrad Adenauer. Mr. Kempe brings out their motivations and fear for the drama t...more“Berlin 1961” by Frederick Kempe is a non-fiction book which follows the political turmoil in 1961, a defining year in US-Soviet relationship. Nikita Khrushchev called Berlin "the most dangerous place on earth”, reading this book I found out why.

The book is divided into 3 parts:
Part I: “The Players” – the author introduced Nikita Khrushchev, John F. Kennedy, Walter Ulbricht and Konrad Adenauer. Mr. Kempe brings out their motivations and fear for the drama that is being staged.

Part II: “The Gathering Storm” – After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, Kennedy’s political clout and respect among world leaders is at a low point, to say the least. Khrushchev sees this as his opportunity to stop the massive exodus from East Germany and closes the border. Kennedy’s admittedly poor performance is on display while he tries to ensure that Khrushchev doesn’t start a nuclear war.

Part III: “The Showdown” – This, for me, was the highlight of the book. The decisions in Moscow which resulted in a stunning border closure and its aftermath.

“Berlin 1961” by Frederick Kempe follows the events that shaped the course of the Cold War. The author juxtaposed between four of the major players — Nikita Khrushchev, John F. Kennedy, East Berlin mayor Walter Ulbricht and West Berlin mayor Konrad Adenauer.

Kennedy and Khrushchev were, to me, the most interesting view points of the book. Khrushchev’s bullying the young President while faking diplomacy should probably be studied in all political science courses. Reading how Nikita Khrushchev danced in diplomatic circles around the inexperienced Kennedy, who was just learning his job at the time was facinating. Kennedy breaking his diplomatic chops on a very serious matter is an aspect which helped him tremendously when it came to other diplomatic breaking points such as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Mr. Kempe provides in depth analysis on the intrigue which occurred during 1961 as well as more intimate moments of triumph and anguish on all sides of the political spectrum. For Kennedy, 1961 was a strenuous year. Kennedy described that year as “a string of disasters” starting with the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the failed Vienna Summit, the Berlin Wall put under his nose as well as a dangerous tank showdown in Checkpoint Charlie.
I found it fascinating that Kennedy, for all intents and purposes, allowed Khrushchev to construct the wall as long as he did not disrupt West Berlin or access to Freedom.
Of course, the wall did both.

Mr. Kempe argues that one of the most significant outcomes of 1961 was the perceived weakness Khrushchev found in Kennedy. That weakness prompted him to place missiles in Cuba thinking the young President would cave as he did in Berlin.

This is a fascinating book which brings historic figures to life. I am always fascinated by how decisions in the upper echelons of power are being made, for me books like this are a gold mine.

For more book reviews and bookish posts please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com (less)

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Feb 06, 2012

Jason Dikes rated it

This is an excellent history of not only Berlin's crisis of 1961, but the dance between JFK and Khruschev that had been going on since 1960. The only problem I have is with one of the books two conclusions.

The first conclusion is that JFK's weakness over Berlin led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Absolutely. I don't think Khruschev would have taken the risk without Kennedy's weakness over Berlin and Bay of Pigs.

The second conclusion is a hypothesis that if JFK had stood u...more

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Jun 09, 2011

Nicole rated it

Shelves: history, nonfiction

I was very happy to see this book published because when I tell people that my father served in the U.S. Army in the early 1960s, they always say, "Vietnam?" And when I reply, "No, Berlin," they look at me as if I just grew another head. As the author acknowledges in this book, you hear much more about the Cuban Missile Crisis than you do about the Berlin Crisis, yet it was just as, if not more, serious. The book is obviously thoroughly researched, yet it is extremely accessi...more

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Jul 05, 2011

Terri R rated it

Berlin 1961 is a very well written and insightful account of the politics and key players in the months preceding the building of the Berlin wall and the climate immediately following its construction. Kempe did an outstanding job of organizing the complex events and information into an easy to read timeline following the pivotal events of the principals. While the book is packed with details and historical facts which could easily be overwhelming or tedious to the reader the author manages to k...more

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May 30, 2011

Shiela Hanlon is currently reading it

“Berlin 1961” is a new book by Frederick Kempe that dramatically recounts fascinating cold war events that occurred in my youth and which I am recalling now, in this reading, via a series of “I-remember-that!” moments (a particular delight to this sexagenarian who can only remember where she parks her car by parking it always in the same spot). Kempe was more than 25 years with The Wall Street Journal as Berlin bureau chief and editor of the WSJ Europe edition, his previous books including “Fat...more

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Feb 07, 2012

Bonnie rated it

If you were only a child in 1961, but remember being asked by your teacher at school to see how fast you could run home from the school as I was, this book will fill in all the events (in an almost daily recap) that made that year such a dangerous one in world events. Also helped me understand the brashness of Kruschev, the immaturity of Kennedy, the big egos of both and what that would mean for an unstable and dangerous year in history. How could the eyes of our leaders be so dimmed as to not...more

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Jul 06, 2011

Deigh rated it

This is a seriously detailed history of the events of 1961 in both Berlin, the USSR and the USA. A tough read but remarkably engaging. I am amazed that we are all still alive after reading how badly all the events of the year were handled by the Kennedy administration. There was Kennedy who was - to quote the book - arrogant and naive and Khrushchev who was paronoid with an inferiortiy complex. The Bay of Pigs, the Vienna Summit and the buidling of the Berlin Wall all made up for what was the ...more

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Jul 05, 2011

John rated it

My knowledge of the years of a divided Berlin basically consisted of two quotations: President Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner," and President Reagan's "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
So I had a lot to learn, and I learned so much from this book. It's 50 years since the events described in "Berlin 1961" took place, and perhaps that's the amount of time that needs to pass before history can be well-told. Frederick Kempe had so much documentation available ...more

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Jun 09, 2011

Elliot rated it

Shelves: history, first-reads

One downside, for me at least, of learning about the early 60s in greater depth is that I begin to lose more and more of the respect for John F. Kennedy that lingers from when I was in elementary and middle school. Berlin 1961 narrates to a high degree how unprepared Kennedy was to confront Nikita Khrushchev and Walter Ulbricht during the beginning of his presidency, and how his confused leadership led to the failure of the Bay of Pigs operation and the construction of the Berlin Wall.

...moreOne downside, for me at least, of learning about the early 60s in greater depth is that I begin to lose more and more of the respect for John F. Kennedy that lingers from when I was in elementary and middle school. Berlin 1961 narrates to a high degree how unprepared Kennedy was to confront Nikita Khrushchev and Walter Ulbricht during the beginning of his presidency, and how his confused leadership led to the failure of the Bay of Pigs operation and the construction of the Berlin Wall.

On the other side, however, I have to give a few things to President Kennedy’s credit. One, Khrushchev was a wild bully, whose incredible skill at forceful, irrational diplomacy would cause any but the toughest men to scamper. Two, Kempe points out that part of the reason the Berlin Crisis came so close to erupting was because of misinterpretations among officials and an unclear power structure on both sides of the divide in the city. I can’t easily pinpoint how much of the crisis was Kennedy’s fault, or Khrushchev’s fault, or Konrad Adenaur’s, or Walter Ulbricht’s, etc. Three, I have always considered brinkmanship, most clearly exemplified by Kennedy’s successful self-confidence in the Cuban Missile Crisis a year later, a terrible strategy. If forced to choose between calling the Soviet’s bluff at the risk of an escalation to war that would destroy the entire planet in a few days or yielding to their encroachment on the liberties of East Berliners with the result of losing America’s esteemed position in Europe, well… I doubt I would do a better job than Kennedy would. Having been born after the collapse of the Soviet Union, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fully rationalize the interplay between the two superpowers – I just can’t imagine ever being a citizen of a nation in such a violent type of competition with another, perhaps equally powerful, nation. That won’t stop me from trying to figure it out, however. (As an aside, I still think that Kennedy had the best speechwriters of any president in the 20th century.)

Kempe’s book tells the highly dramatic story of what he, convincingly, believes was the absolute height of the Cold War. I am generally a very boring person, so I tend to seek out less “action-packed” histories, but this book had me completely hooked in the danger of this situation. Brief vignettes that tell the personal stories of characters experiencing the treacherous debacle add a nice touch to his narrative, as well. If not for the fact that the Berlin crisis almost sparked a Third World War, I would say that this book was thrilling!

The Epilogue offers a needed perspective on the events, and puts them into a greater perspective (in relation both to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the destruction of the wall in 1989). I think there could easily have been an additional 40 pages of epilogue at least, even though my Advanced Reading Copy was a length 500-odd pages. It never felt excessively long, however.

As always, I am appreciative of the publishing company for agreeing to give me this book for free, and I thank Goodreads for coordinating this gift through their Giveaways program. I will certainly read more books by Frederick Kempe in the future.
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Jun 24, 2011

Readnponder rated it

Shelves: first-reads

I received Berlin 1961 in the GoodReads “First Read” program. Normally, my taste leans toward literary fiction. However, I’ve read quite a few novels set during WWII Germany and was interested to learn more about the 20th century history of that country. As a child, my cold war memories consisted of bomb drills held at school and playing hide & seek in the fallout shelters found in the basements of neighborhood homes.

Written by a journalist, this book is more engrossing than the s...moreI received Berlin 1961 in the GoodReads “First Read” program. Normally, my taste leans toward literary fiction. However, I’ve read quite a few novels set during WWII Germany and was interested to learn more about the 20th century history of that country. As a child, my cold war memories consisted of bomb drills held at school and playing hide & seek in the fallout shelters found in the basements of neighborhood homes.

Written by a journalist, this book is more engrossing than the stereotypical history book, yet it was tedious and repetitious on a few occasions. The big event occurred on October 22, 1961 when a US diplomat, Allan Lightner, was stopped at a Berlin checkpoint by East German police. The wall had gone up a couple months prior. Lightner presses the point of wanting to enter East Berlin to attend a theatre production. Soon he is escorted by US tanks and an armed infantry squad. Before too long, Russian tanks appear to face off against the American tanks. Thankfully, no shots were fired as the various heads of state attempt to negotiate a stand down. Only 33 pages of the book are devoted to this event. I wanted more. I also wish the aftermath of this event had been more developed.

Instead, the bulk of the book focuses on the lead up to the October confrontation, developing profiles of Krushchev, Kennedy, West German leader Adenauer, and East German leader Ulbricht. Krushchev had his own issues with East Germany and was fearful of “losing face” with the Chinese. He quickly figured out how far he could push Kennedy without consequences. Warning to Kennedy fans: he is not portrayed favorably in this book. One gets the sense that Kennedy was in over his head during the first year of his administration and afraid to take a stand against the Soviets. In particular, he gave a disappointing performance at a summit with Krushchev in Vienna, although one is left to wonder how much of Kennedy’s ineffectiveness was due to being over-medicated for his back pain courtesy of a quack doctor. Meanwhile, brother Bobby Kennedy is having regular clandestine meetings with Soviet spy Georgi Bolshakov in DC. And in fact, communications via this channel may have played the biggest part in calming down the tensions stirred by the October confrontation in Berlin.

Prior to reading this book, I did not realize how close the two superpowers came to open fire. If someone wants a better understanding of the various undercurrents influencing the cold war, this book is a good place to start.
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Aug 07, 2011

Katie rated it

Shelves: nonfiction

I thought this book was an extremely-detailed version of the events leading up to the building of the Berlin Wall, and I thought the author's choice to split the book up into chapters from the point of view of each of the main actors (Khrushchev, Kennedy, Adenauer, Ulbricht) greatly aided the reader in synthesizing how things came to a head. It's a little bit long for "light, historical" reading, but I learned a lot. Best part is the story about Johnson in the china shop. HILARIOUS!

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Jul 13, 2011

Bryan rated it

Shelves: history, leadership, political-science

Reading this book made me so grateful that we (in the USA) live in a time where we don’t think about being invaded or live in fear of a nuclear war. This book makes the case that all politics is local. No matter how important a positive Kennedy Khrushchev relationship was they both put their constituencies’ views first often bringing more tension between the USA and the Soviet Union as a result.

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Jun 16, 2011

Susan rated it

Shelves: first-reads

Frederick Kempe wrote this history of 1961 Berlin like a thrilling spy novel. The characters were mainly all familiar: JFK, Khrushchev, Willy Brandt, Erich Honecker, RFK, Kissinger, etc. Kempe puts out this question: Had JFK broken with then-current American Foreign Policy, would the Berlin Wall never have been built? And even during its construction, if JFK had shown a little more assertiveness, would Khrushchev have backed down? Would the Cuba Missile never have happened? It's an interesting t...more

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Dec 31, 2011

Daniel Kukwa rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

The best damned book I've ever read on the Cold War. The insights are powerful, the coverage of events is detailed, the personal element never strays into the esoteric or the trivial, and the writing style is sheer silk. I've been binging on quite a few books about Germany recently...but this one represents an apex of quality scholarship and brilliant writing.

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Sep 01, 2011

Trudy rated it

Reading this book brought back childhood memories of the Cold War and the terror felt of Communism. Great details on Kennedy's plight as he becomes President and his actions or lack there of in the crisis of Cuba and the Berlin Wall. So many facts from documents that have been de-classified. Very interesting and informative.

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Sep 16, 2011

Bobbie rated it

Berlin 1961 was informative and well-written. Kempe has obviously done his research and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about history. While in hindsight we can make assumptions about what should have been done in this situation, making judgments with current knowledge and information is too harsh. Some might be tempted to react to President Kennedy in this manner. However, I believe Kempe presents President Kennedy as a person who wanted to do the right thing but was...more

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Aug 02, 2011

John rated it

An outstanding account of Kennedy's time as president and his dealings with Kruschev, from election through the Cuban Missile Crisis with great detail on the military and political aspects of Berlin before and after the Wall went up.

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Aug 15, 2011

Vera rated it

Recommends it for: History buffs

I've been on a German kick lately:

Bonhoeffer
In The Garden of the Beasts
etc.

This one was good and gave one a glimpse of the after-effects of the WWII era.

I would recommend it.

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Jul 05, 2011

Steven rated it

Very good revisionist history. Targets Kennedy as responsible for Soviet actions in Berlin. Makes a strong case and is an interesting and informative read.

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Nov 07, 2011

Raimo Wirkkala rated it

This is a compelling account of the events surrounding the cutting off of East Berlin from the rest of the free world. The author deftly provides context to the events with background info on the principals involved and their motivations. The stories about the impact on the lives of ordinary people serve to make it more than just a dry history lesson. The parallels between, the obviously not-ready-for-primetime, JFK and Obama are obvious even though unstated.

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Apr 20, 2011

Cheryl/Aradanryl is currently reading it

Recommended to Cheryl/Aradanryl by: First Reads

Sounds like an interesting book and hopefully, I'll learn more about this time in our history.

Note: This book was provided free through the GoodRead's First Reads program with an expectation of an honest review. My opinion is my own.

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