This book contains transcripts from the Oval Office conversations of President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 16-day stand off during October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union in which the world came very close to nuclear war. The crisis began when the United States became aware that Cuba had installed missiles that were able to carry nuclear weapons. The recordings were made by secret recording devices which President Kennedy had installed in the Oval Office, and were transcribed for the book by court reporters with revisions by the editors. The introduction and conclusion offer historical and background details.