Professor David Rothkopf discovers how White House narratives about the Cuban missile crisis resulted in the wrong lessons for diplomacy.

The Cuban Missile crisis was said to be a textbook example of how strong unwavering leadership can resolve existential crises. But new evidence reveals that the narrative promoted at the time by the White House was flawed. In fact, the Kennedy administration embarked on a strategy of secret diplomacy which involved missile swaps. It also resulted in behind the scenes negotiations including none other than the lawyer James Donovan, featured in the recent Hollywood spy film The Bridge.

Using interviews with academics and members of the national security archive, Professor David Rothkopf separates the fact from fiction surrounding this apocalyptic event which brought the world closer than ever before to annihilation.

He argues that the real lessons for diplomacy are very different from the ones we have been fed for years.

A Kati Whitaker production first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2017. Show less