How Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August influenced decision making during the Cuban Missi

How Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August influenced decision making during the Cuban Missile Crisis
The Library of America
Reader's Almanac
March 19, 2011

Reviewing Barbara W. Tuchman: The Guns of August, The Proud Tower in the Times Literary Supplement recently, Robert Zaretsky noted that one of the ways to assess the aims and success of her 1962 Pulitzer prize–winning book is to consider “its influence on a man whose job it was to respond to present pressures: President Kennedy.”

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I was working at the Norfolk navy communication station handling the classified traffic between the JCS and the picket commanders during the Cuban quarantine.
It came down to the wire, alright.

I was working at the Norfolk navy communication station handling the classified traffic between the JCS and the picket commanders during the Cuban quarantine.
It came down to the wire, alright.

I wonder if you knew my dad? He was a CTM, and I know the CT community is relatively small. He may have been in Guam in '62, though.

I was working at the Norfolk navy communication station handling the classified traffic between the JCS and the picket commanders during the Cuban quarantine.
It came down to the wire, alright.

Sounds intriguing. Anything you can talk about?

I was working at the Norfolk navy communication station handling the classified traffic between the JCS and the picket commanders during the Cuban quarantine.
It came down to the wire, alright.

I wonder if you knew my dad? He was a CTM, and I know the CT community is relatively small. He may have been in Guam in '62, though.

I knew some CTs at the Shotgun array of the remote receiver site but don't remember their names.

I was working at the Norfolk navy communication station handling the classified traffic between the JCS and the picket commanders during the Cuban quarantine.
It came down to the wire, alright.

Sounds intriguing. Anything you can talk about?

One thing I remember was a ZZ (zulu flash message ... highest priority) going from the picket commander to the JCS informing them that a Soviet ship was approaching the picket line with no indications it would stop before crossing the line. Minutes later, alarm bells on the teletype began ringing as the return flash traffic from JCS flew into and back out of the communication station. "If he doesn't stop, sink him." He stopped.

I was working at the Norfolk navy communication station handling the classified traffic between the JCS and the picket commanders during the Cuban quarantine.
It came down to the wire, alright.

Sounds intriguing. Anything you can talk about?

One thing I remember was a ZZ (zulu flash message ... highest priority) going from the picket commander to the JCS informing them that a Soviet ship was approaching the picket line with no indications it would stop before crossing the line. Minutes later, alarm bells on the teletype began ringing as the return flash traffic from JCS flew into and back out of the communication station. "If he doesn't stop, sink him." He stopped.

By the time I was on active duty, we were being told to get the hell out of the area.

I was working at the Norfolk navy communication station handling the classified traffic between the JCS and the picket commanders during the Cuban quarantine.
It came down to the wire, alright.

Does that make you a tape ape?

I was working at the Norfolk navy communication station handling the classified traffic between the JCS and the picket commanders during the Cuban quarantine.
It came down to the wire, alright.

Does that make you a tape ape?

For the two years I was there, I suppose so.
We handled a lot of TTY tape. Never did
much ditty-catching after A school.