More than 25 minutes of video (15 videos in total), including a video introduction to each chapter
Videos range from archival footage of President Kennedy to recent videos of Caroline Kennedy, Ted Widmer, President Bill Clinton, Congressman John Lewis, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and historian Alan Brinkley speaking about the book and President Kennedyβs legacy
AUDIO
Full 150 minutes of the full restored and re-mastered audio recordings from President Kennedyβs White House
PHOTOS
85 photographs of the Kennedy family throughout the narrative
TEXT
Complete transcripts allow readers to follow along with each audio recording
Accompanying annotations from historian Ted Widmer inform readers on political details of the era
In July 1962, in an effort to preserve an accurate record of Presidential decision-making in a highly charged atmosphere of conflicting viewpoints, strategies and tactics, John F. Kennedy installed hidden recording systems in the Oval Office and in the Cabinet Room. The result is a priceless historical archive comprising some 265 hours of taped material. JFK was elected president when Civil Rights tensions were near the boiling point, and Americans feared a nuclear war. Confronted with complex dilemmas necessitating swift and unprecedented action, President Kennedy engaged in intense discussion and debate with his cabinet members and other advisors.
Now, in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of the Kennedy presidency, the John F. Kennedy Library and historian Ted Widmer have carefully selected the most compelling and important of these remarkable recordings for release, fully restored and re-mastered for the first time. Listening In represents a uniquely unscripted, insider account of a president and his cabinet grappling with the day-to-day business of the White House and guiding the nation through a hazardous era of uncertainty.
Accompanied by extensively annotated transcripts of the recordings, and with a foreword by Caroline Kennedy, Listening In delivers the story behind the story in the unguarded words and voices of the decision-makers themselves. Listening In covers watershed events, including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race, Vietnam, and the arms race, and offers fascinating glimpses into the intellectual methodology of a circumspect president and his brilliant, eclectic brain trust.
Just as the unique vision of President John F. Kennedy continues to resonate half a century after his stirring speeches and bold policy decisions, the documentary candor of Listening In imparts a vivid, breathtaking immediacy that will significantly expand our understanding of his time in office.
Media Buzz
PBS News Hour - October 18, 2012 CBS This Morning - October 2, 2012 Weekend Edition Saturday - September 29, 2012 Good Morning America - September 25, 2012 World News Tonight - September 24, 2012
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