Kennedy's Kitchen Cabinet and the Pursuit of Peace: The Shaping of American Foreign Policy, 1961-196

John F. Kennedy's advisors were enormously influential in the shaping of American foreign policy at a crucial time. After struggling in his first year as president, Kennedy employed the guidance of a core group including McGeorge Bundy, Robert Kennedy, Robert McNamara, Maxwell Taylor and Theodore Sorensen. This "kitchen cabinet" led to strong leadership in confronting serious challenges arising from the Soviet Union, Cuba, Southeast Asia and Berlin.