October 3, 2012 Fifty years ago this month, the Cuban Missile Crisis set off the most nerve-wracking two weeks of the Cold War. Six months later, civil-rights demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, gripped the world’s attention. Not long after that, a coup against the South Vietnamese government threatened to drag the U.S. into war. These crises have been well-covered by historians, but Listening In: The Secret White House Recordings of John F. Kennedy, a new collection of President John F. Kennedy’s recordings of his private conversations, offers a fascinating glimpse into how the decisions in these critical situations were made. Caroline Kennedy, co-author of the book and daughter of the late president, recently spoke with Chapter 16 prior to her appearance at 1 p.m. on October 9 at the Nashville Public Library as part of the Salon@615 series. She will also appear on October 10 at 6 p.m. at The Booksellers at Laurelwood in Memphis. Both events are signings only.