President Kennedy: Profile of Power

by Richard Reeves

President Kennedy is the compelling, dramatic history of JFK's thousand days in office. It illuminates the presidential center of power by providing an indepth look at the day-by-day decisions and dilemmas of the thirty-fifth president as he faced everything from the threat of nuclear war abroad to racial unrest at home. "A narrative that leaves us not only with a new understanding of Kennedy as President, but also with a new understanding of what it means to be President" ( The New York Times ).

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Politics, Presidents, American History, Us Presidents

800 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Richard Furman Reeves was an American writer, syndicated columnist, and lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Christopher Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with his Nixon book, Reeves provides a detailed, relatively balanced look at JFK's presidency. The main portrait impression is of a man who came to office supremely untested and out of his depth, but quickly grew on the job. Reeves' account is critical of Kennedy for his ambivalence on Civil Rights, his complicity in Vietnam (especially the Diem coup) and his womanizing. But his strengths come to the fore in dealing with the Soviets and his belated (but passionate) embrace of Civil Rights in his last year of life. Commendably balanced and compulsively readable.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2017...

“President Kennedy: Profile of Power” by Richard Reeves was published in 1993. Reeves is a former journalist, syndicated columnist and the author of about a dozen books. He has served as Chief Political Correspondent for The New York Times, as National Editor and Columnist for New York Magazine and Esquire and was Chief Correspondent for PBS’s “Frontline.” He is currently Senior Lecturer at the Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism at USC.

The first things readers of “Profile of Power” will discover is that it is neither a conventional biography of John F. Kennedy nor a traditional review of his presidency. Instead, it is a lengthy but free-flowing account of his three years in office, not from the point of view of a historian but from Kennedy’s own perspective. During its 662 pages the reader follows Kennedy almost day-to-day (and sometimes moment-to-moment) through his presidency – observing the rush of events through Kennedy’s eyes, from his inauguration up to (but not including) his assassination.

Reeves’s approach largely steers clear of sensational revelations about Kennedy’s childhood, his precarious health, his notorious womanizing and the various efforts to hide his menagerie of flaws. But while the author does not seek to obliterate the Camelot facade he also avoids portraying Kennedy as a deep-thinking intellectual. Instead, the man who emerges is a calculating politician whose shenanigans are never entirely ignored…but readers see far less of Judith Campbell and Marilyn Monroe than of the policy debates among Kennedy’s political inner-circle.

The book opens with a chapter introducing Kennedy: his public persona, something of his inner self and the circumstances which catalyzed the author to put pen to paper. Its fifty-six chapters proceed chronologically and Reeves intentionally avoids presenting subjects thematically (the chapter titles are actually specific dates). Instead, topics are examined as they occurred, often simultaneously and in competition for Kennedy’s time and attention, including Laos, the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, Berlin, the arms and space races and civil rights.

Reeves’s approach offers several advantages. His behind-the-scenes glimpses of the planning, debating, surveying, worrying and second-guessing are uniquely revealing and enormously fascinating. And in many cases his presentation style lends itself to clearer explanations of complex situations than is usually the case. This is particularly true of the Bay of Pigs and Berlin if not as much for the quagmire in Southeast Asia.

The text provides a solid introduction to Kennedy and his perspectives (public and private) regarding the civil rights movement, and Reeves’s account of JFK’s initial meeting with Khrushchev will captivate almost anyone. The author’s writing style provides a compelling level of engagement between the reader and Kennedy’s times and provides a deep hint of what it might be like to actually be president during fractious times.

Missing from the narrative, however, is sufficient color relating to Jackie Kennedy, JFK’s parents or siblings (other than Robert who, as Attorney General, seems omnipresent) or his friends and colleagues who failed to earn key posts in his administration. Far more disappointing, though, is the notable lack of analysis or conclusions throughout the text. Reeves clearly knows Kennedy well and it is unfortunate that an author so adept at extracting insight from his sources wasn’t willing to share more of his own thoughts.

Overall, Richard Reeves’s “President Kennedy: Profile of Power” is a welcome supplement to the vast body of more traditional Kennedy-focused literature. This book is not appropriate for someone looking for a comprehensive introduction to JFK, or for scholars seeking a rigorous exploration of his presidency. But for anyone hoping to build upon an existing understanding of this intriguing yet enigmatic president, Reeves’s book proves a compelling choice.

Overall rating: 3¾ stars

[Julio The Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Since American schools don't teach history anymore and most Americans don't read it is quite likely John F. Kennedy will go down in history as the president who got laid a lot."---VARIETY

The most heretical thing you can say in regards to modern U.S. history is that John F. Kennedy was a mediocre president, unless you are Noam Chomsky, in which case you call him dangerous and duplicitous. Journalist Richard Reeves set out to write one kind of book, making the case for Kennedy as a great achiever, and wound up producing the opposite; a volume on the Kennedy years (1961-1963), based primarily on JFK's White House tapes, that portray him as a ditherer and bumbler on the two most important issues of the day, the Cold War and civil rights. In 1960 Kennedy wisely decided he could not run against the legacy of the popular Eisenhower, whom he privately called "that old asshole", and chose instead a campaign of all shine and no substance. This approach to the presidency as a public relations job would come to haunt his short term in office and on several occasions nearly lead to war with the Russians. Kennedy called his meeting with Khrushchev in Vienna in 1961 "the most humiliating experience of my life". Nikita lectured to him on liberation struggles in the Third World and walked away with the impression JFK was soft. The one thing that the public and some historians give Kennedy credit for, saving the world from a thermonuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, need not have happened at all had JFK not green-lighted the Bay of Pigs invasion and afterwards "Operation Mongoose", i.e. CIA plots to kill Castro and pave the way for a second invasion. On Viet Nam Kennedy changed his mind every day of the week; on Monday supporting President-dictator Diem and on Wednesday agreeing with the CIA that Diem had to go. SPOILER: Diem got killed in a coup Kennedy "was briefed on" just two weeks before JFK's own death. Re civil rights: Kennedy reneged on his promise to desegregate federal housing and his civil rights bill for 1964 would have died had not Lyndon Johnson forced it through the Senate. What does all this prove? That handsomeness and a beautiful wife can go a long way in establishing your historical reputation.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reeve’s book is really a policy wonkish nearly day-by-day case study of JFK’s Presidency, focusing less on the events but how they were managed (and in some cases stage managed) exclusively from the perspective of the White House. Though somewhat prissy and snarky concerning Kennedy’s mistresses (and even offering a rather far-fetched medical explanation for his behavior), the book is more about Kennedy as a leader. His famous “collegial style” of leadership, for example, actually comes across as ad hoc and chaotic, and very limited by Kennedy’s unwillingness to trust many people outside of a close circle of family (i.e., Bobby) and friends. Although, given the problems he had with military leaders (verging on outright mutiny in the case of Curtis LeMay) and the CIA (which evidently regarded him as an amiable dunce at best), JFK’s suspicious nature is maybe understandable. Kennedy also had weaknesses due to his lily-white, rich, comparatively sheltered upbringing, such as his utter bewilderment at the Civil Rights Movement (“What do these people want?” he exclaims in frustration at one point). I was also surprised to read just how heavily involved the White House was in orchestrating the March on Washington, which JFK had initially opposed, even going so far as to pay for it with funds raised and laundered by Bobby. There are modern lessons to be learned; Kennedy owed his presidency to one emerging media (television, which he worked hard to master) muscling out older media (newspapers); today’s politics sees the eclipse of broadcast television and the surviving newspapers by the Internet and cable news, though we don’t yet have a president who owes as much to the Internet as JFK did to teevee. Vietnam is even more of a cautionary tale for Iraq than I had thought, with the White House trying to maneuver through a recalcitrant, corrupt and dictatorial local government that seemed determined to doom itself; and American policy hopelessly ham-handed due to a near-total ignorance of local culture (it’s truly frightening to consider how much of US policy towards Vietnam was shaped by a work of fiction, The Ugly American by William J. Lederer). Overall, it’s an excellent read, though 1963 feels rushed and glossed-over compared to the lavish detail shown to the first two years of Kennedy’s abbreviated term.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

My immediate sense of this book was that it portrays a very different world than today. The biggest issues of Kennedy’s time: fear of nuclear war; the Berlin wall; Cuba; nuclear test ban treaties; and civil rights struggles in the South. Unlike some other presidential biographies, the issues here are never boring … well, until the end, when Kennedy and the book get bogged down a little too much in Vietnam.

One of the really nice things about this book is the way Reeves conveys a sense of Kennedy’s almost surreal daily life. In a single day he might have a meeting about a test ban treaty, then one on Vietnam, then a phone conversation with Martin Luther King on civil rights; squeeze in a quick meeting with high school students in-between (including young Bill Clinton), and cap it off at the end of the day with a hot bath for his back and a secret liaison with a mistress.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic history of JFK's Presidency. The book literally goes week to week through Kennedy's administration using a narrative style that flows. It focused mostly on the politics but did discuss Kennedy's personal relationships throughout. I knew Kennedy was a womanizer, but I didn't realize how habitual it was. Highly recommended.

[Elise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book sooooo much! It was boring, uninformative, and BORING! Never read this book if you want to live...

[Dean Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Life is unfair.”

John F. Kennedy, the man, and the president were accepting, almost comfortable with this three word sentence. He was super intelligent, clear to see for anyone who spent any amount of time with him, but at the same time seemed to possess a detached sort of curiosity. He preferred to rely on intelligence over emotion when approaching decisions. His “life is unfair” credo seemed to serve him like armour served a knight. Maybe this was for the best, considering the extremely demanding, tumultuous few years he spent as President of the United States of America.

In “President Kennedy” Richard Reeves first shows us Kennedy in the early days of his presidency, carrying with him just a few firm ideological standpoints: anti-communism, a lifelong belief that an action filled life was the best way to live and do things, and finally, in governing vigorously. He kept his options open, and except for a few cases, proved to be pragmatic in his decision making.

Because he accepted that life was largely unfair and unjust, and due to his nature as a practical decision maker, he to an analytical approached situations. One of the early examples of this came near the beginning of the book, it happened during Kennedy’s second meeting with Eisenhower on January 19, 1961, the eve of his own inauguration as president:

“If the situation was so critical, why didn’t you do something?” Kennedy asked Eisenhower about not deciding on moving troops into Laos. Eisenhower went on to explain that he thought it would be imprudent to commit troops with a new Administration coming to power. Kennedy’s response, according to his aids, to whom he referred to this exchange later, was not an emotional one of betrayal, Eisenhower choosing to put off a difficult, potentially unpopular decision for the next man, instead the president-elect takes the position that this is yet another evidence of the exact kind of passive thinking that he wanted to sweep away in his administration. He saw Eisenhower’s lack of decision making as a result of the man’s “remote” style of outmoded, “top of the organization chart” leadership style, the kind that relied too heavily, in Kennedy’s opinion, on committees, note making, minute-taking and “boxes on charts” style of slow moving organizational decision making.

As Kennedy assumed the presidency from Eisenhower, the stark difference in the styles of the two men would serve Kennedy well, allowing him to stand out more clearly as the young, vigorous leader of an action oriented administration. He could launch the idea of “New Frontier” with a clearer idea of what this new idea looked like in practical application: he, as chief executive would be the center of action, reviewing agency reports before decisions were made, as opposed to Eisenhower’s style of allowing his agencies to make most of the decisions, then forwarding “finished” looking reports to the president in an often sanitized version of actual events.

Reeves also touches on Kennedy’s health problems, and the man’s brave, almost stoic demonstration of personal grit and determination to hide his afflictions and almost daily physical pain. Reeves talks about Kennedy’s political ambition and his unwillingness to “wait his turn.” Other impatient, ambition-driven challengers might have been deterred, or even halted by the kind of physical punishment of Kennedy’s Addison’s disease and incessant back problems. But Kennedy accepted that he was not dealt a fair hand where health was concerned, but again, rather than lamenting the reality that “life was not fair” he wore a winning smile, pressed in with a firm handshake and projected all of the energy and vitality of a man in perfect health. He was a pragmatic about his health problems as he was about political decision making. There was no point in dwelling on afflictions, there were places he wanted to go, heights he wanted to attain, and he would not let his poor health stand in the way. Reeves biography of Kennedy showed this truth through a number of stories that were well told and instructive. One that stood out for me was a situation that one of his close friends, Paul Fay, once witnessed:

Kennedy was about to inject cortisone in his thigh with a syringe when Fay observed, “Jack, the way you take that jab, it looks like it doesn’t even hurt!” Kennedy turned quickly toward Fay and jabbed the needle into his thigh, his friend screamed in pain.

“It feels the same way to me.” Kennedy said.

Another area of Kennedy’s presidency that Reeves touches on in a unique way was the story of his first meeting with Frederick Nolting who previously served as deputy chief of the U.S. Mission to NATO in Paris that Kennedy was about to appoint as a U.S. foreign representative in South Vietnam. While Nolting was Kennedy’s primary visitor, there were also a number of other brand new U.S. ambassadors at this meeting. Kennedy, seeing an opportunity to get a clear message to all of these men, reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a wrinkled piece of newsprint and began reading it aloud to his audience: “I’ve got a clipping here from the New York Times and it says, ‘The American embassy here is not terribly well regarded. They all seem to stay in the embassy and not get out into the countryside, or to meet all types of people.’” The president continued: “Now I hope that no such thing is going to be written about any one of you men here, present today…” and it’s this part that really stood out for me:

“Remember you’re ambassador to the country, to the whole country…don’t get desk bound.”

I especially liked this part for two reasons, one, because I haven’t come across this when reading other Kennedy biographies. Secondly, and more importantly, I believe Kennedy’s directive here is very relevant today. Perhaps even more critical than it was then. It seems that in the modern era, the Foreign Service heads that the U.S. sends to other countries are far more interested in aligning themselves with the power structure already present in the country. They seems to have forgotten Kennedy’s words, that they are ambassadors to “the whole country” and as a result, are cloistered in the country’s narrow power corridors and not much beyond.

Even worse, when the kind of ambassadors emerge who hear the Kennedy call, they are not sufficiently supported and protected by their government. Most tragically was the case of U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens who was a passionate, committed, very involved career diplomat, whose last post was U.S. Ambassador to Libya. Despite Stevens repeated warnings of danger to the Special Mission in Benghazi, and his requests for additional security personnel, there was little help forthcoming from the State Department, and as a result, the mission was attacked by militants and Stevens was killed. These kind of attacks are the most tragic result of a long downward slide of American Foreign Service representation in these countries. I truly believe that if the presidents who followed Kennedy demanded the same of their ambassadors, and in turn, embassy staff, these kind of incidents would be far fewer and the U.S. would enjoy better relations in many of these countries.

Life was unfair for the civil rights movement in the early 1960’s. As I read Reeves account of the first months of the Kennedy administration, it was clear to me that while the young president recognized civil rights as an issue, there were a couple things working against early action in this area. One, was that the president himself was personally distant form these issues. His own life was one where he didn’t personally witness the spiteful and hateful prejudices going on in the inner cities and counties. The second issue was that Kennedy was distracted with other challenges. Reeves captures this when he writes about Kennedy’s first meeting with Martin Luther King Jr.:

“And he was still distracted later that day when he greeted another visitor, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As much as Kennedy wanted to understand King’s motivations and politics, there always seemed to be something more important going on, and civil rights rated with the “minimum wage” of this particular day.”

That was in April of 1961, at the time Kennedy was president for just a few months. I found it intriguing that history has treated Kennedy as a champion of the civil rights movement, yet his early distracted inactivity would indicate that it was low priority in the early days of his administration. Of course, all of that changed. Reeves does a wonderful job of giving credit to the real heroes of the Civil Rights movement. My favorite was the story he shares about Diane Nash, the young lady who organized the “second round” of Freedom Riders, college students mostly, who would ride the Greyhound bus from Nashville to New Orleans. Robert Kennedy’s assistant, John Seigenthaler tried to dissuade Miss Nash on the grounds of safety. “This has to go forward” Nash told him. “You won’t make it to New Orleans, you’re going to get your people killed” Seigenthaler protested. “Then others will follow” Nash replied.

It was these kind of “scenes” that moved me, a real triumph for Richard Reeves. It was through stories like these that I came to understand that it wasn’t just President Kennedy inspiring people to stand up for what is right and just, it was also people like Diane Nash emboldening a president to make Civil Rights history. This wasn’t something I was aware of before, but its history I’m so glad to have learned.

On the international scene, Reeves give us an incredibly readable, entertaining look at Kennedy’s European summits in June of 1961. These were a lesson in contradiction: The glittering French summit where he and De Gaulle enjoyed talks ranging from art to history to politics to the Cold War, all while the smitten French citizens cheered the young president and his alluring wife until they were hoarse. Then there was the meetings with Soviet Premier Khrushchev in Vienna, chilling, frightening and fatiguing. Kennedy left these talks a shaken man, afraid for the safety of his country and the world. Finally, there was his last stop, to meet British Prime Minister Macmillan, the older man concerned as he received the exhausted and demoralized U.S. president. The chapters that covered these summits were ones I’ll never forget, I now know that Richard Reeves must write these with this intent in mind.

I read this book slowly, not because I was disinterested, but quite the opposite, I wished to savor every page. I highly recommend “President Kennedy” by Richard Reeves. Five-and-a-half stars!

[Clem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched a series on the 60s on Netflix recently. One episode focused on John F. Kennedy. One of the several historians that was interviewed was a fellow named Richard Reeves. He seemed rather articulate, and the caption said he was the author of a book. So I thought, “why not?” A bit of a crapshoot maybe, but the dice rolled up seven. This was an excellent book.

This book is a fairly detailed look at JFK’s presidency. It’s not a biography. I was a bit leery of that fact. I had already read a book detailing Kennedy’s presidency – Ted Sorensen’s “Kennedy”. I didn’t like it. It REALLY made me nervous when this author actually praised that book early on in THIS book. I was petrified of a repeat. Safe to say, this book was much better.

I won’t detail Sorensen’s retrospective, I’ll focus on this book. It seems like this book’s biggest advantage is that the author knows how to keep his readers engaged. “Profile in Power” is actually the perfect subtitle. We see how this young, wealthy aristocrat handles the most powerful position in the world. Nothing is sugar coated. We get the good, the bad, and the ugly. Quite often, the ugly is quite ugly.

He portrays Kennedy as human. The man had flaws, yet I came away with the impression that JFK was a good president. We read a lot about Khrushchev, Cuba, Vietnam, and Civil Rights. The latter topic was a bit harsh. Contrary to what some historians want to believe, Kennedy was not that much of an advocate for Civil Rights. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in the cause, he just felt issues weren’t a priority. Yes, he made some strides, but many would argue far too little. We read a lot about the many, now famous, incidents that took place in the early sixties, and one comes away with the feeling that our President really should have done much more in this area.

I enjoyed reading about the tensions with Cuba (i.e. Russia) and Vietnam the best. We see the young president learn from his mistakes, and make some very tough decisions. The Vietnam parts were also eye-opening. Again, many in the history department have sugar coated Kennedy’s record and involvement. Contrary to what Oliver Stone tells us, Kennedy did not want to “end Vietnam”. We must remember that during Kennedy’s administration, the vast majority of Americans couldn’t even find Vietnam on a map, so it’s only in hindsight that we can be as judgmental as we tend to be.

And, yes, there are a lot of women. Supposedly, Kennedy was taking some hardcore medication for his back pain which included the side effects of a) having a tan complexion and b) rather amorous. So I guess this would allow many to give the former president a free pass when it came to his consistent infidelities. You wonder why such medication wouldn’t be available on the black market. But never mind.

Like all great leaders, Kennedy can be tough when he needs to be. We prefer to see our leaders through rose colored glasses, but we see plenty of instances when the leader, at least behind the scenes, attempts to get things done in rather unconventional methods. One of my favorite episodes concerns little brother Ted. Ted becomes a new senator in Massachusetts solely because of the Kennedy name. When Ted complains to his brother that one of the new policies JFK is enacting is hurting his constituents back home, the president replies, “Tough sh!t”.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My only complaint is, like Kennedy’s presidency itself, the book ends too abruptly. As soon as Kennedy leaves for Dallas, the book basically stops. I mean, we all know that Dallas was the end of Kennedy’s presidency, but I would have liked to have read a bit more. Maybe the author could have offered his opinions of the LBJ administration and discussed how he felt things could have been different? Of course, it would have all been speculation, but it would have been a rather nice addendum.

My favorite historical accounts of famous people are ones that show an evenly balanced person – good and bad. Unlike the Ted Sorensen book (the guy was so loyal, I’m convinced he would drink Kennedy’s bathwater if asked), this one is just that. This book is now over 20 years old, but reads as though it was written yesterday. I doubt you could probably find this book at a bookstore due to its age, but it’s worth ordering online (as I did). I’m very glad I accidentally stumbled upon this one.

[Aaron Million · Rating 3 out of 5]

This an almost day-by-day account of the Kennedy Administration. Reeves focuses primarily on policies and meetings, along with Kennedy's constant complaints about the press. It is disconcerting to read just how obsessed he and his entire staff were with image. Kennedy poured over several newspapers each morning, checking to see which paper was writing what about Vietnam, Cuba, the Civil Rights demonstrations, and Kennedy's policies. Unfortunately, I think this tendency to try to control the media and shape what it reports only became exacerbated by Johnson and Nixon later on. And it certainly has continued to the present time.

Kennedy was very reluctant to get involved in the Civil Rights movement, never fully embracing it even after he submitted a Civil Rights Bill to Congress. Had he not been assassinated and remained in office, I do not think that his bill ever would have passed. Kennedy did not really believe in the whole movement, although he was no racist himself by any means and was certainly sickened by much of the violence that Southern whites unleashed on blacks. He also had very poor relationships with Congressmen. Some of this had to do with his personality, and some of it had to do with his interest and focus being almost exclusively on foreign policy. Kennedy had little to no interest in domestic matters except as they affected American foreign policy.

I thought that Reeves was particularly good at describing the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy's dealings with Khrushchev, and the coup in South Vietnam. Reeves made it a point to try to show events from Kennedy's perspective; how he saw things in real time and had to make decisions based sometimes on misleading, conflicting, or incorrect data.

I would have liked to have seen more on the personal side of Kennedy, and his dealings with his Cabinet, advisers, family, and staff. While those things certainly are mentioned, they are done so more in passing as an attempt to describe whose opinions mattered the most to Kennedy. As an example: Jacqueline Kennedy appeared every so often in the book, seldom being a major figure.

[Carlos D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent study of JFK's presidency from the perspective of crises management. Using primary sources such as letters, memos, State Dept. cables, etc., and interviews with parties involved, Reeves injects the reader into the White House inner circle. From Cuban Missile Crises, Vietnam, the Cold War dance with the USSR, to the civil rights movement and domestic economy, this book dissects the decision making process and demonstrates the complexity of variables and options in play for each situation.

Some things I learned: Kennedy wanted nothing to do with the Civil Rights movement, and was disinterested with domestic policy in general. He was more interested in dealing with the Russians than dealing with Congress or the Senate. Kennedy was not an idealist, rather he took a pragmatic approach to everything and always hedged by choosing the middle road. He was an extremely adept politician and probably one of the most intelligent presidents to hold the office.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great inside view of how politicians manage themselves and their decisions. Interesting to wonder what was left out (how JFK and RFK worked together, etc.) that is probably covered in other books and didn't really fit the mission of this one.

Sometimes scary the parallels to current administration -- young leader who just wants it, though maybe he's not sure why, other than it seems like something to do. The inside story of how lost JFK was on how to handle Vietnam -- and how to handle his advisers on it. Not sure the disaster there could have been avoided, but the dithering on it certainly made it worse.

What's really striking is how real the Cold War was at the time. Seems now like it could have just been a PR thing; it was very real to many, many people back then.

[M.T. Bass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been marching through bios of the U.S. Presidents in chronological order and of the 40+ read so far, President Kennedy: Profile of Power is definitely one of the best. What sets it apart is that Reeves puts you right next to Kennedy to see government "being made" day-in and day-out during his presidency. Much more realistic than the usual "Camelot" fairy tale, it gives a clear portrait of JFK as the man — and politician — he was. I'll definitely include his Nixon and Reagan books on my reading list.

[Joe Rodeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very impressive objective chronology of the Kennedy presidency, F words and all. Finest moment: the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The day to day style doesn't serve Vietnam or the Civil Rights crisis in Birmingham as well; it jumps around from page to page. That and a ton of miniaturized long quotes gave me a headache.

I kept wondering where is Jackie? This woman was an icon! At least, what were her two cents about all the regular mistresses and prostitutes visiting the White House?

Recommended for historians or Kennedy fanatics. Rich in info.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books. Reeves's covers Kennedy's presidency from inauguration day to his assassination. Told in a day by day, week by week fashion, of all the presidential biographies I have read this one more than others puts you inside oval office and in the mind of a president. Reeves is obviously a big fan of Kennedy's, but he presents him warts and all, and leaves the reader to come to your own conclusions. Kennedy was on his way to being one of the greats.

[Jillaire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excerpts of this were assigned in my college class, U.S. 1945-present. I took the class in 2000 and we barely made it through the Kennedy years. I re-read the whole book after graduating and during the time when I rode the T to the JFK/UMass stop to go to my job across the parking lot from the JFK Library and Museum. It's an interesting read, but can be a bit slow at times. It mainly focuses on Kennedy's presidential years (hence the title) and not his earlier life.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books I have read about the Kennedy Administration. Reeves goes into a lot of detail but it's well-researched, primary source material that gives his book credence. Not just dirt and rumors, though he does touch on the womanizing, the drugs and the health problems. It's mainly about how and why JFK made the policy decisions he did and the effect those decisions had on his reputation and the country.

[Grindy Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few serious books about JFK that isn't afraid to get dishy. Jack's various Dr. Feelgoods are supporting characters, as are his booty calls, one of whom he took over an Italian villa for, throwing out the State Department employee and family who lived there.

Most of the main characters in this tale have one thing in common - they would suffer premature deaths. JFK, his brother, MLK. It's Ngo Dinh Diem though whose march toward doom forms the bulk of the narrative.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book on JFK. Dispassionate and direct, like the man himself. Reeves lets the events themselves tell the story, and he puts the president back in the position of responsibility he held rather than musing about the backstories. Whatever his faults, the president deserves a book that treats him like the serious politician he was. In Reeves's effort, the well-worn path this president's life story has travelled gets just that sort of attention. It's hard to put down.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed account of Kennedy's Presidency, often interesting, sometimes way too much detail--to the point of being boring. I did learn a lot about the era though. Kennedy's reaction to the civil rights movement was particularly interesting and a surprise to me. I would recommend it, with reservations. It will take some time to read and digest all of the info.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It provides a view into Kennedy's days in the White House without pretense. Doesn't whitewash his negatives and doesn't play up his positives. Just a clear sense of what happened during his time. Shows Kennedy to be a politician with little equal at his time. Thoroughly enjoyable and as much of a page turner as any book I've ever read, fiction or non.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very flattering picture of Kennedy. Even less flattering of Bobby. I learned a ton about the era. Lots of detail in this sometimes minute-by-minute account. Maybe too much detail. I think this took me about 6 weeks to slog through.

[Dergrossest · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to balance the myth of Kennedy with the reality of the man, his actions on a national scale with his personal life and hard to put all of it into its proper historical perspective, but Reeves pulls it off. Kennedy gets a fair shake and his admirers will not be disappointed.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reeves day-by-day account of the New Frontier is fast-paced and insightful. The reader sits in the president's rocking chair and hears the briefings, weighs the arguments, of his advisors. Read this book long ago; still a gripping read.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing study of President Kennedy's decision making. What did the President know? When did he learn it? What decisions were made or not made? The best of Reeve's Presidential studies (Nixon and Reagan the others).

[David Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but a little too detailed. This is probably not fair but I'm trying to find a good book that portrays the issues of the 60's (civil rights, Vietnam war , etc.). This is ok but not quite enough.

[Irene Abdou · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a great book to read if you want to know day by day of Kennedy's presidency and his decisions on National issues. Goes in depth on the "bay of the pigs" situation in Cuba, meeting in berlin with Nikitia, and many more situations that were challenging.

[Bayoumacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books about the Kennedy Administration.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the books I've read about JFK this one presents the most - as far as I can tell - even handed account of his presidency.

[Edward Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome facts:
John Kennedy loved pain killers more than Johnny Cash.
Bobby Kennedy did the yelling when needed.
Neither had any concept of how money works.