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The American Presidents #35
John F. Kennedy: The American Presidents Series: The 35th President, 1961-1963
The young president who brought vigor and glamour to the White House while he confronted cold war crises abroad and calls for social change at home
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a new kind of president. He redefined how Americans came to see the nation's chief executive. He was forty-three when he was inaugurated in 1961—the youngest man ever elected to the office—and he personified what he called the "New Frontier" as the United States entered the 1960s.
But as Alan Brinkley shows in this incisive and lively assessment, the reality of Kennedy's achievements was much more complex than the legend. His brief presidency encountered significant failures—among them the Bay of Pigs fiasco, which cast its shadow on nearly every national-security decision that followed. But Kennedy also had successes, among them the Cuban Missile Crisis and his belated but powerful stand against segregation.
Kennedy seemed to live on a knife's edge, moving from one crisis to another—Cuba, Laos, Berlin, Vietnam, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. His controversial public life mirrored his hidden private life. He took risks that would seem reckless and even foolhardy when they emerged from secrecy years later.
Kennedy's life, and his violent and sudden death, reshaped our view of the presidency. Brinkley gives us a full picture of the man, his times, and his enduring legacy.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2010
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About the author
Alan Brinkley
206 books48 followersAlan Brinkley was an American political historian who has taught for over 20 years at Columbia University. He was the Allan Nevins Professor of History until his death. From 2003 to 2009, he was University Provost.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 22, 2025
J.F.K. In The American Presidents Series
John F. Kennedy (1917 -- 1963) served as the 35th president from 1961 until his assassination on November 22, 1963. Many baby boomers, including myself, have strong memories of Kennedy; and many people of all ages tend to see his presidency as a watershed moment for the United States. Alan Brinkley offers a sober, thoughtful, and measured account of Kennedy's life and presidency in his new short biography, "John F. Kennedy", the most recent volume in the American Presidents series edited by the late Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Sean Wilentz. Brinkley has written extensively on 20th Century American history; his works include books about the New Deal and American liberalism.
It is difficult to think clearly about Kennedy because of the memories his name evokes, coupled with the assassination and the United States' subsequent political history. During and after his presidency, Kennedy was a highly charismatic, graceful figure who, in the view of many, was taking the United States in a new direction with a sense of mission and purpose. He was dynamic and young. Others, on both the left and right, were less enchanted and more critical. Brinkley is fully aware of the divergent views of our 35th president and he works hard to present a realistic assessment. His book suggests that Kennedy was a gifted but flawed individual who overcame severe health problems on the one hand but who behaved recklessly and carelessly throughout his life on the other hand, particularly in his sexual relationships with women. Kennedy's presidency, Brinkley argues, would not meet the standards of greatness. Its legislative accomplishments were limited. The failed Bay of Pigs invasion and subsequent clandestine activities in Cuba haunted Kennedy's administration. Yet the president had successes in defusing the Cuban Missile Crisis and in his belated but eloquent support of civil rights.
The Kennedy that emerges from Brinkley's book is a careful, pragmatic politician with a reclusive temperament. He was markedly cool-headed and unemotional. In one of the most perceptive observations in the book, Brinkley writes, "{i[t is one of the many ironies of Kennedy's posthumous image that a man who himself was so uncomfortable with passionate commitment would inspire so much of it in others." The charisma that Kennedy possessed, the devotion of many people to him, and the possibly inevitable falling-off has generally struck me as, on the whole, unfortunate in its impact.
In its short compass, Brinkley's study covers both Kennedy's life and his presidency. Kennedy's wealthy and powerful father was critical in exerting influence and money in Kennedy's early terms in Congress and in the Senate. During these terms, Kennedy showed something of a devil-may-care character with few strong legislative accomplishments to his credit. An indifferent student for most of his life, Kennedy read widely, achieved fame with his historical writing, and won a Pulitzer Prize. Although his father had to exert pressure to allow Kennedy to serve in the military, Kennedy emerged as a war hero for his naval rescue efforts on PT-109.
Kennedy won a close election for president against Richard Nixon in 1960 and proceeded to establish what he termed the "New Frontier" with the still-famous call from his Inaugural Address: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." In successive chapters, Brinkley carefully parses through the major foreign and domestic issues in Kennedy's administration, from the Bay of Pigs Fiasco, to the Cuban Missile Crisis, to Berlin and Laos, to Civil Rights and to the confrontations with business and with U.S. Steel. Brinkley shows a Kennedy impatient with meetings, the Federal bureaucracy, and hierarchy. He governed in a seemingly undisciplined way. Although the term is usually associated with other leaders, the "imperial presidency" was not far from Kennedy's administration. The book shows both Kennedy's accomplishments and his failings. A late chapter of the book covers Kennedy's role in Vietnam. Brinkley shows that Kennedy played a substantial role in American involvement. He declines to speculate on what Kennedy might have done if he had lived. In the final chapter of the book, Brinkley discusses the many theories put forward following Kennedy's assassination. In explaining the continued fascination with Kennedy, Brinkley writes that many people:
"look back nostalgically to an era that seemed to be a time of national confidence and purpose. Kennedy reminds many Americans of an age when it was possible to believe that politics could be harnessed to America's highest aspirations, that it could be rooted in a sense of national community, that it could speak to the country's moral yearnings."
Brinkley offers a careful, restrained look at Kennedy and his influence on the "national imagination". This is one of the better books in the American presidents series. It portrays Kennedy with understanding.
Robin Friedman
John F. Kennedy (1917 -- 1963) served as the 35th president from 1961 until his assassination on November 22, 1963. Many baby boomers, including myself, have strong memories of Kennedy; and many people of all ages tend to see his presidency as a watershed moment for the United States. Alan Brinkley offers a sober, thoughtful, and measured account of Kennedy's life and presidency in his new short biography, "John F. Kennedy", the most recent volume in the American Presidents series edited by the late Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Sean Wilentz. Brinkley has written extensively on 20th Century American history; his works include books about the New Deal and American liberalism.
It is difficult to think clearly about Kennedy because of the memories his name evokes, coupled with the assassination and the United States' subsequent political history. During and after his presidency, Kennedy was a highly charismatic, graceful figure who, in the view of many, was taking the United States in a new direction with a sense of mission and purpose. He was dynamic and young. Others, on both the left and right, were less enchanted and more critical. Brinkley is fully aware of the divergent views of our 35th president and he works hard to present a realistic assessment. His book suggests that Kennedy was a gifted but flawed individual who overcame severe health problems on the one hand but who behaved recklessly and carelessly throughout his life on the other hand, particularly in his sexual relationships with women. Kennedy's presidency, Brinkley argues, would not meet the standards of greatness. Its legislative accomplishments were limited. The failed Bay of Pigs invasion and subsequent clandestine activities in Cuba haunted Kennedy's administration. Yet the president had successes in defusing the Cuban Missile Crisis and in his belated but eloquent support of civil rights.
The Kennedy that emerges from Brinkley's book is a careful, pragmatic politician with a reclusive temperament. He was markedly cool-headed and unemotional. In one of the most perceptive observations in the book, Brinkley writes, "{i[t is one of the many ironies of Kennedy's posthumous image that a man who himself was so uncomfortable with passionate commitment would inspire so much of it in others." The charisma that Kennedy possessed, the devotion of many people to him, and the possibly inevitable falling-off has generally struck me as, on the whole, unfortunate in its impact.
In its short compass, Brinkley's study covers both Kennedy's life and his presidency. Kennedy's wealthy and powerful father was critical in exerting influence and money in Kennedy's early terms in Congress and in the Senate. During these terms, Kennedy showed something of a devil-may-care character with few strong legislative accomplishments to his credit. An indifferent student for most of his life, Kennedy read widely, achieved fame with his historical writing, and won a Pulitzer Prize. Although his father had to exert pressure to allow Kennedy to serve in the military, Kennedy emerged as a war hero for his naval rescue efforts on PT-109.
Kennedy won a close election for president against Richard Nixon in 1960 and proceeded to establish what he termed the "New Frontier" with the still-famous call from his Inaugural Address: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." In successive chapters, Brinkley carefully parses through the major foreign and domestic issues in Kennedy's administration, from the Bay of Pigs Fiasco, to the Cuban Missile Crisis, to Berlin and Laos, to Civil Rights and to the confrontations with business and with U.S. Steel. Brinkley shows a Kennedy impatient with meetings, the Federal bureaucracy, and hierarchy. He governed in a seemingly undisciplined way. Although the term is usually associated with other leaders, the "imperial presidency" was not far from Kennedy's administration. The book shows both Kennedy's accomplishments and his failings. A late chapter of the book covers Kennedy's role in Vietnam. Brinkley shows that Kennedy played a substantial role in American involvement. He declines to speculate on what Kennedy might have done if he had lived. In the final chapter of the book, Brinkley discusses the many theories put forward following Kennedy's assassination. In explaining the continued fascination with Kennedy, Brinkley writes that many people:
"look back nostalgically to an era that seemed to be a time of national confidence and purpose. Kennedy reminds many Americans of an age when it was possible to believe that politics could be harnessed to America's highest aspirations, that it could be rooted in a sense of national community, that it could speak to the country's moral yearnings."
Brinkley offers a careful, restrained look at Kennedy and his influence on the "national imagination". This is one of the better books in the American presidents series. It portrays Kennedy with understanding.
Robin Friedman
April 17, 2018
A life cut far too short. What might have been we'll never know. A must read.
December 14, 2019
John F. Kennedy is the thirtieth-fourth book in The American Presidents series – a biographical series chronicling the Presidents of the United States. Alan Brinkley wrote this particular installment and edited by Sean Wilentz.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was an American politician who served as the thirty-fifth President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. Kennedy served at the height of the Cold War and the majority of his work as president concerned relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba. A Democrat, Kennedy represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate prior to becoming president.
Brinkley's concise biography of the iconic John F. Kennedy offers judicious opinions of the thirty-fifth president's overall legacy. Brinkley doesn't shy from Kennedy's well-documented flaws, noting euphemistically that even after becoming a U.S. senator in 1952 he was slow to grow up.
Brinkley focuses on the highlights of Kennedy's eventful presidency, giving the basics of the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy's early role in Vietnam policy, and the civil rights movement. Regarding the latter, Kennedy's journey from holding a politically expedient view to a commitment to the political and moral necessity of the end of segregation is central.
Brinkley treats Kennedy's assassination matter-of-factly, commenting that the bottomless conspiracy controversy is evidence of Kennedy's sustained power over the national imagination. In Brinkley's final analysis Kennedy's successes were modest and his legacy based on his embodiment of the unfulfilled promise of an America that, in retrospect, seems to many to have promise.
All in all, John F. Kennedy is a good, albeit concise biography of the thirtieth-fifth President and it is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series of presidential biographies, which I plan to read in the very near future.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was an American politician who served as the thirty-fifth President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. Kennedy served at the height of the Cold War and the majority of his work as president concerned relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba. A Democrat, Kennedy represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate prior to becoming president.
Brinkley's concise biography of the iconic John F. Kennedy offers judicious opinions of the thirty-fifth president's overall legacy. Brinkley doesn't shy from Kennedy's well-documented flaws, noting euphemistically that even after becoming a U.S. senator in 1952 he was slow to grow up.
Brinkley focuses on the highlights of Kennedy's eventful presidency, giving the basics of the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy's early role in Vietnam policy, and the civil rights movement. Regarding the latter, Kennedy's journey from holding a politically expedient view to a commitment to the political and moral necessity of the end of segregation is central.
Brinkley treats Kennedy's assassination matter-of-factly, commenting that the bottomless conspiracy controversy is evidence of Kennedy's sustained power over the national imagination. In Brinkley's final analysis Kennedy's successes were modest and his legacy based on his embodiment of the unfulfilled promise of an America that, in retrospect, seems to many to have promise.
All in all, John F. Kennedy is a good, albeit concise biography of the thirtieth-fifth President and it is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series of presidential biographies, which I plan to read in the very near future.
January 27, 2015
This is another nice entry in the American Presidents series, originally edited by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr and--after his death-[-Sean Wilentz. In this instance, there is some poignancy in that' Schlesinger was an adviser to Kennedy. The books in this series are brief, making information available to readers who do not want massive 600 page biographies. In that, most of the volumes succeed (although I prefer such massive works!!).
The work itself takes a chronological perspective on Kennedy. We learn of his life from birth to death--with an epilogue about Kennedy's reputation and evaluation after his death.
Kennedy grew up with a degree of privilege. His father, Joseph, became wealthy as a financier and parlayed that into an eminent career. When Kennedy became interested in politics, he was well bankrolled.
Before that, we see his childhood and youth--wracked with physical ailments and sometimes fearing for his life. He was an indifferent student in college, although he was obviously quite intelligent. When World War II began, he became commander of a PT boat--PT 109. When the boat was destroyed in combat, Kennedy handled the crisis nicely--a major boost for him as he became politically oriented.
Then, the development of his political career--House of Representatives and then the Senate; his relationship with his future wife Jacqueline Bouvier; his continual womanizing; the trajectory of his career (a potential vice presidential candidate in 1956). In 1960, he contended for the Democratic nomination for President. He succeeded (with considerable support from his father).
We then see the development of his presidency, from miserable failures (the Bay of Pigs) to successes (The Cuban Missile Crisis). He tended to be cautious and did not leave a real legacy of actual success, although many of his initiatives came about under Lyndon Johnson's presidency. There is also a realistic depiction of his role in the development of the US involvement in Vietnam.
Several positive things about this book: it is realistic; it has a critical element to it; it provides a realistic appraisal of his presidency.
All in all, if the reader wants a rather brief biography of JFK, this is a pretty good option to consider.
The work itself takes a chronological perspective on Kennedy. We learn of his life from birth to death--with an epilogue about Kennedy's reputation and evaluation after his death.
Kennedy grew up with a degree of privilege. His father, Joseph, became wealthy as a financier and parlayed that into an eminent career. When Kennedy became interested in politics, he was well bankrolled.
Before that, we see his childhood and youth--wracked with physical ailments and sometimes fearing for his life. He was an indifferent student in college, although he was obviously quite intelligent. When World War II began, he became commander of a PT boat--PT 109. When the boat was destroyed in combat, Kennedy handled the crisis nicely--a major boost for him as he became politically oriented.
Then, the development of his political career--House of Representatives and then the Senate; his relationship with his future wife Jacqueline Bouvier; his continual womanizing; the trajectory of his career (a potential vice presidential candidate in 1956). In 1960, he contended for the Democratic nomination for President. He succeeded (with considerable support from his father).
We then see the development of his presidency, from miserable failures (the Bay of Pigs) to successes (The Cuban Missile Crisis). He tended to be cautious and did not leave a real legacy of actual success, although many of his initiatives came about under Lyndon Johnson's presidency. There is also a realistic depiction of his role in the development of the US involvement in Vietnam.
Several positive things about this book: it is realistic; it has a critical element to it; it provides a realistic appraisal of his presidency.
All in all, if the reader wants a rather brief biography of JFK, this is a pretty good option to consider.
August 5, 2015
For the past decade, "The American Presidents" series has churned out a series of biographies of our nation's leaders written by a diverse range of authors, from historians who draw upon their expertise to inform their interpretation of their subject, to more eclectic writers who inform their efforts with a sometimes refreshingly new perspective. Alan Brinkley fits squarely into the first category: a longtime scholar of 20th century America, he brings the skills and knowledge gained a lifetime of study to this sprightly book on John F. Kennedy. His perspective is critical but not unfavorable; while acknowledging Kennedy's many gifts, he describes how they served to sustain his popularity through the numerous setbacks he suffered as president. In this respect, the power of his image rested less on his actual accomplishments, but on what he represented, both as a leader and the "transformative moment" during which he served as president.
Such analysis explains Kennedy's enduring hold on our historical imagination and points to the value of the book as a study of his life. While hardly the first short biography of Kennedy, Brinkley's book surpasses previous works of its type such as John F. Kennedy and a New Generation thanks to its author's analysis and incorporation of recent revelations about Kennedy's poor health. For anyone seeking an perceptive and readable introduction to the life and career of America's 35th president, this is the book to read.
Such analysis explains Kennedy's enduring hold on our historical imagination and points to the value of the book as a study of his life. While hardly the first short biography of Kennedy, Brinkley's book surpasses previous works of its type such as John F. Kennedy and a New Generation thanks to its author's analysis and incorporation of recent revelations about Kennedy's poor health. For anyone seeking an perceptive and readable introduction to the life and career of America's 35th president, this is the book to read.
October 31, 2023
What I liked about the book the most was the fact that it didn't idealize John Kennedy like so many books have done in the past. I liked that it was very matter of fact about several items such as how young and immature he was when he became president and how this played a big role in his fear of commitment (as well indecisiveness) to many things such as civil rights, Cuba, Vietnam, etc.
The very first book I ever read when I was 8 years old was about JFK. As a child I read about what a great man he was because of all the things he did in life...he was a war hero; he overcame being a sickly child; he married a beautiful young woman and had 2 beautiful young children. The entire book was portrait of what many people WANT to remember about JFK. While I wouldn't have expected a book for children to discuss bigger and deeper issues, the book was clearly an attempt to make JFK someone every child should look up to and believe in.
This book does a nice job of being fair about the Kennedy presidency in that hee wasn't a great president but was a good president whose time was cut short.
The very first book I ever read when I was 8 years old was about JFK. As a child I read about what a great man he was because of all the things he did in life...he was a war hero; he overcame being a sickly child; he married a beautiful young woman and had 2 beautiful young children. The entire book was portrait of what many people WANT to remember about JFK. While I wouldn't have expected a book for children to discuss bigger and deeper issues, the book was clearly an attempt to make JFK someone every child should look up to and believe in.
This book does a nice job of being fair about the Kennedy presidency in that hee wasn't a great president but was a good president whose time was cut short.
Read
June 27, 2014Excellent short biography of the man who left the world with more hope than he found it.
August 31, 2021
I was ten years old in 1960 when John F. Kennedy was elected President. I lived in a predominately Irish neighborhood and attended Catholic school in Lawrence, Massachusetts. This is the first election and President I remember. I was in class the day President Kennedy was assassinated and I remember the Nuns all crying. My family watched the four days of television coverage of his death and funeral. I watched Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed by Jack Ruby. I have been to his grave in Arlington National Cemetery. Truthfully though I knew little about John F. Kennedy. This book has helped rectify my ignorance.
This book by Alan Brinkley is one of the American President Series by Times Books, Henry Holt and Company edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger and Sean Wilentz. I highly recommend this series. I was never aware of how unhealthy President Kennedy was throughout his life. He was sickly almost from birth. The diagnosis of Addison's disease in 1947 by a British doctor when Kennedy was near death in a British hospital was a life savior according to the author because it finally allowed proper treatment for Kennedy's ailment. Later, the author concludes that Kennedy's Addison's disease did not really affect his governance. I knew about the womanizing but not how extensive it really was. I knew about how his father, Joe Kennedy spent money supporting his son's candidacies but again not to the extent the author has mentioned. I was not aware of how much Southern Democrats and Republicans impeded Kennedy's legislative efforts. They seemed to thwart every initiative from the Administration! The Kennedy I remember was the healthy, well spoken, energetic, dynamic, confident myth. Kennedy had many doubts and was often hesitant in acting often in fear of upsetting Southern Democrats. Kennedy faced the Bay of Pigs soon after taking office. Although wanting to stress international relations, this got him off to a poor start especially with the Soviet Union. Khrushchev believed him to be weak. The status of Berlin was another crisis facing Kennedy early. The Soviets wanted it unified under East German control. The Allies of course opposed that. The end result was the Berlin Wall that lasted until the fall of Communism in 1989. The Cuban Missile Crisis is well known. Kennedy negotiated removal of Soviet missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads from Cuba without initiating World War III. Kennedy's negotiations with Soviet Premier Khrushchev often to the objection of members of his staff and the Joint Chiefs, resolved the crisis and led to greater talks on limiting nuclear weapons and arms control. Disappointing to me was how uncommitted Kennedy was to Civil Rights until after the brutal scenes from Birmingham. One event mentioned by the author was an event to celebrate one hundred years of progress since Emancipation where Kennedy wanted Sammy Davis, Jr. and his white spouse to leave the reception because he didn't want the image of an interracial couple to irritate Southern Democrats. They of course were not ejected but Kennedy insisted that no pictures of Sammy's wife were to be taken. This caused Jacqueline to leave the reception in tears (Brinkley, p. 106-107). Finally Kennedy initiated a Civil Rights bill however it languished in the Congress. It took his death and Lyndon B. Johnson to push it over the top in 1964. All in all Kennedy's Presidency was average although he rates 8th in one current historian survey, 10th in another. The Kennedy legacy is what the author points out: "...most of all, Kennedy reminds American's of a time when the the nation's capabilities seemed limitless, when its future seemed unbounded, when it was possible to believe that the United States could solve social problems and accomplish great deeds" (Brinkley, p. 158). It is close to how I remember Kennedy.
This book by Alan Brinkley is one of the American President Series by Times Books, Henry Holt and Company edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger and Sean Wilentz. I highly recommend this series. I was never aware of how unhealthy President Kennedy was throughout his life. He was sickly almost from birth. The diagnosis of Addison's disease in 1947 by a British doctor when Kennedy was near death in a British hospital was a life savior according to the author because it finally allowed proper treatment for Kennedy's ailment. Later, the author concludes that Kennedy's Addison's disease did not really affect his governance. I knew about the womanizing but not how extensive it really was. I knew about how his father, Joe Kennedy spent money supporting his son's candidacies but again not to the extent the author has mentioned. I was not aware of how much Southern Democrats and Republicans impeded Kennedy's legislative efforts. They seemed to thwart every initiative from the Administration! The Kennedy I remember was the healthy, well spoken, energetic, dynamic, confident myth. Kennedy had many doubts and was often hesitant in acting often in fear of upsetting Southern Democrats. Kennedy faced the Bay of Pigs soon after taking office. Although wanting to stress international relations, this got him off to a poor start especially with the Soviet Union. Khrushchev believed him to be weak. The status of Berlin was another crisis facing Kennedy early. The Soviets wanted it unified under East German control. The Allies of course opposed that. The end result was the Berlin Wall that lasted until the fall of Communism in 1989. The Cuban Missile Crisis is well known. Kennedy negotiated removal of Soviet missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads from Cuba without initiating World War III. Kennedy's negotiations with Soviet Premier Khrushchev often to the objection of members of his staff and the Joint Chiefs, resolved the crisis and led to greater talks on limiting nuclear weapons and arms control. Disappointing to me was how uncommitted Kennedy was to Civil Rights until after the brutal scenes from Birmingham. One event mentioned by the author was an event to celebrate one hundred years of progress since Emancipation where Kennedy wanted Sammy Davis, Jr. and his white spouse to leave the reception because he didn't want the image of an interracial couple to irritate Southern Democrats. They of course were not ejected but Kennedy insisted that no pictures of Sammy's wife were to be taken. This caused Jacqueline to leave the reception in tears (Brinkley, p. 106-107). Finally Kennedy initiated a Civil Rights bill however it languished in the Congress. It took his death and Lyndon B. Johnson to push it over the top in 1964. All in all Kennedy's Presidency was average although he rates 8th in one current historian survey, 10th in another. The Kennedy legacy is what the author points out: "...most of all, Kennedy reminds American's of a time when the the nation's capabilities seemed limitless, when its future seemed unbounded, when it was possible to believe that the United States could solve social problems and accomplish great deeds" (Brinkley, p. 158). It is close to how I remember Kennedy.
October 23, 2025
This is the best of the books in this series that I have recently read. There was a great balance between early life, Congressional career, presidential career, and epilogue. Kennedy is the first president who impinges upon my life in any substantial way. Eisenhower was president when I was born in 1958 but of course I was too young to remember that. On the other hand, I have memories of Kennedy's funeral on my parent's small black and white TV set. Dad was born just three years after Kennedy and so Kennedy's death must have come as quite a shock to him. Caroline Kennedy was born just a few months before I was, so I noticed it when Brinkley mentioned that young Caroline was removed from the cabinet chamber on Oct. 16, 1962 in order to prepare for a meeting to discuss the Cuban missile crisis. She was four years old, the same age as I was in October of 1962.
Of course I don’t remember the Cuban missile crisis but I remember dad talking about it to me later when I was older. He told me about how scared everyone was. What he never told me, perhaps because he didn’t know, was that the U.S. had nuclear missiles in Turkey aimed at the Soviet Union. Dad probably didn’t know about the secret deal Kennedy made with Khrushchev to remove the missiles in Turkey if the USSR would remove the Cuban missiles.
There was a lot in this book about the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King. Of course, I know about the Letter from Birmingham Jail and the famous march on Washington with the "I Have a Dream" speech. I had not associated these with Kennedy's presidency, but they do demonstrate Kennedy's importance to civil rights.
Kennedy also played an important role in the conduct of the war in Vietnam. I’m not sure I was much aware of the war until the Nixon administration when I was beginning to approach the age of the draft. It was then that I became aware of the lottery and started being vaguely aware that I may be drafted.
I’m winding down on finishing this series! All I have left is LBJ, Ford, and John Quincy Adams.
Of course I don’t remember the Cuban missile crisis but I remember dad talking about it to me later when I was older. He told me about how scared everyone was. What he never told me, perhaps because he didn’t know, was that the U.S. had nuclear missiles in Turkey aimed at the Soviet Union. Dad probably didn’t know about the secret deal Kennedy made with Khrushchev to remove the missiles in Turkey if the USSR would remove the Cuban missiles.
There was a lot in this book about the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King. Of course, I know about the Letter from Birmingham Jail and the famous march on Washington with the "I Have a Dream" speech. I had not associated these with Kennedy's presidency, but they do demonstrate Kennedy's importance to civil rights.
Kennedy also played an important role in the conduct of the war in Vietnam. I’m not sure I was much aware of the war until the Nixon administration when I was beginning to approach the age of the draft. It was then that I became aware of the lottery and started being vaguely aware that I may be drafted.
I’m winding down on finishing this series! All I have left is LBJ, Ford, and John Quincy Adams.
April 2, 2018
Book Bingo Category: Presidential
Pages: 158
Summary: "John F. Kennedy" written by Alan Brinkley is a biography about the compelling life of the thirty-fifth president of the United States. Starting with his birth to an Irish- Catholic family in Brookline, Massachusetts and throughout his interesting childhood, Jack Kennedy was determined to be great. He was born into a successful family and was always popular and widely-liked, starting in his youth. Jack, although active, constantly struggled with severe health issues that held him back at times. But despite this setback, he graduated from Harvard College and published his best selling thesis. From there, Jack joined the Navy and survived the destruction of his ship. After retiring from the Navy, Kennedy wanted to get involved in politics and so he was elected to the Congress and then the U.S. Senate. In 1960, he was elected president and inaugurated in 1961. Throughout Jack's presidency, he was faced with many international affairs like Cuba, Berlin, and Vietnam and domestic issues like racial discrimination. He attempted to handle all issues but struggled greatly at times. Alan Brinkley describes John Kennedy's eventful life with detail all the way until his assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
Explanation: I rated this book three out of five stars because I enjoyed reading about the life of an important president and how different events shaped his decisions and actions. His presidency was explained in a very descriptive manner and I learned a lot about the processes of each of his actions as president. Although, it was mostly factual and at times a little boring. His personal life wasn't really detailed on and sometimes I found myself skipping over certain paragraphs because they were repetitive or dull.
Pages: 158
Summary: "John F. Kennedy" written by Alan Brinkley is a biography about the compelling life of the thirty-fifth president of the United States. Starting with his birth to an Irish- Catholic family in Brookline, Massachusetts and throughout his interesting childhood, Jack Kennedy was determined to be great. He was born into a successful family and was always popular and widely-liked, starting in his youth. Jack, although active, constantly struggled with severe health issues that held him back at times. But despite this setback, he graduated from Harvard College and published his best selling thesis. From there, Jack joined the Navy and survived the destruction of his ship. After retiring from the Navy, Kennedy wanted to get involved in politics and so he was elected to the Congress and then the U.S. Senate. In 1960, he was elected president and inaugurated in 1961. Throughout Jack's presidency, he was faced with many international affairs like Cuba, Berlin, and Vietnam and domestic issues like racial discrimination. He attempted to handle all issues but struggled greatly at times. Alan Brinkley describes John Kennedy's eventful life with detail all the way until his assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
Explanation: I rated this book three out of five stars because I enjoyed reading about the life of an important president and how different events shaped his decisions and actions. His presidency was explained in a very descriptive manner and I learned a lot about the processes of each of his actions as president. Although, it was mostly factual and at times a little boring. His personal life wasn't really detailed on and sometimes I found myself skipping over certain paragraphs because they were repetitive or dull.
February 25, 2017
After reading the Truman & Eisenhower books in the American Presidents series and being very disappointed by those entries, I was really hoping that the J.F.K. installment would revive my interest. It did the trick, as I flew through this one faster than many previous!
I think the reason that this bio works so well is because it seems that author Alan Brinkley doesn't really like Kennedy all that much (or, at least doesn't buy into the "Myth of Camelot" like some do). However, that being said, Brinkley still manages to produce a very competent and engaging biography of Kennedy without injecting too much of his own biases into the matter. Essentially, I really felt that Brinkley was able to "see both sides" of the Kennedy Administration, whereas other authors in this series either deify or take to task their subject a bit too much.
Also, Brinkley doesn't let this bio get dragged down in personnel rosters or legislative affairs. He focuses on what I believe this "short bio" series should focus on: the President as a person, as well as the major workings of and events within their administration(s).
Overall, this is one of the best entries in the series. It really revived my interest after a few laggards.
I think the reason that this bio works so well is because it seems that author Alan Brinkley doesn't really like Kennedy all that much (or, at least doesn't buy into the "Myth of Camelot" like some do). However, that being said, Brinkley still manages to produce a very competent and engaging biography of Kennedy without injecting too much of his own biases into the matter. Essentially, I really felt that Brinkley was able to "see both sides" of the Kennedy Administration, whereas other authors in this series either deify or take to task their subject a bit too much.
Also, Brinkley doesn't let this bio get dragged down in personnel rosters or legislative affairs. He focuses on what I believe this "short bio" series should focus on: the President as a person, as well as the major workings of and events within their administration(s).
Overall, this is one of the best entries in the series. It really revived my interest after a few laggards.
March 21, 2020
In this short book on John F. Kennedy Alan Brinkley gives a fair assessment of his Presidential years. JFK was not a great President but an influential one. Brinkley, correctly I feel, assesses that Kennedy relied on his charisma in leadership. Those who do have a mixed record. Kennedy was a lot like Obama in that neither really wanted to lower themselves and deal with Congress. Thus both got their domestic agendas stymied.
Brinkley shows the split personality of Kennedy between the public image and the private reality. In Private Kennedy tended to be more vulgar (not a bad thing for me), petty, and image conscious. His efforts to slow down the Civil Rights struggle had to do with the image of the US and I feel the way he saw his image as a tough in control leader overseas.
Brinkley is fair to the Kennedy legacy. Including in the final chapter a look at his legacy in culture and the American soul. I for one believe as more time passes, Kennedy's legacy will shrink, as his image was always greater than his accomplishments.
Brinkley shows the split personality of Kennedy between the public image and the private reality. In Private Kennedy tended to be more vulgar (not a bad thing for me), petty, and image conscious. His efforts to slow down the Civil Rights struggle had to do with the image of the US and I feel the way he saw his image as a tough in control leader overseas.
Brinkley is fair to the Kennedy legacy. Including in the final chapter a look at his legacy in culture and the American soul. I for one believe as more time passes, Kennedy's legacy will shrink, as his image was always greater than his accomplishments.
September 3, 2022
The late Historian Alan Brinkley published a political biography of John F. Kennedy in The American Presidents Series in 2012. Similar to other books in The American Presidents series, Brinkley’s biography of Kennedy is short, compelling, and well-researched. I read the book on the Kindle. Brinkley’s book has an introduction that introduces themes and the focus of Brinkley’s biography. This book includes a Timeline and a Selected Bibliography. Brinkley has a balanced view of Kennedy’s presidency. Brinkley’s biography has chapters on various aspects of Kennedy’s life and political career, which is focused on Kennedy’s presidency. I feel like in 158 pages, Brinkley gives the reader a good sense of Kennedy’s personality. The last chapter of Brinkley’s biography is focused on the legacy of Kennedy as a national symbol in the American imagination. This chapter is entitled is called “The Afterlife of John F. Kennedy” (Brinkley 150-158). This chapter also briefly examines why conspiracy theories about the assassination of Kennedy are so widespread. I thought the fact was interesting that Kennedy was a very popular president during his presidency. Brinkley believes that some of Kennedy’s most significant accomplishments were in the area of Civil Rights and American-Soviet Relations. Brinkley’s biography is an excellent and well-done introduction or summary of the presidency of John F. Kennedy. On a side note, Steve of the blog, My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies has excellent reviews of several of The American Presidents series biographies.
May 18, 2020
I enjoyed the book as a whole but I come away feeling very underwhelmed by John F. Kennedy. He had some positive moments in that he didn't listen to some of his hawkish advisors on how the Cuban missile crisis was handled. Alternatively, he had already caused lots of trouble in Cuba that really was unnecessary. Overall, he seemed very lukewarm on civil rights, Vietnam, and other important issues where he didn't really seem to have a strong stance in either direction. In some sense, it seems like his death actually caused more legislation to happen that LBJ was able to push through with the nation mourning his loss and upholding some of his values. Overall still an interesting read. I had no idea he had so many health issues and some of the dynamics of his family in his career. I continue to appreciate The American Presidents series providing informative concise biographies of presidents.
October 24, 2023
John F. Kennedy by Alan Brinkley is not a fawning biography. Anyone looking for a romantic re-telling of the story of Camelot should look somewhere else. Brinkley does not shy away from Kennedy's faults, of which there were many. He talks at length about Kennedy's sickly childhood, academic laziness, womanizing, and heroic posturing. He also discusses Kennedy's lack of significant legislative accomplishments. Brinkley acknowledges Kennedy's ability to inspire and his intentions to do great things, but unfortunately the President had a short amount of time to get them done. This book is one of the better biographies in the series, written by a skilled and respected historian. If you're looking for a brief, honest history of John F. Kennedy's life and presidency, you'll find an excellent book informed by recent research. If you're looking for hero-worship, you'll be disappointed.
May 23, 2023
Excellent short biography of our 35th President of the United States. Unfortunately, John F. Kennedy was not in office long enough to be rated a great president, but he can not be rated a bad president either. His death continues to be questioned, and rightly so, by many Americans.
July 24, 2017
Brief biography of the contradictory presidency of JFK. Debunks a number of myths about Camelot. But also presents a balanced appraisal of his short administration.
September 2, 2017
Good, concise biography of Kennedy. An enjoyable read.
January 13, 2023
Not bad. Complements the history of the CIA book that I read earlier.
August 25, 2023
I thought I would learn more. Very little. Maybe you will feel differently. Enjoy!
January 9, 2024
Read for a grad school class on the presidency. Decent overview of Kennedy's life.
November 1, 2012
The purpose of this book is for the world to know who John F. Kennedy really was. Alan Brinkley is of the belief that John F. Kennedy was one of the greatest leaders known to man. John F. Kennedy is a book that captivates the reader on every aspect of the man’s life. This book teaches readers that a few good deeds can go a long way. As Kennedy remains an inspiring figure to this day, Brinkley also points out his flaws. It is a detailed description of the man himself as never seen before. All of the major experiences and events in Kennedy’s life are portrayed in the book.
As Alan Brinkley is knowledgeable in the field of American presidential history, he no doubt offers detailed insight as to the reactions of Kennedy’s decisions. Kennedy was a man of politics, and his words reflected that “I have previously stated, and I repeat now, that the United States intends no military intervention in Cuba… While refraining from military intervention in Cuba, the people of the United States do not conceal their admiration for Cuban patriots who wish to see a democratic system in an independent Cuba.” (71). This quote clearly shows the reader of the responsibility of a leader such as JFK is unparalleled. His one and only venture into the presidency was crucial, as JFK proficiently dealt with the ongoing situation in the Bay of Pigs. Prior to the statement by Kennedy, Brinkley offers the reaction of the U.S.S.R, which was under the impression that the United States was out for an invasion of Cuba, “Armed aggression has begun against Cuba. It is a secret to no one that the armed bands invading this country were trained, equipped and armed in the United States of America.” (70). In this passage, Brinkley highlights the tense atmosphere in Washington D.C and the Kremlin, where Nikita Khrushchev and John F. Kennedy exchange messages.
Another aspect of John F. Kennedy’s experiences that are covered by Alan Brinkley is his childhood. From his early Irish ancestry, Brinkley covers the life of John F. Kennedy’s grandparents, parents, and siblings. John F. Fitzgerald, JFK’s grandfather, was the first of his family to enter the world of politics, “One of John Kennedy’s grandfathers, John F. Fitzgerald, was himself a politician who crossed the boundaries that had limited Irish American ambitions.” (5). The author then goes on to briefly explain the lives of JFK’s parents, before giving a detailed insight into the ambitious lives of his brothers, Jack Sr. and Joe Jr. The Kennedy’s luxurious lifestyle is well portrayed by the author, “Joe’s money remained a critical, indeed indispensable, element of his political rise.” (25). This statement of aristocracy and wealth shows just how the Kennedy family was raised. John F. Kennedy was not a spoiled child. He was given enough to do something, but not too much to do nothing.
If there had to be a weakness to this book, then the ending would be it. Brinkley does not go into too much detail at the end of the novel about the death of the president. All he says is, “A few hours later, shots were fired in Dealey Plaza. Two bullets struck the president. His death was announced at 1 p.m.” (149). Although the quote does summarize the event of November 22, Brinkley concludes the chapter with it. He does not pursue the endless conspiracy theories or offer his opinion as to why John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The greatest strength in John F. Kennedy is the last chapter. Brinkley brilliantly states “What made Kennedy’s image so powerful and so enduring was not the product of his own achievements; it was that so many people have imagined what might have happened had he lived.” (157). According to Brinkley, a survey of historians in 1982 placed JFK thirteenth in a rank of American presidents, yet this quote is the most accurate and logical reason as to why John F. Kennedy is glorified as one of the greatest leaders of all time.
November 7, 2013
The 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination has engendered numerous new studies of all aspects of John Kennedy’s life and presidency, ranging from the critical to the fawning. For those who wish to take stock of the Kennedy Presidency without axe grinding, Alan Brinkley’s 2012 entry in the American Presidents Series provides a succinct, up to date and highly judicious survey. In just over 200 pages (including notes, bibliography and index), Brinkley touches on all phases of Kennedy’s personal life and presidency and provides a nice tour of the enormous literature on JFK.
For Brinkley, the challenge for historians of Kennedy is to understand why a President with so modest a tangible presidential record meant, and continues to mean, so much to so many.
Brinkley covers Kennedy’s family, upbringing and education, noting the importance that publication of his Harvard thesis (with considerable rewriting and support from a team of researchers) played in making a name for him, enabling him (along with his family’s money) to win a seat in Congress in 1946, followed by a successful 1952 Senate run. For Kennedy, though, Congress was just a route to the Presidency, and Brinkley details how he matured politically as he ascended the ladder, becoming a formidable national presence during his failed effort to obtain the Democratic party’s vice presidential nomination in 1956.
The next four years would see Kennedy enjoy flowery press coverage of him and his young family, helping him overcome questions about his youth, health and commitment to liberalism raised by his rivals for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination. Brinkley does a good job in explaining how Kennedy outmaneuvered his colleagues with what was arguably the first modern primary campaign, combining extensive air travel and large expenditures to win primaries as a means of demonstrating his electability to the small handful of party bosses who controlled the nomination.
Brinkley deals forthrightly with Kennedy’s shortcomings. He covers Kennedy’s womanizing and his efforts to cover up his health problems without going into too many details for a 200 page book. All of the high (and low) points of Kennedy’s presidency are examined, including the Bay of Pigs, civil rights, the Vienna Summit with Khrushchev, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the nuclear test ban and Vietnam. The overall picture of Kennedy that emerges from Brinkley’s book is a highly balanced one that will likely dissatisfy both those who continue to idolize him and revisionists who have sought to undermine his legacy on those issues.
In fact, Brinkley gives Kennedy significant credit for championing civil rights legislation (though noting how late he was to act), resolving the Cuban Missile crisis without taking steps that could have led to nuclear war, and negotiating and obtaining ratification of the limited nuclear test ban. He punts on the question of what Kennedy would have done with Vietnam had he lived, though. Finally, he assigns Kennedy a significant share of the blame for his failure to make more progress with Congress on major legislation. Many items on his agenda such as civil rights legislation, tax cuts and Medicare would only become law once LBJ, a master legislator, took the helm.
Brinkley concludes with a look at how Kennedy’s perceived legacy started out brightly (65% of the population claimed to have voted with him after his assassination compared with 49% who actually did) only to falter with attacks from both sides of the political spectrum. Yet, Kennedy left a lasting legacy for many. Brinkley concludes that he remains identified with a particular moment in American history that rested in between the quiet Eisenhower era and the turbulent Johnson/Nixon days when Americans were highly optimistic about the future and therefore remains “as a bright and beckoning symbol of the world that many people believe they have lost.”
For Brinkley, the challenge for historians of Kennedy is to understand why a President with so modest a tangible presidential record meant, and continues to mean, so much to so many.
Brinkley covers Kennedy’s family, upbringing and education, noting the importance that publication of his Harvard thesis (with considerable rewriting and support from a team of researchers) played in making a name for him, enabling him (along with his family’s money) to win a seat in Congress in 1946, followed by a successful 1952 Senate run. For Kennedy, though, Congress was just a route to the Presidency, and Brinkley details how he matured politically as he ascended the ladder, becoming a formidable national presence during his failed effort to obtain the Democratic party’s vice presidential nomination in 1956.
The next four years would see Kennedy enjoy flowery press coverage of him and his young family, helping him overcome questions about his youth, health and commitment to liberalism raised by his rivals for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination. Brinkley does a good job in explaining how Kennedy outmaneuvered his colleagues with what was arguably the first modern primary campaign, combining extensive air travel and large expenditures to win primaries as a means of demonstrating his electability to the small handful of party bosses who controlled the nomination.
Brinkley deals forthrightly with Kennedy’s shortcomings. He covers Kennedy’s womanizing and his efforts to cover up his health problems without going into too many details for a 200 page book. All of the high (and low) points of Kennedy’s presidency are examined, including the Bay of Pigs, civil rights, the Vienna Summit with Khrushchev, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the nuclear test ban and Vietnam. The overall picture of Kennedy that emerges from Brinkley’s book is a highly balanced one that will likely dissatisfy both those who continue to idolize him and revisionists who have sought to undermine his legacy on those issues.
In fact, Brinkley gives Kennedy significant credit for championing civil rights legislation (though noting how late he was to act), resolving the Cuban Missile crisis without taking steps that could have led to nuclear war, and negotiating and obtaining ratification of the limited nuclear test ban. He punts on the question of what Kennedy would have done with Vietnam had he lived, though. Finally, he assigns Kennedy a significant share of the blame for his failure to make more progress with Congress on major legislation. Many items on his agenda such as civil rights legislation, tax cuts and Medicare would only become law once LBJ, a master legislator, took the helm.
Brinkley concludes with a look at how Kennedy’s perceived legacy started out brightly (65% of the population claimed to have voted with him after his assassination compared with 49% who actually did) only to falter with attacks from both sides of the political spectrum. Yet, Kennedy left a lasting legacy for many. Brinkley concludes that he remains identified with a particular moment in American history that rested in between the quiet Eisenhower era and the turbulent Johnson/Nixon days when Americans were highly optimistic about the future and therefore remains “as a bright and beckoning symbol of the world that many people believe they have lost.”
August 26, 2014
Historian Alan Brinkley’s biography of John F. Kennedy is a succinct and balanced account of an enormously complex, cunning and yet cautious man whose attitude toward the American presidency seems to have been that power, once attained, is better preserved than employed. He won The White House by a very narrow margin, never had control of his own party in Congress, and saw more wisdom in postponing battles than taking them on.
In a sense Kennedy wasn’t the liberal, activist politician that is part of his legend. He spoke better than he acted. He did two or three remarkable things as president. The Cuban Missile Crisis, which helped provoke by letting the Soviets think he was a push-over, may have been his greatest moment on the world stage. As we now know, he got the best out of his divided advisors, kept his own counsel, relied heavily on his brother, Robert, and ultimately made the right moves to avert a terrible escalation.
Domestic affairs did not interest JFK much, nor did he really understanding the workings of the American economy. He was slow to embrace the Civil Rights movement, and one could say he never really did. He always feared a white Southern backlash against him in his own party. The strongest things his administration did for black Americans were driven by Robert Kennedy, the Attorney General.
JFK’s charm, wit, good looks and eloquence had their dark sides. He was a pathological womanizer who had grown up rich, spoiled, and sickly. He chased women to make up for lost time, because he could get away with it, and perhaps because he was hyper-sexed due to the drugs that kept him upright. He also could be vulgar in word and behavior, a spoiled brat kind of man.
Brinkley does a good job of incorporating the views of other policymakers and historians in his mixed account of JFK. The final chapters dwell on Vietnam. Kennedy had traveled the world and met many world leaders. He wasn’t ignorant, but he was as naive about Vietnam as his successor, Lyndon Johnson, and lacked the cynical but strategic mind of Johnson’s successor, Richard Nixon. Brinkley reserves judgment, but it is difficult to believe that Kennedy would not have taken us further into Vietnam had he been reelected. Having endured the fiasco of the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, he wanted to win something somewhere, and he did not know enough about Asia to realize that it wasn’t a good place for him to take a stand.
JFK’s popularity was remarkably high throughout his presidency. People liked what they saw of him, his wife and children. The public had no idea that he carried on more sordidly than any president before or after him, though I’m sure he would have defended himself by saying it was all in good fun.
Then came JFK’s death. If you were alive then, as I was, you remember everything because you saw it all non-stop. It was a shocking, searing event. The country (and the world) was riveted to the TV and filled with a sense of loss and confusion and disgust and dismay. Brinkley doesn’t go into, “Who shot JFK?”, so I won’t either. The problem was that he was dead, the king was dead, and the heir apparent was a titanic, unappealing political force who did great things in terms of Civil Rights and other social programs and terrible things in terms of Vietnam.
Brinkley’s book is a good, quick refresher course in the contradictions of JFK. It’s well-written and fair. JFK may have been the most charismatic of our presidents, but he only began to grow into his job toward the end of his time in office. I suspect his second term, however, would have been less productive than his first. By Brinkley’s account, he couldn’t have handled the Civil Rights movement, continuing Soviet provocations, and Vietnam. He didn’t really like problems and didn’t really understand that problems are the essence of the presidency.
In a sense Kennedy wasn’t the liberal, activist politician that is part of his legend. He spoke better than he acted. He did two or three remarkable things as president. The Cuban Missile Crisis, which helped provoke by letting the Soviets think he was a push-over, may have been his greatest moment on the world stage. As we now know, he got the best out of his divided advisors, kept his own counsel, relied heavily on his brother, Robert, and ultimately made the right moves to avert a terrible escalation.
Domestic affairs did not interest JFK much, nor did he really understanding the workings of the American economy. He was slow to embrace the Civil Rights movement, and one could say he never really did. He always feared a white Southern backlash against him in his own party. The strongest things his administration did for black Americans were driven by Robert Kennedy, the Attorney General.
JFK’s charm, wit, good looks and eloquence had their dark sides. He was a pathological womanizer who had grown up rich, spoiled, and sickly. He chased women to make up for lost time, because he could get away with it, and perhaps because he was hyper-sexed due to the drugs that kept him upright. He also could be vulgar in word and behavior, a spoiled brat kind of man.
Brinkley does a good job of incorporating the views of other policymakers and historians in his mixed account of JFK. The final chapters dwell on Vietnam. Kennedy had traveled the world and met many world leaders. He wasn’t ignorant, but he was as naive about Vietnam as his successor, Lyndon Johnson, and lacked the cynical but strategic mind of Johnson’s successor, Richard Nixon. Brinkley reserves judgment, but it is difficult to believe that Kennedy would not have taken us further into Vietnam had he been reelected. Having endured the fiasco of the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, he wanted to win something somewhere, and he did not know enough about Asia to realize that it wasn’t a good place for him to take a stand.
JFK’s popularity was remarkably high throughout his presidency. People liked what they saw of him, his wife and children. The public had no idea that he carried on more sordidly than any president before or after him, though I’m sure he would have defended himself by saying it was all in good fun.
Then came JFK’s death. If you were alive then, as I was, you remember everything because you saw it all non-stop. It was a shocking, searing event. The country (and the world) was riveted to the TV and filled with a sense of loss and confusion and disgust and dismay. Brinkley doesn’t go into, “Who shot JFK?”, so I won’t either. The problem was that he was dead, the king was dead, and the heir apparent was a titanic, unappealing political force who did great things in terms of Civil Rights and other social programs and terrible things in terms of Vietnam.
Brinkley’s book is a good, quick refresher course in the contradictions of JFK. It’s well-written and fair. JFK may have been the most charismatic of our presidents, but he only began to grow into his job toward the end of his time in office. I suspect his second term, however, would have been less productive than his first. By Brinkley’s account, he couldn’t have handled the Civil Rights movement, continuing Soviet provocations, and Vietnam. He didn’t really like problems and didn’t really understand that problems are the essence of the presidency.
March 10, 2017
Good
This is a balanced and readable account of JFK's life, focussing on his career as president with its achievements, foibles and failures.
This is a balanced and readable account of JFK's life, focussing on his career as president with its achievements, foibles and failures.
April 3, 2023
"At a White House luncheon, Dealey read a statement to the president: 'You and your Administration are weak sisters...We need a man on horseback to lead this nation and many people in Texas and the Southwest think that you are riding Caroline's tricycle'" (83).
"What made Kennedy’s image so powerful and so enduring was not the product of his own achievements; it was that so many people have imagined what might have happened had he lived" (157).
Good, short overview of the life and legacy of JFK written with the benefit of hindsight bias.
"What made Kennedy’s image so powerful and so enduring was not the product of his own achievements; it was that so many people have imagined what might have happened had he lived" (157).
Good, short overview of the life and legacy of JFK written with the benefit of hindsight bias.
December 29, 2016
When any of the ~150 page books in the series manage to give a sense of the president's personality, invoke the zeitgeist of his - sadly, his is still the appropriate pronoun - term in office, and effectively describe the accomplishments and the failures of his tenure, the book has succeeded. Alan Brinkley's stab at writing on of these biographies is a definite success. In describing the term in office, he prefers to dwell in depth in just a few areas (mainly cold war relations with Russia and Cuba, civil rights and Vietnam), and he effectively debunks the Kennedy myth while still respecting Kennedy's accomplishments.
February 15, 2015
This was truly one of those books you just cannot put down, and that feeling does not come about as a result of the subject matter, but of the author's style. Brinkley takes a very neutral position in describing JFK and this was a very important task for this entry in the series.
May 28, 2012
Best of the American President Series. Great deal of information. Mr. Brinkley reveals Kennedy's life without showing his admitted deep admiration of the president.
October 14, 2012
This book covered Kennedy's history in just the right amount of depth and detail. Stories and facts were well-documented and handled with objectivity.
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