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Reconsidering JFK
The John F. Kennedy presidency has an indelible hold on our imaginations. Even more than half a century later, we remain captivated by the charismatic young leader who promised us the moon, who remained steadfast in the face of nuclear catastrophe, who told us to “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”—and whose life was cut short by shocking assassination.
Although so much ink has been spilled about JFK, recent years have seen the public release of documents and interviews, shedding new light on a man who perhaps never fully revealed himself to anyone: the courageous soldier, the political neophyte, the stylish leader, the casual playboy. Who was JFK? And what do we know about his presidency?
Reconsidering JFK is your chance to transport yourself back to a more innocent time in America, to a presidency mythologized as “Camelot.” In these 12 in-depth lectures, Professor Michael Shelden of Indiana State University brings you the latest research and first-hand accounts to portray a fresh angle on a multi-faceted, always fascinating American president.
Here, consider the story through the eyes of people who experienced it. For instance, it is difficult to reflect on Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas without thinking about Lee Harvey Oswald and conspiracy theories of the grassy knoll. But when you look at that fateful day through the eyes of those who lived it, you will discover that political tensions in Texas were the most dominant concern. Professor Shelden shows you grumpy Lyndon Johnson, forced to go on a reconciliation tour, bickering with colleagues until the shots were fired.
Historians traffic in drama—the turning points that change the world forever. JFK’s presidency certainly was a turning point, but what remains so compelling is the human drama behind events such as the Bay of Pigs or the Cuban Missile Crisis. Reconsidering JFK is a story of the human drama—and the heart of the intriguing leader who changed the world.
Although so much ink has been spilled about JFK, recent years have seen the public release of documents and interviews, shedding new light on a man who perhaps never fully revealed himself to anyone: the courageous soldier, the political neophyte, the stylish leader, the casual playboy. Who was JFK? And what do we know about his presidency?
Reconsidering JFK is your chance to transport yourself back to a more innocent time in America, to a presidency mythologized as “Camelot.” In these 12 in-depth lectures, Professor Michael Shelden of Indiana State University brings you the latest research and first-hand accounts to portray a fresh angle on a multi-faceted, always fascinating American president.
Here, consider the story through the eyes of people who experienced it. For instance, it is difficult to reflect on Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas without thinking about Lee Harvey Oswald and conspiracy theories of the grassy knoll. But when you look at that fateful day through the eyes of those who lived it, you will discover that political tensions in Texas were the most dominant concern. Professor Shelden shows you grumpy Lyndon Johnson, forced to go on a reconciliation tour, bickering with colleagues until the shots were fired.
Historians traffic in drama—the turning points that change the world forever. JFK’s presidency certainly was a turning point, but what remains so compelling is the human drama behind events such as the Bay of Pigs or the Cuban Missile Crisis. Reconsidering JFK is a story of the human drama—and the heart of the intriguing leader who changed the world.
6 pages, Audible Audio
Published July 15, 2022
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 9, 2024
Like many people interested in American history, JFK and Bobby Kennedy have created a particular point of interest for me. I’ve already read a number of books focused on the life and actions of this pair:
RARE AN UNFINISHED LIFE by Robert Dallek - 1st/1st HCDJ 2003 - Kennedy JFK - fine
Robert Kennedy: His Life
One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War
But I’ve also enjoyed a quite a few of Audible’s Great Courses, and when I spotted this one on offer as a freebie I concluded that another commentary on JFK’s short presidency would be a good way to keep me company during around 6 hours of dog walking time.
The lectures are written and delivered by Michael Sheldon, a Pulitzer Prize finalist who has written six biographies and, for ten years, was a feature writer for the London Daily Telegraph. His aim here is to take a balanced look at JFK’s presidency by examining both its successes and failures. Much of the input comes from a rich archive of eyewitness accounts from people who saw him up close as both a candidate and as a president. A good deal of this material has been drawn from a library of oral histories at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
We’re walked through a brief family history, followed by his route to the presidency (the first Catholic to achieve this status, of course). Then there’s quite a bit of focus on his private life: he was, as been widely reported, a serial womaniser. The remainder takes a look at the big issues he was required to deal with in his time in office, which amounted to a little less than three years. His major challenges included: his health (he struggled throughout his life with issues connect to Addison’s disease); the Bay of Pigs fiasco (very soon after he gained office); the Cuban Missile Crisis (which arrived not long after he’d been bullied in his first meeting with Khrushchev); his pledge to reach the Moon by the end of the decade (this was subsequently achieved after his death, in July 1969); the civil rights battle (legislation with eventually be pushed through by Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon Johnson, some eight months after Kennedy’s assassination); Vietnam (there were just 685 military advisers in country at the start of his administration, but this had increased to more than 16000 by the time of his death). His assassination is covered, but only really in a political context.
Kennedy’s presidency it might not have been the longest, but it was certainly a busy one.
The author concludes that on the plus side are: JFK’s youthful ambition, energy, and his willingness to address the racial divide in America. In addition, there are his grand visions for scientific and technological changes together with his success at resisting American involvement in a major war (with the Soviet Union).But he admits that Kennedy divides opinion. There are many who can’t hear anything negative about the man but also a lot who can’t say anything positive. Either way, he says, he changed the way Americans look at the office itself. He was truly the first modern president.
Overall, I found it to be another useful and interesting look at one of the most fascinating men of the 20th century.
RARE AN UNFINISHED LIFE by Robert Dallek - 1st/1st HCDJ 2003 - Kennedy JFK - fine
Robert Kennedy: His Life
One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War
But I’ve also enjoyed a quite a few of Audible’s Great Courses, and when I spotted this one on offer as a freebie I concluded that another commentary on JFK’s short presidency would be a good way to keep me company during around 6 hours of dog walking time.
The lectures are written and delivered by Michael Sheldon, a Pulitzer Prize finalist who has written six biographies and, for ten years, was a feature writer for the London Daily Telegraph. His aim here is to take a balanced look at JFK’s presidency by examining both its successes and failures. Much of the input comes from a rich archive of eyewitness accounts from people who saw him up close as both a candidate and as a president. A good deal of this material has been drawn from a library of oral histories at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
We’re walked through a brief family history, followed by his route to the presidency (the first Catholic to achieve this status, of course). Then there’s quite a bit of focus on his private life: he was, as been widely reported, a serial womaniser. The remainder takes a look at the big issues he was required to deal with in his time in office, which amounted to a little less than three years. His major challenges included: his health (he struggled throughout his life with issues connect to Addison’s disease); the Bay of Pigs fiasco (very soon after he gained office); the Cuban Missile Crisis (which arrived not long after he’d been bullied in his first meeting with Khrushchev); his pledge to reach the Moon by the end of the decade (this was subsequently achieved after his death, in July 1969); the civil rights battle (legislation with eventually be pushed through by Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon Johnson, some eight months after Kennedy’s assassination); Vietnam (there were just 685 military advisers in country at the start of his administration, but this had increased to more than 16000 by the time of his death). His assassination is covered, but only really in a political context.
Kennedy’s presidency it might not have been the longest, but it was certainly a busy one.
The author concludes that on the plus side are: JFK’s youthful ambition, energy, and his willingness to address the racial divide in America. In addition, there are his grand visions for scientific and technological changes together with his success at resisting American involvement in a major war (with the Soviet Union).But he admits that Kennedy divides opinion. There are many who can’t hear anything negative about the man but also a lot who can’t say anything positive. Either way, he says, he changed the way Americans look at the office itself. He was truly the first modern president.
Overall, I found it to be another useful and interesting look at one of the most fascinating men of the 20th century.
July 1, 2025
I watched the 12 lectures on this subject by The Great Courses. Of the Great Courses I have studied (over 50!) , this is definitely the one conveying information with the most nuance! The author is a Pulitzer-Prize nominee, and you can tell by the way he discusses the issue. He presents Kennedy as a real mix of positive and negative traits! Recommended for all over age 13 who are interested in history, the Kennedys, or USA politics.
June 17, 2025
I found these "lectures" to be quite interesting.
January 8, 2025
My interest and reading usually avoids presidential and military history, so when I found this rather brief biographical sketch of John F. Kennedy's presidency in the Great Courses series, I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. The audiobook is divided into lectures that follow JFK's rise to power and the major events and decisions that shaped his administration up to his assassination. Shelden does a good job of succinctly telling the story of the president's life and career while diving down on certain topics of importance, such as the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban missile crisis, civil rights legislation, and the assassination.
One surprising takeaway for me, mainly because I didn't know that much about JFK, was how sexually promiscuous he was during his marriage to Jackie Kennedy. Yes, I knew about the affair with Marilyn Monroe because it has been so publicized throughout most of my life, but I didn't realize there were so many other women in and out of his bed(s). Sadly, Jackie seemed to know just how unfaithful her husband was, mainly because he was sleeping with other women within earshot of his wife, even in the White House. He is yet another in a long list of powerful men who achieved greatness but who possessed terrible character flaws. Even though Jackie came from extreme wealth, power, and influence, sadly she was living in a time where women, especially mothers, had little recourse when their husbands were adulterers.
I was also unaware of how tense the situation became in 1962 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the build up of nuclear weapons and launch sites in Cuba. Shelden focuses on how the negotiations between Kennedy and Khrushchev ultimately played in Kennedy's favor and the peaceful resolution would be considered one of the president's greatest victories. Kennedy needed this show of strength and strategy after the failed CIA invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, which many historians still consider either a gross miscalculation based on faulty intelligence or an attempt at downright sabotage of Kennedy's presidency by the agency.
Shelden's discussion of Kennedy's many health issues all of his life are important because his ailments and the attempts to keep them contained and hidden ended up occupying significant time and energy. I didn't know how frail he was while he served in Congress in the 1950s, so much so that colleagues often commented about his gaunt, sickly appearance. Even during his presidency, he narrowly escaped death several times.
Shelden also does a good job of setting the stage for Kennedy's assassination, especially exploring the backstories of the main players who were in the Dallas motorcade that fateful day. He explains how Kennedy was actively involved in trying to calm the stormy relationships between Vice President Johnson, Texas Governor John Connally, and Senator Ralph Yarborough. The swiftness with which Johnson took over the seat of power, even on Air Force One as he and Jackie and others in the close circle headed back to the U.S. Capital, is especially interesting. This audiobook is a good alternative for readers who want to get the highlights of Kennedy's presidency without investing weeks of reading the more comprehensive studies and biographies.
One surprising takeaway for me, mainly because I didn't know that much about JFK, was how sexually promiscuous he was during his marriage to Jackie Kennedy. Yes, I knew about the affair with Marilyn Monroe because it has been so publicized throughout most of my life, but I didn't realize there were so many other women in and out of his bed(s). Sadly, Jackie seemed to know just how unfaithful her husband was, mainly because he was sleeping with other women within earshot of his wife, even in the White House. He is yet another in a long list of powerful men who achieved greatness but who possessed terrible character flaws. Even though Jackie came from extreme wealth, power, and influence, sadly she was living in a time where women, especially mothers, had little recourse when their husbands were adulterers.
I was also unaware of how tense the situation became in 1962 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the build up of nuclear weapons and launch sites in Cuba. Shelden focuses on how the negotiations between Kennedy and Khrushchev ultimately played in Kennedy's favor and the peaceful resolution would be considered one of the president's greatest victories. Kennedy needed this show of strength and strategy after the failed CIA invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, which many historians still consider either a gross miscalculation based on faulty intelligence or an attempt at downright sabotage of Kennedy's presidency by the agency.
Shelden's discussion of Kennedy's many health issues all of his life are important because his ailments and the attempts to keep them contained and hidden ended up occupying significant time and energy. I didn't know how frail he was while he served in Congress in the 1950s, so much so that colleagues often commented about his gaunt, sickly appearance. Even during his presidency, he narrowly escaped death several times.
Shelden also does a good job of setting the stage for Kennedy's assassination, especially exploring the backstories of the main players who were in the Dallas motorcade that fateful day. He explains how Kennedy was actively involved in trying to calm the stormy relationships between Vice President Johnson, Texas Governor John Connally, and Senator Ralph Yarborough. The swiftness with which Johnson took over the seat of power, even on Air Force One as he and Jackie and others in the close circle headed back to the U.S. Capital, is especially interesting. This audiobook is a good alternative for readers who want to get the highlights of Kennedy's presidency without investing weeks of reading the more comprehensive studies and biographies.
October 30, 2023
Reconsidering JFK by Michael Shelden is a perfectly fine survey of JFK, but it is mostly limited by its own format. How does one cram into six hours or so something that covers the gamut of the rise of JFK, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Contention with Khrushchev in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Apollo program, Vietnam, his assassination, and the myth of Camelot? You treat them all briefly before moving on. There's no real time to wrestle with JFK. We're supposed to reconsider his presidency here, but it is not all too clear what it is we are supposed to have considered before. With little time to breathe and ruminate on things, the lessons Shelden wishes to impart are provided to us often ten to twenty minutes after the subject is initially raised. What we are left with is a survey that is "fine" in every sense of the word, but not something that can aspire to be a course that will be remembered in the long run. At this stage, it is a teaser for something more, an abridged account of one of US history's favorite modern sons, rather than being a full articulation of the man and his presidency.
But that is to fight against the format. The Great Courses seems to be pushing shorter and shorter fare these days, and I'm not all that happy about it. As such, most of my criticisms may simply have been unavoidable for Shelden.
But that is to fight against the format. The Great Courses seems to be pushing shorter and shorter fare these days, and I'm not all that happy about it. As such, most of my criticisms may simply have been unavoidable for Shelden.
January 13, 2025
(3.5 rounded to 4.0).
Who was JFK? A charismatic young leader? A devoted husband and father? A philanderer and user of women? Almost an invalid with chronic illness(es)? Or all of this and more. This Great Courses series of lectures asks these questions and more which investigates different roles that he played by looking at critical moments during his political career and his presidency. By looking at the roles which he adopted in such moments, it is possible to also ask how it might have affected his work if he had lived. The courses examine the history which shaped the event and the person. Using the published accounts and the oral histories housed at the Kennedy Library., the author looks at well known events with a new perspective shaped by the people who observed or took part of them. Even during the short period of time of his presidency, things were set in motion that we are still working out today.
I found this a thoughtful, well researched examination of a unique period of history. The premise that JFK was an individual with multiple facets and each individually distinct was interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation and highly recommend it.
Who was JFK? A charismatic young leader? A devoted husband and father? A philanderer and user of women? Almost an invalid with chronic illness(es)? Or all of this and more. This Great Courses series of lectures asks these questions and more which investigates different roles that he played by looking at critical moments during his political career and his presidency. By looking at the roles which he adopted in such moments, it is possible to also ask how it might have affected his work if he had lived. The courses examine the history which shaped the event and the person. Using the published accounts and the oral histories housed at the Kennedy Library., the author looks at well known events with a new perspective shaped by the people who observed or took part of them. Even during the short period of time of his presidency, things were set in motion that we are still working out today.
I found this a thoughtful, well researched examination of a unique period of history. The premise that JFK was an individual with multiple facets and each individually distinct was interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation and highly recommend it.
December 19, 2023
This was an interesting take on what went on before, during and after the Kennedy Administration.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews