Icon, Libertine, Leader: The Life and Presidency of John F. Kennedy

by Mark White

This new biography of JFK offers a comprehensive analysis of the man, the leader, and the cultural icon. Mark White, the leading authority in Britain on JFK, draws on more than 30 years of research to provide a nuanced portrait of one of the most iconic figures in American and world history.

John F. Kennedy was a president like no other, with a movie star's public image and an extraordinary private life. He was no less remarkable politically, with his achievements including the resolution of the 1961 Berlin crisis and the Cuban missile crisis, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and a strong commitment to civil rights.

This book provides what no previous biography an in-depth analysis of not only JFK's political life, particularly his record as a policymaker in the White House, but also his private life, his role as a cultural icon, and what might have happened to a Kennedy presidency had he not been assassinated.

This sophisticated, multi-dimensional biography sheds new light on JFK's life and legacy, and makes a compelling case for why he was the finest president of his generation.

Genres: History

288 pages, Paperback

Published December 12, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.

Other authors publishing under this name are:

Mark White
Mark White
Mark White, journalist, editor, teacher, field researcher
Mark White, comedy writer
Mark White, jazz guitarist, educator and session man

Reviews

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that John F. Kennedy was an unprincipled philanderer was a shock to, and the fact of his deliberate cultivation of his image was a re-affirmation of my perception of Kennedy’s presidency … This balanced assessment of his presidency underscores a much-needed re-calibration of history … “While the extremes of Camelot praise and revisionist censure should be avoided, a cogent case can and should be made that Kennedy was a very impressive leader. He advanced the cause of a more equal society and generally managed with finesse the international challenges of one of the most dangerous periods in world history.”