Kennedy and Reagan: Why Their Legacies Endure

by Scott Farris

It’s been more than fifty years since JFK’s assassination and a quarter century since Ronald Reagan left the White House, yet the two men remain the beaux ideals of what the left and the right believe a president should be, and of how a president should look, sound, and act. But has popular memory, in service to contemporary causes, distorted what the legacies of each man actually are?
     In Kennedy and Reagan , acclaimed political historian Scott Farris offers a comparative biography that explores Kennedy’s and Reagan’s contemporaneous lives from birth until 1960, showing how the experiences, attitudes, and skills developed by each man later impacted his presidency. Tackling key issues of each president’s time in office—civil rights, religion, nuclear brinkmanship, etc.—he also considers how their dealings around each issue compare and contrast. Ultimately, Kennedy and Reagan provides examines why the American public consistently ranks Kennedy and Reagan among the greatest presidents in history, an assessment shared by pundits and politicians, while historians do not.

Genres: History, Presidents, Biography, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

My biggest problem with this book is that the title is incredibly misleading. I wanted something about their legacies (and why they endure) but instead I got a very tedious comparison of their histories and personal lives. I learned about their relationships with their moms, their school years, Reagan's dad's alcoholism, their religious beliefs, their relationships with their wives and girlfriends, and basically everything except how they developed in the womb.

By the time it got to the political stuff (about 70% in) I was bored stiff. By the time it got to Iran-Contra (about 80%) my eyes had glazed over so I didn't learn about something I've always been curious about. I have no idea what happened after that. There was a stab at why they endure at the end but I don't remember what his explanation was.

I can't say whether the book was good or bad, it was just really not what I was looking for.

[Dave Schoettinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Farris engages in what he terms comparative biography - a kind of limited literary channel surfing. When you tire of reading about Kennedy, he turns your attention to Reagan. The author's conclusion that the primary reason why these two figures have become the patron saints of their respective political parties is that each was at his his best in a crisis situation and that the Cold War provided both with their share of weighty crises during which they could appear presidential. This would go a long way to explain their continuing popularity among their current parties, despite the fact that their positions on issues often run afoul of currently dominant ideologies. The American electorate seems to retain a definite preference for style over substance, but this says much more about the electorate than it does about potential candidates.

[Brian Eshleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What could have been a party game of listing coincidental links between Kennedy and Reagan turned out to be quite meaningful. By comparing the two men and their alliance, he is able to compare the cultures in which they grew up with our own era. He goes beyond likenesses we would suspect, such as assassination attempts on both and their handsome, telegenic appearance, to highlight the transitory childhoods of both, and the influence that hard-driving fathers had on both, despite the differences of the beginning point between Joseph P Kennedy and Reagan's father.

Perhaps I'm unduly influenced by his written conclusions since I just finished the book,but it is certainly a fitting testament to the book's power. For instance, the author simultaneously shows that there will be another Kennedy or Reagan towering over a more or less unified culture AND to explain that there opportunity to dominate the media of their day with the helpful cohesion of a Soviet threat that was dangerous to the whole society is part of why we remember them so well. They represent that we want aspects of their leadership again but that, realistically, we don't want the perilous times that produced these men.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this in a first reads giveaway. I requested this book because on the surface Kennedy and Reagan are the LAST two Presidents who I would think had anything in common. The author did a wonderful job of proving me wrong. He gives an especially good example of common ground when he talks about the speeches they gave and how every election the candidates try to fill their shoes and fail miserably.

[Mary Spink · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged from cover to cover. Reagan and Kennedy were two of America's most popular presidents. This book embraces those feelings. A must read for all. Thank you GR and Scott Farris!

[Bob DeLacy Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both Kennedy and Reagan worked in the middle. One president believed ideology didn't need to get in the way to which both sides cling to. One side talks naive and the other won't come up with any new ideas. The other president believed in compromise,refused confrontations. Author says both presidents wouldn't make it in today's politics. Perhaps,but than this country in today's politics needs leaders exactly like them. Who work down the middle,who keep nonsense aside and come up with new ideas and compromise to get America moving again. To keep America moving towards progress and lead the world to a more peaceful one.

I take much time reading because I take notes,I write down quotes and think about them. History is very valuable if the one reading it listens and learns. If we don't than if often repeats and if it keeps repeating. The worse it gets. Kennedy and Reagan did their studying. So must we.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book comparing Presidents Kennedy and Reagan. It goes into their views on Communism, the military, and society. It also attempts to show why these two held those beliefs. While this is not a biography of either, it is still very readable for those who like either president.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize Kennedy & Reagan had so much in common! Very interesting book but I skipped most of the chapter on financial stuff during their presidency because it was a little slow (or I was lost). Reagan is one of my favorite presidents and I'm always interested in the Kennedy mystique so it made for a fun book. A little slow in parts.

[Liz Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Educational + entertaining

Educational + entertaining

I found the parallels interesting and informational between the two men. I also felt a few bubbles of fantasy burst about a hero with feet of clay. I'm not sure if I agree with the premises presented in the book, but I definitely will continue to explore them.

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. I would never have
Thought to compare these liberal and conservative
Heroes. They are much more alike than either of their
respective backers would like to believe.

[Daniel Mcgregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. There were quite a few surprises in its pages. But my one profound criticism of the book was the criteria for legacy seemed to be their popularity amidst the American people. That alone does not seem to me to be grounds for considering their presidency significant.