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My Twelve Years with John F. Kennedy
An up-close-and-personal biography of John F. Kennedy, the president who still captures the hearts of many Americans, as well as people around the world. Written by the woman who was his personal secretary for twelve years, it was the first biography of President Kennedy to come out of the White House after his death, and has been used as source material by many other biographers who followed.
The 400-page book's writing style is casual and personal, but does not pretend to be an expose, a psychoanalysis, or an interpretation of why JFK acted on any issue. This is a record of what Evelyn Lincoln saw and heard in a dozen years with JFK, but those seeking details of his sex life should look elsewhere. Her characterization of him is detailed and clear, and though she greatly admired the man, her descriptions of his flaws are quite unhesitating.
Included is every facet of the Kennedy Administration, such as his two major spinal surgeries, each of which nearly killed him; his battle with Addison's disease, which he concealed for fear its disclosure would destroy his political career; his free-wheeling dating of the capital's young women until he met Jackie; the 1956 Democratic convention which nearly named him its vice-presidential candidate and would thus have destroyed his presidential hopes; the 1960 campaign and how he beat all the odds and the political experts by winning; his naming of several prominent Republicans to cabinet posts in his administration, further angering traditional liberals who already disliked him; how he ran the White House by never holding a staff meeting; his handling of the steel industry confrontation, the racial crisis at the University of Mississippi, and the Cuban Missile Crisis; and the tears of grief he shed over the death of his infant son, Patrick.
As one reviewer said, if people want to know John Kennedy, they must read Evelyn Lincoln.
The 400-page book's writing style is casual and personal, but does not pretend to be an expose, a psychoanalysis, or an interpretation of why JFK acted on any issue. This is a record of what Evelyn Lincoln saw and heard in a dozen years with JFK, but those seeking details of his sex life should look elsewhere. Her characterization of him is detailed and clear, and though she greatly admired the man, her descriptions of his flaws are quite unhesitating.
Included is every facet of the Kennedy Administration, such as his two major spinal surgeries, each of which nearly killed him; his battle with Addison's disease, which he concealed for fear its disclosure would destroy his political career; his free-wheeling dating of the capital's young women until he met Jackie; the 1956 Democratic convention which nearly named him its vice-presidential candidate and would thus have destroyed his presidential hopes; the 1960 campaign and how he beat all the odds and the political experts by winning; his naming of several prominent Republicans to cabinet posts in his administration, further angering traditional liberals who already disliked him; how he ran the White House by never holding a staff meeting; his handling of the steel industry confrontation, the racial crisis at the University of Mississippi, and the Cuban Missile Crisis; and the tears of grief he shed over the death of his infant son, Patrick.
As one reviewer said, if people want to know John Kennedy, they must read Evelyn Lincoln.
371 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
7 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Evelyn Lincoln
13 books4 followersLincoln was born Evelyn Maurine Norton on a farm in Polk County, Nebraska. Her father was John N. Norton, a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 1930, she married Federal worker Harold W. Lincoln, whom she had met as a law student at George Washington University.
Evelyn had always aimed to work on Capitol Hill for a future president, and she achieved this ambition in 1953 by becoming personal secretary to the newly-elected senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. She proved exceptionally suitable for the job, and remained close to the president up to the day of his assassination in Dallas, when she was travelling in the same motorcade. She made it a point to visit Kennedy's grave at Arlington National Cemetery every year afterward on the anniversary of his death.
In 1968, she wrote a book, 'Kennedy and Johnson', in which she wrote that President Kennedy had told her that Lyndon B. Johnson would be replaced as Vice President of the United States. Lincoln wrote of that November 19, 1963 conversation, just before the assassination of President Kennedy,
“ As Mr. Kennedy sat in the rocker in my office, his head resting on its back he placed his left leg across his right knee. He rocked slightly as he talked. In a slow pensive voice he said to me, 'You know if I am re-elected in sixty-four, I am going to spend more and more time toward making government service an honorable career. I would like to tailor the executive and legislative branches of government so that they can keep up with the tremendous strides and progress being made in other fields.' 'I am going to advocate changing some of the outmoded rules and regulations in the Congress, such as the seniority rule. To do this I will need as a running mate in sixty-four a man who believes as I do.' Mrs. Lincoln went on to write "I was fascinated by this conversation and wrote it down verbatim in my diary. Now I asked, 'Who is your choice as a running-mate?' 'He looked straight ahead, and without hesitating he replied, 'at this time I am thinking about Governor Terry Sanford of North Carolina. But it will not be Lyndon.'
Lincoln died at Georgetown University Hospital in 1995, after complications that followed surgery for cancer. Her cremated remains were inurned in a niche at a columbarium in Arlington National Cemetery.
Evelyn had always aimed to work on Capitol Hill for a future president, and she achieved this ambition in 1953 by becoming personal secretary to the newly-elected senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. She proved exceptionally suitable for the job, and remained close to the president up to the day of his assassination in Dallas, when she was travelling in the same motorcade. She made it a point to visit Kennedy's grave at Arlington National Cemetery every year afterward on the anniversary of his death.
In 1968, she wrote a book, 'Kennedy and Johnson', in which she wrote that President Kennedy had told her that Lyndon B. Johnson would be replaced as Vice President of the United States. Lincoln wrote of that November 19, 1963 conversation, just before the assassination of President Kennedy,
“ As Mr. Kennedy sat in the rocker in my office, his head resting on its back he placed his left leg across his right knee. He rocked slightly as he talked. In a slow pensive voice he said to me, 'You know if I am re-elected in sixty-four, I am going to spend more and more time toward making government service an honorable career. I would like to tailor the executive and legislative branches of government so that they can keep up with the tremendous strides and progress being made in other fields.' 'I am going to advocate changing some of the outmoded rules and regulations in the Congress, such as the seniority rule. To do this I will need as a running mate in sixty-four a man who believes as I do.' Mrs. Lincoln went on to write "I was fascinated by this conversation and wrote it down verbatim in my diary. Now I asked, 'Who is your choice as a running-mate?' 'He looked straight ahead, and without hesitating he replied, 'at this time I am thinking about Governor Terry Sanford of North Carolina. But it will not be Lyndon.'
Lincoln died at Georgetown University Hospital in 1995, after complications that followed surgery for cancer. Her cremated remains were inurned in a niche at a columbarium in Arlington National Cemetery.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 23, 2023
In writing this review, I must confess that I deeply admire, respect, and revere John F. Kennedy. Over the years, I’ve read many books about his life and public career and watched numerous film documentaries about him. While I am very mindful that, like any human being, President Kennedy had his faults and weaknesses, I am nevertheless inspired by his courage, unwavering dedication to his country, his belief in the perfectibility of humanity to make a better and more just world, and his ability to inspire people to believe in themselves and in public service as an agency for socio-economic progress.
“MY TWELVE YEARS WITH JOHN F. KENNEDY” is Evelyn Lincoln’s account of the time she served John F. Kennedy as his secretary. The book begins in 1952 when Mrs. Lincoln was working on the clerical staff of a Georgia Congressman. The U.S. was on the cusp of a major sea change, for after 20 years of Democratic presidential administrations in the White House, a Republican tide in November of that year would bring in the war hero Dwight Eisenhower as President. What’s more, on his coattails, many Republicans would win election to Congress. Mrs. Lincoln had read earlier in the year about a young Massachusetts 3-term Congressman (John F. Kennedy) who had decided to challenge a powerful Senator (Henry Cabot Lodge) for his seat. Kennedy, a Catholic, was not expected to win. But Mrs. Lincoln was impressed with him and sensed he had potential. She told her husband that she believed that Kennedy could someday be President. Indeed, she asserted that he would be elected President in 1960! And for that reason, she wanted to go and work for him. That took some doing, for Kennedy, at the time, was often away in Massachusetts campaigning. What’s more: he already had a secretary. So, in addition to her normal job on Capitol Hill, Mrs. Lincoln got a job as a volunteer in Congressman Kennedy’s office.
Kennedy would defy the odds and win election to the Senate in 1952. Within a year, his regular secretary had left and Mrs. Lincoln, by dint of hard work and having learned to cope with the demands Kennedy would place on his staff (Kennedy challenged his staff much as he challenged himself), had earned the position as his secretary. The book then takes the reader into the life and times of John F. Kennedy as Evelyn Lincoln experienced them between 1953 and his assassination in November 1963. She writes in a way that will make the reader feel that he/she is not only a witness to history, but also to the life of a singularly remarkable politician and human being. I loved this book and will cherish it always.
“MY TWELVE YEARS WITH JOHN F. KENNEDY” is Evelyn Lincoln’s account of the time she served John F. Kennedy as his secretary. The book begins in 1952 when Mrs. Lincoln was working on the clerical staff of a Georgia Congressman. The U.S. was on the cusp of a major sea change, for after 20 years of Democratic presidential administrations in the White House, a Republican tide in November of that year would bring in the war hero Dwight Eisenhower as President. What’s more, on his coattails, many Republicans would win election to Congress. Mrs. Lincoln had read earlier in the year about a young Massachusetts 3-term Congressman (John F. Kennedy) who had decided to challenge a powerful Senator (Henry Cabot Lodge) for his seat. Kennedy, a Catholic, was not expected to win. But Mrs. Lincoln was impressed with him and sensed he had potential. She told her husband that she believed that Kennedy could someday be President. Indeed, she asserted that he would be elected President in 1960! And for that reason, she wanted to go and work for him. That took some doing, for Kennedy, at the time, was often away in Massachusetts campaigning. What’s more: he already had a secretary. So, in addition to her normal job on Capitol Hill, Mrs. Lincoln got a job as a volunteer in Congressman Kennedy’s office.
Kennedy would defy the odds and win election to the Senate in 1952. Within a year, his regular secretary had left and Mrs. Lincoln, by dint of hard work and having learned to cope with the demands Kennedy would place on his staff (Kennedy challenged his staff much as he challenged himself), had earned the position as his secretary. The book then takes the reader into the life and times of John F. Kennedy as Evelyn Lincoln experienced them between 1953 and his assassination in November 1963. She writes in a way that will make the reader feel that he/she is not only a witness to history, but also to the life of a singularly remarkable politician and human being. I loved this book and will cherish it always.
December 28, 2013
Interesting chronological account of JFK in the Senate through the presidency. This is not an in-depth look at JFK as through Lincoln's lens there was too much focus on minutia and the expected hero worshipping.
June 25, 2008
What a lunatic!! I read this book and was simply howling! Talk about obsessed! I really think she had a crush on JFK.
A fun voyeuristic read.
A fun voyeuristic read.
Want to read
January 11, 2014An interesting view on JFK... definitely worth reading further...
July 23, 2014
Wonderful loyalty describing a time I remember but was too young to fully understand. I wish we had more like JFK.
May 20, 2017
Thrift store find. Passed it up the first time I saw it. I knew this would be all goody goody and fictionalized but could not resist. Returned to the store and the book was still there. It had an inscription with the most attractive handwriting, “To My Dear Friend Bea, Happy Birthday Love & Kisses Betty Tonnale 1965”.
The first thing I noticed was Mrs. Lincoln’s dedication, “With Love to Caroline and John.” How syrupy can you get? So many moments of "what was she drinking" or "who paid her off to write that". She sure did worship Jack. I do wish I could remember the other books I read that mention that Jack wanted to fire her. But then again….I am sure all bosses go thru that. This woman was dedicated and no doubt could be trusted.
Quite positive Jackie made sure all was perfectly sanitized, as she did all books within her power were. Some of this reminded me of Lady Bird’s book, life was always perfect, no blemishes anywhere.
A few LOL moments I know were fictionalized-
-Mrs. Eisenhower (at the time of the transition) asked Jackie to look over the living quarters. (Jackie was still recuperating from John’s delivery, and was still not feeling great.) Evelyn wrote that Jackie “declined the courtesy” of a wheel chair. She did no such thing; in another book it was written (after she moved in) that she asked Mr. West if there had been a wheel chair available for the meeting as was requested. Mr. West said yes, Mrs. Eisenhower hid it behind a door and would take it out if Jackie requested it.
-When John was born, there was never any mention of his early complications.
-The comment that JFK had a close relationship with his mother!
Of course there was much more.
There were other items that were interesting…JFK was going thru papers and supposedly found Mrs. Lincoln’s diary, he asked if she was planning to write a book. She said, “not necessarily”, she told him it might be helpful when he was ready to write his memoirs.
When Jack was first campaigning for the presidency, he found that commercial airline schedules were not as accommodating for his needs. His brothers and sisters formed a corporation to buy a plane which was named the Caroline.
At times I did forget that this was history, it was a comical shock to read, “that Kennedy would campaign in Alaska and Hawaii, 2 new states.” I also did not like to be reminded how old I am.
There were lots of mentions of how little John loved planes.
It’s no news that JFK had premonitions about an early death; Mrs Lincoln came across this quote among his papers at the time of the Khrushchev talks.
“I know there is a God-and I see a storm coming;
If he has a place for me, I believe that I am ready.”
Another eerie item, Mrs. Lincoln wrote that in the first week of 1962, a news flash came over one of the press service wires, “ President Kennedy has just been assassinated while riding in an op—bust bust. This is not at all true-just kidding ha ha ha ha.”
She did say she had feeling of foreboding. Never was anything mentioned about what Bobby was doing or much of any big political news, with the exception of Cuba.
She did end the book as Jack and Jackie were about to begin the Dallas motorcade. She summed up her feelings quite nicely.
As sugar coated as this book is….it still had some merit. It would have been so much better if she was able to write candidly. But folks didn’t do that in those days, and perhaps sometimes it’s best not too.
The first thing I noticed was Mrs. Lincoln’s dedication, “With Love to Caroline and John.” How syrupy can you get? So many moments of "what was she drinking" or "who paid her off to write that". She sure did worship Jack. I do wish I could remember the other books I read that mention that Jack wanted to fire her. But then again….I am sure all bosses go thru that. This woman was dedicated and no doubt could be trusted.
Quite positive Jackie made sure all was perfectly sanitized, as she did all books within her power were. Some of this reminded me of Lady Bird’s book, life was always perfect, no blemishes anywhere.
A few LOL moments I know were fictionalized-
-Mrs. Eisenhower (at the time of the transition) asked Jackie to look over the living quarters. (Jackie was still recuperating from John’s delivery, and was still not feeling great.) Evelyn wrote that Jackie “declined the courtesy” of a wheel chair. She did no such thing; in another book it was written (after she moved in) that she asked Mr. West if there had been a wheel chair available for the meeting as was requested. Mr. West said yes, Mrs. Eisenhower hid it behind a door and would take it out if Jackie requested it.
-When John was born, there was never any mention of his early complications.
-The comment that JFK had a close relationship with his mother!
Of course there was much more.
There were other items that were interesting…JFK was going thru papers and supposedly found Mrs. Lincoln’s diary, he asked if she was planning to write a book. She said, “not necessarily”, she told him it might be helpful when he was ready to write his memoirs.
When Jack was first campaigning for the presidency, he found that commercial airline schedules were not as accommodating for his needs. His brothers and sisters formed a corporation to buy a plane which was named the Caroline.
At times I did forget that this was history, it was a comical shock to read, “that Kennedy would campaign in Alaska and Hawaii, 2 new states.” I also did not like to be reminded how old I am.
There were lots of mentions of how little John loved planes.
It’s no news that JFK had premonitions about an early death; Mrs Lincoln came across this quote among his papers at the time of the Khrushchev talks.
“I know there is a God-and I see a storm coming;
If he has a place for me, I believe that I am ready.”
Another eerie item, Mrs. Lincoln wrote that in the first week of 1962, a news flash came over one of the press service wires, “ President Kennedy has just been assassinated while riding in an op—bust bust. This is not at all true-just kidding ha ha ha ha.”
She did say she had feeling of foreboding. Never was anything mentioned about what Bobby was doing or much of any big political news, with the exception of Cuba.
She did end the book as Jack and Jackie were about to begin the Dallas motorcade. She summed up her feelings quite nicely.
As sugar coated as this book is….it still had some merit. It would have been so much better if she was able to write candidly. But folks didn’t do that in those days, and perhaps sometimes it’s best not too.
October 28, 2018
#103 of 120 books pledged to read during 2018
Very interesting account of Evelyn Lincoln's 12 years as John F. Kennedy's personal secretary while he was U.S. Congressman and then Senator from Massachusetts, and the 35th President of the United States. She describes a man who was sometimes challenging to work for, but who was enjoyable to be around as well and thoughtful to his employees. She does not dish the dirt on his personal life, which is fine with me-- there are plenty of other places to read that if one is so inclined. She was professional and loyal, which are qualities of a top-notch executive assistant.
Very interesting account of Evelyn Lincoln's 12 years as John F. Kennedy's personal secretary while he was U.S. Congressman and then Senator from Massachusetts, and the 35th President of the United States. She describes a man who was sometimes challenging to work for, but who was enjoyable to be around as well and thoughtful to his employees. She does not dish the dirt on his personal life, which is fine with me-- there are plenty of other places to read that if one is so inclined. She was professional and loyal, which are qualities of a top-notch executive assistant.
July 8, 2024
While this book provided certain insights to what it was like to be the White House secretary for JFK, I felt Evelyn Lincoln wrote too much about her importance in the role. That said, there were areas of JFK's presidency behind the scenes that Evelyn did a nice job of detailing.
September 10, 2017
This book was written by JFK's personal secretary, Evelyn Lincoln. Her writing has a very personable style to it that made it mostly easy to read and compelling.
April 9, 2021
If you like history, you will love this book. It is a great look at JFK. She does sugar coat a little, but there are situations that she does describe well.
February 18, 2016
Interesting book from the perspective of someone who actually worked for Kennedy. It really humanized JFK.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews