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Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History
On two consecutive days in June 1963, in two lyrical speeches, John F. Kennedy pivots dramatically and boldly on the two greatest issues of his nuclear arms and civil rights. In language unheard in lily white, Cold War America, he appeals to Americans to see both the Russians and the "Negroes" as human beings. His speech on June 10 leads to the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963; his speech on June 11 to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Based on new material—hours of recently uncovered documentary film shot in the White House and the Justice Department, fresh interviews, and a rediscovered draft speech—Two Days in June captures Kennedy at the high noon of his presidency in startling, granular detail which biographer Sally Bedell Smith calls "a seamless and riveting narrative, beautifully written, weaving together the consequential and the quotidian, with verve and authority." Moment by moment, JFK's feverish forty-eight hours unspools in cinematic clarity as he addresses "peace and freedom." In the tick-tock of the American presidency, we see Kennedy facing down George Wallace over the integration of the University of Alabama, talking obsessively about sex and politics at a dinner party in Georgetown, recoiling at a newspaper photograph of a burning monk in Saigon, planning a secret diplomatic mission to Indonesia, and reeling from the midnight murder of Medgar Evers.There were 1,036 days in the presidency of John F. Kennedy. This is the story of two of them.
418 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 14, 2015
Andrew Cohen has written many fine books, usually on Canadian themes but he is also an expert on American politics and history. This is, in my view, the finest book he has written -- gripping, full of detail, and very revealing. Cohen has long been fascinated with JFK and this is a case of the author fining the book he was born to write. Aside from the depth of research, which is considerable, he has a passion for and understanding of the Kennedys, the huge issues dealt with in the book, the players, and the Washington of the day,that cannot be got by research alone. He has used two speeches to illuminate a galaxy of characters, some pivotal issues, the dynamics of politics, and the flowering of a presidency that too soon would come to a tragic end -- all in a writing style that is fluent, clear, engaging, and often very moving.
January 29, 2016
A must read for anyone interested in American history, Kennedy or even leadership. Andrew Cohen takes the reader through two of the most overlooked and important 48 hours in Kennedy's presidency in what can only be an amazingly researched book given the level of detail Cohen provides. For all the talk of the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis and Kennedy's inauguration speech and speech at the Berlin Wall, his speeches on June 10 and June 11, 1963 are probably two of the speeches to which people should pay more attention, because of the resounding impacts they had on future events in the United States and the World.
When I told a friend about the book, the reply was "Why not watch the speeches on YouTube?". As much as I admire Kennedy's oratory skills, the real value of this book is not the speeches, but the background behind them and the political machinations surrounding the events that led to them, especially the speech after the two African American students were admitted to the University of Alabama, against Governor George Wallace's wishes and actions.
Cohen beautifully portrays the events of the day in a story that reads as easily as fiction. In addition to all of the meetings and discussions about the speeches and events around Alabama, he shows a real human side of Kennedy. The kind who wants to go swimming during the day and attends dinner parties. The back and forth with his advisers about the Alabama situation gives you a real picture of the challenges facing him as President during especially turbulent times in America.
Leadership is about making difficult decisions and making the right decisions. In "Two Days in June", with two speeches, Kennedy set about a thaw to the Cold War that was plaguing the world and continued to set in motion advancements in civil rights in the United States. Neither of these speeches were made in a vacuum, and Cohen gives a great background into the entire processes behind both.
When I told a friend about the book, the reply was "Why not watch the speeches on YouTube?". As much as I admire Kennedy's oratory skills, the real value of this book is not the speeches, but the background behind them and the political machinations surrounding the events that led to them, especially the speech after the two African American students were admitted to the University of Alabama, against Governor George Wallace's wishes and actions.
Cohen beautifully portrays the events of the day in a story that reads as easily as fiction. In addition to all of the meetings and discussions about the speeches and events around Alabama, he shows a real human side of Kennedy. The kind who wants to go swimming during the day and attends dinner parties. The back and forth with his advisers about the Alabama situation gives you a real picture of the challenges facing him as President during especially turbulent times in America.
Leadership is about making difficult decisions and making the right decisions. In "Two Days in June", with two speeches, Kennedy set about a thaw to the Cold War that was plaguing the world and continued to set in motion advancements in civil rights in the United States. Neither of these speeches were made in a vacuum, and Cohen gives a great background into the entire processes behind both.
February 7, 2015
This is simply an amazing book: Exhaustively researched and well written, an enlightening and entertaining read from end to end. Much is new in the content and the telling; Mr. Cohen is a true master of the topic. You will not want to put Two Days in June down.
March 5, 2015
In exploring two pivotal days in JFK's short presidency, Andrew Cohen takes the reader inside the thinking and strategy that underpinned Kennedy's pursuit of racial equality and global peace. As a literary history, full of vivid descriptions of places, people and ideas, Cohen invites the reader into the White House swimming pool, to peek into the Presidential bedroom and to ease drop on conversations with friends, allies and enemies. Myth is stripped away, and complex, extraordinary and yet very human person emerges, one whose discipline, vision and energy shaped both American and global history.
May 31, 2015
Fabulous book.
A superbly written book that chronicles 2 of the most significant presidential speeches in American history. This book is well researched with incredible perspectives from those individuals who were there. A must read.
A superbly written book that chronicles 2 of the most significant presidential speeches in American history. This book is well researched with incredible perspectives from those individuals who were there. A must read.
August 10, 2015
This engaging book is structured as an hour-by-hour narrative of an extraordinary 48-hour period of the Kennedy presidency. On Monday, June 10th, 1963, Kennedy delivered a speech, at American University, proposing a nuclear test ban treaty with the Soviet Union; on Tuesday the 11th, he delivered a televised address to the nation proposing a comprehensive civil rights bill. Also on the 11th (and closely related to the timing of the televised address), the White House was engaged in a tense showdown with Governor George Wallace over the court-ordered admission of two black students to the University of Alabama.
As the hours roll by, we learn a lot about daily life in the Kennedy White House, how the president worked and made decisions, who he relied on for advice, when and what he ate, and how he exercised (twice-daily swims in the White House pool). JFK's closest advisers figure prominently in the narrative, especially his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and speechwriter Ted Sorensen (who wrote both of the key speeches that frame this book).
The author delivers more than a simple recounting of Kennedy's thoughts and actions on these critical days; the book serves as a microcosm of the Kennedy presidency, and it provides a trenchant assessment of and reflection on two of the most important issues of the Kennedy presidency: the Cold War, and civil rights. The author deftly connects these issues in moral terms: at the core of both speeches, Kennedy urged Americans to view groups with which our society had had troublesome relations as, in the case of Russians, human beings deserving of peaceful co-existence, and in the case of African-Americans, fellow citizens deserving of full human rights.
Overall the book was well-researched, briskly paced, clearly written, and, at times, dramatically gripping. But two weaknesses prevented me from assigning five stars. First, the narrative pace was slowed by a long, plodding chapter that focused on Washington D.C.'s social scene, profiled the principal society mavens, sampled the current gossip, and unnecessarily (for a book about Kennedy's approaches to the Cold War and civil rights) detailed the president's sex life. I found this 40-page chapter to be quite tedious. Second, although First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy does not appear in the 48-hour narrative, the author quotes her frequently, and nearly all of these quotes are negative character assessments of various people who interacted with her husband. There were far too many quotes that were variations on "Jack really hated X," or "Jack couldn't stand Y," or "Z was a real jerk". Jackie's only role in the book seemed to be that of character assassin.
The author concludes the main part of the book with a sensitively-written chapter that provides a moving description of a dramatic, historically significant incident that occurred just after midnight on June 12th. I hadn't realized that the timing of this event so closely followed the events of June 10-11, 1963, and this realization came as a powerful surprise, so I won't provide a spoiler by identifying the event here.
As the hours roll by, we learn a lot about daily life in the Kennedy White House, how the president worked and made decisions, who he relied on for advice, when and what he ate, and how he exercised (twice-daily swims in the White House pool). JFK's closest advisers figure prominently in the narrative, especially his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and speechwriter Ted Sorensen (who wrote both of the key speeches that frame this book).
The author delivers more than a simple recounting of Kennedy's thoughts and actions on these critical days; the book serves as a microcosm of the Kennedy presidency, and it provides a trenchant assessment of and reflection on two of the most important issues of the Kennedy presidency: the Cold War, and civil rights. The author deftly connects these issues in moral terms: at the core of both speeches, Kennedy urged Americans to view groups with which our society had had troublesome relations as, in the case of Russians, human beings deserving of peaceful co-existence, and in the case of African-Americans, fellow citizens deserving of full human rights.
Overall the book was well-researched, briskly paced, clearly written, and, at times, dramatically gripping. But two weaknesses prevented me from assigning five stars. First, the narrative pace was slowed by a long, plodding chapter that focused on Washington D.C.'s social scene, profiled the principal society mavens, sampled the current gossip, and unnecessarily (for a book about Kennedy's approaches to the Cold War and civil rights) detailed the president's sex life. I found this 40-page chapter to be quite tedious. Second, although First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy does not appear in the 48-hour narrative, the author quotes her frequently, and nearly all of these quotes are negative character assessments of various people who interacted with her husband. There were far too many quotes that were variations on "Jack really hated X," or "Jack couldn't stand Y," or "Z was a real jerk". Jackie's only role in the book seemed to be that of character assassin.
The author concludes the main part of the book with a sensitively-written chapter that provides a moving description of a dramatic, historically significant incident that occurred just after midnight on June 12th. I hadn't realized that the timing of this event so closely followed the events of June 10-11, 1963, and this realization came as a powerful surprise, so I won't provide a spoiler by identifying the event here.
December 7, 2014
Well-written, but bereft of fresh insights. The topic may have been too thoroughly mined.
January 21, 2015
Comically overblown at times, to the point of distraction, but no less informative about these two pivotal days of Kennedy's presidency.
January 18, 2022
Interesting premise to frame the tragic arc of the Kennedy presidency through the lens of about 40 hours of his appointment calendar and two momentous speeches. The book loses its way when it advances gossip, speculation and conjecture in Chapters 6 and 7. The spectacular play by play analysis of the civil rights speech in the closing chapters redeems the book and makes it a must-read. There are a dozen hidden gems that complete the audience's portrait of Bobby as much as Jack such as the fifty mile challenge in the wrong shoes.
June 26, 2024
Loved this book, very fun reintroduction to history books. It was also a novel way of looking at a moment in history. Cohen goes through these two days in June moment by moment to show not just the speeches and practical effects of these two days but the actual context that JFK decided to give these speeches and how they came about. I quite enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anybody who wants a very close look at an incredibly important two day stretch in American History.
I also finished this mere feet from the Atlantic Ocean, which I think Kennedy would appreciate.
I also finished this mere feet from the Atlantic Ocean, which I think Kennedy would appreciate.
September 12, 2015
John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History
This story is a riveting and beautifully written narrative of two consecutive days in the presidency of John F. Kennedy. The days were June 10 and 11, 1963.
There have been many books written about JFK some say more than 40,000 so why another one? There will always be someone digging deeper who will find new tidbits to bring to light in the life of one of the most iconic American president of modern time. In “Two Days in June” Mr. Cohen brings an original perspective by adding a compelling detailed analysis in an eventful chapter in Kennedy’s tenure: his most important speeches that would change the outcome on two important issues: nuclear arms control and American society’s racism. Later to be referred as the iconic Peace Speech and the Civil Rights Act.
Meticulously researched, this book is heavy in information and details on those two days. It tracks the President’s every move and explores mainly the context of the speeches and how it came to be. The tension leading to the public addresses is deftly captured and in proper historical context. We also have a glimpse into many personalities surrounding the president: most importantly, his brother Robert and his speechwriter Ted Sorensen. The President had a myriad of other issues such as: conflict in Vietnam, equal pay for all, his physical condition, his gossipy social life, daily swimming lesson and afternoon nap just to mention a few. All this information comes from rare sources such as documentary, interviews, diaries and official White House logbooks etc. The book doesn’t miss a beat and goes on and on.
It must have taken the author exhausting time to put all this together but also rewarding to see the end result.
Excellent
This story is a riveting and beautifully written narrative of two consecutive days in the presidency of John F. Kennedy. The days were June 10 and 11, 1963.
There have been many books written about JFK some say more than 40,000 so why another one? There will always be someone digging deeper who will find new tidbits to bring to light in the life of one of the most iconic American president of modern time. In “Two Days in June” Mr. Cohen brings an original perspective by adding a compelling detailed analysis in an eventful chapter in Kennedy’s tenure: his most important speeches that would change the outcome on two important issues: nuclear arms control and American society’s racism. Later to be referred as the iconic Peace Speech and the Civil Rights Act.
Meticulously researched, this book is heavy in information and details on those two days. It tracks the President’s every move and explores mainly the context of the speeches and how it came to be. The tension leading to the public addresses is deftly captured and in proper historical context. We also have a glimpse into many personalities surrounding the president: most importantly, his brother Robert and his speechwriter Ted Sorensen. The President had a myriad of other issues such as: conflict in Vietnam, equal pay for all, his physical condition, his gossipy social life, daily swimming lesson and afternoon nap just to mention a few. All this information comes from rare sources such as documentary, interviews, diaries and official White House logbooks etc. The book doesn’t miss a beat and goes on and on.
It must have taken the author exhausting time to put all this together but also rewarding to see the end result.
Excellent
June 24, 2015
This book details two days in June , 1963. On June 10 JFK addressed the nation about a nuclear test ban treaty with the Soviets. He humanized the Russians and stated that we needed disarmament to stop the threat of nuclear war. The next day, after a showdown with Gov. Wallace in Alabama over the admittance of Blacks into the university, he spoke to the nation on the need for a civil rights bill. The author contends that these two events were the defining moments of Kennedy's presidency. He emerged as a leader rather than just reacting to events.
The book is interesting in that it not only chronicles the events but introduces us to the major players who helped shape the speeches. He deals with not only administration figures but also other people who had influence during the formation of the speeches.
Lastly he shows how the president had to deal with his everyday schedule while working on these events. JFK also had to address events that were not foreseen such as the self immolation of the Buddhist monk in Saigon. Interesting read.
The book is interesting in that it not only chronicles the events but introduces us to the major players who helped shape the speeches. He deals with not only administration figures but also other people who had influence during the formation of the speeches.
Lastly he shows how the president had to deal with his everyday schedule while working on these events. JFK also had to address events that were not foreseen such as the self immolation of the Buddhist monk in Saigon. Interesting read.
November 24, 2016
A good, not great book that is necessarily limited by choosing to focus on only two days. Cohen does a good job tying in situations and people that influenced what happened those days and how those days influenced events to come.
One criticism: in discussing the political turmoil after Kennedy's civil rights speech, Cohen goes so far as to blame Kennedy's assassination on racism in Dallas. He doesn't discuss Lee Harvey Oswald or his own motivations for the assassination (Oswald was a Marxist, not a racist southerner).
Overall, this book does well in exploring Kennedy's life in the two days and doesn't shy away from his faults, although he tends to accept the apologetics for Kennedy from his former friends and advisors, and his assumptions of what Kennedy would have done with Vietnam, the Soviets, civil rights, etc., are too rosy to have ever become reality.
One criticism: in discussing the political turmoil after Kennedy's civil rights speech, Cohen goes so far as to blame Kennedy's assassination on racism in Dallas. He doesn't discuss Lee Harvey Oswald or his own motivations for the assassination (Oswald was a Marxist, not a racist southerner).
Overall, this book does well in exploring Kennedy's life in the two days and doesn't shy away from his faults, although he tends to accept the apologetics for Kennedy from his former friends and advisors, and his assumptions of what Kennedy would have done with Vietnam, the Soviets, civil rights, etc., are too rosy to have ever become reality.
April 1, 2015
Back on my to read shelf, as it was a library book and someone else had a hold for it. I enjoyed the portion I read (and I did get past page 30, but I didn't look at what page I was on when it was turned in!) anyway, as I was a very young teen when all this was going on - I now have a much better perspective of that time period. Glad I could put some of the "timely" news stories that influenced many decisions.
August 11, 2015
This is an excellent book relating an hour-by-hour narrative of two days in the Kennedy presidency. The book focuses on two addresses, one on world peace through nuclear disarmament and the other on civil rights. The author discusses the background behind each and each speech was so important. The research for this book is near perfect. But what I liked most is the narrative and the flow of the story. I strongly recommend this book.
April 23, 2015
Three hundred and seventy pages on two speeches? Believe me, you'll hang on every word. An endlessly fascinating book -- not just about these two speeches, but about JFK as a president and a person. Highly recommended.
March 14, 2020
This is a pretty amazing book. In just two days following JFK, so many things are happening. JFK sure maintained his cool head and clear thinking. He and Bobby worked so well together. Like the author says, it was almost as if we had two presidents.
I wasn't following politics/news, much then, so I learned a lot about what was going on then. (I had no access to TV) The Washington society wasn't something I paid any attention to either. That was quite interesting. It was so different to have a young man in the White House.
I was surprised to see how little time Jackie had with him, but of course that wasn't the focus of the book.
The author goes into great detail to explain how so many people (mostly men) were working together, or not. That was fatiguing to read, but it sure gave me a picture of how complicated the workings of the government can be.
I wasn't following politics/news, much then, so I learned a lot about what was going on then. (I had no access to TV) The Washington society wasn't something I paid any attention to either. That was quite interesting. It was so different to have a young man in the White House.
I was surprised to see how little time Jackie had with him, but of course that wasn't the focus of the book.
The author goes into great detail to explain how so many people (mostly men) were working together, or not. That was fatiguing to read, but it sure gave me a picture of how complicated the workings of the government can be.
July 25, 2020
This stuff happened when I was 13. I knew that it happened but I didn't understand the ramifications or how it would affect my life and the world. I was enamored of JFK at 13. This book brings him into better focus for me. He was an amazing leader who had some pretty obvious human foibles. His loss was a huge loss. The book is pretty straight forward and filled with just the right amount of detail so that we understand why/how it happened exactly when it did. If you are interested in Civil Rights history or Cold War history or how JFK ran his White House after he matured into the job of president, this is an even handed description of all of those things.
May 21, 2021
One of the most immaculately researched books I've ever read. The subject matter is incredibly interesting, and it's presented in a very approachable manner.
And you by no means have to be a fan of Kennedy to find this book of enormous interest.
Cohen delves deeply and thoughtfully into these two very important days in the short presidency of JFK, and makes the case very convincingly that these two days have had a dramatic impact on America, and the world, even after 50-plus years.
Bravo, Cohen. Bravo.
And you by no means have to be a fan of Kennedy to find this book of enormous interest.
Cohen delves deeply and thoughtfully into these two very important days in the short presidency of JFK, and makes the case very convincingly that these two days have had a dramatic impact on America, and the world, even after 50-plus years.
Bravo, Cohen. Bravo.
September 5, 2017
Excellent read - beautifully written. Interesting approach to seeing the cast of characters in the politics of the day. I kept thinking back to episodes of the West Wing which might have been inspired by some of these events. The book gives us much to reflect on as we broach issues today that I'm sure we all wish had found more resolution over the past half century. Highly recommended.
January 28, 2020
Cohen presents meticulous, detailed research along with his superb understanding of JFK and the two issues -nuclear disarmament and civil rights- that dominated 2 days in June 1963. Reading this book from a 2020 perspective and 2020 reality (the date, not the vision) makes it especially fascinating.
January 16, 2021
Two days in June 1963, John Kennedy made two of the most important speeches of his Presidency. One of nuclear wars and the cold war; the other on civil rights. This book captures those two days and how they would affect America and the Kennedy administration. Definitely recommend for those into the Kennedy's and American history.
October 9, 2025
I have confirmed that historical nonfiction is not really my cup of tea. However this book wasn’t bad. It was actually really insightful, and almost too insightful on two specific days in June. However if you like historical nonfiction, and anything about Kennedy or presidents in general, this is a good one for you.
July 7, 2019
Interesting study of two pivotal days of JFK's presidency. I particularly found the last chapter and epilogue interesting. JFK's new focus on nuclear arms limitations and civil rights altered the course of his presidency and his life.
September 7, 2020
Nuclear arms and civil rights while balancing a multitude of other issues/topics...very impressive and very grateful for everything they accomplished or initiated...still so much more needs to be done!
October 6, 2023
Way more details about JFK than I ever wanted to know. Might be a good read for a budding political scientist.
April 11, 2020
Not a work of hagiography, this book explores and revolves around two pivotal (almost subversive) speeches of JFK. An excellent summary of the events, micro and macro that surround the speeches - on peace and civil rights. The author also includes a helpful epilogue which details the impact the speeches and subsequent presidential actions had, Of JFK one can come to believe that, using Shakespeare's words, we will never see his like again.
May 10, 2016
Two issues. Two days. One president that changed history.
This could be the tagline for the book Two Days in June. As JFK entered the latter days of his tragically short "1000 days", civil rights and arms control became the dominant concerns of his administration. His heroic efforts to pass the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the Civil Rights Act are detailed here, and brief profiles of civil rights leaders, speechwriters, advisers, and other individuals are also mentioned.
This could be the tagline for the book Two Days in June. As JFK entered the latter days of his tragically short "1000 days", civil rights and arms control became the dominant concerns of his administration. His heroic efforts to pass the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the Civil Rights Act are detailed here, and brief profiles of civil rights leaders, speechwriters, advisers, and other individuals are also mentioned.
July 16, 2015
Outstanding, penetrating narrative. Much in keeping with the rest of Cohen's collection of excellent work. I've sometimes published letters in the Ottawa Citizen commenting on (but never criticizing) his work. Andrew Cohen is a Canadian gem who has perfectly captured this important piece of American history.
June 9, 2015
My original impatience with some details/style was overtaken by mix of historical timely insight, especially to link of civil rights that are still an issue today. Well worth your time to read (even if you skim over some timeline inclusions...."7:45 JFK went to....")
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews