John F. Kennedy glimmers through history as the young, idealistic president whose Camelot administration promised a new dawn for America. He did a great deal in his 1,000-day presidency, from embracing civil rights and starting the Peace Corps to negotiating a nuclear test ban and facing down the Soviets on the brink of nuclear war. But fifty years after he was murdered, it's hard to separate the real JFK, with all his faults, from the many myths about him. This is his story - and why he mattered.
This was a quick, easy read about JFK, covering pretty familiar territory for anyone who grew up in the shadows of "Camelot." I came away wanting more details on his Presidency and policies, but this is a good intro to Kennedy.
I lived in Germany during his reign. Everybody loved JFK! And after he expressed his sentiments in Berlin and called out: "Ich bin ein Berliner!" it seemed the world had changed for us. There was ONE MAN who understood what life was like for the East- and the West Germans, not being able to travel or living with no hope to ever see their relatives 'on the other side' again. When he was shot, I know exactly where I was: in a small bistro having breakfast, ready to enter the Autobahn from Saarbruecken to go home to Hanover. The small room left an indelible imprint on my brain. A small TV was attached to the wall, high enough in a corner for all of us to watch the news. When the news was stopped and the message about the shooting of Kennedy was announced, everybody, yes, everybody stopped eating and started crying, even the men. It was one of the moments in your life you NEVER forget. Just like 9/11 or Diana's tragic death. I read this book because I wanted to know more about Kennedy's life than I did from watching hours of news and television documentaries. He was a true statesman, one of the very best USA ever had. Young and believing in peace rather than aggression... he tried to avert so many dangers, especially nuclear war. God, several times we were so close to it... Reading "Kennedy" brought it all back, I did not learn much new information except that his wife, Jaqueline, had marked in her diary that he had expressed apprehension to go to Texas. He was convinced by his advisors that it was alright. What would the world have been like if he had followed his gut feeling? If he could have been in the White House for longer than one term? One can not compare him to any of the following presidents...
Enjoyed reading on the background of Kennedy's parents and the motivation to make things happen for t heir children. Wonder where this world would be now if Kennedy had been re-elected.
I was in elementary school when President Kennedy was assassinated, but I remember it like yesterday. Something everyone of us alive at that time seems to agree on. Due to that, I was glad the author only saved a few pages for the tragic end of JFK'S life. I enjoyed reading and learning more about his earlier years. While I knew he was the commander of PT-109, I never knew JFK was in charge of other PT boats as well. Reading Mr. Harper's book gave me more of an insight into the early years of school, the military and the original path that took JFK out of Massachusetts and eventually into the White House. Enjoyed this book and plan to check other books by Brett Harper.