John F. Kennedy and PT-109

U.S. Landmark Books #99

by Richard Tregaskis

From the bestselling author of Guadalcanal The thrilling true story of the future president’s astonishing act of heroism during World War II. In the early morning hours of August 2, 1943, US Navy motor torpedo boat PT-109 patrolled the still, black waters of Blackett Strait in the Solomon Islands. Suddenly, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri loomed out of the darkness, bearing directly down on the smaller ship. There was no time to get out of the way—the destroyer crashed into PT-109, slicing the mosquito boat in two and setting the shark-infested waters aflame with burning gasoline. Ten surviving crewmembers and their young skipper clung to the wreckage, their odds of survival growing slimmer by the instant.   Lt. John F. Kennedy’s first command was an unqualified disaster. Yet over the next three days, the privileged son of a Boston multimillionaire displayed extraordinary courage, stamina, and leadership as he risked his life to shepherd his crew to safety and coordinate a daring rescue mission deep in enemy territory. Lieutenant Kennedy earned a Navy and Marine Corps Medal and a Purple Heart, and the story of PT-109 captured the public’s imagination and helped propel the battle-tested veteran all the way to the White House.   Acclaimed war correspondent Richard Tregaskis—who once beat out the future president for a spot on the Harvard University swim team—brings this remarkable chapter in American history to vivid life in John F. Kennedy and PT-109. From the crucial role torpedo boats played in the fight for the Solomon Islands to Kennedy’s eager return to the front lines at the helm of PT-59, Tregaskis tells the full story of this legendary incident with the same riveting style and meticulous attention to detail he brought to Guadalcanal Diary and Invasion Diary.  This ebook features an illustrated biography of Richard Tregaskis including rare images from the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming.  

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, World War II, Military Fiction, War, Military History

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1962

About the author

Richard Tregaskis was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on November 28, 1916, and educated at the Pingrie Day School for Boys, Elizabeth, New Jersey, at Peddie School, Hightstonsic, New Jersey, and at Harvard University. Prior to World War II he worked as a journalist for the Boston Herald newspaper.

Shortly after the U.S. entered World War II, Tregaskis volunteered as a combat correspondent representing the International News Service. (In fact, Tregaskis was one of only two journalists on location at Guadalcanal.)

Assigned to cover the war in the Pacific, Tregaskis spent part of August and most of September, 1942 reporting on Marines on Guadalcanal, a pivotal campaign in the war against Japan. He subsequently covered the European Theater of Operations against Nazi Germany and Italy.

Tregaskis' most renowned book, Guadalcanal Diary, recorded his experiences with the Marines on Guadalcanal. As the jacket of the book's first edition noted, "This is a new chapter in the story of the United States Marines. Because it was written by a crack newspaperman, who knew how to do his job. . . . Until the author's departure in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber on September 26th, he ate, slept, and sweated with our front-line units. His story is the straight day-by-day account of what he himself saw or learned from eyewitnesses during those seven weeks."

As a testimony to the power of Tregaskis' writing, ''Guadalcanal Diary'' is still considered essential reading by present-day U.S. military personnel. (A modern edition is available with an introduction by [[Mark Bowden]], author of Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War.

Tregaskis later covered Cold War-era conflicts in China, Korea, and Vietnam.

Tregaskis died at age 56 near his home in Hawaii as a result of drowning.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Pt 109, I do wonder where the coconut shell with the scratched message to rescue 11 lives went to? from presidents Kennedys desk at the White house. A brave true story of a young man doing the "job" the best way he could without feeling sorry or hesitating with determination and grit risking his all, for his crew. What a great story only wish it was fleshed out a bit more just pretty short. PT tactics of sneaking up and launching 2, 1 ton torpedoes against enemy warships that were close to shore and hi-tailing it in a cloud of generated smoke, in the beginning of the war this worked fairly well until countered by hunting float planes and determined Japanese frigate captains, so then PT were repurposed loosing the torpedoes, and turned into hi speed machine gun boats and hitting anything that came near to shore, providing rescues to downed aircrew, surveillance, scouting, supply runs, many other tasks.

[Richard Buro · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short version first ...

In this review, we are looking at a very readable book by an excellent author, Richard Tregaskis. His PT-Boat story focused on a single crew led by future President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. At this time, he was a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, and his assignment was to command an 80-foot, Elco boat, designated as the PT-109. The title of the work is John F. Kennedy and the PT-109. Lt. Kennedy came to the “wooden wonder,” with a wealth of small boat handling and navigating from his family’s home in Hyannis Port, MA. Mr. Tregaskis provides a vibrant picture of Kennedy’s growing up both on the sea aboard boats as well as in the sea, swimming. As he completed the courses of training, Lt. Kennedy demonstrated the ability to lead and teach others about the things with which he understood. After passing all assigned courses with excellent scores, the school commander appointed LtJG. Kennedy as an instructor at the PT boat school in those areas where he showed the highest proficiency.

It took Lt. Kennedy a long time to get from the Atlantic side of the United States to its western shore, but he did manage to find his way there, and from there he found that the only transports available were “slow boats” at best. It seemed to take months to get to his assigned post, and even then, he and some members of his crew arrived months before their boats, which came by way of the Panama Canal. Despite the delays, the group’s torpedo boats eventually arrived, and the men began the process of remembering their way around an older Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) rather than the newer Patrol Torpedo (PT) boat, especially those who had trained in the 77-foot Elcos instead of the larger 80-foot versions. Since all versions of this craft class were less than 100 feet in length, their vessel classification was a “boat.” Vessels of length 100 feet or larger were by definition ships.

Training continued as they grew familiar with their vessels, and the ways to keep them ship-shape in Bristol fashion, as those in the British Royal Navy would say.

The PT-boat crews found that they were able to work both during daylight or in the blackness of the South Pacific nights. What made the daylight fool-hardy at best, made the night patrols things of sheer terror and madness. The PTs color scheme called for an overall color of dark green. In daylight hours, they were more likely to visible on the ocean. At night, however, the dark green and the night’s blackness managed to make them invisible, mainly when running without lights consistent with the wartime blackout requirements. What made them even more foolhardy was the fact that the Japanese also ran without lights, so the risk of night collisions was extraordinarily high. The loss of the PT-109 came during one of the night missions as they cruised with engines muffled.

In the early August night, running dark with lights off, silent with engines muffled and with a speed of fewer than 10 knots, the perfect conditions for collision increased. The size differentials between a destroyer with a with other, larger ships nothing short of suicidal The PT-109 ended her service on the night of 2 Aug 43 when it collided with the Japanese destroyer “Amagiri.” With 57 tons maximum displacement, the smaller PT-109 severed into two pieces by the much larger, 1750-ton Fubuki class destroyer. The tireless efforts to get his men out of the water and onto a small island was one aspect of Kennedy’s character that was remembered by the crew of the 109 as well as many others who read, sang, and read about the encounter long after 2 August 1943.

After finally getting back to his base, Lt.JG Kennedy deployed to Motor Torpedo Gunboat (MTGB) duty. Ending his military service, he returned to the States and campaigned for a Congressional seat in Massachusetts. After winning the race for Congress, Kennedy then ran for a place in the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. Finally, he ran for the office of President of the United States of America, which he won in 1960 becoming the 35th. His term ended abruptly in Dallas, TX on November 23, 1963. Less than a week after his assassination, his alleged killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, was killed by a lone assailant, Jack Ruby, as Oswald went, under guard, to court for arraignment. There are still elements of controversy and uncertainty about all of these November 1963 events. And so, the debate continues to this very day and beyond.

Recommendations:

GR title shortcode: John F. Kennedy and the PT-109 is another excellent non-fiction book penned by Richard Tregaskis. His books are impeccable, factual, meticulously researched, with all the expected endnotes, bibliography, index, and other materials associated with a good non-fiction book. This book is one of Richard Tregaskis’s most beautiful works, and it is a superb choice for a brief, dazzling story about one of the great American Presidents. On our rating scale of 5 stars, this read is a 5 out of 5-star read, in my honest opinion.



Review of Richard Tregaskis' John F. Kennedy and PT-109 by Richard W. Buro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31935363-john-f-kennedy-and-pt-109.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at Send specific request as detailed as possible in e-mail subject to https://openroadmedia.com/.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that I first read as a kid, though given its focus a more accurate title would have been "PT boats and Kennedy's service on them."

[TE · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the children's book version of a much more comprehensive account by the same author of future-president John F. Kennedy's experiences in the South Pacific during WWII, which the amount of research even in this short volume demonstrates.

It's first worth noting a few things about the author, as his experiences mirrored JFK's in so many ways. They were almost the same age, although the author was born in New Jersey, in 1916. He, too, was Harvard educated, and worked as a journalist for the Boston Herald until the war, when he volunteered as what we would today call an "embedded journalist," a wartime correspondent for the International News Service. The author therefore writes directly from what he himself witnessed and experienced; he was, in fact, one of only two journalists on location at Guadalcanal. Were it not for his tragic, untimely death from drowning at age 56 near his home in Hawaii, he may have become as renowned as yet another war correspondent, the one who famously reported JFK's death that fateful day in Dallas (and later, the moon landing), Walter Cronkite, who was assigned in a similar fashion to cover locations in the European theater, and, eventually, the Nuremberg trials.

The book is actually something of a misnomer, as only part (maybe half) of the content relates specifically to John F. Kennedy and his famous patrol torpedo boat PT-109. The author sets the scene of the war in the Pacific in great detail, noting the highlights of some of the engagements between Japanese and US forces before Kennedy was even assigned to train as a PT boat skipper. The author Tregaskis spent August and September, 1942, reporting on the Marine's exploits on Guadalcanal, which was a major turning point in the war, but which resulted in tremendous American losses. What's also unique is that, in the introduction, the author also states that he had conducted interviews and had corresponded or even met personally with numerous individuals directly involved in the events herein described, which is also a unique feature of this book compared to many of the other volumes in the series.

Assigned to cover the war in the Pacific, Tregaskis spent part of August and most of September, 1942 reporting on Marines on Guadalcanal, a pivotal campaign in the war against Japan. His writings have been described as being written by "a crack newspaperman, who knew how to do his job. . . . Until [his] departure in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber on September 26th, he ate, slept, and sweated with our front-line units. His story is the straight day-by-day account of what he himself saw or learned from eyewitnesses during those seven weeks." Tregaskis later covered Cold War-era conflicts in China, Korea, and Vietnam.

I just read not long ago another related book in the Landmark series, by Bruce Bliven, Jr., about the war in the Pacific, so I'll include here an abbreviated account of what I wrote there, as he also includes a short entry on JFK's experiences, which are elaborated on in much greater detail in this edition. Bliven writes, "The versatile PT boats were the best answer we had. Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, the skipper of PT boat 109, was on patrol... when a Japanese destroyer, looming up out of the night, rammed his ship and cut it in two. By a series of near miracles, Kennedy and ten survivors of his twelve-man crew managed to swim to a small nearby island, and after days of gallant effort to attract attention, they were rescued."

After their boat was struck at about 2:30 AM, Kennedy rescued several of his men, who had been badly burned. They then clung to the bow for 12 hours, until its sinking was imminent, before deciding to swim for land, to Plum Pudding Island, now renamed Kennedy Island, about 3 1/2 miles away, a feat which took about four hours. A new problem shortly arose, however: the island had no drinkable water. Kennedy, a champion swimmer in his college days, then swam an additional 2 miles the following day in an attempt to hail a passing PT boat. Two days later, the crew had to swim another near-four miles to yet another island to try to attract the attention of rescuers.

They were discovered on day three, but rescue took another two days. Kennedy even scratched a message onto a coconut while he was on Naru island, which was later recovered. He eventually had it made into a paperweight, which is now on display at his presidential library. The remains of PT-109 were actually discovered in 2002, at a depth of 1,200 feet, by Robert Ballard, the same man who first discovered the remains of the Titanic. These events made Kennedy, who was already well-known as Joe Kennedy's son, a war hero. The PT-109 story was featured in the New York Times and other publications of the day. JFK's older brother, Joe Jr., whom their father had been grooming for political life, was killed in the war when his plane exploded in 1944.

And all this with a serious back injury compounded by prior chronic back pain due to an old football injury JFK had sustained in his college days. Kennedy's serious back injuries from the incident would require months of hospitalization at Chelsea Naval Hospital, and later, several more months of recovery at a military hospital in Arizona. He was forced to retire in March, 1945 on physical disability.

His condition improved somewhat, but he was plagued by severe pain for the rest of his life, requiring treatment with steroids, which caused other physical ailments, probably including his Addison's Syndrome, which was so severe that pathologists could not identify any adrenal tissue during his autopsy following the assassination in November, 1963. In fact, some have argued that, in a sense, he didn't "survive" the Japanese attack, in that had he not been so severely wounded, he may not have been wearing a back brace the day he was shot by a sniper in Dallas. The back brace held him upright after the initial hit in the back, which was likely survivable, preventing him from slumping down out of the line of fire, which then allowed the gunman another shot, that one fatal.

This is one of the more highly recommended books, because it was written by an actual eyewitness to many of the events, and who wrote a much more comprehensive volume about this monumental period in American history. It's a bit dry at the outset, unless you're interested in the more technical aspects of boat-building (!), but it shortly thereafter provides a blow-by-blow, literally, account of the events of the Guadalcanal campaign. This book was published in 1962, and probably written well before that. I'm uncertain whether it had been completed or had gone to the publisher before Kennedy's untimely death. Little could the author have imagined the eventual outcome, however, which constituted yet another momentous event in American history, on that crisp, clear November day in Dallas.

[Fred Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEROES OF THE MOSQUITO SQUADRON OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC

I'll have to admit that at the time I started to read this book, I really didn't know much about John F. Kennedy in regards to his time in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific, other than he was on PT-109 and had no idea he was on PT-59 (Gunboat-1). It's really amazing what the HEROES went through and what they did not only for their country but for their fellow warriors, both the physical and mental challenges and their loyalty and friendship towards those they served with.
This book is well written and is full of facts around the Solomon Islands and Guatemal Canal and the men who placed their lives on the line during WW2.

[carl theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a long wait list for this popular tale at
the Heritage Hill Elementary School; JFK had been
in office a year or so and every kid wanted to read it.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

“John F. Kennedy and PT-109” eBook was published in 2016 (the original paper edition was published in 1962) and was written by Richard Tregaskis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard...). Mr. Tregaskis published over a dozen books.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in several different islands of the South Pacific during World War II.

This non-fiction novella tells about the growth of the use of PT Boats (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PT_boat) during the war years, as well as the exploits of then Navy Lieutenant John F. Kennedy.

It tells about the harrowing experience that Kennedy and the crew went through after their boat, PT=109, was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer. Kennedy let the survivors to safety, then set about to contact the US Navy to get them rescued.

I thought that this 2.5 hour read of 99 pages was interesting. I have read other accounts of the incident, but always enjoy histories of the War era. The cover art is reasonable. I give this novella a 4 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it was first published in 1962, I've only just read the paperback edition of this little book by the late Richard Tregaskis, esteemed WWII war correspondent and author of The Guadalcanal Diaries. As a fan of PT boats ever since I saw "They Were Expendable" on TV during school holidays, the adventures of JFK in PT 109 were of course among my favourite reading materials, in particular Robert J. Donovan's seminal book on the subject, which was adapted by Warner Bros. for their movie PT 109. What I particularly like about Mr Tregaskis' book is the authenticity of detail of the Solomon Islands in the wartime context, and the events that impacted on the PT skippers and crews who patrolled their waters. It was also pleasing to read the coverage given to PT 59 (or Gunboat #1, as it officially became) Kennedy's subsequent command. "John F. Kennedy and PT 109" is an excellent introduction to the subject, as well as a worthy addition for someone already well versed in it.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book by a good author from WWII Richard Tregaskis who has written other books about World War Two gives a very honest account without any super accolades about the story of John F. Kennedy and the trials of PT-109/ For those of you that don’t know about it it is a fascinating read and one that felt more honest and real from the story I remember as a teen when I read. Here you have an author who was with the Marines, and soldiers so his look at the war was not from the eyes of Hollywood but as a man from war but also as someone who remembered J.F.K from Harvad and when he beat out Kennedy for a spot on the Harvad swim team. I also do not remember from the other story I read about J.F.K. staying in the Pacific and commanding another PT boat PT-59, he did have the opportunity to go home but fought to stay and fight. A very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding this book in a dusty corner of my 5th grade classroom I slyly would read a couple pages whenever the teacher bored me.

There is no doubting Kennedy's heroism and the author's writing about JFK fearing a barracuda attack are memorable to me decades later. J

FK's tactical acumen is in question. How did a Japanese destroyer sneak up on one of America's smallest and most nimble warships and ram it ? I learned long after the 5th grade that when JFK became president the Japanese captain wrote Kennedy an apology letter.

[Bob Ketenheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

PT-109

Well written and easy to read. Found the details about the 109 before the collision and the details about the 59 very interesting. Although the story is fairly well known, I found this account very informative.

[Jane Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

World War 2 Story

This is a good book about Kennedy's service diuring the war. It covers his work as a PT boats commander better than the other books and discusses his d velopment as an officer

[Bennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good review of John F. Kennedy's Naval career as a PT boat skipper during WWII. His bravery and leadership are a great example of what we need in our military officers today. What an honor it would have been to serve with him.

[John Lomnicki, · Rating 4 out of 5]

just the facts

Well written, almost like a newspaper article, detailed and a quick read- this was not the first book or story I have read about Kennedy and the 109, but it covered the facts and details that other authors did not deem important. A good review for me without the schmaltz.

[Valerie Uthe]

I have not read a book about military operations in a long time. It was informative as I had no idea what PT Boats were used for. Kuddos to all of the men who fought....using the PT Boats....and for their dedication to keeping our country...the home of the FREE...free.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

v interesting to see a take on the event from a book published in the 60s

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much to this one. Quick read

[JOHN P TURNER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read!

Very pleased with the product. Quick and easy read for a couple of hours. Just the correct amount of information about the time and place. Highly recommend this book.

[Nick Vanderwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book as I have most things about this president. Wish Mr. Tregaskis had lived long enough to write a book about David Ben-Gurion and what he did for his country.

[Greg Kerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

More Than JFK

This is a short history of the PT boat Navy (Mosquito Fleet) and Kennedy's service in WW2. It was interesting to understand the story behind PT-109.

[Bill Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this at 12 or so...after that wanted to read books that were not just homework assignments and figured out why my Dad loved to read!

[Mary Vogelsong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tregaskis gives a lot of back story on Guadalcanal, his wheelhouse.

[john kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I liked thus book, but it was a bit dated. . Some of thr. Bsckgriundbinfirnstipomn on jfk is wrong, but the book overall is a good read.

[Yaaresse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a bunch of the Landmark series books as a kid. I remember enjoying them, but I was too young at the time to question the narrative or the quality of writing. I just liked reading biographies and histories, and there wasn't a lot of interesting non-fiction for kids at that time. Most of what did exist was either boring or more myth than fact. (And these do suffer from a bit of the latter.)

Would I read it to kids today? Nah. The whole "Great White Race has God-given right to take, kill, abuse, and exploit whatever and whoever in the name of making America Great" slant doesn't sit well. It never did; we just were too indoctrinated in it to know better 50+ years ago when these came out. I'm rating them on the memory of enjoyment alone, not on accuracy or how they would go over today. Fortunately, kids today have a lot better to choose from.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

From history classes and documentaries I was definitely familiar with John F. Kennedy and in a cursory way familiar with his naval career, especially as it related to action with PT-109. Until reading this book, however, I was unaware of the full story of not only Kennedy’s service, but of the PT boat program as a whole.


Richard Tregaskis is perhaps best known for his gripping account Guadalcanal Diary, but I had been unaware that he also wrote several more WWII histories, this one in particular. First published in 1962 during the Kennedy administration, John F. Kennedy and PT-109 serves to highlight the military career and heroism of who was then the sitting President of the United States. Tregaskis seems to have written it through that lens, as there is very little that does not paint JFK in the most glowing light, and honestly, I can see why. The calm and poise he seemed to show throughout the harrowing days after the sinking of PT-109 and his efforts to save himself and his crew are second to none.


As for Tregaskis’ account, it is very methodical to say the least. He does an excellent job painting the scene, not only of a young Lt. Kennedy’s military career up to that fateful day in 1943, but how he came to be in the Pacific Theater and on a PT boat specifically. We are walked through step by step the young officer’s entry to naval service while at the same time learning about the development and implementation of the little PT boats that served so heroically in the war. Tregaskis had taken very little liberty with the facts surrounding events and this makes John F. Kennedy and PT-109 a good piece of source material for research on this subject.


My only real knocks on this text is that first, because of the methodical nature of the prose I was not as gripped in the story or held in suspense as much as I would have liked to be. I had trouble imagining myself serving there alongside Kennedy and really experiencing the danger and horror and fear that must have swept over each crew member (whether they would have admitted it or not) after their boat was lost. This could also be in part because I knew how it would all turn out in the end! My second fault was the lack of maps, diagrams, and pictures about Kennedy and his PT boat and crew. I am not sure if this is a feature of just my copy, or is the final publication will have these items. As a visual learner, I would have enjoyed reading much more if I was able to see and experience these within the text or as an insert, rather than looking elsewhere. Overall these are not enough to dissuade me from recommending John F. Kennedy and PT-109 to anyone interested in the subject matter and I would consider this as a possible addition to my high school library collection.

[Arkrayder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Open Road Integrated Media in return for a fair and honest review.

This is an account of 25-year-old John F. Kennedy during his military service from 1942 to 1943. It takes place in the South Pacific, near Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, when J.F.K. skippered the Patrol Torpedo boat, PT-109.

Richard Tregaskis’ account, is very methodical, to say the least. He skillfully details young Lt. Kennedy’s military career up to that decisive day in 1943, but also details how J.F.K. came to find himself in the Pacific Theater and on a PT boat in particular. We are guided step by step through the young J.F.K.'s entry to naval service but delightfully at the same time learning about the development and implementation of the PT boats which served with distinction during the Pacific conflicts of WW II. Tregaskis has embellished, very sparingly, the facts surrounding events and this makes John F. Kennedy and PT-109 a good piece of source material for research on this subject. (And of J.F.K.'s command of PT-59.)

My research on Richard Tregaskis (1916-1973) revealed he was a war correspondent stationed in the South Pacific at the time of the events. He used American and Japanese records to write this detailed and comprehensive account of the PT boat maneuvers and engagements in the South Pacific, while at the same time focusing on John F. Kennedy’s navy career, his relationship with his crew, his determination, his self-sacrificing for his crew and his decision making. It makes me wonder how much more J.F.K. could have achieved as President of the United States if circumstances had been different.

A small problem I have with the text is first with the methodical nature of the prose. I feel the story held less, humanity and read more like a textbook. I also think the lack of maps, diagrams, and pictures of Lt. Kennedy and his PT boat and crew makes it a little harder to identify with the men who experienced the events of this particular theater of war, maybe this was just my copy. These little criticisms are not enough to prevent me from promoting John F. Kennedy and PT-109 to those interested in the subject matter.

Well worth a read.

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this back in 6th grade. It was one of the books that peaked and launched my appreciation and interest for WWII.

Back then, I wasn't privy (as most of weren't) to the escapades of JFK or the pain he constantly endured during his life after serving our country. I know his father Joe was not pleased with John's desire to be on the front lines and putting himself in harms way, especially since his older brother would die in a B-17 over the skies on England.

What really struck me in the story was his love and dedication to his men. John didn't fall back on his laurels of riches. He was a man serving his country and watching out for his men. How many of us would have thrown in the towel after having your PT boat sliced in half by the "Tokyo Express?"

Despite losing his ship, he never gave up. How many islands and how many miles did he swim to keep his men just out of reach of the Japanese and certain death? He never resigned himself to give up. He plodded on walking over coral reefs with no shoes. Can anyone imagine having your feet ripped open by razor sharp rocks in salt water and never showing any pain or resignation in front of your men? Absolutely heroic!

Yes, there have been notes in history that claim they were not to be patrolling out in the straight that night, but those orders and issues have never been completely confirmed. JFK knew that the Japanese were bringing in troops and supplies to Guadalcanal at night. The Japanese would never suspect that the little plywood boats would attempt to hinder their missions in the dark. JFK did. Unfortunately, his boat became one of the casualties of war.

I will be rereading this in the very near future.

[Peter Ackerman]

John F. Kennedy and PT-109 is a reprint of a book that originally came out in 1962 is a wonderfully retelling of the events surrounding the one day President's heroics surrounding his PT boat of the title in the Solomon Islands.

The book is very taught, like a good ship, it provides plenty of detail, but not so great that any one point goes on for pages and pages. The only negative that I discovered with this though, as a reader who is not normally into war stories with ships and weapons, I was a little in the dark about what some of the items were, but that did not stop me from enjoying this classic.

Whether you want to read about Kennedy in World War II, or about the service and heroics of "the greatest generation," I believe that you will enjoy this book.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only learned of JFK's military career a few months ago quite by accident while investigating a "Today in History" website and chalk my lack of previous knowledge up to the public school system.

Reading the book gave me a glimpse into the life of JFK in his pre-presidential days. Brave man among many.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read and good follow-up to watching the movie starring Cliff Robertson. As you can imagine, the film strays somewhat from Kennedy's actual exploits. I'd love to take a ride on one of those ol' PT boats!