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Biographies of US Presidents - Hourly History #35
John F. Kennedy: A Life From Beginning to End
Discover the remarkable life of John F. Kennedy...
John F. Kennedy is the president that everyone knows. He was a rich man’s son, an athlete, a war hero, a ladies’ man, an author, a president, his face rendered forever young because the last time Americans saw him, he was riding in a convertible in Dallas, his glamorous wife at his side. Then the bullets struck, and the assassinated president became a legend, the truth of his life obscured by his tragic and untimely death. But JFK had more depth to his character than the magazine covers indicated.
The rich man’s son was the grandson of Irishmen who knew what it was to be denied jobs because Irish weren’t welcome in Boston. The athlete suffered from poor health all his life, from a bad back to Addison’s disease. The war hero whose PT-109 boat became part of his campaign legend was the son who survived; elder brother Joe, flying on a secret mission, was killed for his heroism. The ladies’ man loved his wife, but fidelity was not a concept revered by the Kennedy men. The Pulitzer Prize that he was awarded for Profiles in Courage should have gone to the person who actually wrote it. In 1963, death in Dallas ended his first term as president, bringing an end to the optimism that he inaugurated when he narrowly defeated Vice President Richard Nixon in the 1960 election. But the Kennedy legend, like Camelot, lives forever.
Discover a plethora of topics such as
No Irish Need Apply
War and the Kennedys
Kennedy in Congress
Kennedy for President
Kennedy Women
The Presidency
John F. Kennedy is the president that everyone knows. He was a rich man’s son, an athlete, a war hero, a ladies’ man, an author, a president, his face rendered forever young because the last time Americans saw him, he was riding in a convertible in Dallas, his glamorous wife at his side. Then the bullets struck, and the assassinated president became a legend, the truth of his life obscured by his tragic and untimely death. But JFK had more depth to his character than the magazine covers indicated.
The rich man’s son was the grandson of Irishmen who knew what it was to be denied jobs because Irish weren’t welcome in Boston. The athlete suffered from poor health all his life, from a bad back to Addison’s disease. The war hero whose PT-109 boat became part of his campaign legend was the son who survived; elder brother Joe, flying on a secret mission, was killed for his heroism. The ladies’ man loved his wife, but fidelity was not a concept revered by the Kennedy men. The Pulitzer Prize that he was awarded for Profiles in Courage should have gone to the person who actually wrote it. In 1963, death in Dallas ended his first term as president, bringing an end to the optimism that he inaugurated when he narrowly defeated Vice President Richard Nixon in the 1960 election. But the Kennedy legend, like Camelot, lives forever.
Discover a plethora of topics such as
No Irish Need Apply
War and the Kennedys
Kennedy in Congress
Kennedy for President
Kennedy Women
The Presidency
114 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2017
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Hourly History
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
December 20, 2018
A good introduction to the Kennedy family
October 12, 2018
This was a freebie from Amazon so can't really complain about that. The are quite a few free or low priced books in this series and a lot of information in approximately 50 pages. JFK was not from my generation and apart from the well documented parts I was ignorant to a lot of his history. I took this book as an opportunity to learn more about this much loved President and his life before it was tragically taken.
The book gave me an insight into JFK and well worth a read.
The book gave me an insight into JFK and well worth a read.
April 8, 2017
I'm going to have to bump my Challenge number up by one or two, but I couldn't let this short book by Hourly History go without leaving a review on GoodReads.
The opportunity to publish a great book on John F. Kennedy seemed to have slipped through the fingers of the writers at Hourly History. This well-respected man, arguably viewed as one of the greatest presidents the United States has ever had, doesn’t receive half the praise and accolades in this book that he should have.
In fact, much of the book reads more like a newsstand magazine. The book hints at possible scandals without providing a shred of fact (a reputed affair with one woman led the author to propose a link from organized crime to Kennedy, while another tale paints him as a potential Nazi sympathizer). There are more negatives than positives throughout. For instance, though it is known and accepted that money is going to grease the tracks for anyone aspiring to the presidency, the author practically accuses Joseph Kennedy of buying his son’s residency in the White House (as well as his seats in Congress).
Chapter 6 finally talks at length about some of the accomplishments Kennedy started or achieved while in public office. This is almost overshadowed by Chapter 5, which discusses Kennedy’s infidelities and begins that discussion with “John Kennedy had been sexually promiscuous as far back as his days when he was a high school student at Choate.” I can understand an author wishing to fully describe his subject, but this book seems to constantly chip away at the good memories of President Kennedy that people have rather than focus on the good things he left us. If you are intent on providing a well-rounded description, provide us with the facts both good and bad, and leave the hints, jabs, and innuendos out of the book.
Bottom line – It is unfortunate that the content could be better, because the author’s writing is good. Sentences flow naturally and the book is professionally edited. Someone who wants to be titillated with lurid possibilities will probably enjoy this book. Others seeking a broad overview of John F. Kennedy might do better with an encyclopedia. Those wishing to gain a scholarly view of the man are encouraged to seek it elsewhere. Three stars at best.
The opportunity to publish a great book on John F. Kennedy seemed to have slipped through the fingers of the writers at Hourly History. This well-respected man, arguably viewed as one of the greatest presidents the United States has ever had, doesn’t receive half the praise and accolades in this book that he should have.
In fact, much of the book reads more like a newsstand magazine. The book hints at possible scandals without providing a shred of fact (a reputed affair with one woman led the author to propose a link from organized crime to Kennedy, while another tale paints him as a potential Nazi sympathizer). There are more negatives than positives throughout. For instance, though it is known and accepted that money is going to grease the tracks for anyone aspiring to the presidency, the author practically accuses Joseph Kennedy of buying his son’s residency in the White House (as well as his seats in Congress).
Chapter 6 finally talks at length about some of the accomplishments Kennedy started or achieved while in public office. This is almost overshadowed by Chapter 5, which discusses Kennedy’s infidelities and begins that discussion with “John Kennedy had been sexually promiscuous as far back as his days when he was a high school student at Choate.” I can understand an author wishing to fully describe his subject, but this book seems to constantly chip away at the good memories of President Kennedy that people have rather than focus on the good things he left us. If you are intent on providing a well-rounded description, provide us with the facts both good and bad, and leave the hints, jabs, and innuendos out of the book.
Bottom line – It is unfortunate that the content could be better, because the author’s writing is good. Sentences flow naturally and the book is professionally edited. Someone who wants to be titillated with lurid possibilities will probably enjoy this book. Others seeking a broad overview of John F. Kennedy might do better with an encyclopedia. Those wishing to gain a scholarly view of the man are encouraged to seek it elsewhere. Three stars at best.
February 4, 2024
A SON, BROTHER, ATHLETIC, SICKLY, A NAVAL HERO, CONGRESSMAN, SENATOR, & THE 35th PRESIDENT
John F. Kennedy: A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of US Presidents) by Hourly History is a brief glimpse of into the life of JFK, the health issues he dealt with his entire life, a look into his time in the Navy as the commander of PT-109 and PT-59 (Gunboat-1), his determination to protect and save those he fought side by side with during WW2, his role as a Congressman, Senator, President, Husband, and father. Kennedy (like most people throughout time) had his flaws. Even though being highly religious being brought up in a highly religious, he had his share of betrayal to his wife Jacqueline. He dealt with loss during the war with the loss of his brother and fellow service members he served with as well as loss of children (one miscarriage and one two days after birth). During his political career, he brought into existence the Peace Core, dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis, Civil Rights issues, and racing to beat the Soviet Union to the moon. It's really sad that we'll never know what JFK could have accomplished if he wasn't assassinated in Dalles in 1963.
John F. Kennedy: A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of US Presidents) by Hourly History is a brief glimpse of into the life of JFK, the health issues he dealt with his entire life, a look into his time in the Navy as the commander of PT-109 and PT-59 (Gunboat-1), his determination to protect and save those he fought side by side with during WW2, his role as a Congressman, Senator, President, Husband, and father. Kennedy (like most people throughout time) had his flaws. Even though being highly religious being brought up in a highly religious, he had his share of betrayal to his wife Jacqueline. He dealt with loss during the war with the loss of his brother and fellow service members he served with as well as loss of children (one miscarriage and one two days after birth). During his political career, he brought into existence the Peace Core, dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis, Civil Rights issues, and racing to beat the Soviet Union to the moon. It's really sad that we'll never know what JFK could have accomplished if he wasn't assassinated in Dalles in 1963.
January 10, 2018
A short, informative, well-written read.
April 8, 2017
I remember it well. Not like yesterday (as the event took place fifty-four years ago) as I was in my sixth-grade math class when news arrived that the president had been shot in Dallas. My teacher, Mr. Robinson, always stoic, strict, and proper, broke down and wept at his desk as we filed out of the classroom. The eventual impact of this event was far above the thoughts of a thirteen-year-old student, but I knew something was gravely amiss. For me, Mr. Robinson’s spontaneous reaction affected me more than the death in Dallas.
John Kennedy was born in 1917 as the second son of Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald. As one of the nine Kennedy children, John was not originally the major focal point of their father’s life ambition; to be the first Irish Catholic president of the United States. That honor (or burden) fell squarely on John’s older brother Joseph’s shoulders. In a fashion that would be repeated by three of the four male siblings, Joseph died while flying a special mission in the European Theater during World War II. With the heir apparent no more, the family focus was moved to John. With help from his rich and influential father, John entered politics and after terms in congress and the senate made a bid for the presidency in 1960. Beating his Republican rival Richard Nixon, Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States.
Although his thoughts and dreams may have been on the future, his actions as president were clearly on the present. In March of 1961, Kennedy created the Peace Corps. This organization remains today a protector and investor toward social and economic development in Third World countries. This is just one of the Kennedy legacies that will survive the test of time in an ever-changing world.
Kennedy’s promise to the American people that the United States would have a man travel safely to the moon and back before the end of the decade was also realized when the Apollo 11 Mission saw Neil Armstrong and Buss Aldrin land with the Lunar Module on the moon, becoming the first of twelve men to walk on the moon.
Kenney’s presidency was not only filled with successes, the failures were probably even more numerous. Looking back, with the twenty-twenty hindsight of today, Kennedy’s failures could easily be overlooked by the American public because his strengths, victories, and accomplishments overshadow everything else. Dying a martyr's death, the Kennedy legacy has been embedded in our nation’s fabric and he will continue to be numbered among the great presidents of the United States.
This short narrative captures just the essence of the man that changed his time and headed the American people over new horizons and shooting for the stars. This book serves as the perfect inspirational catalyst for more research into a great leader and a life cut off in its prime.
John Kennedy was born in 1917 as the second son of Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald. As one of the nine Kennedy children, John was not originally the major focal point of their father’s life ambition; to be the first Irish Catholic president of the United States. That honor (or burden) fell squarely on John’s older brother Joseph’s shoulders. In a fashion that would be repeated by three of the four male siblings, Joseph died while flying a special mission in the European Theater during World War II. With the heir apparent no more, the family focus was moved to John. With help from his rich and influential father, John entered politics and after terms in congress and the senate made a bid for the presidency in 1960. Beating his Republican rival Richard Nixon, Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States.
Although his thoughts and dreams may have been on the future, his actions as president were clearly on the present. In March of 1961, Kennedy created the Peace Corps. This organization remains today a protector and investor toward social and economic development in Third World countries. This is just one of the Kennedy legacies that will survive the test of time in an ever-changing world.
Kennedy’s promise to the American people that the United States would have a man travel safely to the moon and back before the end of the decade was also realized when the Apollo 11 Mission saw Neil Armstrong and Buss Aldrin land with the Lunar Module on the moon, becoming the first of twelve men to walk on the moon.
Kenney’s presidency was not only filled with successes, the failures were probably even more numerous. Looking back, with the twenty-twenty hindsight of today, Kennedy’s failures could easily be overlooked by the American public because his strengths, victories, and accomplishments overshadow everything else. Dying a martyr's death, the Kennedy legacy has been embedded in our nation’s fabric and he will continue to be numbered among the great presidents of the United States.
This short narrative captures just the essence of the man that changed his time and headed the American people over new horizons and shooting for the stars. This book serves as the perfect inspirational catalyst for more research into a great leader and a life cut off in its prime.
December 7, 2022
Written well enough in most part, except for a barely veiled need to obscure any greatness perceived, not at all veiled strenuous efforts to push the official narrative regarding assassination of JFK (despite its having been proved a lie by Jim Garrison), and an effort to list what good JFK did achieve or end up causing that falls short, whether deliberately or otherwise.
On the whole it's not only that author sticks to official lies and muck but far greater a flaw, unless it's a deliberate effort, is that it seems like an attempt to stop anyone from from going into the question - was JFK far greater than not only admitted, but even suspected?
There's the effort, chiefly, to throw muck on and about JFK, by labelling him a womanizer but stopping short of mentioning the suspicious circumstances of death of Marilyn Monroe, on one hand, and insisting on Oswald being the assassin despite Garrison having proved otherwise.
There's the scrupulously mentioned effect that Jacqueline Kennedy had on US, reportedly, due to her being of impressive taste in clothes and general presentation of her persona, despite her having impressed not only Charles de Gaulle and his effects favorably but most people of France as well, among other international public, something that helps a man in his - JFK's - position, by smoothing the way.
There's the barest mention of Ambassador Kennedy being against US joining WWII, without either mention - much less discussion - of his sympathies having been with Axis, and his staunch admiration of Hitler, much less even a mention of his having championed the cause publicly enough, causing discomfort enough to the then president of the United States, F.D.R., to have terminated the career of Ambassador Kennedy after the prestigious assignment to St. James’s Court in the very first place.
And most of all, mention of public suspicion regarding the official verdict about his assassination without once mentioning Jim Garrison, who conducted the only trial and did so successfully, so much so JFK remains an example of what a film ought to be.
***
"Kennedy proved himself to be more media savvy than Nixon. The studio had a gray background, so Kennedy wore a blue suit and shirt, which diminished the glare of the lights; Nixon wore a gray suit that blended into the set. The Kennedy-Nixon debate, a harbinger of the way that the new, visual medium would revolutionize voter perceptions, has since become part of television legend: a young-looking, vigorous Kennedy defeated a sweaty, pale Nixon; Kennedy faced the camera and by extension, the American public; Nixon looked at the reporters while answering the debate questions. However, the truth was a little more layered. Kennedy’s tan may have come from his time outdoors campaigning, but some believe that he may have had help from make-up; the view has also been expressed that his complexion was one of the results of Addison’s disease. Nixon put on pancake makeup to conceal his stubble, but the powder melted under the lights. After the debate, Nixon’s mother called the candidate to ask him if wasn’t feeling well.
"The damage was done. Listeners to the debate who weren’t distracted by the visual impressions because they tuned in via radio believed that Nixon won the debate; viewers said Kennedy won."
This backfired in 1980 when an obviously lying film actor won against a decent, sincere gentleman, who has since been acknowledged as such, across the board.
***
"As he said in his speech when he was inaugurated on January 20, 1961, the torch had been passed to a new generation. He acknowledged the problems that lay before him: the tyranny of communism and the bondage of those peoples who lived under its oppression; the deadliness of the arms race and the inherent threat of annihilation; the chains of poverty. In recognizing the dangers that he would face in his leadership, he challenged Americans to answer the need in stirring words that summoned citizens to public service. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the Freedom of Man.”
"The speech, just 1,364 words, only lasted thirteen minutes and was the fourth-shortest of all presidential inauguration speeches, but it’s regarded by historians as one of the most effective and stirring inaugural addresses in the history of the American presidency. Kennedy certainly had able speechwriters to help him deliver his message. He also had the ability to select words that would let his oratory soar, lifting the passages from the page so that they could take flight in the consciousness of the public."
Wonder how it compares with Gettysburg address by Abraham Lincoln, appreciated far more as years passed than immediately when he'd spoken.
***
"In 1952, Kennedy attended a dinner party in Washington D.C. where he met Jacqueline Bouvier, an inquiring photographer for the Washington Times-Herald. Bouvier, who had graduated from George Washington University with a degree in French literature, was the daughter of a hard-drinking stockbroker and a socialite who had divorced. Jacqueline had attended the Sorbonne in Paris as an exchange student; before entering college, she had been named “debutante of the year” by Igor Cassini when she made her debut. Like Kennedy, she was a Catholic and, through her mother, of Irish descent. Both of them appreciated literature and culture, and both benefitted from a worldlier, more sophisticated outlook, which grew out of their time spent abroad, but because of his campaigning for his Senate seat, Kennedy didn’t have much time for wooing. However, after he won his seat, he proposed marriage. Bouvier was assigned to cover Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and spent a month in Europe. When she returned, her answer was yes. As was typical of the times when wives didn’t work outside the home, she resigned her job at the newspaper."
For some strange reason it's much less publicised that Jackie "was assigned to cover Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and spent a month in Europe", than one would expect, and nothing other than a prejudice against her explains it - and nothing other than a misogyny explains that prejudice!
***
"Archbishop Richard Cushing married the pair on September 12, 1953, in Newport, Rhode Island. There were 700 guests at the ceremony and 1200 at the reception, making the marriage one of the season’s most celebrated social events. After honeymooning in Acapulco, the newlyweds lived in McLean, Virginia. Kennedy’s health issues continued into his marriage, and he had back surgery the year after their wedding. In 1955, Jacqueline had a miscarriage; she gave birth to a stillborn daughter in 1956. They sold the McLean house to Robert and Ethel Kennedy, who already had a growing family, and moved to Georgetown.
"Finally, in 1957, the Kennedys had a daughter, Caroline. Life magazine had the young family on its cover in 1958, publicity that didn’t hurt Kennedy’s campaign for re-election to the Senate. What surprised everyone was Jacqueline’s popularity among the crowds who showed up to see Kennedy; the crowds were twice as large when she was there. Jacqueline was not a natural campaigner; unlike her husband, she disliked media attention and was shy in the company of strangers."
Very like Princess Diana, except Jack wasn't unpopular.
***
"Speaking on television, Kennedy announced to the nation that he had informed the Soviet Union’s Premier Nikita Khrushchev that the United States had established a naval quarantine with the intention of inspecting all Soviet ships trying to enter Cuban waters. The United Nations suggested that the United States end the quarantine so that tensions could ease between the two nations. Kennedy, mindful of the fact that Khrushchev thought him weak, refused. The world was closer to nuclear war than it had ever been. Finally, after a Soviet ship was boarded, Khrushchev agreed to dismantle the sites. The United States vowed that it would never invade Cuba and quietly agreed to move the missiles in Italy and Turkey."
Few know and fewer recognise, that at this time, soon after October 21 when China invaded India, having invaded and occupied Tibet already during previous administration which hadn't protested, JFK quietly did the needful when a desperate elderly statesman Jawaharlal Nehru, the then PM of India, appealed for help.
People usually commit a fraud in giving China credit for stopping the aggression suddenly, calling in unilateral ceasefire. It was only due to JFK having told off China that it happened.
Subsequently, Nehru passed away on May 27 in 1964 - two days before birth anniversary of JFK post his death. It's a goosebumps moment when one connects the dots after seeing a YouTube video of their visit together, with an uncharacteristically relaxed beaming Nehru and a confident younger JFK together, that give one an impression suddenly of thus having been the son to Nehru that he'd never had.
So young JFK had confronted, not only a Khruschev, but a Mao too, all in a space of less than six weeks, and successfully so. The latter, far more impressive, despite being unpublicised - or perhaps, all the more so, because of it.
Perhaps this has been pushed under the rug due to a racism that denigrates India and prefers abrahmic cultures even when jihadists, as far as attitudes of many, though not all, US goes?
***
"The world was impressed by Kennedy’s steely resolve; the nation was proud of its young president who had inherited a number of potential problems from the Eisenhower years. One of those problems was in Southeast Asia, where the Cold War was being carried out by proxy. Kennedy’s policies continued to support the government of South Vietnam against the communist North Vietnam, which was supported by the Soviet Union. After the Viet Cong had become a stronger adversary against South Vietnam, Kennedy increased the number of Special Forces in the country; still, he resisted deploying troops on a larger scale. Kennedy analyzed the situation and realized that, as he put it, the United States “didn’t have a prayer of staying in Vietnam. Those people hate us.” However, Kennedy could not risk letting the communists win. The Vietnam War would escalate, and a Kennedy advisor later described it as “the only foreign policy problem handed off by JFK . . . in no better, and possibly worse shape than it was when he inherited it.”"
Does anyone else notice author not naming this advisor?
***
"The Cold War was fought on various fronts. It was fought in space as the United States and the Soviet Union competed for supremacy with rockets. It was fought in Cuba. One of the earliest fronts was in Europe, particularly in Berlin, the divided city. The Soviet Union controlled East Berlin, and a wall separated the two sections of the city. In June 1963, Kennedy traveled to West Berlin and delivered a resounding defense of democracy when he stated, “Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put up a wall to keep our people in.” Stating his support and the support of the world for the people of Berlin, Kennedy said, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” The Berlin Wall would not fall for several more decades, but Kennedy’s stance confirmed that its presence was a symbol of communist oppression.
"Back home, the battle fought by African-Americans to achieve their constitutional right to equality continued to be waged. The Rev. Martin Luther King, an advocate of nonviolent confrontation against discrimination, had galvanized the movement, and blacks and whites together marched for freedom. King had been involved in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. King was often in communication with Kennedy regarding civil rights issues.
***
"The relationship began before Kennedy’s presidency when Martin Luther King was arrested for helping students to challenge segregation at a lunch counter in Atlanta. After the arrest, the officials at the jail learned of a bench warrant that had been issued against King; months earlier, King had been charged with driving on an Alabama license although he was living in Georgia. It was during the 1960 campaign, and Kennedy supporters knew that a blatant move of support for King would jeopardize Kennedy’s fragile hopes of winning Southern votes. However, his brother-in-law, Sergeant Shriver, gave him Coretta Scott King’s telephone number. “I know this must be very hard for you,” Kennedy said to Mrs. King, “If there is anything I can do to help, please feel free to call on me.”
"The gesture, which offended Southern white voters, had a very different effect on black Americans in the South, where the Democratic Party was synonymous with discrimination. When the news leaked out of what Kennedy had done, Kennedy had African-American support. Kennedy had never met Mrs. King, but when asked by a reporter, he said that Mrs. King was a friend.
***
"In June 1963, Alabama’s Governor George Wallace, a proponent of segregation now, tomorrow, and forever, personally attempted to prevent students James Hood and Vivian Malone from entering the University of Alabama.
"The nation had watched as blacks engaged in nonviolent protests had been greeted with dogs and firehoses. It had learned of blacks being denied the right to vote in elections, of Ku Klux Klan lynch mobs and violent acts of hatred. The nation needed words that would explain the horror of segregation in terms that could inspire hope and change. Kennedy had those words. Explaining his reasons for the legislation he planned to introduce to provide African-Americans with their civil rights, Kennedy, in a televised speech on June 11, 1963, said, “We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as old as the scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution. . . . One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, are not fully free. . . . Now the time has come for this Nation to fulfill its promise.”
"Kennedy would not live to see the nation fulfill that promise, but the legislation that he sought would become law as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Lyndon Johnson was committed to the civil rights progress that had begun during JFK’s administration, and he had the legislative clout to bring the dream to fruition. What he did not have was the Kennedy mystique, that indescribable ability to captivate the electorate. His own presidency would be shadowed by the violence of the era, the metastasizing spread of the Vietnam War, and the realization that he could not overcome the specter of the martyred president who preceded him."
Literally the least Johnson could do to avert public suspicion, after his first act as president having been to reverse the direction of policy set by JFK regarding Vietnam, and committing US instead of withdrawal JFK had intended.
***
"Mrs. Connally recalled that, during the ride to the hospital, Mrs. Kennedy continued to ask her husband if he could hear her, telling him that she loved him. More than once, she said, “They have killed my husband.”
"When Kennedy arrived at Parkland Hospital, the staff realized that there was no hope for his survival. Last rites were administered to the deceased President. His body was loaded upon Air Force One for return to Washington D.C. Before the plane left, the oath of office was administered to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; the new First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, was on one side, the widowed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on the other."
According to information elsewhere, that last paragraph isn't quite accurate. Oath was administered not on ground, and two planes had left, one with coffins - one being thst of a Texas cop who resembled JFK so much his nickname was (Fitz?).
***
"For the public, the assassination was numbing, an event that, like the bombing of Pearl Harbor before it and the 9/11 attacks after, branded itself on the nation. People in the streets cried openly as they heard the news; schoolchildren were dismissed from school before the usual time. People feared that the assassination was part of a broader plan to attack the United States. There was fear that the life of the new President was also in danger."
Hereon, author sticks to official lies, which were exposed and refuted not only successfully but in great detail, as depicted in the film JFK, by the public prosecutor Jim Garrison in a public trial in his state.
"Just over an hour after the assassination, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested as the murderer of policeman J.D. Tippet. Tippet had recognized Oswald’s description from a radio message. When Tippet left his police car, Oswald shot him four times. Oswald tried to slip away unnoticed, but a spectator saw him enter a nearby movie theater. Police arrested him, but Oswald insisted that he had not shot anyone and that the reason he was being arrested was because he had recently been living in the Soviet Union."
Much of the above was ripped to shreds by Jim Garrison as shown in JFK.
***
"Oswald would not live to be tried for the murder. When he was being transferred to the Dallas County Jail two days later, he was shot on live television by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Oswald, like the president he had killed, was taken to Parkland Hospital, but he could not be saved. Ruby explained that he had killed Oswald to spare Mrs. Kennedy the suffering of having to return to attend the murder trial."
Jack Ruby died in prison in suspicious circumstances, as told in JFK.
***
"Oswald’s death dealt the investigation a crippling blow. Oswald had provided minimal information during the time that he was under interrogation by the Dallas police. Statements that he made, which later were proven to be false, could not be challenged because he was dead. The FBI conducted its own investigation and concluded that the first and third bullets fired hit the President, the second hit the Governor.
"On November 29, 1963, President Johnson established the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, more familiarly known as the Warren Commission after Chief Justice Earl Warren, who was chairman of the commission. The Commission’s 888-page report stated that both Oswald and Ruby had acted alone."
Lie about Oswald being anything except a patsy and Ruby being alone.
***
"The Commission’s report failed to put to rest the conspiracy theories that flourished after Kennedy’s assassination. Some believed that the CIA had been behind the killing; others were convinced that Fidel Castro had been involved. Yet another theory held that the Mafia had a ....
On the whole it's not only that author sticks to official lies and muck but far greater a flaw, unless it's a deliberate effort, is that it seems like an attempt to stop anyone from from going into the question - was JFK far greater than not only admitted, but even suspected?
There's the effort, chiefly, to throw muck on and about JFK, by labelling him a womanizer but stopping short of mentioning the suspicious circumstances of death of Marilyn Monroe, on one hand, and insisting on Oswald being the assassin despite Garrison having proved otherwise.
There's the scrupulously mentioned effect that Jacqueline Kennedy had on US, reportedly, due to her being of impressive taste in clothes and general presentation of her persona, despite her having impressed not only Charles de Gaulle and his effects favorably but most people of France as well, among other international public, something that helps a man in his - JFK's - position, by smoothing the way.
There's the barest mention of Ambassador Kennedy being against US joining WWII, without either mention - much less discussion - of his sympathies having been with Axis, and his staunch admiration of Hitler, much less even a mention of his having championed the cause publicly enough, causing discomfort enough to the then president of the United States, F.D.R., to have terminated the career of Ambassador Kennedy after the prestigious assignment to St. James’s Court in the very first place.
And most of all, mention of public suspicion regarding the official verdict about his assassination without once mentioning Jim Garrison, who conducted the only trial and did so successfully, so much so JFK remains an example of what a film ought to be.
***
"Kennedy proved himself to be more media savvy than Nixon. The studio had a gray background, so Kennedy wore a blue suit and shirt, which diminished the glare of the lights; Nixon wore a gray suit that blended into the set. The Kennedy-Nixon debate, a harbinger of the way that the new, visual medium would revolutionize voter perceptions, has since become part of television legend: a young-looking, vigorous Kennedy defeated a sweaty, pale Nixon; Kennedy faced the camera and by extension, the American public; Nixon looked at the reporters while answering the debate questions. However, the truth was a little more layered. Kennedy’s tan may have come from his time outdoors campaigning, but some believe that he may have had help from make-up; the view has also been expressed that his complexion was one of the results of Addison’s disease. Nixon put on pancake makeup to conceal his stubble, but the powder melted under the lights. After the debate, Nixon’s mother called the candidate to ask him if wasn’t feeling well.
"The damage was done. Listeners to the debate who weren’t distracted by the visual impressions because they tuned in via radio believed that Nixon won the debate; viewers said Kennedy won."
This backfired in 1980 when an obviously lying film actor won against a decent, sincere gentleman, who has since been acknowledged as such, across the board.
***
"As he said in his speech when he was inaugurated on January 20, 1961, the torch had been passed to a new generation. He acknowledged the problems that lay before him: the tyranny of communism and the bondage of those peoples who lived under its oppression; the deadliness of the arms race and the inherent threat of annihilation; the chains of poverty. In recognizing the dangers that he would face in his leadership, he challenged Americans to answer the need in stirring words that summoned citizens to public service. “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the Freedom of Man.”
"The speech, just 1,364 words, only lasted thirteen minutes and was the fourth-shortest of all presidential inauguration speeches, but it’s regarded by historians as one of the most effective and stirring inaugural addresses in the history of the American presidency. Kennedy certainly had able speechwriters to help him deliver his message. He also had the ability to select words that would let his oratory soar, lifting the passages from the page so that they could take flight in the consciousness of the public."
Wonder how it compares with Gettysburg address by Abraham Lincoln, appreciated far more as years passed than immediately when he'd spoken.
***
"In 1952, Kennedy attended a dinner party in Washington D.C. where he met Jacqueline Bouvier, an inquiring photographer for the Washington Times-Herald. Bouvier, who had graduated from George Washington University with a degree in French literature, was the daughter of a hard-drinking stockbroker and a socialite who had divorced. Jacqueline had attended the Sorbonne in Paris as an exchange student; before entering college, she had been named “debutante of the year” by Igor Cassini when she made her debut. Like Kennedy, she was a Catholic and, through her mother, of Irish descent. Both of them appreciated literature and culture, and both benefitted from a worldlier, more sophisticated outlook, which grew out of their time spent abroad, but because of his campaigning for his Senate seat, Kennedy didn’t have much time for wooing. However, after he won his seat, he proposed marriage. Bouvier was assigned to cover Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and spent a month in Europe. When she returned, her answer was yes. As was typical of the times when wives didn’t work outside the home, she resigned her job at the newspaper."
For some strange reason it's much less publicised that Jackie "was assigned to cover Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and spent a month in Europe", than one would expect, and nothing other than a prejudice against her explains it - and nothing other than a misogyny explains that prejudice!
***
"Archbishop Richard Cushing married the pair on September 12, 1953, in Newport, Rhode Island. There were 700 guests at the ceremony and 1200 at the reception, making the marriage one of the season’s most celebrated social events. After honeymooning in Acapulco, the newlyweds lived in McLean, Virginia. Kennedy’s health issues continued into his marriage, and he had back surgery the year after their wedding. In 1955, Jacqueline had a miscarriage; she gave birth to a stillborn daughter in 1956. They sold the McLean house to Robert and Ethel Kennedy, who already had a growing family, and moved to Georgetown.
"Finally, in 1957, the Kennedys had a daughter, Caroline. Life magazine had the young family on its cover in 1958, publicity that didn’t hurt Kennedy’s campaign for re-election to the Senate. What surprised everyone was Jacqueline’s popularity among the crowds who showed up to see Kennedy; the crowds were twice as large when she was there. Jacqueline was not a natural campaigner; unlike her husband, she disliked media attention and was shy in the company of strangers."
Very like Princess Diana, except Jack wasn't unpopular.
***
"Speaking on television, Kennedy announced to the nation that he had informed the Soviet Union’s Premier Nikita Khrushchev that the United States had established a naval quarantine with the intention of inspecting all Soviet ships trying to enter Cuban waters. The United Nations suggested that the United States end the quarantine so that tensions could ease between the two nations. Kennedy, mindful of the fact that Khrushchev thought him weak, refused. The world was closer to nuclear war than it had ever been. Finally, after a Soviet ship was boarded, Khrushchev agreed to dismantle the sites. The United States vowed that it would never invade Cuba and quietly agreed to move the missiles in Italy and Turkey."
Few know and fewer recognise, that at this time, soon after October 21 when China invaded India, having invaded and occupied Tibet already during previous administration which hadn't protested, JFK quietly did the needful when a desperate elderly statesman Jawaharlal Nehru, the then PM of India, appealed for help.
People usually commit a fraud in giving China credit for stopping the aggression suddenly, calling in unilateral ceasefire. It was only due to JFK having told off China that it happened.
Subsequently, Nehru passed away on May 27 in 1964 - two days before birth anniversary of JFK post his death. It's a goosebumps moment when one connects the dots after seeing a YouTube video of their visit together, with an uncharacteristically relaxed beaming Nehru and a confident younger JFK together, that give one an impression suddenly of thus having been the son to Nehru that he'd never had.
So young JFK had confronted, not only a Khruschev, but a Mao too, all in a space of less than six weeks, and successfully so. The latter, far more impressive, despite being unpublicised - or perhaps, all the more so, because of it.
Perhaps this has been pushed under the rug due to a racism that denigrates India and prefers abrahmic cultures even when jihadists, as far as attitudes of many, though not all, US goes?
***
"The world was impressed by Kennedy’s steely resolve; the nation was proud of its young president who had inherited a number of potential problems from the Eisenhower years. One of those problems was in Southeast Asia, where the Cold War was being carried out by proxy. Kennedy’s policies continued to support the government of South Vietnam against the communist North Vietnam, which was supported by the Soviet Union. After the Viet Cong had become a stronger adversary against South Vietnam, Kennedy increased the number of Special Forces in the country; still, he resisted deploying troops on a larger scale. Kennedy analyzed the situation and realized that, as he put it, the United States “didn’t have a prayer of staying in Vietnam. Those people hate us.” However, Kennedy could not risk letting the communists win. The Vietnam War would escalate, and a Kennedy advisor later described it as “the only foreign policy problem handed off by JFK . . . in no better, and possibly worse shape than it was when he inherited it.”"
Does anyone else notice author not naming this advisor?
***
"The Cold War was fought on various fronts. It was fought in space as the United States and the Soviet Union competed for supremacy with rockets. It was fought in Cuba. One of the earliest fronts was in Europe, particularly in Berlin, the divided city. The Soviet Union controlled East Berlin, and a wall separated the two sections of the city. In June 1963, Kennedy traveled to West Berlin and delivered a resounding defense of democracy when he stated, “Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put up a wall to keep our people in.” Stating his support and the support of the world for the people of Berlin, Kennedy said, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” The Berlin Wall would not fall for several more decades, but Kennedy’s stance confirmed that its presence was a symbol of communist oppression.
"Back home, the battle fought by African-Americans to achieve their constitutional right to equality continued to be waged. The Rev. Martin Luther King, an advocate of nonviolent confrontation against discrimination, had galvanized the movement, and blacks and whites together marched for freedom. King had been involved in the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. King was often in communication with Kennedy regarding civil rights issues.
***
"The relationship began before Kennedy’s presidency when Martin Luther King was arrested for helping students to challenge segregation at a lunch counter in Atlanta. After the arrest, the officials at the jail learned of a bench warrant that had been issued against King; months earlier, King had been charged with driving on an Alabama license although he was living in Georgia. It was during the 1960 campaign, and Kennedy supporters knew that a blatant move of support for King would jeopardize Kennedy’s fragile hopes of winning Southern votes. However, his brother-in-law, Sergeant Shriver, gave him Coretta Scott King’s telephone number. “I know this must be very hard for you,” Kennedy said to Mrs. King, “If there is anything I can do to help, please feel free to call on me.”
"The gesture, which offended Southern white voters, had a very different effect on black Americans in the South, where the Democratic Party was synonymous with discrimination. When the news leaked out of what Kennedy had done, Kennedy had African-American support. Kennedy had never met Mrs. King, but when asked by a reporter, he said that Mrs. King was a friend.
***
"In June 1963, Alabama’s Governor George Wallace, a proponent of segregation now, tomorrow, and forever, personally attempted to prevent students James Hood and Vivian Malone from entering the University of Alabama.
"The nation had watched as blacks engaged in nonviolent protests had been greeted with dogs and firehoses. It had learned of blacks being denied the right to vote in elections, of Ku Klux Klan lynch mobs and violent acts of hatred. The nation needed words that would explain the horror of segregation in terms that could inspire hope and change. Kennedy had those words. Explaining his reasons for the legislation he planned to introduce to provide African-Americans with their civil rights, Kennedy, in a televised speech on June 11, 1963, said, “We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as old as the scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution. . . . One hundred years of delay have passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, are not fully free. . . . Now the time has come for this Nation to fulfill its promise.”
"Kennedy would not live to see the nation fulfill that promise, but the legislation that he sought would become law as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Lyndon Johnson was committed to the civil rights progress that had begun during JFK’s administration, and he had the legislative clout to bring the dream to fruition. What he did not have was the Kennedy mystique, that indescribable ability to captivate the electorate. His own presidency would be shadowed by the violence of the era, the metastasizing spread of the Vietnam War, and the realization that he could not overcome the specter of the martyred president who preceded him."
Literally the least Johnson could do to avert public suspicion, after his first act as president having been to reverse the direction of policy set by JFK regarding Vietnam, and committing US instead of withdrawal JFK had intended.
***
"Mrs. Connally recalled that, during the ride to the hospital, Mrs. Kennedy continued to ask her husband if he could hear her, telling him that she loved him. More than once, she said, “They have killed my husband.”
"When Kennedy arrived at Parkland Hospital, the staff realized that there was no hope for his survival. Last rites were administered to the deceased President. His body was loaded upon Air Force One for return to Washington D.C. Before the plane left, the oath of office was administered to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson; the new First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, was on one side, the widowed First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy on the other."
According to information elsewhere, that last paragraph isn't quite accurate. Oath was administered not on ground, and two planes had left, one with coffins - one being thst of a Texas cop who resembled JFK so much his nickname was (Fitz?).
***
"For the public, the assassination was numbing, an event that, like the bombing of Pearl Harbor before it and the 9/11 attacks after, branded itself on the nation. People in the streets cried openly as they heard the news; schoolchildren were dismissed from school before the usual time. People feared that the assassination was part of a broader plan to attack the United States. There was fear that the life of the new President was also in danger."
Hereon, author sticks to official lies, which were exposed and refuted not only successfully but in great detail, as depicted in the film JFK, by the public prosecutor Jim Garrison in a public trial in his state.
"Just over an hour after the assassination, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested as the murderer of policeman J.D. Tippet. Tippet had recognized Oswald’s description from a radio message. When Tippet left his police car, Oswald shot him four times. Oswald tried to slip away unnoticed, but a spectator saw him enter a nearby movie theater. Police arrested him, but Oswald insisted that he had not shot anyone and that the reason he was being arrested was because he had recently been living in the Soviet Union."
Much of the above was ripped to shreds by Jim Garrison as shown in JFK.
***
"Oswald would not live to be tried for the murder. When he was being transferred to the Dallas County Jail two days later, he was shot on live television by nightclub owner Jack Ruby. Oswald, like the president he had killed, was taken to Parkland Hospital, but he could not be saved. Ruby explained that he had killed Oswald to spare Mrs. Kennedy the suffering of having to return to attend the murder trial."
Jack Ruby died in prison in suspicious circumstances, as told in JFK.
***
"Oswald’s death dealt the investigation a crippling blow. Oswald had provided minimal information during the time that he was under interrogation by the Dallas police. Statements that he made, which later were proven to be false, could not be challenged because he was dead. The FBI conducted its own investigation and concluded that the first and third bullets fired hit the President, the second hit the Governor.
"On November 29, 1963, President Johnson established the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, more familiarly known as the Warren Commission after Chief Justice Earl Warren, who was chairman of the commission. The Commission’s 888-page report stated that both Oswald and Ruby had acted alone."
Lie about Oswald being anything except a patsy and Ruby being alone.
***
"The Commission’s report failed to put to rest the conspiracy theories that flourished after Kennedy’s assassination. Some believed that the CIA had been behind the killing; others were convinced that Fidel Castro had been involved. Yet another theory held that the Mafia had a ....
October 24, 2017
Spend an hour and walk away knowing how much this nation lost that horrible day in Dallas!
If you would like to know the highlights of President John F. Kennedy's life and legacy without spending multiple days reading a lot of additional fluff, this is the book for you! So much of his life is covered in this book, along with information about his health that he had to work through in order to accomplish so much in the time he had. Spend an hour with this book and you will understand why he was so loved by this nation!
If you would like to know the highlights of President John F. Kennedy's life and legacy without spending multiple days reading a lot of additional fluff, this is the book for you! So much of his life is covered in this book, along with information about his health that he had to work through in order to accomplish so much in the time he had. Spend an hour with this book and you will understand why he was so loved by this nation!
August 28, 2018
I do love an Hourly History .. Good to have a few on your kindle as a filler read .. I hadn't been born during the short life of JFK, but the stories of his playboy lifestyle, affair with a certain Movie Star, and untimely assassination are well known to me .. This short did give more of an insight into the life of a true inspiration of American history, but it did come across as more of a 'newsreel' than fleshing out the man himself .. Guess I will need a bigger book for that .. I have saved a few highlights as a reminder ..
November 27, 2017
I was a little uncertain about the notion of these hourly histories. It seemed like a good idea, but I wanted to be sure so I started with a title where I already knew the subject.
I found it a fair and objective summary of the key points in Kennedy's life. As such I would be confident in reading titles on other historical figures.
This series appears to fill a niche for those who need a quick and easy read without necessarily needing a comprehensive biography.
I found it a fair and objective summary of the key points in Kennedy's life. As such I would be confident in reading titles on other historical figures.
This series appears to fill a niche for those who need a quick and easy read without necessarily needing a comprehensive biography.
March 22, 2024
Off course I already knew a fair amount about JFK, but the promise of Hourly Histories is that maybe you can add to your knowledge on something without a huge time commitment.
I felt like the author struggled to summarize JFK's life in a compelling way. The section on JFK's presidency felt especially superficial, even taking length constraints into account.
But some things did stand out to me:
(1) How JFK's family made him who he was
Of course I knew that JFK came from a rich family, but reading this made it click for me more.
Not only was his father super rich, but he was also very politically connected and really pushed his kids to pursue political careers. JFK also grew up with the easy confidence of the ultra rich. He never had to doubt that he belonged in the highest levels of politics. So with that combination of unlimited resources and a politically savvy dad, JFK's course in life was practically preordained.
(2) 180 million dollars in 1935
There is a line that says in 1935 JFK's dad was worth 180 million. That's about 4 BILLION dollars in 2024! I knew Joseph P. Kennedy Sr was rich but I didn't know he was THAT rich. He was one of the richest people in the entire country and probably the person that had the best combination of money, politically savvy, insider connections and political ambitions.
(3) I became more curious about Jackie O.
As I was reading I became more intrigued by Jacqueline Kennedy. I am very curious to learn especially what were her real thoughts and feelings in the rather unusual life she led. She was clearly very intelligent and cultured, but also very good at keeping her life private. What was she like as a mother and friend? How did she feel about JFK's affairs? What drove her?
Summary: So overall it wasn't that great, but it stimulated some thoughts for me. I don't feel the urge to learn more about JFK or the Kennedys, I think I know enough. But I might pick up a Jackie O bio the next time I get a chance.
I felt like the author struggled to summarize JFK's life in a compelling way. The section on JFK's presidency felt especially superficial, even taking length constraints into account.
But some things did stand out to me:
(1) How JFK's family made him who he was
Of course I knew that JFK came from a rich family, but reading this made it click for me more.
Not only was his father super rich, but he was also very politically connected and really pushed his kids to pursue political careers. JFK also grew up with the easy confidence of the ultra rich. He never had to doubt that he belonged in the highest levels of politics. So with that combination of unlimited resources and a politically savvy dad, JFK's course in life was practically preordained.
(2) 180 million dollars in 1935
There is a line that says in 1935 JFK's dad was worth 180 million. That's about 4 BILLION dollars in 2024! I knew Joseph P. Kennedy Sr was rich but I didn't know he was THAT rich. He was one of the richest people in the entire country and probably the person that had the best combination of money, politically savvy, insider connections and political ambitions.
(3) I became more curious about Jackie O.
As I was reading I became more intrigued by Jacqueline Kennedy. I am very curious to learn especially what were her real thoughts and feelings in the rather unusual life she led. She was clearly very intelligent and cultured, but also very good at keeping her life private. What was she like as a mother and friend? How did she feel about JFK's affairs? What drove her?
Summary: So overall it wasn't that great, but it stimulated some thoughts for me. I don't feel the urge to learn more about JFK or the Kennedys, I think I know enough. But I might pick up a Jackie O bio the next time I get a chance.
May 1, 2019
There is a lot of information packed into this brief biography of fifty pages. I lived through this era and a lot of this I remember. I was in kindergarten when Kennedy ran against Nixon for president and I can still remember the kids on the playground chanting, "Kennedy, Kennedy, he's our man. Nixon belongs in the garbage can." I remember exactly where I was when I learned the news that Kennedy had been shot. Over the years I've heard a lot about Kennedy and I really didn't think this biography could teach me anything new...but it did. I've long known about Kennedy's womanizing but I didn't realize the news media was complicit and kept it secret in the early years. I didn't know Kennedy and Jackie joined the "mile high club" during their flight to Dallas on that fateful day. This biography contains information about Kennedy's father, his brother Joe that was killed as a pilot during World War II, his sister that married the British heir apparent of the Duke of Devonshire, Kennedy's World War II experience and PT 109, his campaigns before his campaign for the presidency, the Cuban Missile Crisis, his womanizing and the rather cruel way he ended it with Marilyn Monroe, and then of course the day he was shot. In the end my opinion was I was glad I read this. It is well worth the read.
May 22, 2025
Kennedy is the first president I actually remember. For years I almost idolized him in a childish fashion having swallowed the deception encouraged by the mainstream media but then as I grew his dishonesty and sinfulness became public knowledge I gained a more balanced adult perception. He had some good qualities but many bad qualities. The disappointment I felt brought sadness, anger, distrust and a certain cynical outlook [the good part of that is cautiousness]. It reminds me of a song by John W. Petersen that explains the only solution:
I sought a flag to follow,
A cause for which to stand,
I sought a valiant leader
Who could my love command;
I sought a stirring challenge,
Some noble work to try,
To give my life fulfillment,
My dreams to satisfy.
Chorus
I found them all in Jesus,
The Life, the Truth, the Way;
Beneath his flag I’ll take my stand
And follow Him today.
I sought a flag to follow,
A cause for which to stand,
I sought a valiant leader
Who could my love command;
I sought a stirring challenge,
Some noble work to try,
To give my life fulfillment,
My dreams to satisfy.
Chorus
I found them all in Jesus,
The Life, the Truth, the Way;
Beneath his flag I’ll take my stand
And follow Him today.
March 13, 2019
I was in the first grade when JFK was assassinated. I've read a more extensive book about him and have seen quite a few documentaries, so this short book was more or less a refresher. Nevertheless, I did learn a couple of new things that I was unaware of before.
The book was well written and held my attention throughout. It's written in the Hourly History style; condensed but still quite informative. Enjoyed reading it.
The book was well written and held my attention throughout. It's written in the Hourly History style; condensed but still quite informative. Enjoyed reading it.
April 29, 2019
I am always want to read about biographies and history. why is the internet I've learned a lot more as far as intricacies of what happened to Jerry when he was in the Navy as well as when he was on the journey at parkland hospital there are controversies urban legends I guess you could say rumors Smith skip. About what happened to the time he was in his casket. As far as the book itself is concerned yes it's another book I do I did love reading it and yes this is one I do highly recommend.
June 1, 2019
Life story
I needed a biography of someone historical and thought about President Kennedy. I am greatly appreciative that I found this one because it was just what I needed for my class. I have a five page paper to write and didn't want to read one of those long boring books. This book was short and told me a lot of information that I didn't know. It was a great historical page turner...I finished it in one day. I definitely recommend this book.
I needed a biography of someone historical and thought about President Kennedy. I am greatly appreciative that I found this one because it was just what I needed for my class. I have a five page paper to write and didn't want to read one of those long boring books. This book was short and told me a lot of information that I didn't know. It was a great historical page turner...I finished it in one day. I definitely recommend this book.
December 12, 2020
Excellent summary
Though confusing in the beginning with the way John is interchanged with Jack- I had read few times to understand that Jack in fact refers to John F Kennedy.
This book is comprehensive and gives a good account of one of the best presidents American had. Also, we can read the book quickly. I would recommend to anyone who is interested to know about John F Kennedy.
Though confusing in the beginning with the way John is interchanged with Jack- I had read few times to understand that Jack in fact refers to John F Kennedy.
This book is comprehensive and gives a good account of one of the best presidents American had. Also, we can read the book quickly. I would recommend to anyone who is interested to know about John F Kennedy.
March 24, 2021
A Short Time Among Us
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, second son of Joseph Kennedy, did his best to serve our country well. Shut down in the prime of his life by an assassin, and we may never know the real reason why. This brief novel revisits some of the earlier years of Kennedy’s life, and then moves into His short presidency. Not enough if one really wants to get to know more about J. F. K. but enough to spark ones interest.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, second son of Joseph Kennedy, did his best to serve our country well. Shut down in the prime of his life by an assassin, and we may never know the real reason why. This brief novel revisits some of the earlier years of Kennedy’s life, and then moves into His short presidency. Not enough if one really wants to get to know more about J. F. K. but enough to spark ones interest.
September 19, 2026
I read this with baited breath. I was a baby in 1963, but I feel like I felt the loss. Maybe by the time I was old enough to understand? So I really understand it's why I feel so strongly about this. I learned a thing or two, but I liked they just gave the facts. I could feel the pain and the loss. There was a lot going on in the 60s, conspiracy theories, civil rights, non-violence vs. violence campaigns to be seen and respected as a people... and here we are, where?
January 30, 2018
While addressing several important points in JFK's life this book is able to keep the momentum moving forward quickly. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about JFK from beginning to end without necessarily digging too deep into each event. A great coverage of a great President, who in the end was only a man, just like most of us.
June 30, 2019
Good Synopsis!
A lot of information packed into an hour's read. A lot has been written about Jack Kennedy but this gives you the big items and a glimpse of who the man was. It makes you wonder how much more he could have accomplished if he had not been assassinated mid-term and had been elected to lead America for another 4 years.
A lot of information packed into an hour's read. A lot has been written about Jack Kennedy but this gives you the big items and a glimpse of who the man was. It makes you wonder how much more he could have accomplished if he had not been assassinated mid-term and had been elected to lead America for another 4 years.
August 17, 2021
Even though I found this book very short (finished it in an afternoon) it contained all the important parts of Kennedy's life. It also gave an insight into the life of Jackie Kennedy. I really enjoyed this book it was unlike other books on Kennedy (those just went on and on about his asasination. This one gave some insight to his life and how he sort of grew into the presidency.
August 26, 2025
Unfinished Business
This book provides a thoroughly enjoyable summary of the life of JFK, including information that was withheld from the public during his lifetime. The Kennedy name and influence loomed large, but JFK's legacy was his youthful spirit and challenge to our country to lift everyone up.
This book provides a thoroughly enjoyable summary of the life of JFK, including information that was withheld from the public during his lifetime. The Kennedy name and influence loomed large, but JFK's legacy was his youthful spirit and challenge to our country to lift everyone up.
December 6, 2018
Awesome.
Well summarised account of the life of an American icon and an assassination which has flirted with conspiracy ever since. The number of people named John Kennedy among the Kennedy's ultimately results in inconsistencies and confusion in referring to particular persons.
Well summarised account of the life of an American icon and an assassination which has flirted with conspiracy ever since. The number of people named John Kennedy among the Kennedy's ultimately results in inconsistencies and confusion in referring to particular persons.
March 10, 2019
Great Review Of A Great Man
This little book tries to cover the most about this great man. There is just to much in John F. Kennedy's life and legacy to cram into this little summary. It does it's best, a good reference for information about a great man.
This little book tries to cover the most about this great man. There is just to much in John F. Kennedy's life and legacy to cram into this little summary. It does it's best, a good reference for information about a great man.
June 30, 2019
Will we ever know the truth!
As good a short story as this is it still brings to mind what could have been had this President lived.
I believe most American will always believe Oswald was the scapegoat for a more sinister plot carried out by those whom we will never know .
As good a short story as this is it still brings to mind what could have been had this President lived.
I believe most American will always believe Oswald was the scapegoat for a more sinister plot carried out by those whom we will never know .
August 25, 2019
A Peek into Camelot
Looking back on the life of President Kennedy, one is more impressed at the legend and hope the Kennedy presidency represented. This book gives a balanced look at the life of JFK in a quick to read and easy to digest book.
Looking back on the life of President Kennedy, one is more impressed at the legend and hope the Kennedy presidency represented. This book gives a balanced look at the life of JFK in a quick to read and easy to digest book.
June 18, 2021
A Wonderful Kennedy Memoir
The book was marvelous, intriguing, factual, and poignant. I couldn't wait to flip the page. The account wasn't prejudiced. It was Heartwarming.
.I firmly recommend this book.
The book was marvelous, intriguing, factual, and poignant. I couldn't wait to flip the page. The account wasn't prejudiced. It was Heartwarming.
.I firmly recommend this book.
April 12, 2022
Succinct but felt incomplete
I enjoyed the book but it felt like it was romantisizing JFK more than just providing information. The story glossed over a lot but what it talked about was interesting
I enjoyed the book but it felt like it was romantisizing JFK more than just providing information. The story glossed over a lot but what it talked about was interesting
May 6, 2022
Great little historical vignette
I really enjoy the Hourly History series. They provide an excellent jumping off point for further reading or a quick summary of a person or event of note. Keep up the good work.
I really enjoy the Hourly History series. They provide an excellent jumping off point for further reading or a quick summary of a person or event of note. Keep up the good work.
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