My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies
I spent the past 24 weeks reading a dozen biographies of John F. Kennedy totaling just under 8, pages: six &#;conventional&#; biographies, a two-volume series and four narrowly-focused studies of Kennedy&#;s presidency.
In the end, JFK proved to be everything I hoped for &#; and more! Like several of the presidents who preceded him, Kennedy&#;s life is a biographer&#;s dream.
His forebears were dynamic, endlessly fascinating, occasionally unscrupulous and, from time to time, oddly dysfunctional. Kennedy himself proved to be no less interesting: he was medically infirm, an ardent bookworm, a serial philanderer, often ruthlessly pragmatic and extremely charismatic.
But after spending five-and-a-half months with JFK and experiencing his presidency nine times (three of the books did not cover his time in the Oval Office) I still find Kennedy undeservedly well-ranked by historians. But that&#;s a subject for another day.
* * *
* “An Unfinished Life: JFK ” by Robert Dallek (published ) &#; This comprehensive biography was the first book on JFK that I read. It also proved to be my favorite. Dallek provides a devastat
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Primary Sources
(1) John Hersey wrote about the heroism of John F. Kennedy after interviewing members of the crew of the American Motor Torpedo Boat that sank in the Blackett Straight. The article appeared in the New Yorker on 17th June
All morning they watched for the plane which they thought would be looking for them. They cursed war in general and PTs in particular. At about ten o'clock the hulk heaved a moist sigh and turned turtle. McMahon and Johnston had to hang on as best they could. It was clear that the remains of the would soon sink. When the sun had passed the meridian, Kennedy said, "We will swim to that small island," pointing to one of a group three miles to the southeast. "We have less chance of making it than some of these other islands here, but there'll be less chance of Japs, too." Those
who could not swim well grouped themselves around a long two-by-six timber with which carpenters had braced the millimetre cannon on deck and which had been knocked overboard by the force of the collision. They tied several pairs of shoes to the timber, as well as the ship's lantern, wrapped in a life jacket to keep it
John F. Kennedy | Biography
35th American PresidentJohn F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States, serving from until his assassination in
Who is John F. Kennedy?
John F. Kennedy, born on May 29, , in Brookline, Massachusetts, was a pivotal figure in American history, serving as the 35th president from until his tragic assassination in Coming from a prominent Irish Catholic family, he was the second eldest of nine siblings and was shaped by a father who instilled a fierce competitive spirit in him. Kennedy's early years were marked by illness, yet he managed to excel at Harvard University, publishing his senior thesis as the book "Why England Slept." This academic venture, alongside his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, set the stage for his later political career.
Kennedy's political trajectory began as a U.S. Congressman in , followed by a Senate seat in , where he became known for his charisma and leadership style. His achievements in office included establishing the Peace Corps and negotiating pivotal agreements like the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. His presidency was marked by significant foreign policy challenges, such as the C
U.S. Presidents
President John F. Kennedy Biography
John Kennedy was the 35th president and first to be born in the 20th century. Kennedy was known for his great speeches and political skills. His leadership helped the country avoid war during the Cuba Missile Crisis. His assassination on November 22, shocked the nation and did not allow him to see many of his ideas become law. His early work on civil rights were the basis for the Civil Rights Act of
Growing Up
John grew up in a very powerful and rich family in Brookline, Massachusetts. The family was big as he had three brothers and five sisters. John&#;s father Joe had a dream that one day one of his sons would become the president of United States. He started preparing for his dream to become a reality from a very early age of his sons. He provided the best school for them as he sent them to great institutions. He had high expectations from his oldest son Joe Jr. to become a president one day.
Education
John was a Harvard graduate and graduated from Harvard in with an honors degree. His father was the US Ambassador to Great Britain at that time and so John traveled to Great Britain to be with him. As his inter
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