New American Presidents Series Biography: John F. Kennedy
Previously in this community I've journalled about the American Presidents Series, a series of concise biographies written about each of the Presidents of the United States by reputable historians. Thus far, biographies have been written about each President from George Washington to George H. W. Bush, with the exception of William Howard Taft and Ronald Reagan. A biography of Taft is expected to be published in August of 2013 (written by historians Louis Lapham and John Morton Blum). Thus far, no release dates have been listed for any biographies of Reagan, Bill Clinton or George W. Bush.
Next week however, on May 8th to be exact, the newest volume in this series will go on sale, a biography of President John F. Kennedy. It is written by historian Alan Brinkley. The tag line for the book reads: "The young president who brought vigor and glamour to the White House while he confronted cold war crises abroad and calls for social change at home."
So far I haven't been able to find an excerpt from the book, but the publisher's website offers the following summary:
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a new kind of president. He redefined how Americans came to see the nation's chief executive. He was forty-three when he was inaugurated in 1961—the youngest man ever elected to the office—and he personified what he called the "New Frontier" as the United States entered the 1960s.
But as Alan Brinkley shows in this incisive and lively assessment, the reality of Kennedy's achievements was much more complex than the legend. His brief presidency encountered significant failures—among them the Bay of Pigs fiasco, which cast its shadow on nearly every national-security decision that followed. But Kennedy also had successes, among them the Cuban Missile Crisis and his belated but powerful stand against segregation.
Kennedy seemed to live on a knife's edge, moving from one crisis to another—Cuba, Laos, Berlin, Vietnam, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. His controversial public life mirrored his hidden private life. He took risks that would seem reckless and even foolhardy when they emerged from secrecy years later.
Kennedy's life, and his violent and sudden death, reshaped our view of the presidency. Brinkley gives us a full picture of the man, his times, and his enduring legacy.
I've pre-ordered the book, though I'm not sure when I'll get around to reading it (probably on the next flight I take). I always find these books to be a great summary of each President's life. Some are better than others. I think the best ones I've read have been the biographies of James K. Polk and Lyndon Johnson, while the one about Abraham Lincoln was a bit of a disappointment.
I'm curious if anyone else has read any of these and if so, I'd love to get your impressions.
Next week however, on May 8th to be exact, the newest volume in this series will go on sale, a biography of President John F. Kennedy. It is written by historian Alan Brinkley. The tag line for the book reads: "The young president who brought vigor and glamour to the White House while he confronted cold war crises abroad and calls for social change at home."
So far I haven't been able to find an excerpt from the book, but the publisher's website offers the following summary:
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a new kind of president. He redefined how Americans came to see the nation's chief executive. He was forty-three when he was inaugurated in 1961—the youngest man ever elected to the office—and he personified what he called the "New Frontier" as the United States entered the 1960s.
But as Alan Brinkley shows in this incisive and lively assessment, the reality of Kennedy's achievements was much more complex than the legend. His brief presidency encountered significant failures—among them the Bay of Pigs fiasco, which cast its shadow on nearly every national-security decision that followed. But Kennedy also had successes, among them the Cuban Missile Crisis and his belated but powerful stand against segregation.
Kennedy seemed to live on a knife's edge, moving from one crisis to another—Cuba, Laos, Berlin, Vietnam, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. His controversial public life mirrored his hidden private life. He took risks that would seem reckless and even foolhardy when they emerged from secrecy years later.
Kennedy's life, and his violent and sudden death, reshaped our view of the presidency. Brinkley gives us a full picture of the man, his times, and his enduring legacy.
I've pre-ordered the book, though I'm not sure when I'll get around to reading it (probably on the next flight I take). I always find these books to be a great summary of each President's life. Some are better than others. I think the best ones I've read have been the biographies of James K. Polk and Lyndon Johnson, while the one about Abraham Lincoln was a bit of a disappointment.
I'm curious if anyone else has read any of these and if so, I'd love to get your impressions.