Description
Book SynopsisBased on massive new research, a compelling and surprising account of the twentieth century’s closest election
Trade Review“[Gellman] offers as detailed an exploration of the 1960 presidential race as can be found.”—Robert W. Merry,
Wall Street Journal“Six decades after the 1960 presidential election, Irwin Gellman is the first historian to peel back the powerful myths shrouding that contest. The engaging and carefully documented story that emerges is startling and fresh. . . . An impressively balanced portrait of the strengths and weaknesses of Kennedy, Nixon and their teams.”—Will Swift, author of
The Kennedys Amidst the Gathering Storm and
Pat and Dick: The Nixons, An Intimate Portrait of a Marriage“As usual, the indefatigable Irwin Gellman explores heretofore overlooked archival resources in his successful quest to shed new light on the pivotal 1960 election. It will be difficult for any presidential scholar to ignore this important contribution to the history of our controversial 37th president.”—Melvin Small, author of
The Presidency of Richard Nixon“At last, a scholar has gotten the incessantly romanticized 1960 election campaign right. Irv Gellman provides a thoroughly researched, provocative account of an election that may indeed have been ‘stolen.’”—David A. Nichols, author of
Ike and McCarthy: Dwight Eisenhower’s Secret Campaign against Joseph McCarthy“Theodore White’s
Making of the President 1960 cast a powerful spell. Generations of journalists and historians have made the image of gallant Jack and sweaty Dick into conventional wisdom. Now comes Nixon scholar Irwin Gellman to present a more balanced and fact-based view. Digging deep into archives neglected by most historians of the 1960 race, Gellman has written a surprising, illuminating, and fascinating account.”—Evan Thomas, author of
Robert Kennedy and
Being Nixon“Irwin Gellman’s stunning, overdue rewrite of the 1960 election puts paid to Theodore White’s celebratory presidential fable. Readers may now decide whether the republic was better served by outcomes written by winners or by truths recovered by a conscientious historian.”—David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize winner for biography and author of
The Improbable Wendell Willkie
