Description
Book SynopsisAfter an initial honeymoon with historians, in recent years John F. Kennedy has been more carefully scrutinized, resulting in a wide variety of assessments of his presidency and his life. Michael O'Brien, who knows as much about Kennedy as any historian now writing, has distilled the findings of his heavily detailed biography of a few years ago into a compact life that touches on all the important issues and incorporates the findings and judgments of major works since the president's death. He offers nuanced interpretations of the influence of Kennedy's parents, his early life, his struggles with health problems, his intellectual development, his heroism in World War II, his House and Senate career, and the paramount moments of his presidency, including the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and his stand on civil rights, tax policy, and other domestic matters.
Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: The Kennedy System Chapter 2: Education Chapter 3: World War II and Aftermath Chapter 4: Congress and the 1952 Senate Election Chapter 5: Senate Years Chapter 6: Running for President Chapter 7: The Bay of Pigs and Berlin Chapter 8: Domestic Affairs and the Economy Chapter 9: Civil Rights Chapter 10: The Cuban Missile Crisis Chapter 11: Vietnam Chapter 12: Mind, Personality, and Image Chapter 13: White House Life: Work and Family Chapter 14: Women and Sex Chapter 15: Searching for Peace Chapter 16: Death in the Fall
