Imagined by one of the world's foremost JFK scholars, this
fictionalised conversation presents the essential biography of America's
most glamorous and mythologised president.
For many, the presidency of John F. Kennedy was a magic interlude in
American history. His admirers saw him as a leader of intelligence and
imagination, who wielded power with grace, courage and verve - although
detractors have questioned the depth of his convictions and drawn
attention to his serial philandering.
Kennedy's rise also marked the beginning of modern "celebrity"
politics - a politician with film star charisma who proved ideally
suited to the new age of television. Meet the man himself and he'll tell
you how it felt to have his finger on the red button when the world
teetered on the brink of nuclear war.
The book is divided into two parts: a biographical essay that provides a
concise overview of JFK's life, achievements, scandals and
controversies; and a Q&A dialogue based on rigorous research and
incorporating JFK's actual spoken or written words whenever possible,
along with rigorously researched biographical interpretations of his
various views and positions.
Here you will find all the key moments in JFK's life and career: his
early days at Harvard and the US Navy; his family background and the
importance of his Catholic faith; running for office against Richard
Nixon; his clashes with communist power in Berlin and Cuba; the Civil
Rights movement; Vietnam; and the president's often scandalous personal
life that was carefully concealed from an adoring public. Kennedy's
assassination on 22 November 1963 marked the beginning of a tumultuous
and bitterly divided decade, and birthed countless conspiracy theories
that thrive to this day. These legacies of polarisation and suspicion of
established authority have assumed particular salience in the 21st
century.
