Robert Dallek's masterful John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life
was a number one national bestseller, and it remains the most
widely read one-volume biography of the 35th President. Now, in
this marvelous short biography of John F. Kennedy, Dallek achieves
a miracle of compression, capturing in a small space the essence of
his renowned full-length masterpiece.
Here readers will find the fascinating insights and groundbreaking
revelations found in An Unfinished Life. The heart of the book
focuses on Kennedy's political career, especially the
presidency. The book sheds light on key foreign affairs issues such
as the Bay of Pigs debacle, Khrushchev's misguided bullying of
Kennedy in Vienna, the Cuban Missile crisis, the nuclear test ban,
the race for space, and the initial dealings with Southeast Asia,
especially Laos. It also highlights
the difficulties Kennedy faced getting a domestic agenda passed,
from a tax cut to spur the economy, to federal aid to education,
Medicare, and civil rights. Dallek reveals the thinking behind
Robert Kennedy's appointment as Attorney General and
convincingly argues that Kennedy would never have expanded
the
war in Vietnam the way that Lyndon Johnson did. The book also
addresses questions about Kennedy's assassination and concludes
with his presidential legacy and why he remains so popular despite
serving only a thousand days in office.
"One of the most engrossing biographies I have ever read.... Nothing less than a masterpiece." (David Herbert Donald, author of Lincoln
"It's hard to believe that someone could find anything new to say about John F. Kennedy, but Dallek succeeds in this riveting and well-documented biography." (The New Yorker)
"An intimate portrait indeed...unexpected and important.... This is nothing if not a profile in courage." (New York Times Book Review)
"One of the most engrossing biographies I have ever read... Nothing less than a masterpiece." David Herbert Donald, author ofiLincolnr "It's hard to believe that someone could find anything new to say about John F. Kennedy, but Dallek succeeds in this riveting and well-documented biography."iThe New Yorkerr "An intimate portrait indeed...unexpected and important... This is nothing if not a profile in courage."iNew York Times Book Reviewr
Robert Dallek ist Professor für Geschichte an der Stanford University in Kalifornien. Er ist Autor zahlreicher Bücher über Politik und Persönlichkeiten der amerikanischen Geschichte, darunter Franklin D. Roosevelt und Lyndon B. Johnson. Seine Forschungs- und Lehrtätigkeit wurde mit zahlreichen Preisen bedacht, darunter dem Bancroft Prize der Columbia University.
