Books by John F Kennedy
“This book is about U.S. senators from throughout the nation’s history, who in his judgment had taken principled stands, even at the risk of hurting their political self-interest by going against the wishes of their constituents or region. It’s a book that he published in 1956, as a U.S. Senator who was beginning to think about a White House run, but it concerns issues and conundrums that had fascinated him since his undergraduate days. “ Read more...
Fredrik Logevall, Historian
“Kennedy kept wonderful diaries…When he wrote these diaries, it was only about a year and a half since he’d returned from his own service in the Pacific theatre. He’s clearly skeptical about the wisdom of using military power to solve political problems. That’s one thing that comes through in the diaries. At the same time, he makes clear his conviction that the United States must play a leadership role in the new international system that is emerging from the rubble of war.” Read more...
Fredrik Logevall, Historian
American University Peace Speech
by John F Kennedy
This is my favourite speech from President Kennedy. It is a very, very important speech in our history because of its demonstration of statecraft in the finest and most important way. The speech was given in the shadow of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The world was perilously close to nuclear war and we needed an active approach to break through. President Kennedy decided he needed to do something as leader of the United States and as a human being to bring the world back from the abyss, and the approach that he took was to try to negotiate a Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty with the Soviet Union. He wrote this speech as an explanation of what he had in mind.
Interviews where books by John F Kennedy were recommended
The best books on The Millennium Development Goals , recommended by Jeffrey D Sachs
The prominent international economic adviser, Jeff Sachs, says we can reduce poverty by devoting just a modest fraction of our vast wealth to the effort.
-
1
JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956
by Fredrik Logevall -
2
Prelude to Leadership: The Postwar Diary of John F. Kennedy
by John F Kennedy -
3
Profiles in Courage
by John F Kennedy -
4
Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History
by Ted Sorensen -
5
The Best and the Brightest
by David Halberstam
The best books on JFK, recommended by Fredrik Logevall
The best books on JFK, recommended by Fredrik Logevall
Of the thousands of books written about JFK, America’s iconic 35th president, which ones should you read first? Fredrik Logevall, professor of history and international affairs at Harvard University, talks us through five key books, starting with the first volume of his biography, tracking JFK’s coming of age in the years that also saw America transforming from economic powerhouse to global superpower.
