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American history, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., biographies, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Geoffrey Perret, Herbert Parmet, John F Kennedy, Michael O'Brien, Nigel Hamilton, presidential biographies, Presidents, Richard Reeves, Robert Dallek, Thomas Reeves, Thurston Clarke
Rightly or wrongly, John F. Kennedy is the president who I’ve long suspected of being most undeservedly well-ranked by presidential popularity polls.
Of the 34 presidents I’ve completed so far Woodrow Wilson seems the most generously-rated…but I’m looking forward to learning whether there is real substance behind Kennedy’s charming smile and confident swagger.
My trip through JFK’s best biographies is poised to consume twenty weeks: twelve books and about 8,000 pages including four more-or-less conventional biographies, a two-volume series, a biography of his early life and five relatively narrowly-focused books (on his presidency, his character, or his famous family lineage).
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I’m beginning with Robert Dallek’s “An Unfinished Life: JFK 1917-1963” published in 2003. This is not only the most popular comprehensive biography of Kennedy, but also promises new revelations (at least as of its publication date) about his health, his family and his personal life.
Next I’m reading “John F. Kennedy: A Biography” by Michael O’Brien. Published in 2005, this is the most recent of the “conventional” biographies of JFK on my list. A full decade in the making, it seems well-liked but not particularly well-read. Does 905 pages look that scary?
My third biography will be Geoffrey Perret’s 2001 “Jack: A Life Like No Other.” Perret is the author of a terrific Grant biography I read in 2014…and a satisfactory biography of Eisenhower I finished about two months ago. This book’s claim-to-fame seems to be that it was the first Kennedy biography based on unsealed government documents, interviews and taped conversations.
I wrap up the “conventional” single-volume biographies of JFK with Ted Sorensen’s “Kennedy: The Classic Biography.” Published in 1965, this book was authored by JFK’s speechwriter/adviser/special counsel – a man near the center of Kennedy’s presidency but also someone who, by most accounts, absolutely loved his boss. Soresnsen has even been described as JFK’s “intellectual and political soul mate”…so don’t say you weren’t warned!
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Distinguished historian Herbert Parmet’s two-volume series (published between 1980 and 1983) includes “Jack: The Struggles of John F. Kennedy” and “JFK: The Presidency of John F. Kennedy.” Perhaps due to its age, this series is not frequently read and I don’t know what to expect. But consider me intrigued.
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Nigel Hamilton’s 1992 “JFK: Reckless Youth” was apparently intended to be the first in a multi-volume series by this well-known British biographer (Field Marshal Montgomery and FDR seem to have diverted his interest and attention). But this popular biography of the young JFK is the book for which the author is probably best-known and was the basis for an ABC mini-series.
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The first of my “narrowly-focused” books on JFK will be Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “A Thousand Days: JFK in the White House” which was published in 1965. Considered by many to be an excellent review of the Kennedy presidency, this fifty-year-old book was written by a liberal-minded historian with a front-row seat during the era (and, apparently, an unbounded fondness for Kennedy).
Next is Thomas Reeves’s 1991 “A Question of Character: A Life of John F. Kennedy.” I’m not entirely sure whether this was intended to be a traditional cradle-to-grave biography or more an unabashed character study. Based on what I know it will be a mix of both but with a distinct tendency toward the latter.
Richard Reeves’s “President Kennedy: Profile of Power” was published in 1993. (I’ve not yet ascertained whether Thomas and Richard are related – but they were both born in 1936). It seems this book is almost a day-to-day account of the Kennedy presidency and is both well-liked and relatively well-read. I can’t help but wonder whether, in a parallel universe, this might be the missing second volume behind Nigel Hamilton’s “Reckless Youth”?
Next-to-last I will read Thurston Clarke’s 2013 “JFK’s Last Hundred Days: The Transformation of a Man and the Emergence of a Great President.” Published fifty years after Kennedy’s death, this book promises a gripping reexamination of his last weeks in office and wonders what “might have been.” Based solely on the book’s title I would guess the author is somewhat an admirer of his subject.
I finish my biographical tour of John F. Kennedy’s life with Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys.” This 1987 classic traces the vibrant and engaging history of JFK’s family tree from his maternal grandfather’s 1863 baptism to JFK’s inauguration. Given the number of “colorful” characters in JFK’s family, this could be fascinating…!
Off we go-
My Journey Through the Best Presidential Biographies 
I own and have read all rec. O’brien
Let me know if I’m missing anything meritorious – especially if a high-quality birth-to-death bio of JFK (they seem in surprisingly short supply!)
I own and have read all rec. O’brien
A book by a couple last name Blair. From the 70s,The Search for JFK
I’ve never come across a JFK biography that piqued my interest, so I’ll be curious to know which ones you liked. I think I’ve made the mistake of eluding his presidency in favor of focusing on his assassination, with the only thing having read on the subject is Vincent Bugliosi’s Reclaiming History, which is like the size of a small toaster oven.
Hi Tracy, perhaps my book JFK’s Data race can ‘pique your interest’? It is more of an inquiry than a biography. It looks into a race he describes and goes on a sort of a treasure hunt. let me know – http://www.JFKDatarace.com and at RDP@JFKDatarace.com. Robert
Have you ever read any books on the assassination? I’ve read a lot on the assassination and a few of the biographies- I think its possible that the ultimate JFK bio has yet to be written.
Brinkley’s short entry for the American Presidents series was actually very good for a high level overview. Great way to learn about key events and catch up with the modern academic debate.
Re Hamilton: his first volume pulled no punches, esp. re Joe Kennedy. As a result, the Kennedy Library stopped assisting him. He’s made it clear that was the reason there was no second volume.
That’s the conundrum for Kennedy scholars. You need to choose between truth and access.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nigel-hamilton/the-kennedys_b_810465.html
Thanks for the insight on Hamilton’s “missing” second volume. That’s disappointing to hear but not surprising. But based on Dallek’s description of JFK’s early life I’m not sure how the Kennedy Library expected Hamilton to gloss over some glaring flaws in his personality?
[update: I should have read the article referred by your link before commenting – it lays out quite nicely the tension Nigel Hamilton encountered relating to his portrayal of JFK’s parents rather than the “reckless youth” himself. Still, unless Hamilton was reckless himself in describing Joe and Rose it’s a shame he wasn’t able to finish his series.]
If anyone’s been able to document mistakes in Hamilton’s works, I’m not aware of it.
On the death Case Closed by Posner and of course The Death of a President by Manchester. The life of the President was much more fascinating!
There is no multi-volume life, like Robert Caro on LBJ, or Kenneth S. Davis on FDR. NY Times noted this on 50 anniversary of the assasination
I see you have read some of the American President series edited by Schlesinger Jr. Have you ever read any of the Presidential Series published by the University of Kansas?
I have indeed! I believe I’ve read two or three and have a couple more on my list. I have found them valuable in understanding the intricacies of a person’s presidency but given their focus they obviously miss some of the broader context of their subject’s life (as well as some of the color a biographer can often bring to a person).
looking forward to your reviews on JFK books. i haven’t read any of these titles, so not sure how they treat his death. my wife and i are planning a short day trip to dallas this spring to see the grassy knoll, sixth floor museum, etc. easy drive from fort worth.
Quite an ambitious project you’re undertaking! Of the books you’re planning to read, the Richard Reeves book is probably the best, since he’s one of the few to try a balanced, objective approach. It’s so hard to find Kennedy works that aren’t either hagiography or hatchet jobs. I look forward to following your write-ups!
Thanks for the heads-up on the Reeves bio – it’s going to be awhile before I get there but your comment about it has me looking forward to it…and I have to admit, the Dallek biography is pretty good so far(!)
Surprised you’re ignoring Laurence Leamer’s Kennedy books if you’re going to read Goodwin
I just have to draw the line somewhere; otherwise I could spend a year reading about a single president 🙂 I’m contemplating reading some of Learner’s books either as JFK follow-up or as “related reading” when I’m reading about RFK, Ted Kennedy and possibly Joe Kennedy. 3-4 birds with one stone?
What about “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero” by Chris Matthews?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12293756-jack-kennedy?ac=1&from_search=true#
Interesting – I hadn’t previously run across this book. I usually don’t enthusiastically embrace books written by television “personalities” but on the surface this certainly appears interesting. Have you read it and, if so, what did you think? I occasionally disagree with Chris Matthews on various topics, but I usually find him thoughtful so perhaps this book has merit?
Steve, I heartily agree with your assessment of Kennedy as a President to whom history has been overly kind. Few have been able to accomplish so little, yet few are remembered so fondly. I expect that in another generation or two when people no longer remember the day of the assassination the popular opinion will be revised downward.
I suspect you are wrong. The President had two years and ten months.How much is supposed to be accomplished? Everything was a start.
Steve,
I wanted to let you know I think this a commendable and helpful thing you’re doing. After reading JES’s biography on FDR, I began searching for other high-quality presidential biographies, and I’m about to start on Chernow’s “Washington.”
Also, with regards to JFK, I wanted to make a slightly unorthodox suggestion within the domain of “narrowly-focused” books. William Manchester wrote a short but poignant quasi-biography on JFK entitled “Portrait of a President;” the book can make to claim to objectivity, but it is very well-written. It’s most salient characteristic, however, is that it was written and published between 1962 and pre-November , 1963. Reading an assessment of the man before his assassination, seeing how he was perceived by the world at large before he was taken from the world, was a deeply moving experience. There are several lines in particular – where, for example, Manchester comments on his being less beloved than Lincoln, and determines that deficiency not being due to JFK “not having been shot,” that almost compel tears. I highly recommend it for both quality and brevity as a consideration of the “narrowly focused” books, and thanks once again!
Thanks for your tip and kind words! JFK, in particular, seems to lend himself to “narrowly-focused” reading and I’ll have to look into Manchester’s book in further detail (at first glance it seems fascinating). Looks like one I’ll have to add to my follow-up list.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/22/trying-to-remember-jfk 🙂
I was curious if you think JFK is “most undeservedly well-ranked by presidential popularity polls” after reading the biographies or is to early to tell?
Having wrapped up my 7-8k page tour of JFK, but without having thought about it rigorously, my instinct still tells me he is the beneficiary of a friendly “tailwind” (ranking as high as 6th and as low as about 14th in recent polls).
There have been some interesting articles over the years (which I couldn’t find in the 30 seconds I just spent looking) analyzing the make-up of the groups who are polled for these surveys. As you might suspect, the target audience for many of the polls does *not* resemble the overall political make-up of the U.S., so…
I also have my doubts as to how many in the target crowd have studied each of the presidents in any meaningful level of detail but I could be wrong.
The C-SPAN presidential survey seems to ask historians but I don’t know like you said, how much of they study each president. I always meant to finish Robert Kennedy and His Times by Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Thank you! 🙂
Hi Steve,
I really enjoy the website and it has proven to be a great asset for me to use in selecting my own reading material over the past few years. Based on your stance on JFK’s legacy I would recommend you add “The Dark Side of Camelot” by Seymour Hersh to your future reading list. Not a traditional biography, but it is a well-researched and documented book that shines a much needed light on what the Kennedy family, both father and sons, were able to get away with during their era. The material it covers serves to fill-in the blanks that many of the prominent historians who have covered JFK leave out.
Best of luck on your journey to the present!
Ryan, thanks! I’ll definitely look into Hersch’s book. I found the entire Kennedy family (notably Joseph P. and John F.) utterly fascinating, so this book would seem to hold a great deal of promise.