Scan barcode
bhgold1711's review against another edition
4.25
A good biography that grapples with JFK's flaws and failures, as well as the dark and tawdry (although it does overlook some, like the controversy over the 1960 election).
jayfr's review against another edition
4.0
A compelling biography that covers the life and death of John F. Kennedy. Well researched and beautifully written this deserves a place on any history lovers shelf.
lakecake's review
4.0
Very thorough look at JFK both inside and outside the presidency. Nothing is sensationalized or glossed over. Informative, interesting read.
jeremyanderberg's review
4.0
The Kennedy family was a political and social fixture in New England throughout the first half of the 20th century. But it wasn’t until John’s election to the Senate in 1952 that, as a unit, they were catapulted to the status of American royalty. Since then, our nation’s collective attention has been held captive by their charming smiles (and hair), rousing speeches, public sexcapades, and of course, numerous shocking and utterly tragic deaths.
Honestly, though, I didn’t really understand all that appeal until I read Robert Dallek’s completely beguiling study of the 35th President of the United States.
Growing up in the ‘90s, I was familiar with a different charismatic president dogged by sex scandals. I figured the JFK story was along those same lines and I didn’t care to dig much deeper.
But, within a couple dozen pages of An Unfinished Life, Dallek had me hooked. I get the Kennedy allure.
Every single character in that family is utterly fascinating. The males ache for power; the women tag along, while doing more behind the scenes — and putting up with more bullshit — than would ever be shown on TV.
Based on all the evidence, it seems that John Kennedy truly cared for the nation’s interests, which is a lot better than a lot of other presidents we’ve had. That he was a rich son of a corrupt and at least halfway tyrannical father doesn’t change that fact, nor does his unhealthy marriage and addictive appetite for clandestine sexual encounters.
There was very much a type of Jekyll and Hyde duality to his life and personality. At times, he was a well-informed, dedicated, even heroic leader (i.e. in his WWII service and in dealing with his numerous and very serious health problems). At other times, he wasn’t those things — showing his lack of touch with the real world, treating his relationships like garbage, caring more about the competition of an election than in bringing about true social change.
Dallek covers all of this very well. I wish he had written about the assassination a bit more — he does so in just a handful of pages — but I suppose he figured there was enough material out there that it didn’t need re-hashing. Besides just telling the story, Dallek also does a marvelous and convincing job analyzing Kennedy’s lasting meaning to the nation.
Honestly, though, I didn’t really understand all that appeal until I read Robert Dallek’s completely beguiling study of the 35th President of the United States.
Growing up in the ‘90s, I was familiar with a different charismatic president dogged by sex scandals. I figured the JFK story was along those same lines and I didn’t care to dig much deeper.
But, within a couple dozen pages of An Unfinished Life, Dallek had me hooked. I get the Kennedy allure.
Every single character in that family is utterly fascinating. The males ache for power; the women tag along, while doing more behind the scenes — and putting up with more bullshit — than would ever be shown on TV.
Based on all the evidence, it seems that John Kennedy truly cared for the nation’s interests, which is a lot better than a lot of other presidents we’ve had. That he was a rich son of a corrupt and at least halfway tyrannical father doesn’t change that fact, nor does his unhealthy marriage and addictive appetite for clandestine sexual encounters.
There was very much a type of Jekyll and Hyde duality to his life and personality. At times, he was a well-informed, dedicated, even heroic leader (i.e. in his WWII service and in dealing with his numerous and very serious health problems). At other times, he wasn’t those things — showing his lack of touch with the real world, treating his relationships like garbage, caring more about the competition of an election than in bringing about true social change.
Dallek covers all of this very well. I wish he had written about the assassination a bit more — he does so in just a handful of pages — but I suppose he figured there was enough material out there that it didn’t need re-hashing. Besides just telling the story, Dallek also does a marvelous and convincing job analyzing Kennedy’s lasting meaning to the nation.
clt677's review
4.0
I really did enjoy this book, though it took me a while to get through. It is an incredibly thorough review of JFK's political career. It really did leave me wondering how different the world would have been had he not been assassinated. This book, for me, was not a quick read. There is far too much information to digest to read it quickly.
judyward's review
4.0
I really had to think before I started this book because the nearly 1,000 pages were a tad daunting. But it's a really good read. This is one of the third generation books about John F. Kennedy. Following his assassination, there were countless books that romanticized him and his presidency. Then years later, the highly critical books began to be published. This look at Kennedy by Robert Dallek, a professor of history at Boston University, looks at Kennedy from childhood through his assassination, then muses on what might have been if he had lived and been reelected in 1964. At a Yale commencement, Kennedy commented that "the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie--but the myth." This book bears that out. Dallek is willing to focus on both the strengths and the weaknesses of the president. One of Kennedy's strengths was his ability to change his mind and remain flexible when facing political issues--this was particularly important in dealing with the fall-out after the Bay of Pigs and in dealing with the Soviet Union in the Cuban Missile Crisis. However, his weaknesses were equally important. Dallek criticizes Kennedy for his cautious and political approach to civil rights that was often watered down because of his desire not to alienate southern Democrats before the 1964 election. Dallek has access to more records and archives when writing this book than any other biographer of Kennedy and it clearly shows. Dallek doesn't flinch from describing how much pain Kennedy was in for most of his life and details the huge amount of medication that he took daily for the pain and for his various physical ailments. This book is well written, accessible, and a must read for anyone interested in the political history of the United States in the middle of the 20th century. Highly recommended.