The Greatest Speeches of President John F. Kennedy [Paperback]

John F. Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2000

We compiled the texts of JFK's most inspirational speeches so you can re-live the momentous era of the 1960s through the eloquent voice of America's most revered President! Included are these renowned speeches:
- "We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier"
- "Ask not what your country can do for you . . ."
- "We seek peace - but we shall not surrender"
- "We choose to go to the moon"
- An already clear and present danger
- We face a moral crisis as a country and as a people
- Let us . . . step back from the shadows of war.

President Kennedy guided the United States through the most dangerous times since the Second World War. In his 1,000 days in office he led America through the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs Crisis, the Berlin blockade, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and through turbulent times in the cities - the Freedom Riders, segregation and integration, race riots, and lynchings.

But by instituting progressive policies of peace abroad and equality at home, President Kennedy made enemies of those who wished for the status quo. His death was a great loss - the loss of what could have been, the loss of a rare breed of politician who inspired people with a clear vision of the future.

Read The Greatest Speeches of President John F. Kennedy and be stimulated by his passion, encouraged by his hope, and inspired by his vision.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

A great deal has been written about John Fitzgerald Kennedy, both good and bad, since his death. But whether friend or foe, sympathetic or not, it is undeniable that JFK's emotional impact on Americans has been (and still is) greater than any President since. Almost four decades have passed since that fateful day in Dallas, yet JFK's name stills pops up with astounding frequency. Why?

Perhaps JFK represents the loss of what could have been, or the nostalgia of simpler times. Or perhaps JFK's loss of life represents the country's loss of innocence. Whatever the reason, the spoken words of JFK suggest a heart-felt vision of America which may be lacking in contemporary politicians.

Despite being in office for fewer than three years, Kennedy led the country through many turbulent yet exhilarating times: the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Berlin Crisis, the Cuban Crisis, the Freedom Riders, the Civil Rights Bill, the decision to go to the moon, and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Kennedy's acceptance speech, delivered at the Los Angles Coliseum before 80,000 people and a television audience of 35 million, was JFK's first mention of the New Frontier. A phrase entirely of his making, JFK's New Frontier' came to be the clarion call of a generation. The New Frontier' speech was one of many stirring speeches delivered by JFK, some of which would come to be regarded as the most renowned in American history.

This book is history as defined by John Fitzgerald Kennedy. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

We compiled the texts of JFK's most inspirational speeches for your reading pleasure. Now you can re-live the momentous era of the 1960's through the eloquent voice of America's most revered President!

Included are these renowned speeches: "We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier"
"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country"
"We seek peace - but we shall not surrender"
"We choose to go to the moon"
"An already clear and present danger"
"We face a moral crisis as a country and as a people"
"Let us...step back from the shadows of war"

President Kennedy guided the United States through the most dangerous times since the Second World War. In his 1,000 days in office he led America through the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs Crisis, the Berlin blockade, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and through turbulent times in the cities - the Freedom Riders, segregation and integration, race riots, and lynchings.

But by instituting progressive policies of peace abroad and equality at home, President Kennedy made enemies of those who wished for the status quo. His death was a great loss - the loss of what could have been', the loss of a rare breed of politician who inspired people with a clear vision of the future.

Read The Greatest Speeches of President John F. Kennedy and be stimulated by his passion, encouraged by his hope, and inspired by his vision. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Titan Publishing (June 1, 2000)
• ISBN-10: 1887227466
• ISBN-13: 978-1887227469
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #923,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good, convenient, modestly-priced, well-chosen collection., October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The greatest speeches of President John F. Kennedy (Paperback)

Ernest Hemingway was once asked how he wrote so well. "I write as well as I can," he said, "and sometimes I write better than I can."

John F. Kennedy could justly have made the same quip, both about writing and speechmaking. Although a successful historical writer and biographer at an early age, it was in speechwriting that he really excelled, from his epochal Inaugural Address (which, despite revisionist claims to the contrary, he wrote in its entirety) to his witty bon mots to the Dallas Press on the last morning of his life. Kennedy had a rarely-matched Churchillian genius for speechwriting that shaped the political perceptions of a generation.

In this slim but representative edition of Kennedy's signature speeches, Brian Dudley has shown a sure hand and fine judgement in selecting the best of the best. It is an excellent handbook for the serious student and a superb collection for the average reader who just wants a good, convenient, modestly-priced collection of some of the finest English ever spoken. The table of contents is clear and easy-to-use. Kennedy's most famous quotations are conveniently highlighted in windows inserted in the text of each speech. This slim pocket-sized collection really is a gem.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars JFK's Greatest Hits but minus his core beliefs, August 27, 2000

By 

Jonathan P. Walters - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Greatest Speeches of President John F. Kennedy (Paperback)

John F. Kennedy was one of the last politicans to use grandoratory as a principal means of projecting his agenda. His speeches, which his detractors often wrongly labled as simply lists of his intentions, were in fact masterful, almost textbook, examples of how to comunicate ideas and policy to a sometimes sceptical American electorate, as well as to the wider international community.

This is a short ... pamhlet containing several of President John F. Kennedy's more famous speeches that he made as President which none the less omits some of his more significant discourses.

I was particularly disappointed that Kennedy's eulogy to Dag Hammarskjold, that he delivered to the United Nations and which led directly to the first nuclear test ban treaty was not included in this collection.

Amazon, through their "out of print service" were able to obtain for me a copy of "Let The Word Go Forth" edited by J.F.K.'s principal speechwriter and "moral bloodbank" Theodore (Ted) Sorensen. Sorenson's book gives a far greater insight into John F. Kennedy and what he was trying to achive than this short publication.

5.0 out of 5 stars JFK Revealed, July 30, 2001

By 

RODNEY KUHN (Cromwell, In.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Greatest Speeches of President John F. Kennedy (Paperback)

For many years now, Americans have been inspired by this politician who encouraged us all to preserve the traditions which have sustained this country through perilous times. JFK was no ordinary president. His speeches still resonate with hope for a brighter tomorrow. This book has succesfully helped to reveal a man who cared deeply for what happens to the United States. He recognized, as perhaps no other president has before or since, the importance of freedom, both here and in the rest of the world. Democracy has always been in the forefront of American politics, and as president, John F. Kennedy used the power of the presidency, and his gift for the written word, to relate to everyone the shared values we all have as fellow countrymen. It would be safe to point out that when Kennedy spoke, his words helped us to see what others do not. HE made us see that we should never shrink back from taking an active role in determining the future security of America. Perhaps it goes without mention that this book has revealed both the man and the myth that was our 35th president, and his speeches still symbolize what all of us are looking for. Freedom. This book is fast paced and easy to understand. Why? For one reason. JFk had the gift of clarity. He wanted to make sure that as president, whenever he'd give a speech, that all Americans could understand what he was trying to do. Since his death in 1963, JFK is understand now better than he was, and this book helps us to look back on the speeches that gave hope and encouragement to a terbulent world.