John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio: History as Told Through the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum [Hardcover]

Charles C. Kenney (Author), Charles Kenney (Author)

Book Description

Series: Presidential Protfolio | Publication Date: October 25, 2000

PublicAffairs is proud to introduce the first volume in our new Presidential Library Series, edited by renowned presidential historian Michael Beschloss.

Each year, thousands of people visit the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum to experience the "thousand days" of his presidency and learn what it took to be the leader of the most powerful nation on earth. Now readers can revisit the tenure of one of America's most mythic figures and most controversial presidents through this elegantly designed book and portfolio.

John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio is a unique time capsule that captures the essence, style, and excitement of the Kennedy presidency. Readers will travel back in time to the breathtakingly close election; the drama of the Cuban Missile Crisis; the careful political maneuvering at the start of the civil rights movement; the Bay of Pigs fiasco; and the inspiring creation of the Peace Corps. Key figures, such as First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, are vividly profiled. And bound to each book is a 90-minute CD recording of never-before-heard Kennedy phone conversations and dictations.

For Kennedy Library visitors, fans of Camelot, or anyone interested in American history, this historically authoritative examination of the man, his era, and an institution is an essential reference volume and a beautiful gift.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Drawing on the resources of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum--which include millions of pages of documents, more than 100,000 photographs, and many thousands of books, audiotapes, and film reels--this slender book is far more than a keepsake for visitors to that institution. Instead, it offers a thoroughly illustrated, thoughtful, and sometimes even critical overview of the late president's life and political accomplishments.

Though born into a vast fortune, John Kennedy, notes historian Charles Kenney, had to overcome a great deal of difficulty (including frequent illness and a pronounced lack of direction) before arriving at the confident sense of purpose that characterized his public image. (Kennedy, the author notes, was also given to vanity, and he worked extraordinarily hard "to remain slender, well-groomed, and carefully tailored," while shunning the ostentation of an earlier generation of powerbrokers and politicians.) Charting Kennedy's evolution from playboy to war hero and scholar, and thence to a leader buffeted by one crisis after another, the book makes generous use of the president's own words--and, especially, of once top-secret correspondence and memoranda. An audio CD, containing recorded addresses, speeches, telephone conversations, and dictations, accompanies the book.

The publication coincides with the 37th anniversary of the president's assassination--which, notes historian Michael Beschloss, 80 percent of Americans polled believe was the result of a conspiracy, not a lone gunman--and with the 2000 presidential election, the conduct of which may make some readers more nostalgic than ever for the comparatively pure vision of Kennedy's Camelot. --Gregory McNamee

From Booklist

Based on this inaugural volume, PublicAffairs' new Presidential Library series will offer fascinating multimedia portraits of U.S. presidents. In the Kennedy package, the lavishly illustrated volume is written by a novelist and former Boston Globe journalist, with a brief introductory assessment of JFK's legacy by presidential historian Michael Beschloss; there is also a 90-minute compact disc (not reviewed) of Kennedy phone conversations and dictations. The book's illustrations include family, school, campaign, and presidential photographs. More enlightening, however, are the artifacts the volume displays: report cards; "A Plea for a Raise" in young Jack's allowance; a 1960 Eisenhower telegram suggesting pre-election intelligence briefings; a handwritten 1962 note from Truman urging JFK to ignore "these damn columnists and editorial writers"; and pages from Kennedy's presidential speeches, memos, and handwritten notes. The text is less detailed (and less focused on controversy) than a full-scale biography, but it emphasizes what most would consider the key elements of JFK's presidency (civil rights, Cuba, and the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty), while also devoting chapters to Jacqueline and Robert F. Kennedy. Likely to appeal to Kennedy fans and to others seeking a sense of the period. Mary Carroll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: PublicAffairs (October 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891620363
• ISBN-13: 978-1891620362
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,095,206 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio, April 6, 2002

By 

"reviewer17" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio: History as Told Through the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum (Hardcover)

John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio features more than 250 photos and documents from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum that capture the essence, style, and excitement of the Kennedy presidency. Included in these pages are the artifacts from a lifetime young Jack's letter requsting to be made Godfather to his brother Teddy, a handwritten fragment of the inaugural adress, correspondence from Nikita Khrushchev, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and many others. Providing the backdrop for these images is a carefully rendered narrative highlighting the many remarkable events of Kennedy's life and his presidency: the tremendous physical ailments JFK had to overcome on a daily basis, his privileged chilhhood, transformation from reluctant student to Pulitzer Prize - winning author, dramatic political campaigns, struggle over the Cuban missile crisis, and his efforts to end segregation as well as counter nuclear proliferation, are all recounted here.

To Enhance The Experience of reliving the Kennedy years, a riveting 60 - minute audio CD of JFK'S phone conversations and personal dictations is packaged with the book. The following is a list of the recordings.

- An undated memoir entry concerning JFK'S entrance into politics.

- A dicated letter (circa 1959) to Joseph P. Kennedy on election and poll results.

- A dictated letter (circa 1959) to Jacqueline Kennedy on weekend in Rhode Island.

- Phone Conversation with Sargent Shriver recorded on April 2, 1963 regarding keeping CIA out of the Peace Corps.

- Three phone conversations with Ross Barnett recorded on September 30, 1962, regarding the University of Mississippi crisis.

- Phone conversation with Richard J. Daley recorded on October 28, 1963 regarding the civil rights bill.

- Phone conversation with Charles Halleck recorded on October 29, 1963 regarding the civil rights bill.

- An undated phone conversation between JFK and RFK concerning articles in Newsweek and Time magazines.

-Phone conversation with Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 22, 1962 regarding Cuban missile crisis.

- Phone conversation with Dwight D. Eisenhower on October 28,1962 regarding Cuban missile crisis.

-Phone conversation with Lincoln White on October 26,1962 regarding comments to the press concerning Cuban missile crisis.

- A dictated memoir entry dated November 1963.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant but not outstanding, June 3, 2001

By 

Ben Galbraith (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio: History as Told Through the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum (Hardcover)

As a twenty-something, I really don't know much about John or Robert Kennedy other than the vague "Camelot" fantasies tossed around. I acquired this book as part of my recent appetite for understanding JFK/RFK.

I found it to be a light-weight overview of the major periods of JFK's life, along with some information on RFK and Jackie. While it revealed a few new things I hadn't heard before, this book is really of interest primarily as a coffee table book for ocassional perusal, and not for study. It's a great combination of stories you will have heard and pictures you have already seen.

The accompanying CD, however, is particularly interesting in what it reveals about JFK the man and his way of being. Overall, I enjoyed it.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Complete & Accurate on JFK, January 1, 2001

By 

Carolina "Travel and Nature Photographer" - See all my reviews

This review is from: John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio: History as Told Through the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum (Hardcover)

This book is the most complete and accurate book on President John F. Kennedy. With the contribution from the John F. Kennedy Library & Museum, the true and exact data regarding the man who changed the life of many Americans is shown here in a direct manner. Great pictures. In conclusion, this book deserves to be at each home in the USA and abroad. JFK is worth to be known and admired through this masterpiece. This book is a must.