An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963

by Robert Dallek

Drawing on previously unavailable material and never-before-opened archives, An Unfinished Life is packed with revelations large and small -- about JFK's health, his love affairs, RFK's appointment as Attorney General, what Joseph Kennedy did to help his son win the White House, and the path JFK would have taken in the Vietnam entanglement had he survived.

Robert Dallek succeeds as no other biographer has done in striking a critical balance -- never shying away from JFK's weaknesses, brilliantly exploring his strengths -- as he offers up a vivid portrait of a bold, brave, complex, heroic, human Kennedy.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Presidents, Politics, American History, Us Presidents

849 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Robert A. Dallek is an American historian specializing in the presidents of the United States, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard M. Nixon.
In 2004 he retired as a history professor at Boston University after previously having taught at Columbia University, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Oxford University.
He won the Bancroft Prize for his 1979 book Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932–1945, as well as other awards for scholarship and teaching.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The sudden end to [John F.] Kennedy’s life and presidency has left us with tantalizing ‘might have been’s.’ Yet even setting these aside and acknowledging some missed opportunities and false steps, it must be acknowledged that the Kennedy thousand days spoke to the country’s better angels, inspired visions of a less divisive nation and world, and demonstrated that America was still the last best hope of mankind…”
- Robert Dallek, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963

An Unfinished Life is an appropriate title for a biography of the 35th President of the United States. There is an aura surrounding John F. Kennedy that stems in large part from the fact that he was cut down in his prime, at the height of his powers. As author Robert Dallek points out, Kennedy had stumbled early in his presidency, in both the domestic and international realms. However, as of November 22, 1963, it seemed that he was ready to put to use the hard lessons he had learned.

He never got that chance.

Following Kennedy’s death, the United States stumbled and lurched its way forward, through the war in Vietnam, grudging progress on civil rights, and social unrest. For Kennedy partisans, it was easy to believe that – had he have lived – he would not have made the same fateful mistakes as his successors.

Of course, for as many people who admired – even worshipped – the slain president, there was an equal number who despised him. Kennedy has always drawn strong opinions, and to his detractors, he was both politically and morally compromised.

In this heated atmosphere, it is perhaps fitting that Dallek’s biography is so pointedly even-keeled. He seems to write in such a manner as to tamp down the wild passions on either side of the Kennedy divide. The result is a sober-minded, judicious book, which avoids mythmaking, self-righteous personal judgments, and unprovable speculation. Nevertheless, these virtues also drain An Unfinished Life of anything resembling vitality, making it curiously lacking. I was surprised, at finishing this, to find myself so entirely unmoved.

Though my feelings are mixed, it’s fair to note at the outset that a general consensus seems to have arisen around An Unfinished Life as being the standard one-volume biography on JFK. It might not be – in my opinion – great literature, but it is solid history. Thus, if you’re looking for an easy-to-read survey that also has academic bona fides, this is a solid choice. I am not going to totally disparage the good just because it was not better.

Whatever else I might say, An Unfinished Life is not a minor work. At 711 pages of text, it is rather weighty, and lengthy enough to be topically comprehensive. That is, Dallek has enough space to comment on most aspects of Kennedy’s life, both positive and negative. He covers his upbringing (the son of an extremely wealthy, ambitious, and ruthless man), his service in World War II (where he famously survived the sinking of his vessel, the PT 109), and his entry into politics (where he took the place of his deceased brother Joe as the family’s chosen flag-bearer).

Dallek provides a well-rounded discussion of JFK’s presidency, covering both the highs and lows, both of which could be staggering (for instance, the unmitigated cluster of the Bay of Pigs was followed by his adroit handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis). For those of you who can’t get enough of JFK’s nocturnal habits, Dallek delivers, meditating on the motives for Kennedy’s affairs, while also turning up “previously unknown instances of his compulsive philandering.”

No matter how long a single-volume biography is, it cannot hope to capture the entirety of a person’s life, especially not one as varied as John Kennedy’s. As such, while Dallek tries his best to cast a wide net, he cannot possibly manage – nor does he try – to explore all these things at any real depth.

There is one exception: Kennedy’s health.

One of the idiosyncrasies of single-volume biographies is a hyper focus on one or two characteristics or facets of its subject. In An Unfinished Life, that facet is Kennedy’s medical records, which Dallek pores over with an obsession that I found – at times – a bit distracting, if not outright off-putting. To be sure, this is a legitimate area for exploration, and is part of Dallek’s thesis that many of Kennedy’s behaviors flowed from his maladies. Nevertheless, the large amount of space devoted to this particular theme unbalances the book’s flow.

More relevant to my overall reaction – or lack thereof – to An Unfinished Life is Dallek’s style. Let’s be clear: there is nothing wrong with the writing. It is solid, grammatically sound, and cohesively organized.

It also did nothing for me. An Unfinished Life is missing that spark, that magic, that elevates the telling of history onto a higher plain.

We live in an era of remarkable biographers, from the late Edmund Morris to Robert Caro to Ron Chernow. These authors, and others, have mastered an ability to combine historical veracity with literary merit. While it’s not really fair to compare Dallek to these titans, it is also no use pretending that I can simply forget how profound and moving a biography can be. There was never a moment in An Unfinished Life that I felt like I was in Kennedy’s world, or that I was in his living, breathing presence.

Writing about John Kennedy is hard, because one has to simultaneously recreate and shatter a mystique. Dallek approaches this problem by maintaining a respectful objectivity that definitely favors Kennedy, but does not fully advocate on his behalf. This intellectual, emotionally-neutral approach is just fine. It might even be exactly what you want. Certainly, you’ll learn a lot.

For me, however, fine doesn’t seem entirely satisfactory. Kennedy’s foreshortened existence on earth was exciting and full-blooded, encompassing tragedy and triumph, love and war, mystery and intrigue, noble ideals and massive mistakes. When I finish a book on Kennedy, my heart should be pounding, my senses tingling. I should not feel as calm and sedate as when I finish reading Goodnight Moon to my kids. Unfortunately, for much of its length, Dallek’s book contains all the drama of a medical chart. There is a lot of information, but very little artistry.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m too young (though not by much) to remember, real time, JFK’s assassination, but I’ve been all too aware of the whodunit debate that’s raged ever since his tragic and untimely death. That said, I really didn’t know very much about the man until I read this book. It’s a thoughtful and thoroughly researched piece of work that draws on the input of many people who served with Kennedy and tapes of White House conversations by virtue of a recording system instigated by JFK himself.

The son of a pushy father, born to a rich, political family, JFK’s elder brother, was always meant to be the one who made president. But, as everyone knows, the family has been cursed by early deaths, and JFK became the eldest surviving son following the wartime death of Joe junior. The book tracks his early life and shows how Jack Kennedy progressed through Congress and Senate positions to become President. Observations and accounts seem well balanced with reflections on the man’s failures and weaknesses as well as his strengths and successes. It amazed me to realise that during his scant 1000 days in power he was called upon to address some of the weightiest problems of the 20th century, notably Cuba (particularly the missile crisis that took us closer to planetary extinction than any other single event), the rise of Communism which led to the conflict in Vietnam and the resulting Cold War and the emerging unrest concerning civil rights. He also kick-started the space race, which ultimately brought about the historic 1969 moon landing.

Most surprising facts:

-The extent to which he struggled with poor health throughout pretty much his entire life, to the extent that records were hidden, to prevent his ability to serve at the highest level being challenged, and later destroyed.
-If he hadn’t worn a back brace (due to chronic back problems) that kept him erect in his seat, the fatal shot, which followed the hit to his neck, would have missed him.

Most significant achievements:

-Finding a resolution to the Cuban missile crisis – albeit a crisis he arguably spawned by benefit of his policies and actions as he attempted to remove Castro from power.
-Negotiating a nuclear test ban treaty with Khrushchev at a time many of his political enemies and the military leaders (and even some of his advisers!) were arguing against such an agreement.

Failings:

-He was a serial womaniser – to an extent, it seems unthinkable he’d have survived in modern political life. This might have left him open to claims that he was distracted from his job and inattentive to both local and international issues, but the author goes to some lengths to dispel this accusation.
-Despite his vocal support for the campaigners for civil rights, he failed to pass any significant legislation to address the core issues. In fact, his overall record in passing weighty legislation was poor.

There’s no doubt his family money and connections provided him with the opportunity to achieve such high office, but it’s also very clear that JFK was a very smart man, a war hero (if a somewhat lucky one) and above all a leader who was willing to be considered indecisive rather than make a mistake he’d later regret. This latter trait seemed to be born from his observations of decisions made by military leaders during his naval service (he always mistrusted this group thereafter) and his early misjudgements as President concerning Cuba and Vietnam. Nevertheless, it served him well in his later dealings vis-à-vis Castro and Khrushchev.

Despite his short service in the ‘hot seat’, in polls he’s regularly voted one of the most important Presidents ever to serve. This may be attributed to his achievements or his premature death or maybe it was his good looks, his (apparent) health and youthful vitality and his ability to connect with his audience in the new television age. Whatever the reason JFK’s star continues to shine.

[Luís · Rating 5 out of 5]

John F. Kennedy was born into a wealthy, politically connected Boston family of Irish Catholics. He and his eight siblings enjoyed a privileged childhood of elite private schools, sailboats, servants, and summer homes. Unfortunately, “Jack” Kennedy suffered frequent serious illnesses during his childhood and youth. Nevertheless, he strove to make his way, writing a best-selling book while studying at Harvard University and volunteering for hazardous combat duty in the Pacific during World War II. Kennedy’s service made him a hero. Kennedy entered politics, serving in the US House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 and the US Senate from 1953 to 1961.
Kennedy was the youngest person elected US president and the first Roman Catholic to serve in that office. For many observers, his presidency came to represent the ascendance of youthful idealism in the aftermath of World War II. Unfortunately, he did not fulfill the promise of this energetic and telegenic leader, as he was assassinated near the end of his third year in office. For many Americans, the public murder of President Kennedy remains one of the most traumatic events; countless Americans can remember exactly where they were when they heard that President Kennedy was shot. Moreover, his shocking death was a period of political and social instability.

Source: https://millercenter.org/president/ke...

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cradle to grave biography of JFK that was well researched and made judicious use of JFK’s own words often showcasing his wry humor.

Overall an even handed book that fairly portrays JFK as a relentless womanizer and though a graduate of Harvard, a student with middling grades and only above average intellect. But despite these two deficiencies, Kennedy had genuine leadership skills and charisma, a bonafide passion about politics both globally and domestically, and the Kennedy drive. He even won a Pulitzer prize for Profiles in Courage in 1957.

Kennedy was also fortunate to have lived in era of early TV where he leveraged his charisma but in an era absent of the muckraking TV journalism of today that would have easily discovered and reported the secrets around his health, amphetamine addiction, elicit liaisons and tawdry affairs.

A single volume book is going to provide some cursory coverage and the author chose to minimize discussion on policies, campaigning and his relationship with his young family.

The book has been faulted for not covering much new ground on JFK and for discussing his medical issues too much but the book is also lauded by the NYT as the go to biography on JFK. I think all of these opinions are correct. The section on the Cuban Missile crisis was really informative.

I would give the writing 3.5 stars, the insights and research into JFK 5 stars, and the pace of the read 4.5 stars.

So in summary, this is a solid 4 star biography. Not at the level of a Robert Caro or David McCullough bio but I am happy to have read it.

[Brett C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well-researched and evenly written narrative about JFK. Robert Dallek gave all the information creating a thorough biography without giving his opinions. The book title I felt was appropriate to JFK's life in the sense of unfinished business and an unfinished life. The narrative provided some insight about carryover from the Eisenhower administration and the escalation into Vietnam. Overall this was a good biography of JFK; I don't know how it compares to others as this was my first biograohy about him. I would recommend it to anyone interested in JFK and his story. Thanks!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion, this is a good biography of JFK, but not a great one. This is the first major biography of JFK in thirty years. Dallek had complete access to the Kennedy family documents. There is nothing new in the book, except information about an affair with a White House intern.

The book is well written and researched. The book appears to be unbiased. Dallek does mention JFK’s “Womanizing”. But most of the book is on his political career. About half the book is about the presidency. Dallek provides information on his medical conditions. There is very little information about Jackie, the children or his siblings.

The book makes a good review of JFK. I remember his presidency as if it was yesterday. My how time flies!

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and fifteen minutes. Richard McGonagle does a good job narrating the book. McGonagle is an actor, voice actor and well-known audiobook narrator particularly of presidential biographies. Note: The audiobook was not marked as an abridged version but it sure appears to be one.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Privilege and Adversity

This book is a nuanced and deeply researched biography that seeks to uncover the complexities of one of America’s most iconic and popular presidents: John F. Kennedy. Dallek’s work excels in balancing admiration for Kennedy’s achievements with a critical examination of his flaws, making it a compelling read for those interested in both the man and the myth.

John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life is quite revolutionary in its exploration of Kennedy’s private life, particularly his significant health challenges. Dallek draws on newly available medical records to reveal the extent of Kennedy’s physical suffering, including his struggles with Addison’s disease, chronic back pain, and various other ailments. This portrayal humanises Kennedy, showing the resilience and determination required to endure the rigors of public life despite debilitating conditions. His life was adversity and privilege at the same time. He was only able to reach the top through his rich father, Joseph F Kennedy, although he had all the talent at the same time. He was intelligent (too intelligent if you ask Krushchev), charismatic and decisive. He was also a huge womaniser, who perhaps didn’t work with the civil rights movement and its leaders such as Martin Luther King effectively.

John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life also sheds light on Kennedy’s political career, from his rise as a congressman and senator to his presidency during the Cold War. Dallek provides insightful analyses of key moments, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, and Kennedy’s efforts in civil rights. While Dallek commends Kennedy’s vision and charisma, he does not shy away from critiquing his indecisiveness and occasional missteps, particularly in foreign policy.

Equally fascinating is Dallek’s examination of Kennedy’s personal relationships and their impact on his presidency. John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life candidly addresses his infidelities, the influence of his family, especially his father, Joseph P. Kennedy and the dynamics of his marriage to Jacqueline Kennedy. Dallek presents these elements without sensationalism, aiming instead to provide a fuller understanding of Kennedy as a complex individual. Dallek’s prose is accessible yet scholarly, weaving together extensive archival research, interviews, and newly unearthed documents. The author’s balanced approach ensures that the book appeals to both Kennedy enthusiasts and readers seeking a critical perspective on his legacy.

Overall, John F. Kennedy: An Unfinished Life is a definitive biography that captures the triumphs and tragedies of John F. Kennedy’s life and presidency. It paints a vivid picture of a leader whose potential was cut tragically short, leaving readers to ponder what might have been had he lived to complete his second term. For anyone seeking a comprehensive and thought-provoking account of Kennedy’s life, Dallek’s work is a must-read.

[Peter Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t decide if I am more disappointed with JFK’s “unfinished” presidency or with Robert Dallek’s pedestrian account of his tragic life. I must have set my expectations too high. Historians rank Kennedy as one of the ten best and “An Unfinished Life” is the highest rated single-volume biography of America’s 35th president.

Dallek does a solid job of chronicling Kennedy’s early life. Like TR and FDR, Jack trod a path of Northeastern wealth and privilege that led to Harvard. Like both Roosevelts, he would have to overcome formidable health challenges. Dallek speculates that Jack’s father Joe most likely pulled some strings to allow his ailing son to see action in the South Pacific as the captain of PT-109. This was when I began to struggle with Dallek’s narrative. Dallek allows his access to newly obtained medical records to overshadow Kennedy’s wartime exploits in Ch. 3. After wading through all the medical diagnoses and treatments, I had a good sense of the sinking of Jack’s boat and his heroic rescue of his men, but Dallek subsequently relates, “And for the next six weeks he got in a lot of fighting and, to his satisfaction, inflicted some damage on the enemy” (p. 100). What fighting? What damage?

Dallek makes it clear that for all his charisma, quick wits and eloquent speeches, Kennedy accomplished little during his 12 years in Congress, with his father playing a crucial role at every turn. Kennedy’s most notable (and controversial) action was to not vote to censure Sen. Joseph McCarthy for his Communist witch hunt. Kennedy did become a celebrity and launched his presidential run with the publication of “Profiles in Courage,” but as one of his colleagues put it, “Why not show a little less profile and a little more courage?” (p. 217). Even though JFK’s election in 1960 was every bit as close as Truman’s in 1948, Dallek’s account lacks the drama or verve of David McCullough’s “Truman.”

JFK was in the poorest health of anyone to become president. He was always taking at least ten different drugs, including pain killers, to treat a range of ailments, led by Addison’s disease and a bad back. As one doctor reviewing his medical files put it, Kennedy was “doped up” (p. 471). This makes it all the more amazing that JFK was competing with LBJ to be the most promiscuous president. Indeed, Dallek spends more time discussing Jack’s affairs, ranging from Marilyn Monroe to a White House intern (thinking of you, Bill!), than he does Jackie Kennedy and his two children.

Foreign affairs-wise, Kennedy is best known for approving the CIA’s botched invasion of Cuba in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis a year later. Dallek is strongest in relating these two events, but he fails to convey the public’s widespread fear that the world was on the precipice of a cataclysmic nuclear war. Dallek and most analysts have praised Kennedy for standing up to Khrushchev's dispatch of nuclear weapons to Cuba, but what if the mercurial Soviet leader hadn’t turned back his ships once Kennedy imposed the blockade? Yes, the missiles violated vague notions of the Monroe Doctrine, but did they qualitatively change the nuclear threat posed to the U.S.? No. Besides, Soviet troops remained even after the nukes were removed.

American also became a little bit pregnant in its military commitment to Vietnam on Kennedy’s watch. I would pinpoint the moment of conception as 15 November 1961 when Kennedy announced a tripling of the number of military “advisers” in Vietnam. Dallek does not provide the figures, but according to militaryfactory.com, more American soldiers died during Kennedy’s first year in office (16) than during the previous five years under Ike. The U.S. went from having several hundred to 16,000 troops dispatched when Kennedy died. Based on my reading of Ambrose's "Eisenhower," Ike saw Vietnam as a fool's errand. Kennedy also failed to listen to his policy coordinator at the State Department. Kennedy's failure to reject the hawks and conventional wisdom showed poor judgement and a lack of leadership on the critical issue of the decade--just as W, Hillary and Biden would do the same 40 years later.

Dallek does make a strong argument that JFK would not have escalated like LBJ did in 1965 because he was more skeptical and would not be facing reelection. Still, Kennedy started America down a disastrous track that LBJ failed and even Nixon would struggle to take America off of.

Kennedy’s unambiguous accomplishments were more modest. He did sign the first nuclear arms control agreement with the Soviets and pledged to take Americans to the moon by the end of the decade. Amazingly, Dallek doesn’t even mention Kennedy’s famous “We Choose to Go to the Moon” speech at Rice University in September 1962. My favorite accomplishment? Kennedy created the Peace Corps. I wanted to join when I was at U.C. Berkeley, but when I discovered they had pulled out of South Korea several years earlier, I chose a different path. Kennedy’s ambitious domestic agenda, particularly expanding civil rights and social welfare, would have to be accomplished by his successor. To my great surprise, Dallek provides only a cursory account of Kennedy’s assassination, devoting only a few sentences to the event itself.

Reading about JFK made me realize that I have had the good fortune of meeting three of the most important people from Kennedy’s inner circle. Chief speechwriter Ted Sorensen gave a talk to my fellow interns at the World Affairs Council in SF when I was a senior. Ten years later, I made a point of introducing myself to Defense Secretary Robert McNamara at a conference in Washington, D.C. because we both went to Cal. And I interviewed key adviser Arthur Schlessinger for a Korean newspaper a few years after that. How I wish I had asked them about Jack!

This review makes me realize that I am more disappointed with Dallek than JFK because I still want to read much more about Kennedy and those around him. To his credit, Dallek mentions his favorite previous biographies of Kennedy, especially those by Richard Reeves and Seymour Hersh. I was surprised that Kennedy relied heavily on advice from Dean Acheson, which moves him up my supporting roles reading list. One of the joys of reading about so many presidents is discerning the thru-stories of folks who serve multiple presidents, like like Lincoln's John Hay and FDR's Henry Stimson. I had planned to read “Profiles in Courage” until I learned it was written primarily by Sorensen. First I plan to read Chris Matthews’ “Bobby Kennedy” (2017). Bobby was Jack’s closest friend by far. Next will be McNamara’s “In Retrospect” (1997) as much to better understand the Vietnam tragedy. That means I should also read Max Hastings’ “Vietnam” (2018).

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Kennedy was the mythological front man for a particularly juicy slice of our history. He called a slick line and wore a world-class haircut. He was Bill Clinton minus pervasive media scrutiny and a few rolls of flab. - James Ellroy, American Tabloid

Mitigating circumstances: This is the ninth among my presidential bio(ish) reads over the past month and change. I’ve been concurrently reading Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, which is an amazing book about an amazing president. As a result, I'm not really sure that this qualifies as a "book review" per se.

Having accounted for said circumstances, let me just say that I’m seriously underwhelmed when it comes to JFK. The book itself was well-researched and even-handed. In fact, I’m no Kennedy expert, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the NYT was right in assessing An Unfinished Life as the best single-volume Kennedy biography. I’m just not all that impressed when it comes to Jack Kennedy the man, especially given all the hoopla around him. Maybe I’m not giving him sufficient credit given that he was only in office for 1,000 days, but the word overrated definitely comes to mind. (See also: James Ellroy’s take in American Tabloid.)

Assorted bitchings and/or moanings:

We get it - being president makes you sick! Nixon, Eisenhower, Ford and JFK bios all go on about how “behind the scenes” doctors were juicing our heads of state to get them through their respective terms in office. It’s pretty much safe to assume from here on out that every POTUS is using PEDs (Presidential Enhancing Drugs). That being said, the whole Addison’s Disease thing is pretty interesting and Dallek would be doing a disservice to the reading public were he to skip out on the trials and tribulations of keeping the JFK machine up and in service. It also turns out that Dallek got unprecedented access to Kennedy's medical files, so I guess that's kind of a big deal.

I’d take things a step further re. James Ellroy's Bill Clinton comparison. With Clinton we all have our suspicions, but most people can only count on one hand the names of women who he took to the Lincoln bedroom (or whatever bedroom, or the oval office - you get my point). If the press can give a list of ladies with whom you’ve gone for a roll in the hay that stretches from here to Hanoi, you’re not Clinton-esque, you’re a veritable poonhound. I don’t particularly count this against Kennedy, I'm just saying that he could have given Carlos Danger a run for his money.


Not Dallek’s fault but definitely true:
There are few events in modern American history that get more air time than JFK's assassination. There’s this overwhelming sense that the good times would have rolled in ways we can’t even comprehend had Kennedy not taken that fateful trip to Dallas. I’m no timespace continuum wizard, so I can’t say for sure, but I’m guessing that Kennedy would have had some disappointments up his sleeve along with a trick of two he may have turned. I didn’t come away from this book disliking the guy, but I can't help but feel that he's kind of overhyped. And yeah, I am holding him up next to Lincoln which might not be fair, but (as Dallek points out) the American public consistently rated him above Lincoln in their polls of greatest presidents, so the comparison bears mentioning. Guess what American public? You’re wrong. I can’t even tell you how wrong. You know what? Go read Team of Rivals. Right now! Then, when you’re done and have realized how awesome Lincoln was you can think about what you’ve done. Then, if you want to read a good biography about JFK, you should probably check this book out.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

An Unfinished Life is different from the usual Kennedy biographies I like to read. I usually prefer to read gossipy more tawdry books about the Kennedy's because they're more fun. I like to read about sex, the mafia, and murder coverups.

But...

An Unfinished Life is a serious look at the life and presidency of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Robert Dallek doesn't spend much time on gossip or rumors, he prefers to stick to the facts. I couldn't tell if Robert Dallek liked or disliked JFK, I never felt like he was trying to sway my opinion of JFK. Dallek simply laid out the facts and tried to contextualize way he made the decisions he made.

A lot of our opinions on JFK are based on myths and distortions but through Dallek we get a more complex view of the life of the 35th president.

This book spends a whole lot of time focusing on the policies of the Kennedy administration and I'll be honest sometimes its a rather boring read. I found myself skimming some of the sections on tax reform, Robert Dallek is a superb writer but not even he could make taxes an interesting read.

An Unfinished Life is a deeply engrossing read that gave me a better understanding of who John Kennedy the man and the President were.

A Must Read!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extraordinarily clear and detailed biography of the legendary yet all too human American president, John F. Kennedy. Robert Dallek, author of an acclaimed two-volume biography of Kennedy's successor, Lyndon Johnson, has found, remarkably, untapped sources to bring additional life and light to Kennedy's story. Chief among these new resources are vast elements of Kennedy's medical records, which indicate both the excruciating pain and personal contortions JFK went through in an effort to serve well as president while also keeping his disturbing medical conditions from the public. Kennedy emerges from this book as not a great or epic president but as a very human being whose reach often exceeded his grasp and who sometimes did not reach far nor fast enough. The picture the reader is left with is of an admirable, physically brave and stalwart man, who had a genius for the subtleties of politics and an occasional, unfortunate penchant for learning from his mistakes only after making large ones. It is a fine book about a remarkable man.

[Diane]

In a New York Times Book Review article on the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination, Dallek's book was described as the best biography about the president. "Dallek, who spent five years researching and writing, has a deep appreciation of Kennedy's operatic story. The book has rich detail about the president's persistent and serious health problems, which serve to make the life seem genuinely heroic as well as swaddled in troubling cover-ups."

[Josh]

DNF: I read about 150 pages of this and decided to put it 'on hold' for awhile. After a few days of reflecting, I decided that not only will this not be on hold, but I don't think I'll read this book again. I've read quite a bit about JFK in other books and don't find myself being enthralled about his upbringing of affluence. War hero, yes....lifetime of misery due to digestive ailments, yes, but overall his upbringing does not even make me interested enough to get to the part that I'm actually focused on: his Presidency.

His unfinished life is my unfinished book.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a book that speaks about his time in office rather than a complete biography?

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good biography of JFK, focusing principally on his presidency. Dallek obviously admires Kennedy, but that does not prevent him from being critical of his subject when he believes that the criticism is warranted.

Dallek's principal contribution is to document more thoroughly than any previous biographer Kennedy's many medical problems, the treatment he received and the extent to which the President, his family, his doctors and others conspired to conceal those problems from public view. In the end, Dallek concludes that, although he was often in pain, Kennedy managed his afflictions well and they did not adversely affect his ability to function as president. Dalleck also speculates, however, that in the modern age it would be impossible for a presidential candidate to conceal such problems as effectively as Kennedy did. He also assumes that someone with Kennedy's medical history could almost certainly not be elected to the office today.

Dalleck details Kennedy's extensive womanizing, both before and after he married Jackie, and which continued unabated during his presidency. Dalleck speculates that perhaps this compulsion resulted from the example that JFK's father had set and from Kennedy's fears about his own mortality because of his medical problems. Again, Dallek concludes that his womanizing did not distract Kennedy from the larger tasks that confronted him and so did not prevent him from being an effective president. Though many reporters and others knew or speculated about Kennedy's philandering, as quaint as it now seems, the press still believed that a president's private life was off limits. Dallek also points out that many of the journalists and editors who covered the Kennedy administration had extra-marital affairs of their own and so did not want to cast the first stone. Dalleck again assumes though, that no candidate with Kennedy's record in this department could be elected today.

Otherwise, Dallek's account is a fairy familiar one. He admits that Kennedy made mistakes early on in his administration, the Bay of Pigs fiasco principal among them. He also concedes that Kennedy came slowly to the cause of civil rights and tempered his actions by calculating the political consequences, which is hardly surprising. He also insists, though, that Kennedy learned from his mistakes and grew to be a better president as a result.

Dallek gives Kennedy very high marks for his handling of the Cuban missile crisis, and reading his account one realizes how perilously close we came to the possibility of nuclear annihilation. Kennedy was determined to give diplomacy every chance to work, even against the advice of military figures and others who argued for an attack on the missile sites and an invasion of the island. Considering some of the trigger-happy people who have occupied the office since 1963, one reads these chapters and becomes enormously grateful for the fact that this crisis fell to JFK and not to some of his successors.

Probably the greatest argument left from the Kennedy administration is the question of what JFK would have done with respect to Vietnam. Dallek covers in great detail Kennedy's handling of the problem and, based in part on new evidence, concludes that, had he lived, Kennedy almost certainly would not have enlarged the war. Dallek also concludes that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of the President.

This is a rich, compelling book and may be the best biography of Kennedy that we now have. Reading it, one can only regret that, even for all his faults, JFK did not live long enough to serve a second term as president.

[Jonathan Mckay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Positioned chronologically and literarily between excellent biographies of Truman and Eisenhower on one side, and Robert Caro’s towering work on Johnson on the other, this Kennedy biography is middling.

Kennedy’s story is amazing! His heroic endurance after the PT-109 disaster is epic, and his quote about committing fully to the life of a politician reveals a man more self-aware than often credited.

The most important narratives in Kennedy’s legacy—Vietnam, the Cuban Missile Crisis, his legislative wrangling—are told with more clarity and insight in other works. *The Best and the Brightest* handles Vietnam with sobering depth. Caro’s *Master of the Senate* shows us 60’s politics with dramatically more nuance. And *One Minute to Midnight* captures the dread and detail of the missile crisis in a way this biography can’t match.

What’s most frustrating isn’t just the storytelling, but the absences. Kennedy’s failure to meaningfully confront McCarthyism is barely acknowledged. His foreign policy record, often lionized, is left mostly unchallenged—despite flirting with disaster and setting the stage for decades of entanglement. Even the character study falters: Joe Kennedy Sr. is a magnetic, deeply flawed figure, but the thread is dropped once JFK hits Harvard.

Is this really the best we can do for a biography of Kennedy? Given his symbolic role as a pivot point for the Boomer generation and the mythic halo that still clings to his name, I think not.

Perhaps it’s time to turn to Schlesinger’s insider portrait or wait for the second volume of Fredrik Logevall’s more scholarly and restrained take.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://bestpresidentialbios.com/2017...

When it was published in 2003, Robert Dallek's "An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963" was the first full-scale, single-volume biography of JFK in over three decades. Dallek is a presidential historian and former professor of history at Boston University, Columbia University and UCLA. He is the author of nearly two-dozen books including a two-volume series on LBJ and "Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power."

Dallek's book benefits enormously from his having been granted almost unprecedented access to Kennedy family documents including newly-revealed information relating to JFK's seemingly endless array of medical ailments. He also convinced a former Kennedy administration press aide to release new information concerning an affair between JFK and a White House intern.

Some of this fresh primary source material underpins the book's earliest chapters which describe Kennedy's youth: his fascinating family lineage, his privileged childhood, his persistent medical issues and his unwavering penchant for "womanizing." But readers seeking a sensational JFK exposé are likely to be disappointed.

While the early narrative provides a devastating indictment of Kennedy's ill-formed moral core, Dallek is predisposed to focusing on politics over prurient predilections. This biography is long on hard history and avoids allowing Kennedy's indiscretions to hijack the narrative. The author's skillful dissection of JFK's complex medical situation, however, does pervade the text.

Once Kennedy begins his political career in 1946, the spotlight shines brightest on his "public" rather than "private" life; his family recedes into the background and there is surprisingly little coverage even of Jackie. More than half the book is reserved for Kennedy's 1,036-day presidency and Dallek's style is consistently serious, sober-minded and impressively objective.

Not surprisingly, discussion of Kennedy's presidency is dominated by US-Soviet relations, Cuba and Southeast Asia. With the exception of civil rights (where the author is often critical of Kennedy's leadership failures), domestic issues receive significantly less focus. But this is reflective of Kennedy's own interests and emphasis.

The most interesting chapters are those dealing with Kennedy's relationship with Nikita Khrushchev (their meeting at the Vienna Summit, in particular) and the Bay of Pigs debacle. The book ends with an interesting "Epilogue" considering Kennedy's reputation, assessing his legacy and briefly pondering what "might have been."

While the biography is almost always engaging there are occasions during Kennedy's presidency when the narrative bogs down and becomes tedious. But this is generally the fault of cumbersome foreign policy issues facing Kennedy at the time rather than with the author's writing style.

In addition, JFK's assassination is described in just a single paragraph with no lens on the transition of power to LBJ. The ensuing pages consider the impact of Kennedy's death on his family and on the country but, for many readers, history will seem to stop too abruptly at the moment of Kennedy's death.

Overall, Robert Dallek's "An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963" proves an excellent introduction to the life and death of the thirty-fifth president. Some readers will find discussion of Kennedy's medical afflictions strangely pervasive; others will be surprised not to read more of his lewd behavior. But, in general, Dallek's biography covers John F. Kennedy's life thoroughly, thoughtfully and with extraordinary balance and objectivity.

Overall rating: 4¼ stars

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand that one can debate whether JFK was an effective President, but can't most of us agree that he led one of the most fascinating lives of any 20th century American? Robert Dallek's biography also believes he was an effective President and I have to agree on many issues. Dallek outlines the decisions Kennedy made during his 1000 days along with reasons why.... His first challenge - the Bay of Pigs- was set up during Eisenhower, but Kennedy accepted blame for his incorrect decision to execute the invasion. Then comes the Cuban Missile crisis and it sure seems JFK deserves huge points for avoiding nuclear disaster. Throughout his presidency he (and mostly RFK) confront the issues of civil rights- Dallek's and JFK himself argued he was effective, but there is a successful argument that JFK could have and should have done more. There were many more complicated issues, but the most serious was Vietnam. Dallek states that "Kennedy now worried that a defeat in Berlin or over Vietnam,....could be a decisive blow to his Presidency." What would have happened with Vietnam if Kennedy had finished his own life? Dallek's analysis helps us reach our own conclusion.

[Aaron Million · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dallek presents a balanced and solid biography of JFK. He is especially good at fleshing out the myths purporting to JFK's WWII command of PT-109 in the Pacific, his lifelong penchant for womanizing, and his myriad and never-ending medical difficulties. He presents JFK as both a foreign policy realist and an idealist - and how he straddled the line between both views.

Dallek does not delve deeply into the close relationship between JFK and RFK, which began in the 1950s. While certainly alluding to it several times throughout the chapters on the 1960 election and JFK's subsequent time in office, I found Arthur Schlesinger Jr's magisterial "Robert F. Kennedy and His Times" to be much more enlightening on this subject. However, I don't think that was Dallek's goal, and I can understand that.

Dallek is especially strong JFK's foreign policy triumphs and missteps. The chapters concerning Cuba, Vietnam, and JFK's dealings with Khrushchev are particularly detailed and well-written. He also does a good job of showing how JFK was way too slow to respond to the growing Civil Rights disturbances in the South.

The chapter on the 1960 election and campaign is good. For a much more detailed account (not read to be a criticism of Dallek here): see David Pietrusza's "1960: JFK vs LBJ vs Nixon."

I would have liked to have seen some more analysis re: the assassination, and who Dallek really thinks was behind it. It seems like he leans towards Oswald as a lone gunman, but doesn't quite fully venture out on that limb.

One issue I do take with Dallek is his assertion at the end that JFK would have enjoyed a similar ultra-successful legislative experience that LBJ had, had Kennedy lived. While we will never know for sure, I doubt that JFK would have equaled LBJ's domestic achievements in 1964-1965. LBJ was a master of Congress in general and the Senate in particular, and he knew exactly who to pressure and prod to support his legislation and how to do it. And, LBJ was helped by the fact that many people felt that since JFK had alread proposed some of these bills or programs, that the Congress should accede to his wishes.

[Shane Haggerty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit to an obsession with the Kennedy Family. I remember being a kid and looking through my mom's boxes of stuff from her childhood and finding an autographed picture from JFK and Jacqueline from like 1962 or something. I was fascinated. Then, I was enamored and fascinated with the idea that this young and against-type President was shot down in the prime of life. I remember seeing JFK, the Oliver Stone movie, and loving it, and I was convinced that there was a conspiracy. I remember just always being so completely fascinated and enthralled with JFK, Bobby, Rose, Teddy, and on and on. How could one family--the Kennedy's of Massachusetts--sustain so much tragedy? I love this book for being so honest about the imperfection of JFK and of the Kennedy Family. I love it for what it showed JFK to be: a human being with a serious illness, a man with imperfections and flaws and addictions, and a man who genuinely wanted to do right by the American people. It truly made me feel like I knew the real JFK and gave me insight into one of America's pinnacles in history.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the strongest one volume Kennedy biography I've read. It covers his Presidential and Pre-Presidential life warts and all. It acknowledges that he was just hitting his stride when he died and that the real tragedy is that we never got to see how his presidency would have played out. I'm also amused that he was one of our sickliest President's (Not the sickliest, that honor belongs to FDR) and that people still think of him as so young and healthy. I personally think Kennedy wouldn't have passed the civil rights legislation that Johnson passed in his name BUT I'm positive that Kennedy would have handled Vietnam infinitely better.

[Colleen Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was even better the second time around. I admit, I read it this time for a class but it is one of the best biographies of Kennedy, in my opinion.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Unfinished Life is perhaps the most thorough—but not pedantic—presidential biography I have read since Chernow’s Washington. At 720 pages, it is longer than many that cover lives twice as long as Kennedy’s and presidencies nearly triple in number of days. But such detail paints the picture Dallek intends: Not of the highly ranked president and American royalty that many typical Americans hold onto, but the deceitful, womanizing, inexperienced young man rising to the nation’s highest office from nowhere, and making his share of mistakes. Not to be unfair, Kennedy’s wins are of course praised, and I have a new appreciation for how close the world came to nuclear war in 1962 before Kennedy talked Khrushchev down from the ledge.

Ultimately the charming man with the broad smile and witty comments, whose colors shined on the new medium of television (even in black and white), comes off as rather detached from the common man on the pages of a book that takes the reader through a life both privileged and unusually scarred. The coverage of Kennedy’s presidency is scholarly and thick, but the detail is crucial to understanding Berlin, Cuba, Vietnam, and the rest. After all, we choose to read presidential biographies not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

After the extensive review of the particulars of Kennedy’s thousand days, the presentation of his final one is very sudden and direct. I give Dallek points for this, because after forty years, there has been more than enough media detail of the assassination. Such a quick jolt at the end of the story gives the reader a sense of what American felt in late November, 1963.

Jacqueline Kennedy is barely mentioned, until after her husband's death and her efforts to preserve his positive legacy. The final pages gush about what might have been had Kennedy lived and won a second term. This is not for Dallek to contradict his own often-sour portrait of the man, but to feed upon the hopeful expectations of the administration beyond 1964, and to account for why Americans then and today held such a flawed commander in such high regard. I found the rosy outlook giving more meaning to the twisted timeline and alternate reality of Stephen King’s 11/22/63.

Dallek’s 2013 epilogue took a left turn and appeared to scold and school the still-worshipful public on what real presidential greatness is, offering quick lessons on several twentieth century giants and a couple of recent White House residents. It is slightly repetitive of some of his final words in the 2004 original print, and felt like unnecessary fluff after so much substance.

I don’t mean to say that Dallek was too rough on JFK. He was adequately rough, as a great biographer must be. But the detail offered tends to fly in the face of the ideas of Kennedy to which I am accustomed. Thankfully, his extramarital affairs are not dissected (they were probably sufficiently hidden at the time), but I was also struck by the inclusion of curse words in many of the quotes—something perhaps replaced by ellipses in some of the other bios I’ve read. Those, too, make Kennedy more real.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

One must wonder what there is that we don't already know about Kennedy. For me, this was an eye opener because I hadn't realized how ill the man was, not just during his presidency, but for his whole life. From early childhood until his death he was plagued like Job with constant pain and a host of diseases and injuries that it is mind-boggling that he was able to function, much less take the highest office in the country. He was in such bad shape that the Navy wouldn't take him until he had his father pull strings to get him in and once there, to get him into real action ( incredible when you consider other politicians pulling strings to stay out of active duty). During most of his life, despite all the family's wealth and connections, they were unable to cure, much less diagnose his illnesses, even though he was treated by the best of the best. They did eventually diagnose Addison's disease and specific back injuries, but he suffered terrible intestinal disorders as well. And yet everyone who met him was so impressed with his vitality, charm, and cheerfulness. He is said to have been a jokester with a great sense of humor and a very happy disposition. I think that the courage he had in dealing with his physical ailments and rising above his pain is truly inspirational.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took quite a while to read this but it was worth the effort. Very detailed on policies etc and how they were made but little mention of more sensational elements such as JFK's affairs, Jackie Kennedy or the assassination. It is quite enthralling, although quite a commitment to read, in its description of policy on eg: the Berlin Wall, Cuban missile crisis, the Cold War in general, the beginnings of Vietnam and civil rights. Also interesting for its description of JFK's life before he became president (his older brother was always the more likely candidate until killed in WW2) and his health issues that were largely hidden at the time.

[Frank Theising · Rating 4 out of 5]

“All the mythmaking – positive and negative – about Kennedy would not have interested him as much as a fair-minded assessment of his public career.” – Page 703

I thought I knew a fair amount about JFK going into this book. Reading this 711 page bio, I can truly say I learned a great deal that I didn’t know about both the man and his presidency. Trying to look at his record objectively, I think there is a strong case to be made that JFK is quite possibly the most overrated president in our nation’s history. He remains as popular as Washington, Lincoln, or Roosevelt yet his administration hardly measures up to theirs. Domestically, none of his major reform initiatives (tax cuts, federal aid to education, Medicare, and civil rights) became law during his lifetime. It took LBJ, with his legislative expertise, to get them pushed through congress. The author argues those successes would have been Kennedy’s if only he had a second term but the evidence hardly supports such an assertion.

On foreign policy, his record is mixed at best. The world certainly owes him a debt of gratitude for his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Who knows how that would have worked out with a hardline Nixon in the seat? That one issue (huge, I grant you) aside, the rest of his track record is pretty abysmal. His high-minded outreach to the third world always “fell victim” to Cold War imperatives. In other words, he didn’t really believe his own rhetoric. While he talked a good game about US ideals and self-determination, behind the scenes he was perpetually conducting covert ops and staging coups in the Third World. Young and untested, he bumbled into the Bay of Pigs catastrophe. His actions in Vietnam set the nation up for its worst foreign policy nightmare. With the information presented in this book it is conceivable that Kennedy would have withdrawn US forces after his re-election but that is a highly debatable counterfactual. Given his track record, I think it more likely than not he would have found himself “forced” into the war just as LBJ was.

The author notes how JFK “probably would have been less than happy that biographers had unearthed so much of the truth about his private life.” For someone so enamored with “moral and political courage” he sure was an absolute sleaze ball. The author argues persuasively that his shockingly poor health and fear of an early demise contributed to his womanizing. Given the sex scandal that brought the English government down during his term, he is lucky his actions were not exposed because it almost certainly would have ended his presidency in disgrace.

The author (as far as I know) is the first to expose just how bad JFK’s health truly was. Again, it is amazing he was able to keep such serious problems (and the cocktails of drugs he took daily to get through the pain) hidden from the public. The author’s research in this area was both exhaustive and illuminating. I will say the area where the book falls short is the conclusion. I feel like the book just abruptly ends with his assassination. Given the enduring popularity of JFK in the public imagination, I was seriously disappointed that the author did not elaborate more than a couple pages on the aftermath of his assassination.

What follows are my notes on the book.

His ancestors immigrated to America during the great Irish potato famines of the 1840s and 50s. His two grandfathers were impressively successful in business and politics (one in the MA Legislature and the other a mayor of Boston) (6-11). His parents were upwardly mobile and eager to replace their “Irishness” with an American identity to insulate the family from the snubs of well-off, Protestant New Englanders. His father Joe was an extremely successful businessman. As the daughter of the mayor, his mother Rose was a wealthy socialite. His parents married in 1914 and had Joe Jr. the following summer. From birth, Joe Jr. was destined to be President; JFK’s birth received much less fanfare (20). Seven other children followed. Joe was a compulsive womanizer. Rose was religious, cold, and strict. Naturally, JFK rebelled (70).

Jack grew up in the shadow of his older brother; a fierce rivalry that followed him into adulthood. He was a privileged youth and attended private boarding schools where he was exposed to the country’s influential families and power brokers. He was completely insulated from the Great Depression because of his wealth (30-31). Naturally, this bred a certain arrogance and self-indulgence. It also meant he entered adulthood with a studied indifference to money. He never carried cash and others often picked up the tab (his family reimbursed them).

He wrestled with uncommonly high parental expectations. His father resented the many medical problems that plagued Jack’s early life. He was ashamed of his medical conditions and went to great lengths to hide or ignore them, often suffering painfully. Despite graduating in the bottom half of his class, he attended Harvard because of his family. He traveled to London in 1935, ostensibly to study economics but really to enjoy the social life. His first 2 years at Harvard were as unimpressive as his record from boarding school. He was a charming and irreverent young man with a passion for sports and the good life (40-43). Learning from his father how elastic the rules were for wealthy men, his womanizing began early at Harvard (46-47). Because of his medical history, Jack expected to die young. The author suggests this contributed to his hedonism and womanizing (79).

With his older brother destined for politics, Jack imagined becoming a reporter. In 1937, FDR appointed Joe ambassador to the UK. Jack again traveled to Europe, gaining a firsthand view of the growing European crisis over Czechoslovakia and the Sudetenland. When Hitler invaded Poland, Jack witnessed Chamberlain announce the UK’s decision to go to war. The trip fired his imagination over the big questions of international relations and his grades improved during his fall term (52-54). With access to his father the ambassadorial contacts, he wrote his senior thesis on Britain’s appeasement policy.

In 1940, he failed the navy’s physical exams but his father pulled some strings to get him a clean bill of health (81-2). Sea duty replaced parental and religious constraints with military directives that seemed to serve little purpose (87). On a motor torpedo (PT) boat, he first saw combat in March 1943 (90). He grew frustrated with the generals and his fellow officer and (ironically given his own circumstances) thought that political influence on officer selection was at the root of the problem. Jack became jaded with his place in the war effort. On one particularly mismanaged patrol, in a freak accident Jack’s boat was cut in half by a Japanese Destroyer. Given his back and other health problems, Jack showed genuine courage in leading his surviving men to rescue. Headlines hailed him as a hero but he felt humiliated by the sinking of his boat. By November, his health problems became so severe he was forced to return to the States (101). Questions began mounting about the pre-war origins of Jack’s illness which he tried to hide. He was medically retired in March ’45. His brother Joe was killed when his plane exploded over the English Channel. The news devastated his father and left Jack trapped in the shadow of his brother’s memory.

After the war, Jack got a job as a reporter where he covered the U.N. summit in San Francisco and events in Europe. In the summer of ’45, his father made a concerted effort to raise Jack’s profile in MA in anticipation of a run for congress. Running in the 11th district dominated by blue collar ethnic (Irish and Italian) voters, many were frustrated with Kennedy’s “unmerited” candidacy, and parodied his campaign with signs announcing “seat for sale, no experience necessary.” Jack spent a staggering sum of his father’s money to saturate the district with advertisements, radio ads, and direct mailings. Despite a Republican wave that gave them both houses of Congress, he triumphed in his election (133).

Jack’s arrival in DC coincided with mounting national concern over communism. His family viewed his election as little more than a first step. He had no thought other than getting to the Senate as fast as he could (135). Fiscally conservative, he often felt out of sync with his constituents looking for New Deal style federal largesse. As a Catholic representing a heavily Catholic district, he fought against was an discriminatory and unconstitutional law limiting aid to religious schools. As a freshman in the minority party, he was frustrated with the arcane institutional rules and customs that prevented him from accomplishing anything of substance. Still, trying to jump to quickly to the Senate could look self-serving so he did what he could to bide his time and had a wild social life full of one night stands (151). He was re-elected in 1948 and began laying the groundwork for a Senate run in ’52.

Americanism (anti-communism) was the issue he intended to ride to the Senate. He was sympathetic to both Nixon and McCarthy though he never participated in red-baiting (163). He was an early advocate for developing nonmilitary techniques for combating communism in the Third World. Kennedy wanted to align the US with the emerging nations (rather than supporting former colonial powers like France in Indochina). Jack’s interest in foreign affairs made the Senate more attractive but incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge was a MA icon who would not be easy to beat. Their views were similar, both were internationalist conservatives who occasionally bowed to liberalism. As before, his father shelled out enormous sums that simply overwhelmed Lodge (171). His brother Robert managed the campaign with great organization. Kennedy won 51.5 to 48.5.

With an eye towards running for President, Kennedy sought to establish himself as a leader on foreign affairs. He was critical of Eisenhower’s reduction of defense spending and overreliance on nuclear weapons (184). Kennedy came to regret not voting to condemn or censure McCarthy (who was hugely popular in MA) and his stand hurt him with liberals in his party. He reluctantly decided to marry in 1953, a political necessity for a run for President. The author suggests that Jack’s womanizing actually made him more attractive to Jackie (the idiocy of women attracted to bad boys never ceases to amaze me). She was unprepared for the humiliation she would suffer as her husband would leave her stranded at parties as he disappeared with some pretty young girl (194). While Jackie was suffering through a miscarriage, he was having orgies on a Mediterranean Yacht trip (195). Jack’s health continued to deteriorate and he had surgery to stabilize his spine.

Increasingly fascinated with moral and political courage, Kennedy wrote a book on the subject. Profiles in Courage recounted the careers of 8 senators who risked their careers by taking unpopular stands on the issues of their day. It was a bestseller and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1957. The family offered to bankroll LBJ’s run for president if he would name JFK as his running mate. Viewing Eisenhower as likely to be reelected, LBJ turned down the offer, infuriating Bobby Kennedy. Jack continued to campaign for the VP spot under Stevenson but his Catholicism was deemed an insurmountable obstacle and his bid fell short (which proved fortuitous).

Given his youth, Catholicism, and limited party support, his 1960 bid for President was an act of unprecedented political nerve (211). His chronic health problems were a closely guarded secret given the impact it would have on an election. He had been secretly hospitalized nine times during his VP and Presidential campaigns. He had terrible back pain, prostatitis, and repeated bouts of colitis with abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration (212). Both JFK and LBJ viewed a push for civil rights as a strategy for advancing their presidential ambitions. With limited exposure to black Americans (mostly chauffeurs and valets) his position on civil rights was largely motivated by self-serving political considerations (215).

In 1960, there were only 16 state primaries. JFK was viewed as unlikely to get the nomination. Humphrey, Johnson, Stevenson, and Symington all seemed to have more political backing (244). However, they each had weaknesses (Humphrey was too liberal, Stevenson a 2 time loser, Johnson a corrupt southerner). Symington seemed like the likely compromise candidate (245). Both Johnson and Symington avoided the primaries giving Jack an opening to build momentum for his candidacy (248). Jack’s glamorous family allowed for an effective presentation of celebrity on the campaign trail. Jack swept seven straight primaries including Maryland, Oregon, and West Virginia. The convention was a raucous affair but Kennedy clinched the victory on the first ballot (266).

Putting his personal feelings aside he went with the smart choice of LBJ for his VP since he could help the Catholic Kennedy win in the South (269). Despite widespread prosperity, there was a general feeling that the country had lost its sense of purpose. His call for a new generation of leadership that would restore the nation’s historic purpose resonated with the people. Liberals like Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt eventually backed him but mainly because they hated Nixon (278).

Kennedy needed to challenge Nixon directly in a debate to counter arguments that he was too inexperienced to deal with the country’s national security challenges. He held his own in the debates (he won over the TV audience but those listening on radio thought Nixon had won). Kennedy won on the narrowest of margins. Several factors help account for his win (LBJ’s influence in the South, Jack’s charm on TV, a faltering economy, and voter fraud (Daley’s machine clearly tipped IL to Kennedy) (295). His narrow margin of victory convinced him that it was essential to conciliate Republicans. Ike and Kennedy did not think highly of each other (Ike was a fossil and JFK a young celebrity rather than a serious public servant).

Kennedy was determined to stand against those who might try to exploit a young and untested chief executive. He appointed the pliant Dean Rusk as Secretary of State & McNamara at Defense. His brother Bobby was brought in as Attorney General despite his lack of legal experience and fears he would politicize the Justice Department. Bobby was his most trusted advisor and someone who could tell him the unvarnished truth.

Despite Democratic control of Congress, many southern Democrats opposed civil rights legislation prompting Kennedy to push less legislation and more through executive action (332). Kennedy gave weekly, televised press conferences which showcased his intellect and wit. His Gallop polls showed an impressive 72% approval rating (335).

He established the Peace Corps in an effort to outdo Moscow in the promotion of national values (338). From the start of his term, Kennedy had little rapport with his military chiefs and was distrustful of the defense establishment (344). He preferred a strategy of “flexible response” to the current plan of “massive retaliation” (346). He ordered DoD to place more emphasis on the development of counter-guerilla forces, something he viewed as essential to fighting the insurgencies and limited wars being waged by the communists in places like Cuba, Laos, Algeria, Congo, and Vietnam (350).

In the first months of his term, Cuba was his principle concern. The CIA was training Cuban exiles in Guatemala to infiltrate and topple Castro. Kennedy supported these efforts. He was rushed into a decision, thinking a delay would allow Castro to secure his hold on power. Allen Dulles rushed the untested young president into a bad decision. There were no shortage of dissenting opinions in the days before the operation but Kennedy gave the go ahead. Looking to hide US involvement, he withheld all US military support and the invasion at the Bay of Pigs failed spectacularly. He was extremely bitter over the failed coup. Publicly, he bore responsibility but behind the scenes he moved to remove Dulles and others who he felt misled him (367-8). In a stroke, the image of Kennedy as an aspirational leader was replaced by one of old fashioned imperialism. The move empowered Castro and poisoned any goodwill between Kennedy and Khrushchev (376). Convinced the press tipped off Castro, he tried to clamp down on the media, which naturally increased tension between the White House and the press. He worried about the press exposing his poor health and philandering. J. Edgar Hoover, in a not so blatant bit of blackmail, kept Bobby informed of his growing file detailing Kennedy’s extra-curricular activities (376).

After the Bay of Pigs and pulling out of Laos, he believed he could not suffer another loss overseas (417). In his first meeting with Khrushchev, he attempted a conciliatory approach but this only made Khrushchev more assertive and unbending (414). When he held firm on Berlin, Khrushchev put up the Berlin Wall to stop migration out of East Berlin, easing JFK’s fears that Moscow would try to seize West Berlin by force (426). Despite his own doubts, JFK expanded the US role in Vietnam, doubling the number of military “advisors” (453). The skeptical press challenged him on his undeclared war in South Vietnam (458). Kennedy also supported secret interventions in Cuba, Brazil, British Guiana, Peru, Haiti, & Dominican Republic (522). On all his foreign trips, he had physicians that secretly accompanied him to give him amphetamines and inject painkillers in his back (398).

Domestically, the economy continued to trouble him and he proposed tax reform (507). With his focus on foreign policy, liberals and African Americans concluded Kennedy simply wasn’t committed to their cause (388). Impressed by MLK Jr’s “I have a Dream Speech” he made a push for a new civil rights bill with no success (645).

In 1962, Khrushchev feared a US invasion of Cuba & deployed nuclear missiles to the island (535). When U2 flights provided evidence, US military chiefs pushed Kennedy hard to strike. Kennedy’s cooler head prevailed and they worked out an exchange: a promise not to invade for removal of the missiles. Additionally, the US would remove the Jupiter missiles from Turkey in six months. Since this would appear to be selling out our NATO allies, this part of the deal was to remain secret (566-7). France defied JFK’s leadership in Europe. De Gaulle intended to build his own nuclear arm so they were not reliant on the US (611). JFK brokered a limited nuclear test ban treaty prohibiting tests in the atmosphere, space, and underwater (626).

Kennedy planned to withdraw US forces from Vietnam but decided against making a move before his re-election (668). As pressure built to do something, he backed the coup to remove the Diem Government (674). Worried about repeating the Bay of Pigs, he waffled on when to execute, and the situation got out of his control. When Diem was assassinated, he was upset thinking the coup would be bloodless (683).

For his re-election campaign he planned trips to Florida and Texas angry over his civil rights agenda (691). The Secret Service was so worried about the “ultra-right” that they never expected an assassination by the radical left. Communist sympathizer Lee Harvey Oswald flew under the radar (693-4). His death shocked the country. Lincoln’s demise seemed a natural culmination to the bloodletting of the Civil War. Kennedy sudden death seemed to have stripped the country of a better future. His tragic death seemed to dissolve Jackie’s anger toward him and she found solace in preserving his memory (696). His death provoked conspiracy theories that continue to this day.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reasonable and fair-minded biography of the late 35th President of the United States. A flawed, complex leader who made mistakes and learned from them, who struggled with his health but overcame suffering, and who never allowed private suffering or indulgence to interfere with his duties as president. This biography deals in facts and verifiable information, deals with rumor and allegation but does not market innuendo or outrageous scandal, acknowledges and attempts to explain conspiracy theories but does not take any sides in those arguments. The JFK biography any American should be reading.

[RYD · Rating 3 out of 5]

The health problems that John F. Kennedy had were quite incredible, and it is hard to read them without having sympathy and awe for Kennedy's perseverance. Historian Robert Dallek was the first to have access to Kennedy's health records, though Seymour Hersh detailed many of Kennedy's ailments through anonymous sourcing in a book he wrote.

Dallek is a good writer and presents Kennedy well. That said, this biography didn't change my own view that JFK is perhaps the most overrated president in U.S. history. His achievements seem to be more style and hype -- like his supposed vibrancy -- than reality. Meanwhile, he was Cold War warrior whose handling of civil rights, Vietnam and Cuba all left a lot to be desired.

I'm also often skeptical of accounts of Kennedy's life, since it is clear that his followers have been selective over the years in the release of information about him.

For instance, the deal he cut with Khrushchev during the Cuban missile crisis would certainly have been criticized at the time. It became public only years later that the U.S. agreed to remove missiles from Turkey, when the popularity of detente gave that decision a far different cast.

Similarly, Kennedy's health problems, now sure to win sympathy, would have dealt a serious blow to his career if they had become known contemporaneously.

[Shawn McCool · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read about a man with mixed reviews! Made me love history even more!

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have now completed the third biography on my list of US Presidents who have been in office during my lifetime: Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. It appears that to be taken seriously a presidential biography must be a door-stopper no matter how long their lives or how many terms they served. John F Kennedy only lived for 46 years and only held the Presidency for 1000 days but he still got 711 pages of text from Robert Dallek.

This reading about presidents' lives is probably the most difficult of my various reading projects but also hugely satisfying in terms of an overview of American federal government and politics. Who they were and how they became presidents is a mirror on American life. But the main idea I have come to is that the news media gives us a distinctly skewed view of our presidents and the disconnect between who they really are and what they have to deal with as the leaders of our country compared to what we are told about that while it is happening only grows wider as the new media keeps up with technological changes over the years.

Despite huge swaths of boring day by day depictions of JFK's nomination and election campaigns as well as the major crises he faced during his term, I learned much more about the man than I was ever taught in school. I gained an understanding of why he was and continues to be so revered. He was THE man for the times in 1960; young, handsome, intelligent, and forward looking. He was also a consummate politician with an inborn sense of how to advance his career, complemented by what he learned from his father. He was far more ill for his entire life than was publicly known. Medicated to his eyeballs much of the time, his health was a risk and a big long story covered fully in Dallek's book.

Though I suspect the author down pedaled it to a large degree, Kennedy was an unrepentant and continuous womanizer. As a teenager I was infatuated with the romance between Jack and Jackie. In An Unfinished Life, Jackie only gets about 20 pages, so now I will need to read some books that give more of her side of the story. I was left feeling it was all a political show.

I wonder if I could have or should have read a different Kennedy biography. Robert Dallek's dull and pedestrian writing style certainly did not match his flamboyant subject.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.