Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency
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- Author：Mark K. Updegrove
- ISBN：152474574X
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Summary
Acclaimed author and historian Mark K。 Updegrove， head of the LBJ Foundation and presidential historian for ABC News， offers an illuminating account of John F。 Kennedy’s brief but transformative tenure in the White House。
Nearly sixty years after his death， JFK still holds an outsize place in the American imagination。 While Baby Boomers remember his dazzling presence as president， millennials more likely know him from advertisements for Omega watches or Ray Ban sunglasses。 Yet his years in office were marked by more than his style and elegance。 His presidency is a story of a fledgling leader forced to meet unprecedented challenges， and to rise above missteps to lead his nation into a new and hopeful era。
Kennedy entered office inexperienced but alluring， his reputation more given by an enamored public than earned through achievement。 In this gripping new assessment of his time in the Oval Office， Updegrove reveals how JFK’s first months were marred by setbacks: the botched Bay of Pigs invasions， a disastrous summit with the Soviet premier， and a mismanaged approach to the Civil Rights movement。 But the young president soon proved that behind the glamour was a leader of uncommon fortitude and vision。
A humbled Kennedy conceded his mistakes， and， importantly for our times， drew important lessons from his failures that he used to right wrongs and move forward undaunted。 Indeed， Kennedy grew as president， radiating greater possibility as he coolly faced a steady stream of crises before his tragic end。
Incomparable Grace compellingly reexamines the dramatic， consequential White House years of a flawed but gifted leader too often defined by the Camelot myth that came after his untimely death。
Nearly sixty years after his death， JFK still holds an outsize place in the American imagination。 While Baby Boomers remember his dazzling presence as president， millennials more likely know him from advertisements for Omega watches or Ray Ban sunglasses。 Yet his years in office were marked by more than his style and elegance。 His presidency is a story of a fledgling leader forced to meet unprecedented challenges， and to rise above missteps to lead his nation into a new and hopeful era。
Kennedy entered office inexperienced but alluring， his reputation more given by an enamored public than earned through achievement。 In this gripping new assessment of his time in the Oval Office， Updegrove reveals how JFK’s first months were marred by setbacks: the botched Bay of Pigs invasions， a disastrous summit with the Soviet premier， and a mismanaged approach to the Civil Rights movement。 But the young president soon proved that behind the glamour was a leader of uncommon fortitude and vision。
A humbled Kennedy conceded his mistakes， and， importantly for our times， drew important lessons from his failures that he used to right wrongs and move forward undaunted。 Indeed， Kennedy grew as president， radiating greater possibility as he coolly faced a steady stream of crises before his tragic end。
Incomparable Grace compellingly reexamines the dramatic， consequential White House years of a flawed but gifted leader too often defined by the Camelot myth that came after his untimely death。
Reviews
Shoshana
，
One of the clearest memories of my childhood was being taken by my mother to her polling place to see her vote for John F Kennedy for president。 And of course I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard about his assassination。 My mother cried all weekend， and I remember the dignified bearing of Mrs Kennedy which helped the entire nation make our way through the trauma。"Incomparable Grace，" by Mark Updegrove， tells the history of the Kennedy presidency。 This is not a long bo One of the clearest memories of my childhood was being taken by my mother to her polling place to see her vote for John F Kennedy for president。 And of course I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard about his assassination。 My mother cried all weekend， and I remember the dignified bearing of Mrs Kennedy which helped the entire nation make our way through the trauma。"Incomparable Grace，" by Mark Updegrove， tells the history of the Kennedy presidency。 This is not a long book， and at first I was apprehensive that it would gloss over too much， but I was pleasantly surprised。 Updegrove does not cover the minutiae of events but rather he writes about Kennedy himself， and how he grew into his presidency。 I kept thinking about how much our nation and the world lost when he died。This is an excellent book。 For those who know a lot of the history，it is an interesting look at the material from a different view。 For those new to the subject it is a useful primer。 Well-written and even-handed， I can heartily recommend it。Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Jeremy Anderberg
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For the reader who doesn’t know a whole lot about Kennedy or why he continues to have such allure in American culture， "Incomparable Grace" is the perfect book。 It’s slim （under 300 pages）， always readable， and provides just the right context about both the personal and the political lowlights and highlights。 The only problem is that "Incomparable Grace" doesn’t offer much new or uniquely interesting for someone who’s read a lot about our presidents。 I read the whole thing， but most of it served For the reader who doesn’t know a whole lot about Kennedy or why he continues to have such allure in American culture， "Incomparable Grace" is the perfect book。 It’s slim （under 300 pages）， always readable， and provides just the right context about both the personal and the political lowlights and highlights。 The only problem is that "Incomparable Grace" doesn’t offer much new or uniquely interesting for someone who’s read a lot about our presidents。 I read the whole thing， but most of it served as either a reminder or compressed digest of what I’ve read elsewhere。 If you need a JFK primer， this is a good option。 If you’re looking for more of an in-depth treatment， I think Frederick Logevall’s new book or Robert Dallek’s "An Unfinished Life" will remain the go-to titles。 。。。more
Dave
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Incomparable Grace is an excellent portrait of the Kennedy presidency。 It is relevant， thought-provoking， and surprisingly easy to read when reading most such books are like slogging through a swamp。 The focus of the book is unquestionably of the presidential years though， of course， some background is often given with regard to earlier years。It is an evenhanded biography which neither relegated itself to elevating JFK nor to denigrating him。 It presents him as all too human with early growing p Incomparable Grace is an excellent portrait of the Kennedy presidency。 It is relevant， thought-provoking， and surprisingly easy to read when reading most such books are like slogging through a swamp。 The focus of the book is unquestionably of the presidential years though， of course， some background is often given with regard to earlier years。It is an evenhanded biography which neither relegated itself to elevating JFK nor to denigrating him。 It presents him as all too human with early growing pains as he assumed the presidential mantle and awkwardly faced down Nikita Krushev， with a difficulty with marital fidelity that expressed itself with young interns， with gangster’s mistresses， and of course with the bombshell herself， none of which was a secret to the Secret Service or to Jackie herself。The book addresses issues chronologically， beginning with the standoffs with the Soviet Union and the mistake that was the Bay of Pigs， showing how decisions were arrived at and how the Bay Of Pigs was a disaster from the start with little visible US support and a misreading of the situation in the island。 The standoffs with the Soviets continued in later chapters with the Cuban Missile Crisis， which perhaps was a result of the earlier debacle， and JFK’s maturing to the role as the world teetered in the brink of an all it nuclear war。 Later in the book， the standoffs with the Soviets continue as Kennedy enters West Berlin after the Wall went up and declares I am。 Berliner。The other recurring issue for Kennedy was the Civil Rights movement， which he wished at first would wait until his second term when he would have a more free hand。 The book chronicles how the Civil Right leadership responded that they could not wait any longer and eventually captured Bobby Kennedy’s ear and then the President’s ear。 Indeed， with the violence in Birmingham and other hot spots， federal troops were needed to maintain order。All in all， a top-notch book bringing to life the Kennedy years and the quick maturation of a man who was quick becoming a stand-out leader before his untimely demise in Dallas。 。。。more
Michelle Kidwell
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Incomparable GraceJFK in the Presidencyby Mark K。 UpdegrovePub Date 26 Apr 2022 PENGUIN GROUP Dutton， Dutton Biographies & Memoirs I am reviewing a copy of Incomparable Grace through Penguin Group， Dutton and Netgalley:Almost sixty years after his death， JFK still holds a large place in the American Imagination。 While Baby Boomers remember his dazzling presence as president， millennials more likely know him from advertisements for Omega watches or Ray Ban sunglasses。 But his his years in office Incomparable GraceJFK in the Presidencyby Mark K。 UpdegrovePub Date 26 Apr 2022 PENGUIN GROUP Dutton， Dutton Biographies & Memoirs I am reviewing a copy of Incomparable Grace through Penguin Group， Dutton and Netgalley:Almost sixty years after his death， JFK still holds a large place in the American Imagination。 While Baby Boomers remember his dazzling presence as president， millennials more likely know him from advertisements for Omega watches or Ray Ban sunglasses。 But his his years in office were marked by more than his style and elegance。 His story was that of a fledgling leader forced to meet unprecedented challenges， and to rise above missteps to lead his nation into a new and hopeful era。When Kennedy entered office he was unexperienced but alluring his reputation more given by an enamored public than earned through achievement。 In this gripping new assessment of his time in the Oval Office。 In Incomparable Grace Updegrove reveals how JFK’s first months were marred by setbacks: the botched Bay of Pigs invasions， a disastrous summit with the Soviet premier， and a mismanaged approach to the Civil Rights movement。 But it wasn’t long before the young President proved that behind the glamor was a leader of uncommon fortitude and vision。 Kennedy was humbled and admitted his mistakes and， importantly for our times， drew important lessons from his failures that he used to right wrongs and move forward undaunted。 Kennedy grew as president， radiating greater possibility as he coolly faced a steady stream of crises before his tragic end。If you’re looking for a great biography that paints a vivid picture of John F Kennedy， and his presidency。I give Incomparable Grace five out of five stars！Happy Reading！ 。。。more
J Earl
，
Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency， by Mark K Updegrove， is a balanced deep dive specifically into Kennedy's presidency。 Like many people of my age one of my earliest memories beyond family is JFK's assassination and funeral。 While my mother had left Catholicism my grandmother still had every book， serious and coffee table， and growing up I read them all on vacation。 As an adult I've kept up with the periods of adoration and accusation thrown his way， much of both justified， much not。 Thi Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency， by Mark K Updegrove， is a balanced deep dive specifically into Kennedy's presidency。 Like many people of my age one of my earliest memories beyond family is JFK's assassination and funeral。 While my mother had left Catholicism my grandmother still had every book， serious and coffee table， and growing up I read them all on vacation。 As an adult I've kept up with the periods of adoration and accusation thrown his way， much of both justified， much not。 This book offers a nice look that， while ultimately praising his willingness to learn and adapt， doesn't shy away from his blemishes either。The strength of this book， if you're interested specifically in Kennedy， is that enough detail is given to illustrate his decision making and his thinking but doesn't get into the details that would be included in a book about the actual events。 In other words， the book is about Kennedy and how he evolved during his short time in office， not about the crises or policies themselves and the way they played out in detail。 There are plenty of such books， and they are great reads for the most part， but they are about those events， not Kennedy's Presidency。I make that distinction because if you've read books about the various events， the Bay of Pigs for instance， you will know more detail about it than is in this book。 That is not a weakness， those other books， while discussing what Kennedy did， were not focused on Kennedy but on the incident。 So fewer details here is not a weakness of this book any more than fewer details about Kennedy's growth in those other books are weaknesses of those。 I liked this book primarily because it was focused， both on a short period of time and a very specific purpose。 Putting the information， much of it already familiar to me， in this type of narrative allowed me to think more specifically about him rather than each incident or policy。I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in the Kennedy's。 Because the focus of the book is narrow you will see facts you already knew in a different light。Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more
Nancy
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I learned about politics when I was nine years old and a friend asked me who my parents were voting for。 If we weren’t for Kennedy， it meant we were Protestants and going to hell。 I had no idea what she was talking about。 I was clueless about politics and religion。 I had to go home and ask my mom。 She was voting for Kennedy， but we were going to hell anyways。I was ten when the adults were riveted to the television， fearful of nuclear war。 Now I know that was the Cuban Missile Crisis。 We had a dr I learned about politics when I was nine years old and a friend asked me who my parents were voting for。 If we weren’t for Kennedy， it meant we were Protestants and going to hell。 I had no idea what she was talking about。 I was clueless about politics and religion。 I had to go home and ask my mom。 She was voting for Kennedy， but we were going to hell anyways。I was ten when the adults were riveted to the television， fearful of nuclear war。 Now I know that was the Cuban Missile Crisis。 We had a drill at school where we filed into the school basement and sat along the walls。 And when I was eleven， I walked home from school in tears， and a few days later we gathered around the television to watch Kennedy’s funeral。These moments were my earliest knowledge of the world beyond my family and school friends。As an adult， I have struggled with the image and the reality of President John F。 Kennedy。 He was wildly popular and deified after his death， and yet he has been revealed as a very flawed man。 Exactly what is his legacy？ Was he a good leader， or a failure？ What is his legacy？Incomparable Grace by Mark K。 Updegrove is an insightful， concise consideration of JFK’s presidency， his strengths and his weaknesses。 This very readable and enjoyable history is a great introduction。JFK come into the presidency with a number of challenges in place， civil and economic and international。 The generals were more hawkish toward the Soviets。 The economy was stalling。 As a democrat， he needed to keep the Southern vote while reacting to the Civil Rights movement。 America needed to respond to the Soviet’s advancements in space。 Few thought that he had the experience to met the challenges。JFK’s mishandling of the Bay of Pigs， Updegrove shows， led to Khrushchev to send missiles to Cuba。 JFK’s equanimity successfully brought resolution。 He was slow in responding to Civil Rights and Vietnam， perhaps waiting until reelection to take more controversial steps。 He stood up to US Steel president Roger Blough when he proposed to raise steel prices， forcing him to capitulate。 （Blough was a college friend of my grandfather！） The move was seen as anti-business， causing markets to plummet。Updegrove reminded me of why JFK was so well liked and inspirational。 He was young and good-looking。 His wife was glamorous and intelligent and a trendsetter。 Photographs showed them as a happy family。 His speeches and vision were inspirational。 He represented a new America， a younger America， a more hopeful America。 He had a moral vision for America。So let us begin anew–remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness， and sincerity is always subject to proof。 Let us never negotiate out of fear。 But let us never feat to negotiate。President Kennedy’s Inaugural Address quoted in Incomparable Grace by Mark J。 UpdegroveEven when he failed， he took responsibility， making him even more likeable。Patriarch Joe Kennedy set the standard for being a Kennedy， which included womanizing， JFK’s great moral failing; he became involved with a teenaged White House college intern。 Reliance on family loyalty was a Kennedy creed; JFK’s brother Bobby became his Attorney General and nearly a co-president。 In life-long continual pain， JFK never complained， tapping into the Kennedy pride of strength。Who was this man， and why has he consistently be rated as one of the best presidents？ Updegrove quotes JFK’s statement， “All I want people to say about me is what they said about John Adams–He kept the peace。” It’s a good legacy。I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley。 My review is fair and unbiased。 。。。more
Literary Redhead
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INCOMPARABLE GRACE: JFK IN THE PRESIDENCY by Mark K。 UpdegroveDuttonPub Date: Ap 26I've read much on the entire Kennedy clan and found this history of JFK's short time as President to be impactful and absorbing。 Written by the head of the LBJ Foundation， Mark Updegrove， it is well-researched， deftly written， and a must-read for anyone intrigued by JFK and American presidential history。 Thanks to the author， Dutton， and NetGalley for the ARC。 Opinions are mine。#incomparablegracejfkinthepresidency INCOMPARABLE GRACE: JFK IN THE PRESIDENCY by Mark K。 UpdegroveDuttonPub Date: Ap 26I've read much on the entire Kennedy clan and found this history of JFK's short time as President to be impactful and absorbing。 Written by the head of the LBJ Foundation， Mark Updegrove， it is well-researched， deftly written， and a must-read for anyone intrigued by JFK and American presidential history。 Thanks to the author， Dutton， and NetGalley for the ARC。 Opinions are mine。#incomparablegracejfkinthepresidency#MarkUpdegrove #Dutton #NetGalley 。。。more
Casey Wheeler
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This book is mainly focused on Kennedy’s years in the White House。 It is a good overview of those years and is well written and a quick read。 I have read several books about JFK that go into more depth that this one and ones that focus on particular actions in his administration。 This is a good book for those who are looking for a quick read about the Kennedy Presidency。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a This book is mainly focused on Kennedy’s years in the White House。 It is a good overview of those years and is well written and a quick read。 I have read several books about JFK that go into more depth that this one and ones that focus on particular actions in his administration。 This is a good book for those who are looking for a quick read about the Kennedy Presidency。I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley， Goodreads， Amazon， Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog。 。。。more
Rachel
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