JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956

JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956

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  • Create Date:2021-08-17 03:41:21
  • Update Date:2025-09-23
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  • Author:Fredrik Logevall
  • ISBN:0812987020
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Summary

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE - A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian takes us as close as we have ever been to the real John F。 Kennedy in this revelatory biography of the iconic, yet still elusive, thirty-fifth president。

"An utterly incandescent study of one of the most consequential figures of the twentieth century。"--Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United States

WINNER OF THE ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZE - NAMED BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR BY The Times (London)
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Sunday Times (London) - New Statesman - The Daily Telegraph - Kirkus Reviews


By the time of his assassination in 1963, John F。 Kennedy stood at the helm of the greatest power the world had ever seen, a booming American nation that he had steered through some of the most perilous diplomatic standoffs of the Cold War。 Born in 1917 to a striving Irish American family that had become among Boston's wealthiest, Kennedy knew political ambition from an early age, and his meteoric rise to become the youngest elected president cemented his status as one of the most mythologized figures in American history。 And while hagiographic portrayals of his dazzling charisma, reports of his extramarital affairs, and disagreements over his political legacy have come and gone in the decades since his untimely death, these accounts all fail to capture the full person。

Beckoned by this gap in our historical knowledge, Fredrik Logevall has spent much of the last decade searching for the "real" JFK。 The result of this prodigious effort is a sweeping two-volume biography that properly contextualizes Kennedy amidst the roiling American Century。 This volume spans the first thirty-nine years of JFK's life--from birth through his decision to run for president--to reveal his early relationships, his formative experiences during World War II, his ideas, his writings, his political aspirations。 In examining these pre-White House years, Logevall shows us a more serious, independently minded Kennedy than we've previously known, whose distinct international sensibility would prepare him to enter national politics at a critical moment in modern U。S。 history。

Along the way, Logevall tells the parallel story of America's midcentury rise。 As Kennedy comes of age, we see the charged debate between isolationists and interventionists in the years before Pearl Harbor; the tumult of the Second World War, through which the United States emerged as a global colossus; the outbreak and spread of the Cold War; the domestic politics of anti-Communism and the attendant scourge of McCarthyism; the growth of television's influence on politics; and more。

JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956 is a sweeping history of the United States in the middle decades of the twentieth century, as well as the clearest portrait we have of this enigmatic American icon。

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Reviews

Annie

Totally hooked。 Amazing amount of research went into this! A great deal of history I wasn’t aware of and great insight into the mindset of JFK。 Recommend。

Alexander Gardiner

For someone who was supposed to have enormous charisma and magnetism, the Jack Kennedy portrayed here is pretty unlikeable。 This is a book about the most unbelievably privileged boy drifting through life (while often shagging several different women in one night) with a domineering reactionary father who starts to think for himself late in college。 Of course it helps that unlike most students he is able to travel across Europe with privileged access and meet many of the key players。 This is a ve For someone who was supposed to have enormous charisma and magnetism, the Jack Kennedy portrayed here is pretty unlikeable。 This is a book about the most unbelievably privileged boy drifting through life (while often shagging several different women in one night) with a domineering reactionary father who starts to think for himself late in college。 Of course it helps that unlike most students he is able to travel across Europe with privileged access and meet many of the key players。 This is a very thorough, well researched book, but what it really highlights is the Kennedy family competitiveness and desperation to win。 Thus we see a JFK who accommodates Joe McCarthy, who is more aggressively interventionist than his party, but less so than the Republicans。 A man who clearly loves the travel that a passion for international affairs allows, but shows little interest in domestic。 Even his position on civil rights seems as much about winning votes in his district than something he won’t compromise on for advancement。 It’s weird to read a book by an author who clearly sees his subject as a hero, but leaves the reader with a distinctly different interpretation。 。。。more

KOMET

"JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956" is the first volume in a projected 2-volume biography of John Fitzgerald Kennedy。 This is the first definitive biography to be written about JFK for many years。 What's more: it's very much a solid, readable, well-crafted and researched book that gives the reader a deep sense of JFK himself and the factors that contributed to his personal growth and political career from his birth in May 1917 to 1956, when he emerged from the Democratic Nati "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956" is the first volume in a projected 2-volume biography of John Fitzgerald Kennedy。 This is the first definitive biography to be written about JFK for many years。 What's more: it's very much a solid, readable, well-crafted and researched book that gives the reader a deep sense of JFK himself and the factors that contributed to his personal growth and political career from his birth in May 1917 to 1956, when he emerged from the Democratic National Convention that summer as a major national, political figure -- someone to be watched, with future prospects for higher office。 。。。more

Bob Richardson

First of 2 volumes。 Fascinating story of JFK’s younger years。

T P Kennedy

A very promising first volume of a new JFK biography。 It's told with sympathy but not with any desire to conceal flaws or issues。 It comes across as very fair and balanced。 It's a very well told story。 It's detailed and well researched while not being overly so。 Really looking forward to volume 2。 A very promising first volume of a new JFK biography。 It's told with sympathy but not with any desire to conceal flaws or issues。 It comes across as very fair and balanced。 It's a very well told story。 It's detailed and well researched while not being overly so。 Really looking forward to volume 2。 。。。more

Peter Burton

Excellent。Is there a need for yet another bio of JFK? Well yes because this comes with the long term perspective of 45 odd years and from an experienced history professor who has read almost(if that’s possible) all about his subject。Always interesting and even exciting ( as in the details of the 1956 convention open selection of the VP candidate) with considered judgements of the key events。

Flora

BRILLIANT!!!!

Gregor Schafroth

Good book, second one soon please! (:

Gladys Schrynemakers

This book was amazing! Fredrik Logevall really captured JFK as he was becoming JFK! The way that in weaved together the man and his times and how one shaped the other was truly inspiring。 I have read several books about JFK, but no one holds a candle to this text。 I can't wait to read volume II! This book was amazing! Fredrik Logevall really captured JFK as he was becoming JFK! The way that in weaved together the man and his times and how one shaped the other was truly inspiring。 I have read several books about JFK, but no one holds a candle to this text。 I can't wait to read volume II! 。。。more

Jerry

A serious historian of global history and the cold war turns his eye to political biography! The writing is entertaining, informative, and compelling。 I wish Logevall dealt more with JFK’s developing morality - his tendency to comprise his values in the Rosemary lobotomy, McCarthy, and Civil Rights episodes as he rose to prominence。 What did JFK think at the time? How does it reflect on his legacy and character? Maybe Logevall is saving his insights for volume two but he missed a chance to educa A serious historian of global history and the cold war turns his eye to political biography! The writing is entertaining, informative, and compelling。 I wish Logevall dealt more with JFK’s developing morality - his tendency to comprise his values in the Rosemary lobotomy, McCarthy, and Civil Rights episodes as he rose to prominence。 What did JFK think at the time? How does it reflect on his legacy and character? Maybe Logevall is saving his insights for volume two but he missed a chance to educate here。 。。。more

Seth W

What a remarkable personal look at JFK。 I really felt I had a sense of JFK as an individual and was so drawn in by his writing。 There were several points I simply could not put the book down。 Fredrik Logevall is an outstanding historian writer。

Kathy Smith

Only 600 pages and an eye opener for me。 I was privileged enough to speak with the author and learned so much about JFK。 I’m looking forward to part two。 Having read more than 1 book on the Kennedy’s and reading at least one book on every American President up to Nixon, I’m thoroughly impressed with F。 Logevall’s comprehensive study on the Kennedy’s starting with Patrick leaving Ireland。I never liked the Kennedy’s but John wasn’t the arrogant person I expected him to be。 Logevall explains clearl Only 600 pages and an eye opener for me。 I was privileged enough to speak with the author and learned so much about JFK。 I’m looking forward to part two。 Having read more than 1 book on the Kennedy’s and reading at least one book on every American President up to Nixon, I’m thoroughly impressed with F。 Logevall’s comprehensive study on the Kennedy’s starting with Patrick leaving Ireland。I never liked the Kennedy’s but John wasn’t the arrogant person I expected him to be。 Logevall explains clearly the pain and suffering as well as the near death(s) experience JFK endured and always with a premonition he wouldn’t live long。 It answers a lot of questions。 Do I like JFK now? Hmm, I’m not sure but if I had encountered him as a young adult I bet I would have been smitten by his charm。 No doubt。 。。。more

Andrew Reilly

Richly detailed and cleverly written。

Henry Jameson

This is an absolutely terrific book。 Its 654 pages cover JFK's life only through 1956, and yet it is utterly engrossing and was hard for me to put down。 I cannot recall another biography that so successfully captures a life。 When you put the book down, you will feel as if you know this man。 This is an absolutely terrific book。 Its 654 pages cover JFK's life only through 1956, and yet it is utterly engrossing and was hard for me to put down。 I cannot recall another biography that so successfully captures a life。 When you put the book down, you will feel as if you know this man。 。。。more

Sarthak Bhatt

A very thorough and intimate look into the life of jfk。 Even with his father wealth and influence one has to commend the man for his sheer resilience and hardwork even when he was close to death on numerous occasions, his letters really show how sick he was and occasionally he used wit and humor to get through the bad time and then there were family tragedies which must have taken a huge toll on him too。 The author did a very good job with this book i can't remember a single time i was bored whi A very thorough and intimate look into the life of jfk。 Even with his father wealth and influence one has to commend the man for his sheer resilience and hardwork even when he was close to death on numerous occasions, his letters really show how sick he was and occasionally he used wit and humor to get through the bad time and then there were family tragedies which must have taken a huge toll on him too。 The author did a very good job with this book i can't remember a single time i was bored while reading this must read for every history buff!!。 Looking forward for the second and final volume。 。。。more

Melanie

Excellent biography with additional details and information I’ve not previously seen in other JFK biographies。 I’m looking forward to reading the next volume。

Oliver

I was blown away by Logevall's balanced, well-researched and thoughtful assessment of every aspect of John F。 Kennedy's pre-Presidential life and political rise, I also enjoyed the history commentary (mostly regarding WWII, Vietnam, FDR, Churchill and Stalin) which ran parallel to this。 Kennedy is a fascinating character to read about。 If there is one thing that I take away from this book, it is the true flaws and fractures within the Kennedy clan which seldom line up with the rosy image present I was blown away by Logevall's balanced, well-researched and thoughtful assessment of every aspect of John F。 Kennedy's pre-Presidential life and political rise, I also enjoyed the history commentary (mostly regarding WWII, Vietnam, FDR, Churchill and Stalin) which ran parallel to this。 Kennedy is a fascinating character to read about。 If there is one thing that I take away from this book, it is the true flaws and fractures within the Kennedy clan which seldom line up with the rosy image presented on camera。 Despite its length and high level of detail, it never felt too heavy to read; Logevall structures the book chronologically and his writing manages to remain meticulous while flowing well。 The very few issues I have with the book are minor and nitpicking, such as that I found his defense over Kennedy's authorship of Profiles in Courage weak。 However, don't let this put you off a brilliant historical work which is extremely well deserving of 5 stars。 If there is a part two, then I definitely plan to read it。 。。。more

Irene O'Callaghan

Very interesting biography of JFK up to 1957 when he decided to run for president

Patrick

A magisterial study of one of the 20th century most interesting political figures。 An utterly absorbing and insightful book。

Patty Backer

Interesting, if you want to know JFK’s background

Joe Rodeck

I mostly enjoyed the history of scorn for the Irish Catholic in America and the rise of Joe Kennedy Sr。 He became a major Hitler appeasement/stay out of overseas wars strategist his son Jack was brave enough to ideologically break away from。 Not sure I wanted to go through the history of the 20th century--Hitler, Korea, Viet Nam--please save it for another book。 In this very thorough rise of a star tome we meet the entire Kennedy clan, their wives, their close associates。 This kind of work sh I mostly enjoyed the history of scorn for the Irish Catholic in America and the rise of Joe Kennedy Sr。 He became a major Hitler appeasement/stay out of overseas wars strategist his son Jack was brave enough to ideologically break away from。 Not sure I wanted to go through the history of the 20th century--Hitler, Korea, Viet Nam--please save it for another book。 In this very thorough rise of a star tome we meet the entire Kennedy clan, their wives, their close associates。 This kind of work should appeal more to academic completists。 Too Harvard。The author covers most of the “like father/like son” promiscuous playboy life styles of Joe Sr and Jack, but this is frustratingly all surface。 We can assume they are all raving beauties, but doesn’t anybody ever get knocked up? Have abortions? Disappear mysteriously? No irate husbands? Public scandal? Blackmail? How can one be such a sexual athlete with such a bad back?JFK was a man in terrible health。 If you want a profile in courage, the man battled debilitating ailments that had him in agonizing pain all his life and on a deathbed many times。 “X-rays showed that his fifth lumbar vertebra had collapsed, probably on account of the corticosteroids he was taking for his Addison’s Disease。” 。。。more

Christian

I enjoyed this more for its exploration of JFK’s world and circumstances rather than the man himself。 While the author seems quite enchanted with him, I found Kennedy to be rather arrogant and callow。 He is frequently described as having a keen, creative and skeptical intelligence but what good is that without real political courage? An example: his feeble refusal to vote to condemn Joseph McCarthy with the rest of the Democratic caucus for fear of upsetting Irish Catholic voters。 I picked this I enjoyed this more for its exploration of JFK’s world and circumstances rather than the man himself。 While the author seems quite enchanted with him, I found Kennedy to be rather arrogant and callow。 He is frequently described as having a keen, creative and skeptical intelligence but what good is that without real political courage? An example: his feeble refusal to vote to condemn Joseph McCarthy with the rest of the Democratic caucus for fear of upsetting Irish Catholic voters。 I picked this one up because I really enjoyed Embers of War, an examination of the French war in Vietnam。 I’ll certainly read the second volume when it’s released。 I’ll be particularly interested in the author’s take on Vietnam, Bay of Pigs, etc。 。。。more

Will Hefner

Detailed and thrilling。

Cody Hagemeier

Eloquently written and extremely detailed。

Ronald Halpern

I started the book a bit reluctantly as I thought this topic had been more than adequately covered to say the least。 I was wrong and author Logevall does a good job not only of covering JFK during this period of his life but also his parents and siblings ( particularly brother Joe Jr ) that were old enough to figure into the narrative。 There were many new areas of JFK's life covered in this volume one。 I will definitely read volume two when it appears。 I started the book a bit reluctantly as I thought this topic had been more than adequately covered to say the least。 I was wrong and author Logevall does a good job not only of covering JFK during this period of his life but also his parents and siblings ( particularly brother Joe Jr ) that were old enough to figure into the narrative。 There were many new areas of JFK's life covered in this volume one。 I will definitely read volume two when it appears。 。。。more

Jacques Richer

This was a wonderful read, detailed and well reseachered。 I was and still am an admirer of JFK, however he was a real prick!

Stephen Masterson

This was a great book。 Logevall is an excellent historical writer, one of the best in my opinion, and he is always very thorough in his research。 When it comes to biographies, I usually don’t care much for the childhood/early life section。 That’s one of the reasons I liked reading Robert Caro’s Master of the Senate, because it skips right to the action of LBJ in the Senate。 This JFK biography is just the first of two volumes, so it’s the one that deals with JFK’s childhood。 I thought I wouldn’t This was a great book。 Logevall is an excellent historical writer, one of the best in my opinion, and he is always very thorough in his research。 When it comes to biographies, I usually don’t care much for the childhood/early life section。 That’s one of the reasons I liked reading Robert Caro’s Master of the Senate, because it skips right to the action of LBJ in the Senate。 This JFK biography is just the first of two volumes, so it’s the one that deals with JFK’s childhood。 I thought I wouldn’t like it because of this, but Logevall’s ability to seamlessly mix historical context and biography still made the childhood part interesting for me。 That being said, I became more engaged as I got further into the book and into JFK’s career。 I am definitely looking forward to reading volume two, whenever it comes out。 The main thing I got from the book is that JFK had decent instincts early on in his life on lots of the issues that would define his political career。 But he sold out on almost all of them for political expediency。 The most striking is Vietnam。 He wrote in the early 1950s that the conflict in Indochina should be understood in terms of an anti-colonial, nationalist struggle, rather than in terms of the worldwide spread of communism。 He takes the total opposite view by the end of the decade, with disastrous results。 Some things I found amusing/interesting in the book:--The story of Kennedy’s ancestors who emigrated from Ireland and how they became a rich and prominent family was fascinating。 --Learning about Joe Kennedy Sr。 was also fascinating and not totally what I expected。 He began making his fortune through insider trading back when it was legal。 (This fact inspired FDR to make him chairman of the SEC in the 1930s, in a “takes one to know one” line of thinking。 I found this amusing。) His wealth exploded when he became one of the first investors in Hollywood。 He cheated on his wife almost non-stop and seemed to be an all-round terrible guy。 When he became ambassador to the United Kingdom and had regular meetings with Winston Churchill, it was hard to tell who was a bigger asshole between the two。 Churchill hated Kennedy because he believed that as an Irishman, Kennedy was beneath him and incapable of comprehending Britain。 He would routinely antagonize Kennedy during their meetings, offering the sober Kennedy drinks (Churchill was probably already hammered) and then making fun of him when he refused。 Joe Sr。 never made it in politics because everyone hated him, for good reason。 As a result, he made it his life's mission to ensure his children became politicians。 --JFK and his brother Joe Jr。 spent a lot of time in 1930s Europe, including places like Germany, Italy, and Spain。 They both, but Joe Jr。 especially, had positive if not outright glowing things to say about the leaders of these countries, Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco。 Logevall thinks that Joe Jr。 wouldn’t have made it as far in politics after WWII as JFk did because of the amount of writing he published about how great the fascist leaders were。 Luckily for him, JFK’s views were mainly made in personal notes or journals, and they also were not as positive as Joe Jr’s。--Perhaps the most amusing thing I learned in the book was that JFK was dating a literal Nazi when WWII broke out。 JFK was in the military by this point and the FBI became so concerned about this that they began wiretapping the hotel rooms the two lovers would meet up in, thinking JFK was passing secrets to the Nazis through her。 Turns out they were just having sex。 Joe Sr。 forced JFK to break up with her, pointing out the bad optics that dating a Nazi would do to his hopeful political career。 It took JFK a long time to get over her, though, and they still had regular meetups long after the official “breakup。”--Joe Sr。 ~may have~ paid Joe McCarthy off to not support JFK’s Republican Senate opponent Henry Cabot Lodge Jr。 It definitely helped that Joe Sr。 was close friends with McCarthy。 Either way, in 1952 McCarthy’s endorsement meant a lot, and Lodge didn’t get it。 --JFK gave Jackie STDs because he cheated on her so much。 They screwed up her ability to have children。 Incredibly messed up。 --JFK’s political cowardice really shined in relation to Joe McCarthy。 When the Senate moved to censure McCarthy in 1954, JFK’s stance was that he was for it, but that McCarthy deserved due process, lest baseless claims lead to his downfall。 What a stance!! --JFK was chronically sick with various ailments that needed constant medical treatment。 While he certainly needed the surgery, there is speculation that he intentionally scheduled a surgery to coincide with the censure vote on McCarthy so that he wouldn’t have to take part in it。 He certainly did not want to ruffle any feathers in either direction when it came to the McCarthy question, and the fact stands that his surgery coincided with the vote, and that he did not vote。 --I loved the part where Logevall tears apart JFK’s book, Profiles in Courage。 And for good reason。 Although it won a Pulitzer for biography at the time, the book is absolute garbage。 Although Logevall casts some doubt on this, it is speculated that JFK “wrote” (he didn’t actually write it, his speechwriter Ted Sorensen did。 This fact didn’t stop JFK from accepting the Pultizer though) the book to offer a defense for missing the McCarthy vote, intimating that it was actually a courageous act that he didn’t let himself get caught up in the whirlwind。 If true, this might be the lamest thing ever。 If it’s not true, the book is still about the lamest shit ever: When Daniel Webster broke with his northern colleagues and won the ire of abolitionists by advocating for the compromise of 1850, ensuring that slavery would live to see another day。 When Thomas Hart Benton decided to stay in the rabidly pro-slavery Democratic Party, despite his personal opposition to the extension of slavery into the territories。 When Edmund Ross, although a Republican, voted for acquittal in horrifyingly white supremacist Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial, allowing him to continue sabotaging Reconstruction as much as he could。 Or when Robert Taft criticized the Nuremberg Trials for trying Nazi war criminals under ex post facto laws。 Great takes! Logevall’s own words: “Neither Kennedy nor Sorensen knew the historiography well enough to get much below the surface in any of the cases, and although they were helped in this regard by the counsel they received from [a few historians], many parts of the book have aged poorly。。。Profiles was hardly a brilliant, in-depth history。 Nor, given the cut-and-paste feel of some sections, could it be considered a stylistic triumph。” 。。。more

Naber

This was a mis-titled book。 The first 25% of the book was about Joe Sr and ancestors with smatterings of JFK’s early life。 Subsequently it was a world history lesson。 If you’re looking for a history lesson then this is your book—very detailed。 I listened to about 13h (of 29h) and decided I didn’t want a wwii history lesson。

Chelsea Lawson

A bit too detailed for my liking, as is often the case with such well-researched biographies like this one, but ultimately an interesting book。 I especially liked reading about his experience fighting in WWII where he was challenged in the first real egalitarian setting of his life and in survival after his ship went down, about Jackie, who was herself quite multidimensional, and about his lifelong health issues, which gave me a new appreciation of the adversity he overcame to get to the preside A bit too detailed for my liking, as is often the case with such well-researched biographies like this one, but ultimately an interesting book。 I especially liked reading about his experience fighting in WWII where he was challenged in the first real egalitarian setting of his life and in survival after his ship went down, about Jackie, who was herself quite multidimensional, and about his lifelong health issues, which gave me a new appreciation of the adversity he overcame to get to the presidency (this volume ends before that point)。JFK was an extremely skilled politician and a positive influence on so many people。 His book about courage in politics and putting the nation above party demonstrated a theme which he cared deeply about and sought to practice。 It is as important today as ever。 。。。more

Jess

Took me almost a month to finish but worth it。 I’ve read many books about JFK but this seems to be the most honest (and readable)。 Highly recommend。