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Profiles in Courage: Deluxe Modern Classic

Profiles in Courage: Deluxe Modern Classic

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-08-27 09:52:57
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：John F. Kennedy
  • ISBN：0062278797
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Summary

Written in 1955 by the then junior senator from Massachusetts， John F。 Kennedy's Profiles in Courage has served as a clarion call to every American。 A collection of eight inspiring， unsung， and heroic acts by American patriots at different junctures in our nation's history， Kennedy's book became required reading and an instant classic and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize。 Now， a half-century later， it remains a moving， powerful， and relevant testament to the indomitable national spirit and an unparalleled celebration of that most noble of human virtues。

Along with vintage photographs and an extensive author biography， this book features Kennedy's correspondence about the writing project， contemporary reviews， a letter from Ernest Hemingway， and two rousing speeches from recipients of the Profile in Courage Award。

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Reviews

Gail Marchant ，

The most remarkable President of the USAWrote this book in 1955 （66 yrs ago） JFK made history & this books tells of his colleagues & their courageHe won a Piltzer prize for thisIt is a great read today

Debbie Zapata ，

Like many other reviewers， I first read this in my youth many years ago。 But I was only around eleven years old at the time， swiping a different edition （the original edition， I'm sure） from my Dad's bookshelf。 The titles there were considered books for grown-ups and I was not supposed to look at them。 But of course I did。 However， while I know I took this book and later returned it to the shelf， I remember nothing at all about what I read in it。 Maybe I only looked at and never actually read it Like many other reviewers， I first read this in my youth many years ago。 But I was only around eleven years old at the time， swiping a different edition （the original edition， I'm sure） from my Dad's bookshelf。 The titles there were considered books for grown-ups and I was not supposed to look at them。 But of course I did。 However， while I know I took this book and later returned it to the shelf， I remember nothing at all about what I read in it。 Maybe I only looked at and never actually read it， who knows？At some point in our crazy political life these last few years， I heard someone mention this book and decided to order my own copy and read it as an adult。 But I am not sure what happened to me while reading。 Maybe it was the effects of having just finished OIl！ by Upton Sinclair， with its damning portrayal not only of the oil game but of politics， or maybe I just had reached my tolerance level for such topics， because by the time I finished with the essay about Daniel Webster， I could no longer stay focused and didn't care to do more than skim the essays about the remainder of these men。 I must also admit to developing brain freeze in a monstrous way when I read about the Civil War， and the majority of these pieces had to do with either trying to prevent that war or trying to clean up the country afterwards。 I have never figured out why this subject affects me this way， but it does。 I rarely read either fiction or non-fiction about the Civil War。 The reason I am mentioning this is to explain why I skimmed what turned out to be most of the book。 The piece about Daniel Webster concerned his support of the Compromise of 1850 and his famous Seventh Of March speech。 The most compelling piece for me was Kennedy's essay Courage And Politics， in which he explained what he hoped to achieve with this book， but also explores the pressures on a Senator: he is expected to go along with his party， he is expected to behave in such a way as to be re-elected， he is expected to vote the way his constituents want him to vote。 So where is the personal integrity in all of this？ Ah， there is the question and in the eight Senators chosen by Kennedy， we see how they each faced this dilemma， consequences be damned。 I may come back and read this book more thoroughly someday。 But I will leave the political field for now， with this thought from Kennedy's Courage and Politics essay rattling around in my little brain:And yet we cannot permit the pressures of party responsibility to submerge on every issue the call of personal responsibility。 For the party which， in its drive for unity， discipline and success， ever decides to exclude new ideas， independent conduct or insurgent members， is in danger。No Senator should meekly ask "How High？" just because his party （or one person in his party） says "Jump！" 。。。more

cate ♡ ，

probably the most boring book i’ve ever read sorry。

Lisa ，

Not an easy read; kind of dry and there is a lot of information to digest。 But， it's a very interesting historical account of part of our government and it is interesting how it relates to today。 Not an easy read; kind of dry and there is a lot of information to digest。 But， it's a very interesting historical account of part of our government and it is interesting how it relates to today。 。。。more

Ashley Hobgood ，

I had read this book out of curiosity。 I enjoyed reading this book because I learned more about the senators that John F。 Kennedy。 I loved that it was informative but a little slow at times。 I thought the book was well written。 It is a must red。

Flo ，

Super！

Bill ，

I can see why this was popular and considered classic。 My jaded 2021 self thinks that if this were released today， it would be dismissed as right-wing drivel。 Regardless it was quite interesting and worth reading。

Bobby Daugherty ，

It's okay， but it is the typical political puff piece put out to raise money。 Most politicians put out books like this to gain public support as well as raise some money。 Were it not written by JFK it would of went out of print in it's first pressing。 It's okay， but it is the typical political puff piece put out to raise money。 Most politicians put out books like this to gain public support as well as raise some money。 Were it not written by JFK it would of went out of print in it's first pressing。 。。。more

David Elton ，

Well written， readable， all were about political courage。 Encouraging。 Worth recommending。 June 24， 2021。

Dylan Ricardo ，

Excellent book， I recommend it。

Ken Tingley ，

I believe this book is even more important today。 Seeing what are most stellar statesman did throughout history should shame the participants in the political arena today。

T S ，

John F Kennedy truly is an expert on courage。 JFK was given the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and received a Purple Heart because he saved his men’s lives during World War II。 Making it right that JFK would have written this book about courage and other courageous men。 In Profiles in Courage JFK writes about the history of Congress， the United States， and the most courageous politicians in American history。 JFK tended to focus primarily on politicians of many statues and opinions that all led Amer John F Kennedy truly is an expert on courage。 JFK was given the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and received a Purple Heart because he saved his men’s lives during World War II。 Making it right that JFK would have written this book about courage and other courageous men。 In Profiles in Courage JFK writes about the history of Congress， the United States， and the most courageous politicians in American history。 JFK tended to focus primarily on politicians of many statues and opinions that all led America successfully。 These men ranged from state senators to presidents and secretaries of state。 Surprisingly， John Quincy Adams was all except a governor。 You’ll certainly be surprised by some of JFK’s opinions on each of these men， who all are very different from one another while still being a courageous leader to America。The reason this book is enjoyable to multiple groups of people is that JFK particularly wrote in a way where he had no bias towards parties or chose any sides。 He made sure to bring in other opinions besides his own into his writing。 Which will help you see more than what JFK would see， while showing how others have viewed these situations。 He also makes sure to use facts over opinions to be as truthful as possible to you。 After reading this book and his ability to stay neutral， it is no wonder he was such a fantastic United States president。This book is easily enjoyable for everyone。 The man that led us to the moon wrote in a great way that will teach that bias and assumptions really are not the truth。 I would hope you enjoy this courageous book by one of the greatest presidents of our country， John F。 Kennedy。 。。。more

Croft ratings ，

This is simply an grand book。

Mario ，

I know I come in with the benefit of hindsight， and I can only do so much to correct for that， but this is definitely a book written by a politician seeking higher office。 So much attention was paid in making sure that all of the necessary bases were covered and constituencies and views were represented that any hope of a coherent message was tossed aside。 Nothing makes this more clear than the last chapter， which is a laundry list of things Kennedy wants you to know he isn't saying that's so lo I know I come in with the benefit of hindsight， and I can only do so much to correct for that， but this is definitely a book written by a politician seeking higher office。 So much attention was paid in making sure that all of the necessary bases were covered and constituencies and views were represented that any hope of a coherent message was tossed aside。 Nothing makes this more clear than the last chapter， which is a laundry list of things Kennedy wants you to know he isn't saying that's so long you eventually realize that he isn't actually saying anything。 This is a collection of mildly amusing anecdotes with the barest hint of a theme connecting them。 。。。more

Ella ，

He went through instances where senators did the unpopular thing in order to follow their conscience。 It makes one think about the courage it takes to break party lines。 It becomes introspective in a way， helping you look at yourself and current politics。 It was pretty easy to follow but definitely only for people who like reading about history。

Lee Adams ，

While Kennedy was a good politician and had the potential to be a great president， he was not a good author。 His examples of political courage were fitting and well-balanced but the writing was certainly lacking。

Cameron Morgan ，

A must read for anyone interested in politics。

Alan Rivkin ，

As applicable today as it was was when it was written。 You see how standing for what you believe in when you have the weight of party expectations bearing down on you can be difficult。 The ostracism， threats， violence， anger， a damaged career， all consequences for voting your conscience when it doesn’t align with the agenda of your political affiliation。 As a bystander in the political system， Ive taken for granted what these people risk。

Jason ，

There's nothing admirable about the politicians who opposed post-civil war reconstruction or the Nuremberg trials on technicalities masquerading as principles。 Profiles in vanity。 There's nothing admirable about the politicians who opposed post-civil war reconstruction or the Nuremberg trials on technicalities masquerading as principles。 Profiles in vanity。 。。。more

Nick ，

Changing literary tastes and political conditions make for interesting comparisons of one era to another。 When Profiles in Courage was written you could still say， unselfconsciously， "Surely in the United States of America， where brother once fought against brother， we did not judge a man's bravery under fire by examining the banner under which he fought。" Of course， we are today more sensitive about gender than we were in 1955， but it's hard to imagine the second half of that sentence being wri Changing literary tastes and political conditions make for interesting comparisons of one era to another。 When Profiles in Courage was written you could still say， unselfconsciously， "Surely in the United States of America， where brother once fought against brother， we did not judge a man's bravery under fire by examining the banner under which he fought。" Of course， we are today more sensitive about gender than we were in 1955， but it's hard to imagine the second half of that sentence being written in an era when the banners under which we fight determine everything， so polarized are we。 From this vantage point， we can also see that President Kennedy's focus on individual senators and their courage suggest a "great man" theory of history that seems out of touch with our era。 Indeed， it seems almost quaint。 The issues of that day loomed large enough for the politicians of the era， I'm sure， but ours seem so much more complicated and multifarious。 Or does every era imagine that it alone faces the real crisis， the most terrible decisions， and the longest odds？ 。。。more

Brian ，

One would think that for the 50th Anniversary Edition the editors at HarperCollins could correct the spelling errors: Zimmermann note， not Zimerman note; Vice President Alben Barkley， not Vice President Alben Barkely。 And to think that the book's dedicatee and president's widow would later be an editor at Doubleday。 One would think that for the 50th Anniversary Edition the editors at HarperCollins could correct the spelling errors: Zimmermann note， not Zimerman note; Vice President Alben Barkley， not Vice President Alben Barkely。 And to think that the book's dedicatee and president's widow would later be an editor at Doubleday。 。。。more

Chase Parsley ，

JFK's book， published in 1956 when he was still a Senator， far exceeded my expectations！ Like his public speaking， Kennedy's eloquence is very apparent。 Kennedy analyzes eight US Senators in US history （with lots of side stories） who dared to take a stand when it was unpopular。 Sometimes their decisions led to success， but more often they led to negative consequences， at least in the short-term。 Nevertheless， these people stuck to their principles and showed integrity when the chips were down。 K JFK's book， published in 1956 when he was still a Senator， far exceeded my expectations！ Like his public speaking， Kennedy's eloquence is very apparent。 Kennedy analyzes eight US Senators in US history （with lots of side stories） who dared to take a stand when it was unpopular。 Sometimes their decisions led to success， but more often they led to negative consequences， at least in the short-term。 Nevertheless， these people stuck to their principles and showed integrity when the chips were down。 Kennedy makes the strong case that at certain times， even though it might be costly， it is not only brave but admirable for a person to take an unpopular stand as long as it is the the right thing to do。 One recent example that came to mind was Senator John McCain's vote to maintain Obamacare。 It is definitely a "putting country before party" kind of a message， and an important one。I loved the whole thing。 Furthermore， Kennedy explains the historical context of each situation very well。 The Compromise of 1850， the silver debate （bimetallism）， Andrew Johnson's trial （and how once in Virginia an angry pro-Confederate mob almost murdered him）， John Quincy Adams' choice to reject all political party influence， the Nuremberg trials （and how Senator Taft thought it was wrong to hang the 11 guilty Nazis）， the triumvirate of Webster， Calhoun， and Clay， and more were discussed。 For anyone interested in US government and history， this is a fun book to read！ 。。。more

Ankit Modi ，

Profiles in Courage is an account of ten American senators who showed exceptional courage in trying circumstances。 These are stories of men with integrity who didn't get their due in the public domain。It has good insights into American politics and succeeds in showing why things are not as black & white as they appear from afar。 Profiles in Courage is an account of ten American senators who showed exceptional courage in trying circumstances。 These are stories of men with integrity who didn't get their due in the public domain。It has good insights into American politics and succeeds in showing why things are not as black & white as they appear from afar。 。。。more

Brenda Rae ，

“A man does what he must — in spite of personal consequences， in spite of obstacles and dangers， and pressures — and that is the basis of all human morality。”Profiles in Courage by John F。 Kennedy

Dr ，

I found a leather-bound "young readers edition" （from the St Francis School in Traverse City， Michigan） at a （very rare） used book sale in Kampala， Uganda。 A truly paradigm-shifting read， lest you think the infuriating political shenanigans over the past decade are an anomaly。 I found a leather-bound "young readers edition" （from the St Francis School in Traverse City， Michigan） at a （very rare） used book sale in Kampala， Uganda。 A truly paradigm-shifting read， lest you think the infuriating political shenanigans over the past decade are an anomaly。 。。。more

Chloe ，

While people say this was ghost-written by the great speechwriter Ted Sorensen， other historians found evidence of JFK doing his research when he was sick in bed。 I believe the latter or at least a combo of the two。 I think JFK birthed the idea and the content， and Sorensen polished it to be eloquent and inspirational。 Any effort to undermine JFK's brilliance and great ideas are futile。The audiobook is read by JFK Jr。， and it was very well performed。 While people say this was ghost-written by the great speechwriter Ted Sorensen， other historians found evidence of JFK doing his research when he was sick in bed。 I believe the latter or at least a combo of the two。 I think JFK birthed the idea and the content， and Sorensen polished it to be eloquent and inspirational。 Any effort to undermine JFK's brilliance and great ideas are futile。The audiobook is read by JFK Jr。， and it was very well performed。 。。。more

Vassilis Katsampas ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is a great book about history of politics。 Courage is presented as a principle through the stories of several politicians。 JFK firmly believes that politicians have the obligation to be courageous， and to stand for their values and principels through their courage， as the examples of this book did。 I liked reading this books， because JFK presents these stories without judging if these politicians were right or wrong。 And it is not about what position was the right one， or the wrong one。 It This is a great book about history of politics。 Courage is presented as a principle through the stories of several politicians。 JFK firmly believes that politicians have the obligation to be courageous， and to stand for their values and principels through their courage， as the examples of this book did。 I liked reading this books， because JFK presents these stories without judging if these politicians were right or wrong。 And it is not about what position was the right one， or the wrong one。 It is about who was able to show courage， and why we have downgraded our political life to courage-less representatives。 。。。more

Joan Overcash ，

Interesting bits of US history。

Al Kent ，

Had wondered about this book for some time。 Interesting take on a number of events。 But just not my style。

Jeffrey Margolis ，

Profiles in Courage is the only book written by a US President that has ever won the Pulitzer Prize in Literature。 While there are those who attribute the bulk of the work to Ted Sorensen， readers can learn quite bit about American history reading about those individuals who went out on a limb， their careers in peril， to do the right thing。 A great deal of courage is required to go against the herd in politics。 To me， the most interesting chapter was about Senator Thomas Hart Benton。 Benton was Profiles in Courage is the only book written by a US President that has ever won the Pulitzer Prize in Literature。 While there are those who attribute the bulk of the work to Ted Sorensen， readers can learn quite bit about American history reading about those individuals who went out on a limb， their careers in peril， to do the right thing。 A great deal of courage is required to go against the herd in politics。 To me， the most interesting chapter was about Senator Thomas Hart Benton。 Benton was also the subject of a biography written by Theodore Roosevelt。 Kennedy's daughter， Caroline， wrote a sequel to her father's work， Profiles in Courage for Our Time， but there is nothing like the original， first published in 1955。 History matters。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Profiles in Courage: Deluxe Modern Classic

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Profiles in Courage: Deluxe Modern Classic&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Profiles in Courage: Deluxe Modern Classic&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0