Christian Science Monitor's 10 Best Books of July
A Daily Beast "Brainy Beach Read"
An Apple iBooks Best Book of August
Michicko Kakutani, New York Times:
" . . . [a] vivid portrait of Kennedy as an immensely complex human being: by turns detached and charismatic, a hard-nosed pol and a closet romantic, cautious in his decision making but reckless in his womanizing."
The Wall Street Journal:
“JFK's Last Hundred Days is a superb piece of writing—richly detailed and, considering that the end is all too well known, surprisingly enthralling.”
Associated Press:
“Thurston Clarke's JFK's Last Hundred Days manages to surprise and…to delight.”
Daily Beast:
"A real page-turner… makes for a great and stimulating vacation read… deftly weav[es] together the private, personal, and intimate with the public, the political, and the-then-secret public and political, makes one want to keep reading to find out even more of the scoop."
Washington Post:
“Clarke does an interesting and in many ways persuasive job of what he proposes at the beginning: ‘to view John F. Kennedy through every prism and search through all his compartments during the crucial last hundred days of his life—days that saw him finally beginning to realize his potential as a man and a president—in order to solve the most tantalizing mystery of all: not who killed him, but who he was when he was killed, and where he would have led us.’”
"Mr. Clarke is a good storyteller…[He] offers an enjoyable snapshot of the day-to-day workings of the presidency."
—The Economist
Christian Science Monitor:
"[A] compelling portrait of one of the towering figures of 20th-cnetury America."
Financial Times:
"There will be few, if any, contributions more entertaining and informative than Thurston Clarke's comprehensive chronological telling of his last 100 days in office."
Dallas Morning News:
"A gracefully written, fresh look at the oft-told story."
Daily Mail:
“Thurston Clarke has written a superb book.”
Booklist:
"A fascinating analysis of what was… and what might have been."
Kirkus Reviews (starred):
"Certainly demonstrates that three often painful years in office had taught Kennedy valuable lessons… Clarke delivers a thoroughly delightful portrait."
Library Journal:
"A graceful, bittersweet chronicle… Clarke clearly admires Kennedy but does not ignore his flaws… an absorbing narrative."
Publishers Weekly
"Camelot devotees will relish insider details, from descriptions of an obviously depressed Vice President Johnson 'growling at anyone who disturbed him' to dismissive jabs at Sen. Barry Goldwater taken from the president’s official diary."
Jon Meacham, New York Times bestselling author of Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power:
"Thurston Clarke has done the seemingly impossible: he has found a revealing new angle of vision on John F. Kennedy that brings the president and his times back to vivid life. This is excellent narrative history."
Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution:
“Clarke makes the drama, the excitement, and the dark side of Camelot seem like only yesterday—indeed, you feel as though you’re right there, in the Kennedy White House, at Hyannis Port, and aboard Air Force One with JFK, today.”
Bob Herbert, Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos and former Op-Ed Columnist for the New York Times:
"A fascinating, close-up look at the final dramatic months of a young president's life. Thurston Clarke's portrait of Kennedy is masterful in this compelling convergence of history and biography."
Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of Cronkite:
"The three-months before President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas were frenetic times: civil rights, Vietnam, Berlin and reelection were on his mind. Thurston Clarke's JFK's Last Hundred Days does a marvelous job of reliving Camelot's fragile promise. Clarke is a masterful storyteller and able researcher. This book sings. Highly recommended."
People
"The noted historian makes the case that JFK, who had just lost his infant son, was on the verge of vast achievement before his assassination."
