The Presidency of John F. Kennedy / Edition 2

by James N. Giglio

Overview

The presidency of John F. Kennedy continues to fascinate, even as it also continues to inspire heated debates between admirers and detractors of Camelot's fallen king. Now readers can gain a new appreciation of JFK in this thoroughly revised and updated edition of James Giglio's bestselling study, widely acclaimed as the best and most balanced book on JFK's White House years.

Giglio incorporates the voluminous archival materials made available in the last fifteen years, including the declassified documents on crucial foreign policy affairs and White House medical records that contradict the image of Kennedy's youth and vigor. He stresses the extent to which domestic and foreign policies were interconnected at a time when the Cold War dominated national life and reveals his new appreciation for JFK's prudence in his handling of such enormous challenges as the Cuban missile crisis and the emerging war in Vietnam.

Giglio shows Kennedy to be "the most medicated, one of the most courageous, and perhaps the most self-absorbed of our presidents." He reviews the physical ailments and heavy prescriptions that were kept out of the public eye and catalogs sexual indiscretions ranging from Marilyn Monroe and socialite Florence Pritchett to low-level White House employees and even virtual strangers. Surveying this field of conquest, Giglio suggests that JFK's sexual obsession could easily have affected his presidency even more during a second term. His work also amplifies coverage of key issues like civil rights, the Cuban missile crisis, and Vietnam and reevaluates many of the questions surrounding the assassination—maintaining that, even with the existence of a conspiracy still doubtful, the case is far from closed.

Like the first edition, this new edition provides a sharp and thoughtful analysis of both domestic and foreign affairs and underscores that, despite his undeniably brief tenure in office, the state of the nation actually did improve on Kennedy's watch. Featuring an expanded bibliographical essay and twenty-two photos from the JFK library, The Presidency of John F. Kennedy remains the definitive appraisal of Camelot's kingdom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700614578
Publisher:	University Press of Kansas
Publication date:	02/20/2006
Series:	American Presidency Series
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

James N. Giglio is Distinguished Professor of History at Missouri State University and author of H. M. Daugherty and the Politics of Expediency, Debating the Kennedy Presidency and John F. Kennedy: A Bibliography, as well as Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface to Revised Edition

Acknowledgments

1. Road to the White House

2. Assuming Command

3. Year of Crises and Conflict

4. More Conflict and Crises

5. Launching the New Frontier

6. Old Ideas and New Approaches

7. The Travail of Civil Rights

8. The Missiles of October

9. The Third World

10. Image and Reality

11. Aftermath and Assessment

Notes

Bibliographical Essay

Index

What People are Saying About This

Alonzo Hamby

"There are tons of books on John F. Kennedy, but only a few are indispensable. Giglio's fine history of the Kennedy presidency--manageable in length, studied and balanced in its judgments, and very well written--has long been among them. This revised edition deserves the attention of readers from the class room to the living room."
—author Man of the People: A Life of Harry S. Truman

Steven F. Lawson

"Giglio's revised edition makes an excellent book even better. His brisk account brings JFK alive with all his strengths and weaknesses during a pivotal era in modern U.S. history. . . . Must reading for those who need to know why he still matters so much."
—author of Civil Rights Crossroads

Editorial Reviews

"This book is more than merely interesting; its narrations of the major crises of the Kennedy presidency are riveting."

American Historical Review

A history of JFK's administration, its impact, and legacy. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

From the reviews of the first edition:

“This book is more than merely interesting; its narrations of the major crises of the Kennedy presidency—the Bay of Pigs, civil rights, the Cuban missile emergency—are riveting.”—American Historical Review

“A balanced and thoughtful account that avoids the hagiography or damnation of so many other JFK bios, revealing the man in all his complexity.”—Kirkus

“Giglio’s revised edition makes an excellent book even better. His brisk account brings JFK alive with all his strengths and weaknesses during a pivotal era in modern U.S. history. . . . Must reading for those who need to know why he still matters so much.”—Steven F. Lawson, author of Civil Rights Crossroads

From the Publisher