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"JACK: A Life Like No Other" is a fairly straightforward biography of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th President of the United States. The reader is taken through the various phases of JFK's life and career. It was a life fraught with many challenges and perils, highs and lows. Throughout his life, JFK suffered from a variety of illnesses (e.g. chronic back pain which became steadily worse over time, jaundice, scarlet fever, malaria, and Addison's Disease) that would have humbled a lesser person. I...
I liked this biography of JFK. It was very readable and took care to give you the historic background to the many 20th century events that shaped his life and presidency. It didn't ignore the salacious details of his life but didn't dwell on them either. It gave you a better picture of his often precarious health then one would ever imagine looking at him. In the end, I was sad that it appeared that he and Jackie did not have a mature, loving marriage. And that he was killed just when he seemed
A bit of a tough read if you are a JFK fan, and most of my generation probably are. I was 13, in 7th grade art class, when the news came over the school public address system that JFK had been shot. Almost everyone alive that day remembers where they were and what they were doing when the news was announced. After that, it seems like everyone just accepted that he was a great man and a great president. This book exposes much of that myth, and the conflicted and complicated man that JFK was. His
A well-researched "new" biography (including information about JFKs multiple physical issues and his larger-than-life sex drive) that gives much more detail about the man himself instead of just his accomplishments. By utilizing his personal papers, diaries and letters to friends and family, a truer portrait of JFK is painted than those written in the 1960s or 1970s. The dark underbelly of his father is mentioned time and time again, but does not take over the book like it took over Jack's caree...
#108 of 120 books pledged to read during 2018If you haven't read any books on John F. Kennedy, this is a great "condensed" one-volume version of his life from beginning to end. I have read many books on him, so I kept noticing many missing details. But if you just want the basics, I think this was written exceedingly well.
A little too obsessed with JFK's sex life to the expense of any real analysis of the more important and major events of his time in office.
It's okay. The prose is a little purple on occasion and the bias is really obvious, plus the treatment of communists whenever they show up is juvenile, but thorough on the details about Jack's life.
I felt that the book was well-written and contained many seemingly well-researched facts. But I prefer history that focuses on the person and their relationships with others rather than the events that surround them. I skimmed through some sections in the beginning because they were rather dry and bogged down with tedious facts. The chapters dealing with Kennedy and his immediate family were very interesting. This would be a great book for someone who is very interested in Kennedy's public and f...
(⭐⭐)Il mio professore di Storia Contemporanea era solito ripetere, con malcelato disprezzo nella voce, che John Fitzgerald Kennedy fosse strato il presidente americano più sopravvalutato, "perché era belloccio ed è morto giovane". E confesso che parte della mia ammirazione per JFK si fondava esattamente su questi due superficiali motivi, per cui,, sebbene il libro in sé non mi abbia entusiasmata, è servito quantomeno ad un rapido ripasso della storia americana del tempo.Il difetto principale di
Really three and a half stars. I have read many many biographies of JFK and thought there wasn't anything else to learn. Wrong! The author seems to bring a different, deeper perspective to the book gleaned from among other things JFK's family history and his belief he would not live a long life. I did finish feeling his marriage was pretty much loveless on both sides. And that he was far more conservative than his legend would have us believe.
I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about the Kennedys not just JFK. I learned so much about Jack that I had never suspected. The Cuban issues of his presidency were amazing! I never knew how involved the US military was in this conflict. Also the why of our involvement in Vietnam was very interesting.
It fascinates me that both Jack Kennedy and Jackie still fascinate me. And I flip flop from thinking Jack was bad and good. The more I read about all our historical figures….the more I realize I can’t judge any of them. But back to the Kennedy time….I suppose the reason is the he was the first president I remember. This was an excellent historical account.
This is an engaging biography about JFK. I don't know enough to "fact check" this book, but it is well written and presents an interesting take on JFK's life. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading biographies that have a little flare.
A fantastic read that is both compelling and revealing of a man that did much to shape the course of history in this century. Through well written prose and insightful revealing of JFK's personal life we learn about the man as a whole; his greatest qualities, and his worst.
A book packed with lots of detailed information. It made me gain many new insights into the bay of pigs, the Cuban missile crisis, the Cold War and of course the civil right movements of the early sixties.
One of my favorite JFK biographies. He had quite a life and people forget that there was a complex person who existed long before he ever ran for office. Oh, and he was an introvert. Ha! Score one for my side.
An entertaining read, especially if you like a mix of history and biography. The author kind of glosses over some details or issues surrounding JFK and the book's conclusion is a little truncated, but it is a good read.
really enjoyed this,changed my view of Rose and Jackie Kennedy, it ends very poetically for something so violent.it pulls no punches about JFK but you still like him...recommend to anyone to read
Insight into who Jack Kennedy was beyond the public persona. Validated the stories about his sexual escapades and revealed his extremely poor health. Still a favorite icon for me.
A broad brush of a biography that does a nice job of summarizing the highs and lows of Kennedy's life, from his courage in war to his marital troubles to the mixed record as president.
I found the book very enjoyable and easy to read
Biography of JFK based on & taped conversationsa & personal diaries.
I would rather have kept a few of my illusions about JFK. With his frenetic attempts to live around his life-long health problems what he was sure would truncated life, I just felt sorry for him.
If you have an affinity towards JFK you'll like this book. It is a lighter read than "The Kennedy Men" but still gives a good look into his life.
Fantastic book - complete research, amazing citations, grounded in fact and impossible to put down.