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From Publishers Weekly
In this riveting tour de force, Boston University history professor Dallek (Flawed Giant: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1961-1973) delivers what will most assuredly become the benchmark JFK biography for this generation. A master of the art of narrative history, Dallek is also the first biographer since Doris Kearns Goodwin to be granted unrestricted access to key Kennedy family papers (most importantly, the Joseph and Rose Kennedy Papers) in the JFK Library. This is a substantial and significant trove to which Dallek brings a refreshingly critical eye. He has also mined many nuggets of key information from the papers of JFK's colleagues, doctors and friends. Thus Dallek has significant new ground to break on a range of fronts including but not limited to Kennedy's health, politics, personal recklessness and love affairs. Dallek's revelations about JFK's health, based on previously unavailable medical files maintained by Kennedy's personal physician, have already received significant publicity from the Atlantic excerpt in December 2002. But here Dallek expands on that information and reveals (for the first time) the full extent of the medical coverup orchestrated by the Kennedy family: a coverup that involved the destruction of key medical records even after JFK was in his grave. On the political front, Dallek uses new inside information from a Kennedy associate to reveal the detailed mechanics (and enormous scope) of the use of Kennedy money to purchase the West Virginia primary in 1960. At the same time, Dallek has new evidence on both Jack's philandering and his recklessness. Example: During the same 1960 campaign on which his father spent millions, JFK risked it all by inviting an underage cheerleader to his hotel room. As is appropriate, close to two-thirds of this biography covers Kennedy's truncated presidency. In one of the book's most important sections, Dallek marshals new evidence that JFK did not view with favor the expansion of the war in Vietnam, and that he most likely would not have sanctioned such an expansion. Throughout the book, Dallek stops short of worshipping his subject. He is a Kennedy admirer, but he never allows this admiration to cloud either his focus or his truth telling. Dallek is to be thanked for providing the thoroughly researched, well-sourced, responsible and readable biography that has for so long been wanting in Kennedy scholarship. Illus. not seen by PW.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
""One of the most engrossing biographies I have ever read.... AN UNFINISHED LIFE "is nothing less than a masterpiece."
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First Sentence
IN AUGUST 1947, John F. Kennedy traveled to Ireland. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
IN AUGUST 1947, John F. Kennedy traveled to Ireland. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
a fairly good biography,
By
This review is from: An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917 - 1963 (Hardcover)
An unfinished life is a fairly good biography.I think that the author tells not enough about JFK's youth. Sometimes it's very boring and not interesting. There are some strange affirmations, because the author invents them. The people who knew him ( like Sorensen, Schlessinger..) says not this affirmations but often the opposite. The author tells nothing about his relation with his wife and children. The author tells more about Kennedy's politic than the man and that's harm. He tells once about jfk jr and tree times about Caroline! The best part of the book are the pictures, there isn't a lot but some are rare. I don't recommended it. I suggest you if you want a very complete biography: Kennedy by Sorensen, The fitzgeralds and the Kennedys. And if you want a short biography: young Jfk...
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Balanced and readable,
By Schmerguls "schmerguls" (Sioux City, Ia USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917 - 1963 (Hardcover)
This book has sensational words on Kennedy's health, and does not hesitate to say bad things about JFK. But Dallek also has good things to say. I found the book easy to read and I think it is probably the best balanced biography of Kennedy that has been written so far. Its account of the Cuban missile crisis is chilling, and shows we all owe JFK a big debt of gratitude for his avoidance of nuclear war in that time of great danger. There are some mistakes in the book and I will note those I noticed, which can be corrected in the next printing: On page 188 LBJ is referred to as majority leader in 1954, but he did not become majority leader till 1955. On page 236 it is stated that in the 1958 elections the Democrats made a 28-seat gain in the Senate, which of course is false. It was a gain of about 12 seats. On page 267 Dallek says Bryan in 1908 chose an 84-year-old man as his vice-presidential rnnning mate, but Bryan's running mate in 1908 was John Worth Kern, age 59. On page 269 Dallek says Symington was too young to be acceptable as JFK's vice-presidential candidate in 1960! Symington was 59, older than the two men (Nixon and Lodge) on the 1960 Republican ticket.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, Amazingly informative,
By
This review is from: An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917 - 1963 (Paperback)
I read this book and was amazed by how far back the information goes. Robert Dallek writes about John F. Kennedy's grandparents and their rise to wealth and recognition. While reading about John's childhood you feel as if you are there, present during the times when he was a boy. Dallek writes about things that weren't well known or that weren't/aren't talked about much when talking about the Kennedy family. Learning about all the illness that struck John as a boy and lasted through to adulthood, the death of his older brother (the eldest Kennedy child). This novel was excellently written and a great book to read if you have even the smallest inkling to learn more about President Kennedy's life and the lives that surrounded him throughout his years. I highly recommend this book.
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