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Ted Sorensen

Kennedy: The Classic Biography Paperback – Illustrated, Oct. 20 2009

by Ted Sorensen (Author)

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“A brilliant and essential document about the man, the President, and his times. In all the millions of words which have been written about the martyred President, this book must remain unique. . . . It is John F. Kennedy’s life, his personality, his thinking which informed his action and that action itself described with honest and candor which illuminate and enliven the crowded pages of this book. Sorensen has managed to portray Kennedy in realistic human terms and not as the hero of a myth. . . . It is the richness of detail, anecdotes, incidents, conversations, descriptions rather than any gossip or startling revelations which gives the book its compelling readability.” ― Los Angeles Times

The classic, intimate, and #1 national bestselling biography of JFK by his great advisor Ted Sorensen.

In January 1953, freshman senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts hired a twenty-four-year-old from Nebraska as his Number Two legislative assistant―on a trial basis. Despite the differences in their backgrounds, in the eleven years that followed Ted Sorensen became known as Kennedy's intellectual blood bank, top policy aide, and alter ego.

Sorensen knew Kennedy the man, the senator, the candidate, and the president as no other associate did. From his role as a legislative assistant to Kennedy's death in 1963, Sorensen was with him during the key crises and turning points―including the spectacular race for the vice presidency at the 1956 convention, the launching of Kennedy's presidential candidacy, the TV debates with Nixon, and election night at Hyannis Port. The first appointment made by the new president was to name Ted Sorensen his Special Counsel.

In Kennedy, Sorensen recounts failures as well as successes with surprising candor and objectivity. He reveals Kennedy's errors on the Bay of Pigs, and his attitudes toward the press, Congress, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sorensen saw firsthand Kennedy's actions in the Cuban missile crisis, and the evolution of his beliefs on civil rights and arms control. First published in 1965 and reissued here with a new preface, Kennedy is an intimate biography of an extraordinary man, and one of the most important historical accounts of the twentieth century.

Print length

781 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harper Perennial
Publication date

Oct. 20 2009
Dimensions

20.57 x 16.38 x 3.38 cm
ISBN-10

006196784X
ISBN-13

978-0061967849
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Product description

Review

“Sorensen was so close to his chief cerebrally that this book . . . is the nearest we will have to the memoirs Kennedy intended to write himself.” -- New York Times Book Review

“Thrilling. . . . Crammed with important detail . . . much of which had not been previously known. . . . It is a more revealing book than if President Kennedy had written it himself.” -- The Christian Science Monitor

“The authority of the true alter ego. . . . One feels that Sorensen’s Kennedy is a highly substitute for the book Kennedy was going to write―and possibly more candid and accurate than anything Kennedy might have written, with or withour his help, as an ex-President.” -- The New Yorker

From the Back Cover

Ted Sorensen knew Kennedy the man, the senator, the candidate, and the president as no other associate did. From his hiring as a legislative assistant to Kennedy's death in 1963, Sorensen was with him during the key crises and turning points—including the spectacular race for the vice presidency at the 1956 convention, the launching of Kennedy's presidential candidacy, the TV debates with Nixon, and election night at Hyannis Port. The first appointment made by the new president was to name Ted Sorensen his Special Counsel.

In Kennedy, Sorensen recounts failures as well as successes with surprising candor and objectivity. He reveals Kennedy's errors on the Bay of Pigs, and his attitudes toward the press, Congress, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sorensen saw firsthand Kennedy's actions in the Cuban missile crises, and the evolution of his beliefs on civil rights and arms control. First published in 1965 and reissued here with a new preface, Kennedy is an intimate biography of an extraordinary man, and one of the most important historical accounts of the twentieth century.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; Illustrated edition (Oct. 20 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 781 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 006196784X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0061967849
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 640 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 20.57 x 16.38 x 3.38 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #666,671 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,279 in Head of State Biographies (Books)
- #5,737 in United States 20th Century History (Books)
- #12,191 in 20th Century U.S. History

Customer Reviews:
132 ratings

About the author

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Ted Sorensen

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Ted Sorensen was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and after law school moved to Washington, D.C., where he would ultimately work for John F. Kennedy. He left the White House soon after JFK's death, and in 1966 joined a New York City law firm, where, as a prominent international lawyer, he advised governments, multinational organizations, and major corporations around the world. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History. Sorensen remained active in political and international issues until his death in 2010.

Customer reviews

5 star		65%
4 star		23%
3 star		4%
2 star		5%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from Canada

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on December 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

Just fine

One person found this helpful

Helpful

ELIZABETH MCMILLAN

Excellent!

Reviewed in Canada on October 20, 2020

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It’s an excellent book.
It’s a classic. The author was a close member of
Kennedy’ s inner circle.

Helpful

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Kamov

Claro y sencillo

Reviewed in Spain on May 9, 2020

Verified Purchase

Analiza la Presidencia de Kennedy de una forma clara y concisa. Francamente muy recomendable si uno quiere acercarse a este periodo de la historia.

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SHUBHAM JAISWAL

LOVED THE CONTENT BUT NOT THE PAGES

Reviewed in India on July 27, 2019

Verified Purchase

Page quality is not up to mark.
But it is definitely worth reading.
Do read this book about one of the legends of 20th century.

Client d'Amazon

?

Reviewed in France on April 27, 2019

Verified Purchase

Travail !

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Doug Danzeisen

Much has been written on JFK, but none better captures his essence

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2013

Verified Purchase

My first memory was watching the funeral cortage of JFK roll through Washington and the sound of those mournful drums. I remember the adults all being so sad and somber. It made a powerful impression no me then, and I have since been fascinated by the man called JFK and his life and times. Sorensen, who was JFK's speech writing genius knew Kennedy on his ascension to power as few did. He tells his story clearly, convincingly and with reverence for the man who literally saved us from nuclear armageddon. During the "Bay of Pigs" Kennedy resisted the unanimous opinion of the joint cheifs to invade Cuba. As Sorensen details in the book, the Soviets blinked and removed the missiles. What was not known until years later was that the field commanders in Cuba had been issued tactical nukes and the authorization to use them. An invasion would have quickly become a nuclear exchange and then.... Too horrible to contemplate. Kennedy kept us from going over the precipice then and for that our country, indeed the world, owes him a great debt. Therefor I reject the scandalous books that surround JFK, he was indeed a flawed man, and his womanizing is indeed legendary. But he overcame tremendous obstacles in his life, devastating illness, injuries that haunted him all his life. He was indeed a hero, and to hear his words, his wisdom and candor is to truly hear a politician that cared about the people. Sorensen paints the picture honestly, clearly and concisely. His respect and affection for his friend is obvious, but so is his dedication to the truth. Camelot was indeed a different time, just as America was a different nation then. The man and the time belong to the ages, but we can indeed learn what made it special, and why it is worth learning from. This book is a great reference from one who was not only there, but intimately involved.

20 people found this helpful

Jim B.

Ted Sorensen knew JFK

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2020

Verified Purchase

I like to read biographies written by people who knew their subjects. Ted Sorensen knew JFK beginning with his first congressional race in 1953. The book is easy to read and almost every page reveals another example of it's subjects sense of humor.
If you are looking for scandals you will not find them here. You could read this book aloud to a five year old though that would not likely make a good bedtime story.

3 people found this helpful

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Kennedy: The Classic Biography Paperback – Illustrated, Oct. 20 2009

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About the author

Ted Sorensen

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