Special Counsel to the Late President. New York
Why read it? To understand Kennedy’s philosophy of the Presidency. His humor. His wisdom. He could think on his feet. His ability to own up to his mistakes and to learn from them. To appreciate the vast range of responsibilities faced by the President. His style. You won’t learn any of the details of his extra-marital affairs in this book. It focuses on John Kennedy, an American who was elected President by one of the narrowest margins in history. He instilled a spirit of confidence in the American people, and his assassination destroyed that spirit.
Ideas:
“Kennedy had seen that many devotees of the left as well as the right could be rigid and dogmatic in their views, parroting the opinions of their respective political and intellectual leaders without reflection or re-examination.” p. 23. ……….JFK: “…faith in man’s ability…reason and judgment…is our best and our only hope in the world today.” p. 23. ……….Jackie K: “…an idealist without illusions.” p. 24. ……….“He could grasp the essence of a complex subject with amazing speed.” p. 24. ……….“…realistic emphasis on the possible….” p. 24.
“He primarily sought truths upon which he could act and ideas he could use in his office.” p. 15. ……….“…as always, he was listening and learning more than speaking.” p. 16. ……….JFK: “…the super-human ability of the Navy to screw up everything they touch.” p. 19. ……….JFK: “God save this country of ours from those patriots whose war cry is ‘What this country needs is to be run with military efficiency.’ ” p.19. ……….“…he regarded his own good fortune as an obligation: ‘Of those to whom much is given, much is required.’ ” p. 21.
To be continued.
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