The Letters of John F. Kennedy

Cover; Title Page; Contents; Preface; 1. The Early Years; 2. Road to the White House; 3. Man at the Center; 4. World in Crisis; 5. A Triumph of Will; Acknowledgments; Plate Section; A Note on the Editor; eCopyright. John Fitzgerald Kennedy led the United States for barely a thousand days, and yet he is regarded as one of the great Presidents of all time for his brave decisions on civil rights and international relations, and not merely as a consequence of his tragic fate. Kennedy steered his nation away from the brink of nuclear war, initiated the first nuclear test ban treaty and launched his nation on its mission to the moon and beyond. JFK inspired a nation, particularly the massive generation of baby boomers, injecting hope and revitalising faith in the American dream at a time when it was badly needed. 2013 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Kennedy's untimely death. Martin Sandler's The Letters of John F. Kennedy will be the only book that focuses on letters both from and to Kennedy. Drawn from more than two million letters on file at the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, The Letters of John F. Kennedy presents readers with a portrait of both Kennedy the politician and Kennedy the man, as well as the turbulent times he lived in. The beginnings of American involvement in Vietnam, a touch-and-go Cold War relationship with the Soviet bloc and many other international controversies are intertwined with Kennedy's own hushed-up health problems, his renowned controversial personal life and his charismatic engagement with the world of presidential politics. Letters to and from Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Nikita Khruschev, Bertrand Russell, David Bengurian and many others are included, as well as missives from ordinary citizens and schoolchildren. Each letter is accompanied by lively and informative contextualization and facsimiles of many of the letters will appear in the text, along with photographs and exclusive material from the Kennedy Library and Museum. John Fitzgerald Kennedy led his nation for little more than a thousand days, yet his presidency is intensely remembered, not merely as a byproduct of his tragic fate. Kennedy steered the nation away from the brink of nuclear war, initiated the first nuclear test ban treaty, created the Peace Corps, and launched American on its mission to the moon and beyond. JFK inspired a nation, particularly the massive generation of baby boomers, injecting hope and revitalizing faith in the American project. 2013 will mark the fiftieth anniversary of Kennedy's untimely death, a milestone to be marked by an avalanche of new books on his life and importance. Martin Sandler's The Letters of John F. Kennedy will stand out among them, as the only book that draws on letters from and to Kennedy, as collected at the Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Drawn from more than two million letters on file at the library--many never before published--this project presents readers with a portrait of both Kennedy the politician and Kennedy the man, as well as the times he lived in. Letters to and from the likes of Martin Luther King Jr, Clare Booth Luce, Pearl Buck, John Wayne, Albert Schweitzer, Linus Pauling, Willy Brandt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nikita Khruschev, Harry Truman, Herbert Hoover, a young John Kerry, and Ngo Dinh Diem are complemented by letters from ordinary citizens, schoolchildren, and concerned Americans. Each letter will accompanied by lively and informative contextualization. Facsimiles of many letters will appear, along with photographs and other visual ephemera from the Kennedy Library and Museum. A definitive collection of letters by and to JFK offers unique insights into his character and times, in a volume that includes correspondences with such figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, and a young John Kerry