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stevem0214's review
5.0
Very well written book that takes the reader on a tour of the presidency for the past 5 decades. Dr. Sabato goes into a lot of detail about how presidents since his assassination have tried to live up to his legacy. The last chapter of the book that details the results of a survey conducted by Peter Hart and Geoff Garin explains why Dr. Sabato felt this book was needed. The people who were living at the time of Kennedy's presidency are aging rapidly and history has a way of becoming legend, particularly in JFK's case.
sarahdim's review
2.0
I read this throughout the span of a course Sabato taught at UVa. It was extremely through and well written. Was the perfect book to understand the impact of the Kennedy Ear.
heathdwilliams's review
4.0
Sabato spends the first half of the book reaching the most logical conclusion about Kennedy's assassination through debunking conspiracy theories and thoroughly interviewing sources that the Warren Commission missed: there is no doubt that Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed Kennedy, but it's impossible to completely rule out a small- or large-scale conspiracy.
The rest of the book is spent winding through United States history since 1963 and exploring Kennedy's lasting legacy on each of his successors, all the way from LBJ through Obama. From the grave, Kennedy has had a hand in no small amount of American politics since 1963, and Sabato's book is a thoroughly-well-researched and intriguing exploration of the past 50 years through the Kennedy lens.
The rest of the book is spent winding through United States history since 1963 and exploring Kennedy's lasting legacy on each of his successors, all the way from LBJ through Obama. From the grave, Kennedy has had a hand in no small amount of American politics since 1963, and Sabato's book is a thoroughly-well-researched and intriguing exploration of the past 50 years through the Kennedy lens.
librarianonparade's review
5.0
It has been more than fifty years now since that tragic day in Dallas in 1963, and yet the public fascination with JFK shows no sign of abating. Despite a presidency of just over a thousand days he is consistently ranked up with the greatest of American presidents; books, articles, documents, films, video games continue to pour out every year; and few policy initiatives or presidential campaigns have been complete without some kind of Kennedy endorsement.
In this truly engrossing book, Larry Sabato sets out to explore that Kennedy legacy, looking first at his campaign for the presidency, his brief tenure in the White House and his assassination in Dallas on 22nd November 1963. He then explores the conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's death and the various investigations, primarily the Warren Commission and the House Select Committee on Assassinations.
The second half of this book is devoted to the post-Kennedy presidents and how they variously tackled the ghost in the White House, with both Democrats and Republicans consciously positioning themselves as Kennedy's successors, invoking his actions, speeches and legislation as precedents and justification for their own actions. From LBJ who consciously set out to carry out Kennedy's legacy, Bill Clinton who hero-worshipped him, and Obama, whose campaign echoed some of the rhetoric of hope and vigour that was so redolent of the New Frontier, JFK has been consistently cited and evoked far more than any other President, more than Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson.
Assassination, Sabato concludes, made JFK untouchable - and that lack of any definitive answer to the question of 'why?' has only strengthened the legend. It made him mythical, casting his brief presidency in a rose-tinted glow that will never fade, can never be tarnished, and can never be equalled. JFK will always be held up as the ultimate 'might-have-been'; his presidency always a nostalgic 'what-if'. For JFK, like Lincoln, there can be no slow decline, no gradual disillusionment and disappointment, no partisan post-presidency analysis and criticism. JFK will eternally be young and handsome and energetic, will always be the embodiment of America in the hopeful early days of the Sixties, a promise that was destroyed before it could be betrayed.
In this truly engrossing book, Larry Sabato sets out to explore that Kennedy legacy, looking first at his campaign for the presidency, his brief tenure in the White House and his assassination in Dallas on 22nd November 1963. He then explores the conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's death and the various investigations, primarily the Warren Commission and the House Select Committee on Assassinations.
The second half of this book is devoted to the post-Kennedy presidents and how they variously tackled the ghost in the White House, with both Democrats and Republicans consciously positioning themselves as Kennedy's successors, invoking his actions, speeches and legislation as precedents and justification for their own actions. From LBJ who consciously set out to carry out Kennedy's legacy, Bill Clinton who hero-worshipped him, and Obama, whose campaign echoed some of the rhetoric of hope and vigour that was so redolent of the New Frontier, JFK has been consistently cited and evoked far more than any other President, more than Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson.
Assassination, Sabato concludes, made JFK untouchable - and that lack of any definitive answer to the question of 'why?' has only strengthened the legend. It made him mythical, casting his brief presidency in a rose-tinted glow that will never fade, can never be tarnished, and can never be equalled. JFK will always be held up as the ultimate 'might-have-been'; his presidency always a nostalgic 'what-if'. For JFK, like Lincoln, there can be no slow decline, no gradual disillusionment and disappointment, no partisan post-presidency analysis and criticism. JFK will eternally be young and handsome and energetic, will always be the embodiment of America in the hopeful early days of the Sixties, a promise that was destroyed before it could be betrayed.
s_kasko's review
4.0
The Kennedy Half-Century isn't a biography. While it hits some of the highlights of Kennedy's political career, it's more concerned with why America has spent more than 50 years fascinated with Kennedy's life and death, and why such a short presidency has had such an outsized impact on the office.
Sabato makes for a great guide/narrator, taking the reader through conspiracy theories and Kennedy's outsized impact on history in a way that never becomes too dry or boring. He's just funny enough and just personal enough to bring his subject matter out of the realm of dry, lifeless history. It makes for an interesting look at Kennedy, his assassination, and the way his brief time in office has rippled through the half-century following his death. As someone who went into it with a fairly limited knowledge of Kennedy, I found it very interesting (though it may not have that much to offer Kennedy buffs). It's also a reasonably balanced portrayal of Kennedy; Sabato paints Kennedy as neither a saint nor the devil, neither the great liberal hope nor a centrist hack. He embraces the complexities of trying to relate the Kennedy story and the book is better for it.
4/5
Sabato makes for a great guide/narrator, taking the reader through conspiracy theories and Kennedy's outsized impact on history in a way that never becomes too dry or boring. He's just funny enough and just personal enough to bring his subject matter out of the realm of dry, lifeless history. It makes for an interesting look at Kennedy, his assassination, and the way his brief time in office has rippled through the half-century following his death. As someone who went into it with a fairly limited knowledge of Kennedy, I found it very interesting (though it may not have that much to offer Kennedy buffs). It's also a reasonably balanced portrayal of Kennedy; Sabato paints Kennedy as neither a saint nor the devil, neither the great liberal hope nor a centrist hack. He embraces the complexities of trying to relate the Kennedy story and the book is better for it.
4/5
abookishaffair's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. John F. Kennedy is still considered one of the most well-known and beloved American Presidents. His influence has lasted for 50 years. With the 50th anniversary of his untimely assassination coming up later in November, well known political scientist, Larry J. Sabato, explores Kennedy's presidency, his death, and his long lasting legacy and influence on American politics. This book is absolutely fascinating and a great book for lovers of politics and history!
The book opens with Kennedy's death. Yes, there has been many books on the subject but what I appreciated about this book is that Sabato uses a lot of detail from primary sources, which really helped to bring me into the thick of the action as a reader. Sabato explores some of the conspiracies around Kennedy's death. This isn't new territory for those who have read any of the many books about JFK but the detail that Sabato adds again serves to make this book a little bit new and different.
The second half of the book is made up of chapters on how JFK and his legacy affected the subsequent Presidents. This was new territory to me as I had never really thought about how much our Presidents still draw on JFK's memory. For example, just look at what Caroline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy's endorsement of presidential candidate, Barack Obama, did for his campaign. The Kennedy name still has the power to excite. It was fascinating to see how politicians from both sides of the aisle have continued to embrace JFK's power.
I really enjoyed this book and know that it will be a great reference book for me in the future. This will definitely be the next book that I make my dear husband read! We don't agree on a lot about books we like but I know that this one fits both of our bills.
The book opens with Kennedy's death. Yes, there has been many books on the subject but what I appreciated about this book is that Sabato uses a lot of detail from primary sources, which really helped to bring me into the thick of the action as a reader. Sabato explores some of the conspiracies around Kennedy's death. This isn't new territory for those who have read any of the many books about JFK but the detail that Sabato adds again serves to make this book a little bit new and different.
The second half of the book is made up of chapters on how JFK and his legacy affected the subsequent Presidents. This was new territory to me as I had never really thought about how much our Presidents still draw on JFK's memory. For example, just look at what Caroline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy's endorsement of presidential candidate, Barack Obama, did for his campaign. The Kennedy name still has the power to excite. It was fascinating to see how politicians from both sides of the aisle have continued to embrace JFK's power.
I really enjoyed this book and know that it will be a great reference book for me in the future. This will definitely be the next book that I make my dear husband read! We don't agree on a lot about books we like but I know that this one fits both of our bills.
librarianonparade's review against another edition
5.0
It has been more than fifty years now since that tragic day in Dallas in 1963, and yet the public fascination with JFK shows no sign of abating. Despite a presidency of just over a thousand days he is consistently ranked up with the greatest of American presidents; books, articles, documents, films, video games continue to pour out every year; and few policy initiatives or presidential campaigns have been complete without some kind of Kennedy endorsement.
In this truly engrossing book, Larry Sabato sets out to explore that Kennedy legacy, looking first at his campaign for the presidency, his brief tenure in the White House and his assassination in Dallas on 22nd November 1963. He then explores the conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's death and the various investigations, primarily the Warren Commission and the House Select Committee on Assassinations.
The second half of this book is devoted to the post-Kennedy presidents and how they variously tackled the ghost in the White House, with both Democrats and Republicans consciously positioning themselves as Kennedy's successors, invoking his actions, speeches and legislation as precedents and justification for their own actions. From LBJ who consciously set out to carry out Kennedy's legacy, Bill Clinton who hero-worshipped him, and Obama, whose campaign echoed some of the rhetoric of hope and vigour that was so redolent of the New Frontier, JFK has been consistently cited and evoked far more than any other President, more than Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson.
Assassination, Sabato concludes, made JFK untouchable - and that lack of any definitive answer to the question of 'why?' has only strengthened the legend. It made him mythical, casting his brief presidency in a rose-tinted glow that will never fade, can never be tarnished, and can never be equalled. JFK will always be held up as the ultimate 'might-have-been'; his presidency always a nostalgic 'what-if'. For JFK, like Lincoln, there can be no slow decline, no gradual disillusionment and disappointment, no partisan post-presidency analysis and criticism. JFK will eternally be young and handsome and energetic, will always be the embodiment of America in the hopeful early days of the Sixties, a promise that was destroyed before it could be betrayed.
In this truly engrossing book, Larry Sabato sets out to explore that Kennedy legacy, looking first at his campaign for the presidency, his brief tenure in the White House and his assassination in Dallas on 22nd November 1963. He then explores the conspiracy theories surrounding Kennedy's death and the various investigations, primarily the Warren Commission and the House Select Committee on Assassinations.
The second half of this book is devoted to the post-Kennedy presidents and how they variously tackled the ghost in the White House, with both Democrats and Republicans consciously positioning themselves as Kennedy's successors, invoking his actions, speeches and legislation as precedents and justification for their own actions. From LBJ who consciously set out to carry out Kennedy's legacy, Bill Clinton who hero-worshipped him, and Obama, whose campaign echoed some of the rhetoric of hope and vigour that was so redolent of the New Frontier, JFK has been consistently cited and evoked far more than any other President, more than Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson.
Assassination, Sabato concludes, made JFK untouchable - and that lack of any definitive answer to the question of 'why?' has only strengthened the legend. It made him mythical, casting his brief presidency in a rose-tinted glow that will never fade, can never be tarnished, and can never be equalled. JFK will always be held up as the ultimate 'might-have-been'; his presidency always a nostalgic 'what-if'. For JFK, like Lincoln, there can be no slow decline, no gradual disillusionment and disappointment, no partisan post-presidency analysis and criticism. JFK will eternally be young and handsome and energetic, will always be the embodiment of America in the hopeful early days of the Sixties, a promise that was destroyed before it could be betrayed.
heathdwilliams's review against another edition
4.0
Sabato spends the first half of the book reaching the most logical conclusion about Kennedy's assassination through debunking conspiracy theories and thoroughly interviewing sources that the Warren Commission missed: there is no doubt that Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed Kennedy, but it's impossible to completely rule out a small- or large-scale conspiracy.
The rest of the book is spent winding through United States history since 1963 and exploring Kennedy's lasting legacy on each of his successors, all the way from LBJ through Obama. From the grave, Kennedy has had a hand in no small amount of American politics since 1963, and Sabato's book is a thoroughly-well-researched and intriguing exploration of the past 50 years through the Kennedy lens.
The rest of the book is spent winding through United States history since 1963 and exploring Kennedy's lasting legacy on each of his successors, all the way from LBJ through Obama. From the grave, Kennedy has had a hand in no small amount of American politics since 1963, and Sabato's book is a thoroughly-well-researched and intriguing exploration of the past 50 years through the Kennedy lens.
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