John F. Kennedy poses a problem for historians and chroniclers of American politics. He was a man of good looks, unquestioned charm and public eloquence. He was the Harvard-educated son of a wealthy New England financier, a decorated veteran of World War II and, not least, an acclaimed author of two books: a volume on foreign policy, written while he was still a college student, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller, produced while he was recovering from spinal surgery and a subsequent near-fatal infection. Kennedy was a shrewd member of the House and Senate, and his calculated rise to power was both swift and historic....

Source: Wall Street Journal September 20, 2020 20:26 UTC