Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero

I can't write a better summary and review of Chris Matthews' book Jack Kennedy Elusive Hero than this one http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/books/review/jack-kennedy-elusive-hero-by-chris-matthews-book-review.html

Much has been written, examined, and analyzed about the Kennedy family and the Kennedy Presidency. While I am not a political analyst and have nothing to add in that regard, I can simply add my own comments about this book-- and anyone who has ever loved Jack Kennedy or been interested in the Kennedy family would find this book a new and different perspective about Kennedy politics. This book provided a more factual account of several myths I had always heard about Jack kennedy-- such as that he was pushed by his father to enter politics after his older brother Joseph Junior was killed in a plane accident. In fact, Jack, because he was quite often ill as a child, developed his love for history and politics through his intense reading during those times he was ill. He developed a love of history, and studied Churchill intensely. He had the added advantage of actually meeting Churchill because his father, his Joseph Kennedy senior, had been ambassador to Great Britain just before WWII. The story of Jack Kennedy's rise in politics includes his strong relationship with his siblings. They rallied around him like a team honed in the skills of power politics. Jack Kennedy understood power politics and that sometimes unsavory back room deals had to be made in order to achieve something he wanted. Kennedy had ideals about democracy-- but he also knew what it took to get things done.

It is also the story of being very pragmatic in a political arena. Jack Kennedy came from privilege, and he sought political office through votes of the working class. His siblings each had positions in his political organization-- many of them were driven by ideals of their own, and sought to make a difference. The Kennedy tribe of siblings stood together as one -- something that continued into the Kennedy Presidency. The man, Jack Kennedy, was driven by living life at the edge-- he had already experienced the loss of his older brother in the war, and then his beloved sister Kathleen died in a plane crash as well. When he was in the Navy, Kennedy experienced near death during the war in the Pacific, and his stamina to endure came from having to deal with constant pain as a result of those injuries, in his body. The years since his death have uncovered the less savory aspects of his life-- the womanizing, the back deal making, and deception of hiding his true physical state which in today's Presidency may not have allowed him to continue. Perhaps the most interesting chapter of the book was about Jacqueline Kennedy. Although just a brief description, this chapter does provide a glimpse into the woman who loved the man. She knew her role in this relationship, both schooled indirectly by her mother and the kind of marriage she had, and the social world and context in which she lived, Jacqueline Kennedy was somewhat aware of her husband's indiscretions, and also hurt by them. She loved him intensely and tried to provide a calm and serene family life with children at the center of the marriage. She provided the grace to his presidency. As a widow, she immediately fell to creating the legacy of the man... the man who is still fascinating even after his death nearly 50 years ago.