Stephen F. Knott is professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
"Stephen Knott provides a balanced account of key aspects of the
Kennedy presidency that have been under contestation. One of
Knott's goals is to parley with hagiographers and ideologues of
past and present to frame a counternarrative intended to
deconstruct the many myths that have accrued over the years. . . .
By offering an enlightened, reformative narrative, Knott has
provided substantive material to help us think more clearly and
judge more judiciously when evaluating John F. Kennedy. This is no
mean accomplishment."--Presidential Studies Quarterly"Provides an
excellent prism for conducting a more objective, balanced, and
nuanced assessment of JFK's presidency and some of his
policies."--Congress and The Presidency"A sober and searching
account of a complex president."--Kirkus"Knott's approach will
enable readers to see the Kennedy presidency more
clearly."--Current"Knott's writing is excellent throughout the
book, and he makes a reading about pivotal, decades-old events
exciting all over again."--Washington Independent Review of
Books
"Stephen Knott sheds new light on the early 1960s by placing John
F. Kennedy in a larger arc of presidential history, discussing both
the precedents that guided the thirty-fifth president and the
legacy that forever marked the US political landscape. Knott deftly
weaves telling moments and decision points that help recover from
decades of mythmaking a fresh, nuanced portrait of a president who
remains widely misunderstood."--Patrick Lacroix, author of John F.
Kennedy and the Politics of Faith"Stephen Knott's reappraisal of
John F. Kennedy's presidency is intertwined with a personal story
of his own long journey away from the Kennedy mystique and then
back to his clear-eyed appreciation of a leader who did his duty
and deserved better than myths. This is more than a book about JFK:
it is a call to remember the inspiration for a better
America."--Tom Nichols, contributing writer, Atlantic"John F.
Kennedy continues to hold a prominent place in American political
and cultural history. His reputation and image have received much
scholarly praise and scrutiny. Stephen Knott's Coming to Terms with
John F. Kennedy is a nuanced, well-balanced reflection on JFK's
legacy and its role in Knott's own scholarly journey. Knott
masterfully shows how JFK came to personify modern liberalism--the
idea that the federal government can and should act for the benefit
of the least fortunate. His reflections on Kennedy's role in the
expansion of presidential and federal power as well as his views on
civil rights and foreign policy are a must-read for anyone
interested in American institutions and politics."--Patrick
Sobkowski, lawyer, and contributing writer, Liberal Currents"It's
refreshing to witness an eminent historian think anew about one of
our most popular presidents. Stephen Knott's engaging and powerful
reflections on John F. Kennedy not only illuminate our thirty-fifth
president's strengths and limitations, but also provide a model for
thoughtful historical revisionism. Drawing on his personal
experience and professional expertise, Knott argues that JFK's
influence continues to shape the presidency and the nation. It is
an impressive work."--John M. Murphy, professor, University of
Illinois, and author of John F. Kennedy and the Liberal
Persuasion"Stephen F. Knott's revisiting of the presidency of John
F. Kennedy is a masterful and judicious balancing of Kennedy's
brief and tragically unfinished presidency. It is neither an
apologia nor an unvarnished critique but is instead a finely
nuanced analysis of Kennedy's deficiencies and his strengths as
president. I strongly recommend this book as one that is both
accessible to lay readers while also fulfilling the demands of
well-crafted scholarship."--Bert A. Rockman, professor emeritus of
political science, Purdue University"Professor Knott has produced
an extraordinary book that should be widely read by scholars and
the public alike. Detailed, discerning, and deeply introspective,
Coming to Terms with John F. Kennedy is a compelling history about
far more than the thirty-fifth president of the United States. It
is a nuanced exploration into the myth-making enterprise that has
surrounded the historical legacy of Kennedy's presidency and
personal character. Alongside the richly textured and carefully
documented descriptions of Kennedy's successes and shortfalls,
Knott reveals his own past experiences and professional perspective
on the wide variety of attempts to shape--both lionize and
denigrate--the public's memory of John F. Kennedy and his one
thousand days in office. As in his highly regarded Alexander
Hamilton and the Persistence of Myth, Knott again invites the
reader to contend with the frequently self-serving historical
constructions of his subject and reconsider their own historical
biases and past judgments. He also humbly reminds us that those
individuals who become revered as statesmen not only possess human
frailties, but also that if we are to uncover the truth about these
men and women and their public works, then we must wrestle with
their full characters and complete list of accomplishments. Simply
put, read this book, and read it more than once."--Lara Brown,
president and executive director of The New Center "Stephen F.
Knott has a unique vantage point from which to assess John F.
Kennedy and his legacy. Infusing his analysis of the thirty-fifth
president with a blend of personal recollection, deep research, and
fresh insights, Knott deftly challenges conventional narratives of
JFK on topics that include Civil Rights, Cuba, Vietnam, and the
dark day of November 22, 1963, and forces us to reassess what we
thought we knew about the man and his presidency. All readers will
appreciate that there is still something original to say about one
of our most consequential presidents. Scholars as well as general
readers will love this book."--Christopher J. Leahy, professor of
history, Keuka College, and author of President without a Party:
The Life of John Tyler
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