Thomas J. Whalen is an associate professor of social science at Boston University and author of "Kennedy versus Lodge: The 1952 Massachusetts Senate Race." Whalen's latest book, "A Higher Purpose: Profiles in Presidential Courage," resurrects Truman and eight other American leaders and the moments that defined their political careers, using John F. Kennedy’s 1955 best seller, Profiles in Courage, as a touchstone. An expert in modern American politics, American foreign policy and the American presidency, Whalen's expert commentary has appeared in the New York Times, ABCNews.com, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and the AP. He has also appeared on several national broadcast outlets including CNN, NPR and Reuters TV.
Amid the recent cascade of new books on John F. Kennedy, Thomas
Whalen has managed a rare and notable feat -- to offer a fresh and
original perspective on the 35th president. By offering
colorful profiles and vivid vignettes of the foreign and domestic
leaders who confronted Kennedy at various stages of his career, the
author briskly and skillfully illuminates his life and times,
reminding us that a good way to judge a political figure is by the
enemies he makes.
*Michael Flamm, Professor of History, Ohio Wesleyan University*
In a clear and fast-paced narrative style, Thomas Whalen
convincingly illustrates that to understand John F. Kennedy, you
have to appreciate his complex relationships with his many rivals.
JFK and His Enemies depicts Kennedy’s role in the defining
conflicts of his era, from civil rights to the Cold War, while
shedding light on his personal charm, power, foibles, and
contradictions.
*Aram G. Goudsouzian, author of Down to the Crossroads: Civil
Rights, Black Power, and the Meredith March Against Fear*
Authored by a veteran presidential scholar, JFK and His Enemies is
a clearly written introduction to Kennedy's myriad "enemies,"
ranging from Henry Cabot Lodge, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson,
Nikita Khrushchev to J. Edgar Hoover and Lee Harvey Oswald. Readers
will find it interesting and absorbing.
*James N. Giglio, author of The Presidency of John F. Kennedy*
Thomas Whalen in this carefully crafted, admirably concise study
demonstrates again that a man may be judged by the enemies he
makes. Or, to paraphrase Sun Tzu, know your enemies and you will
know yourself. Indeed, Whalen’s captivating analysis of John
Kennedy’s adversarial relationships with the likes of J. Edgar
Hoover, George Wallace, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson
illuminates the man and his times, deepens our comprehension of how
JFK reached the pinnacle of power, and broadens our awareness of
the complications he faced as president.
*James W. Hilty, Professor Emeritus, Temple University, Author of
Robert Kennedy: Brother Protector*
If we can judge a man, in part, by the enemies he made, JFK will go
down as a great one. His enemies were powerful men, with
deadly weapons at their disposal. But JFK took them on
without fear or hesitation. Thomas Whalen's book reads like a
novel of political intrigue mostly because that was the fabric of
Kennedy's life.
*Randy Roberts, Distinguished Professor of History, Purdue
University*
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