John F. Kennedy  Books, Videos, Models and More about this Famous President.

John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America.  

Book Description 
Seventeen years before John F. Kennedy became the thirty-fifth president of the United States--in the early morning of August 2, 1943,  to be exact--a PT or Motor Torpedo Boat under his command was rammed and sliced in half by a Japanese destroyer in the waters of  Blackett Strait, in the Solomon Islands. Kennedy's wartime career had been unremarkable to that point. He had shown a talent for  scrounging the occasional loaf of bread or haunch of New Zealand mutton for his crew, he had nearly destroyed a refueling dock in his  rush to be the first PT boat returning from overnight patrols, and he as a congenial and businesslike commander of his tiny boat with its  crew of twelve. 

The PT boats were the terriers of the Pacific Fleet, yapping at the enemy's heels but rarely getting the chance for heroics,  and PT 109 was no exception. Kennedy's first direct confrontation with an enemy ship was the one that sank his boat. There was no time   to react; in the concealing darkness, with no radar, the destroyer was inside torpedo range before they saw it. In the aftermath of the  ramming, as the destroyer swept away and fired two shots back at the broken and burning PT boat, and with an injured back, Kennedy  became a hero. Gathering his surviving crew to the derelict forward section of the boat, which was still floating, Kennedy swan into the darkness and towed the injured back to the hulk. He would spend 30 of the next 36 hours in the water, during which time he and the  crew swam three miles to a small island with Kennedy towing a badly burned survivor. Over the next three days Kennedy placed his life at risk in the effort to secure the rescue of his crew, which was finally effected on day 4.

Only two men were lost, and those at the time of  the collision. In September 1943 Kennedy assumed command of PT 59 and was =promoted to Lieutenant. In October he plucked 50  marines from the water beneath enemy guns. In November, suffering from a ruptured disc and malaria, Kennedy was directed by a doctor to leave his command, and returned stateside in earl 1944 weighing just 125 pounds. He was awarded the Navy and Marine  Corps medal and the Purple Heart. 

From the Back Cover 
"Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and  satisfaction, 'I served in the United States Navy.'"--John Fitzgerald Kennedy, August 1963 
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This artfully constructed five-part series offers chilling evidence that American democracy has become a convenient lie; that a  conspiratorial coup d'état removed a sitting president and then hid that fact from the American people. This sounds like the stuff of  wild-eyed paranoia, but these filmmakers did their homework well--interviews include levelheaded witnesses, suspicious government  agents, and Dallas cops present in Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963. Some of the "proof" (especially in Episode 2, "The Forces of  Darkness") seems a bit far-fetched, but the sheer number of unexplained facts is riveting. An autopsy attendant describes a procedure  botched by meddling Secret Service agents. A deaf-mute eyewitness shares his recollection of uniformed men hiding a rifle and leaving  the site of the assassination unchallenged. Eisenhower's security chief, present at the shooting, discusses fatal safety lapses--as well as  mysterious shots coming from the opposite direction of the Texas School Book Depository. District Attorney Jim Garrison points out that  Lee Harvey Oswald, a Marine assigned to Russian reconnaissance, operated a "Communist" organization out of a government intelligence  office. Senator Ralph Yarbrough, present in the motorcade, tells of Kennedy's order to recall the troops from Vietnam--an order  rescinded by the Pentagon three days after his death. But the most powerful elements of this documentary are the most personal, as  hardened cops confess to lasting nightmares, as senatorial investigators tearfully recall the moment they realized the official story did not match the facts, and as simple bystanders share their lasting grief at having witnessed the gory death of America's innocence. --Grant  Balfour 

From the Back Cover  John F. Kennedy was the most dynamic President in decades. His charismatic message of hope and change led the nation into a "New Frontier". The first President to utilize the medium of television; every speech contained in this tape reverberates with his  special life force. You'll see all the major addresses, from his 1960 Presidential campaign through his three controversial years in  office. Possess forever the history and the moments of JFK. 

In 1954-55 a freshman U.S. Senator from Massachusetts wrote a book profiling eight of his historical Senatorial colleagues, such men as John Quincy Adams, Sam Houston, and Robert A. Taft. Instead of focusing on their storied careers, John F. Kennedy chose to illustrate their acts of integrity, when they stood alone against tremendous political and social pressure for what they felt was right. This abridged audio is introduced by Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, and the text is read admirably by the late John F. Kennedy, Jr. There is a sense of family legacy and pride about the president's children taking part in the project. At some point, however, one aches to hear the distinctive voice of JFK himself. That wish is fulfilled superbly on the fourth CD, which includes three speeches written and delivered by Kennedy while president--sounding so distant and yet so familiar. Kennedy's Inaugural Address alone more than illustrates why both the man and the twentieth-century icon still captivate our nation, and the world, to this day. 

NASA's complete participation in the production lends to its total authenticity, right down to the use of NASA equipment, launch  locations, and even spacecraft. The re-creation of the lunar landscape is almost as impressive as the real thing and is further enhanced by  the use of helium balloons to lighten the actors playing moon-walking astronauts. (These and other backstage details are revealed in the  "making of" featurette, along with a wealth of supplemental materials, on a bonus disc in the miniseries' DVD package.) With a fictional, Walter Cronkite-like TV reporter (Lane Smith) serving as the dramatic link for all 12 episodes, this ambitious production may not be a great work of art. But as a generous and definitive example of nonfiction drama, it's full of the same kind of awe, inspiration, and humanity that led to "one giant leap" in the all-too-short history of 20th-century space exploration. --Jeff Shannon --This text refers to the DVD edition. 

 Note: This video contains mature content that is not intended for younger viewers.

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Drawing on the resources of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum--which include millions of pages of documents, more than 100,000 photographs, and many thousands of books, audiotapes, and film reels--this slender book is far more than a keepsake for  visitors to that institution. Instead, it offers a thoroughly illustrated, thoughtful, and sometimes even critical overview of the late president's  life and political accomplishments.

Though born into a vast fortune, John Kennedy, notes historian Charles Kenney, had to overcome a great deal of difficulty (including  frequent illness and a pronounced lack of direction) before arriving at the confident sense of purpose that characterized his public image. (Kennedy, the author notes, was also given to vanity, and he worked extraordinarily hard "to remain slender, well-groomed, and carefully  tailored," while shunning the ostentation of an earlier generation of powerbrokers and politicians.) Charting Kennedy's evolution from  playboy to war hero and scholar, and thence to a leader buffeted by one crisis after another, the book makes generous use of the president's own words--and, especially, of once top-secret correspondence and memoranda. An audio CD, containing recorded  addresses, speeches, telephone conversations, and dictations, accompanies the book.

The publication coincides with the 37th anniversary of the president's assassination--which, notes historian Michael Beschloss, 80 percent of Americans polled believe was the result of a conspiracy, not a lone gunman--and with the 2000 presidential election, the conduct of  which may make some readers more nostalgic than ever for the comparatively pure vision of Kennedy's Camelot. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description 
John F. Kennedy's presidency has been well examined, but a frequently overlooked yet crucial component of it was his leadership of the United States armed forces. His relationship with the military was forged by personal combat experience and the many lessons learned  during his presidential administration. A staunch supporter of the lower ranks, President Kennedy quickly became disillusioned with the upper echelon of the military, preferring ultimately to rely on his own wisdom and that of a close circle of trusted advisers. As a result, it  can be argued that John F. Kennedy was more involved in his role as commander in chief than any other president of modern vintage. His  was a unique challenge. The world was changing; military actions were no longer large-scale troop movements but small localized and  diplomatic crises with frequent guerrilla activity.

President Kennedy, typically, quickly immersed himself in his role. Almost immediately following his election he was confronted with the  formidable challenge of the Bay of Pigs. Relying on the advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Kennedy was humiliated by the results of that  action, and yet he accepted complete responsibility for it. It was a mistake that would not be repeated. Thereafter, Kennedy questioned everything and came to his own decisions. He began to involve himself in details of the services, reviewing his "new" army, navy, and air  force, even spending time thinking about what the individual  soldier was wearing and carrying.

In John F. Kennedy: Commander in Chief, Pierre Salinger, press secretary and confidant to the president, provides an insightful view of  this side of John F. Kennedy. He shares his unique understanding of all the major events of the Kennedy administration that had a military  component. He draws a fascinating and clear depiction of the Kennedy learning curve--illuminating the brilliance of the man. Kennedy  learned his lessons quickly. One can only speculate what may have resulted had Kennedy lived and been elected to a second term,  especially when one reads Kennedy's commencement address speech at American University included in this volume. This speech,  considered by many to be his finest, is remarkable in showing the maturity that President Kennedy had attained. Today it is easy to see the beginning of a new statesmanship in his speech, a new global consciousness, a larger and longer view for peace. Pierre Salinger, tantalizingly and profoundly, traces the maturation of Kennedy in his role as commander in chief and brings us to wonder what might have been.