Jack Kennedy; Elusive Hero

New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. Peter Hurley (Author Photograph), Mark Shaw (Jacke. Format is approximately 6.5 inches by 9.5 inches. viii, [4], 479, [5] pages. Illustrations. Notes. Index. Signed bookplate on fep. Christopher John Matthews (born December 17, 1945) is an American political commentator, retired talk show host, and author. Matthews hosted his weeknight hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, on America's Talking and later on MSNBC, from 1997 until March 2, 2020. He announced on his final episode that he was retiring. On that occasion, he stated: "The younger generation's out there ready to take the reins. We see them in politics, in media, in fighting for their causes. They're improving the workplace. Matthews worked as an officer with the United States Capitol Police. Subsequently, Matthews served on the staffs of four Democratic Members of Congress, including Senator Edmund Muskie. Matthews was a presidential speechwriter during the Carter Administration, and later worked for six years as Chief of Staff to longtime Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill, playing a direct role in many key political battles with the Reagan Administration. Matthews worked in print media for 15 years, spending 13 years as Washington bureau chief for the San Francisco Examiner (1987-2000) and two years as a syndicated columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Matthews covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first all-races election in South Africa, and the Peace Talks in Northern Ireland. His research produced exclusives on the Nixon presidential tapes. Matthews covered presidential election campaigns from 1988 until his retirement in 2020. The critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling biography of John F. Kennedy, by Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC s Hardball. What was he like? Jack Kennedy said the reason people read biography is to answer that basic question. What was he like, this man whose own wife called him that elusive, unforgettable man? In this New York Times bestselling biography, Chris Matthews answers that question with the verve of a novelist. We see this most beloved president in the company of friends. We see and feel him close-up, having fun and giving off that restlessness of his. We watch him navigate his life from privileged, rebellious youth to gutsy American president. We witness his bravery in war and selfless rescue of his PT boat crew. We watch JFK as a young politician learning to play hardball and watch him grow into the leader who averts a nuclear war. Matthews's extraordinary biography is based on personal interviews with those closest to JFK, oral histories by top political aide Kenneth O'Donnell and others, documents from his years as a student at Choate, and notes from Jacqueline Kennedy's first interview after Dallas. As Matthews writes: I found a fighting prince never free of pain, never far from trouble, never accepting the world he found, never wanting to be his father's son. He was a far greater hero than he ever wished us to know. Filled with the vitality and spirit that made Jack Kennedy such a magical figure. Chris Matthews shows the cunning and determination beneath that magic. It's an awesome and delightful book. --Walter Isaacson. Derived from a Kirkus review: Matthews blends tributes and chastisement in this highly personal account of John F. Kennedy's career. The author begins with his earliest memory of JFK—his failed 1956 attempt to gain the vice-president spot with Adlai Stevenson. Throughout the narrative, the author combines political biography with personal reflection. Repeatedly, he narrates a key event in JFK's career (e.g., the Bay of Pigs debacle), and then raises questions about why the president behaved as he did. Matthews praises Kennedy's heroism during World War II, his determination to excel despite his medical conditions and his recognition of the moral aspects of politics. The excerpt Matthews includes from a JFK civil-rights speech delivered after the crisis at the University of Alabama remains stirring today. The author also lauds JFK for his ability to turn from his strong-willed father, his devotion to old friends, his speaking and debating skills and his resolution in the face of the dire threats issued by the Soviets. Matthews does not neglect his negative character traits. He reminds us that Kennedy was not a devoted husband—not just because of his serial infidelities but also in his casual, even cruel, treatment of his wife—and he questions JFK's support of Sen. Joseph McCarthy and his appointment of his own brother Robert as Attorney General. Matthews also recognizes that the Kennedy charm lay on a hard foundation of political savvy, even ruthlessness. Matthews' admiration and gratitude for JFK trump his disapprobation.