Product Description

Let Every Nation Know is the first book of its kind-a historical biography in Kennedy's own words. Combining a remarkable audio CD of Kennedy's most famous speeches, debates and press conferences with the insights of two of America's preeminent historians, the result is a unique look at the world-changing words and presidency of John F. Kennedy.

Robert Dallek, author of the #1 bestselling biography An Unfinished Life, and Terry Golway, author of Washington's General, bring to life the soaring oratory, marvelous wit and the intense drama of Kennedy's words and the events they evoke.

“I had forgotten just how powerful these speeches were but the CD brings them to life once more and Dallek and Golway have done a masterful job of putting them into context.”-Bob Schieffer, CBS News

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #801827 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 308 pages

From Publishers Weekly
After Lincoln, John F. Kennedy is generally acknowledged as our most eloquent president. The words of such major speeches as his inaugural and his remarks at the Berlin Wall resonate still in the minds of Americans. But as this book and CD illustrate, Kennedy was equally articulate on a host of other occasions, including campaign debates with Richard Nixon, White House press conferences, commencement addresses and comments on such topics as the integration of the University of Mississippi and the Cuban missile crisis. Of course, a large part of JFK's communicative excellence lay in his smart, confident delivery. Thus bestselling Kennedy biographer Dallek and Golway (The Irish in America) present the speeches on a CD featuring Kennedy's own voice, while their book sets each of the CD's 32 tracks in historical context. The speeches and commentary trace JFK's presidential career from the 1960 campaign through his death. Painstakingly, the authors lay out the parameters of real politics that lay behind particular phrases and positions. In the end, the reader/listener is even more impressed with JFK after learning the backgrounds and contexts and then hearing Kennedy so lucidly express the words. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* The voice of John F. Kennedy is burned into the brains of people of a certain age. But younger citizens may not be familiar with his ideas and the distinctive way in which he expressed himself. There have been past recordings of JFK's presidential speeches, but this unique package pairs a CD of the speeches with a collection of essays on them by historians Golway and Dallek (the latter wrote his own JFK book, An Unfinished Life, 2003). The result is nothing short of terrific. The speeches (some are excerpted, some are complete) are grouped chronologically, beginning with the campaign and continuing through the high points of Kennedy's 1,000 days, including the inaugural address, the calls for a Peace Corps and an effort to put a man on the moon, and, of course, the landmark pronouncements during the Cuban missile crisis. But these are just the highlights. There are 32 tracks in all, and they deliver a superb sense of the man and his charismatic style. The insightful commentary adds a powerful complement. For instance, using the pre-presidential speeches as a starting point, the authors set the American stage, discussing what was happening in the country on the verge of the 1960s. Later, when Kennedy tells Americans to ask what they can do for their country, the text makes clear how unusual such presidential calls for sacrifice are (even today). Researchers will find this work invaluable, but more casual readers (and listeners) will be fascinated as well. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Nothing short of terrific" -- Booklist (starred review)

"Perhaps the best of all the books on JFK." -- Senator Edward M. Kennedy

Illuminates the importance of public address to the success and reputation of presidents and shows that Kennedy mastered this art. -- Library Journal, March 15, 2006

Words are the tools of politics--and this marvelous work again lets us hear a master wield them -- Joe Conason, journalist and author of The Hunting of the President and Big Lies

Customer Reviews

Let Every Nation Know. JFK in his own words.
A must have book for all age groups interested in the life and times of JFK. To hear the actual speeches of JFK on CD are inspirational and even in this day and age very moving. The book and CD transported me back to that era even though I was 8 at the time and brought back many memories.
An excellent book.Highly recommended.

Eloquent, But Hard to Comprehend
Robert Dallak and Terry Goldway bring to life masterfully in Kennedy's own words a portrait of an age with a president that was young but gifted politician. From the "Ask Not" Speech to the speech of the Berlin Wall, Kennedy's voice enhances the masterful biography of all Kennedy's charm, love of words, and deep, moral conscience. To me, it brings back the era when the world was on nuclear hair-trigger alert, the press was oppressing, and CIA secrets were gossip for the public. However, I do not think middle school students should read this book because the words of kennedy are still to deep to grasp at this age. The words of Kennedy cut deep into this nation's very soul, and continues to do so.

A Great Addition to any Library
The combination of audio CD and written commentary make this a `must have' for the serious student of oratory and contemporary American politics. Writers Dallek and Golway present over 30 speeches (some edited) from one of the finest political orators of the 20th century.

The vast majority of the speeches are probably well known to Kennedy aficionados, but probably only in written form. It is a delight to hear such a diverse range of speeches ranging from early in his campaign - January 1960 thru November 21 1963, the day before his assassination.

The authors give a profile / overview of each speech. By its nature, these have to be brief and do not provide a lot of detail. For those interested in learning more about Kennedy's speech development, read Theodore Sorensen's Counselor, Thurston Clarke's Ask Not and Richard Tofel's Sounding the Trumpet.

Occasions make great speeches. Kennedy was a fine orator who came to power at a time of great tension, achievement and change. The words he spoke when put in this context have become memorable. Thus Kennedy's address to protestant ministers of the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, his inaugural, the Berlin crisis address and the Cuban missile crisis address are memorable not just because of well crafted words, well delivered, but because they were important narrative about crucial events.

The presidential debates with Richard Nixon feature prominently in the book. Many historians suggest that those listening on radio thought Nixon won the debate. I have never seen statistics to support that point, but Nixon does come across as well as Kennedy on audio although much of the Vice-President's commentary was pretty ironic given what we now know of the only man to resign the presidency.

Kennedy's final speech on November 21st is worthwhile because of its poignant closeness to his assassination one day later.
Overall, this is one of those books / CDs that you will constantly refer back to. Well worth adding to your library.