Synopses & Reviews
Written in 1955 by the then junior senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy's
Profiles in Courage has served as a clarion call to every American. A collection of eight inspiring, unsung, and heroic acts by American patriots at different junctures in our nation's history, Kennedy's book became required reading and an instant classic and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Now, a half-century later, it remains a moving, powerful, and relevant testament to the indomitable national spirit and an unparalleled celebration of that most noble of human virtues.
Along with vintage photographs and an extensive author biography, this book features Kennedy's correspondence about the writing project, contemporary reviews, a letter from Ernest Hemingway, and two rousing speeches from recipients of the Profile in Courage Award.
Synopsis
"This book is not just the stories of the past but a book of hope and confidence for the future. What happens to the country, to the world, depends on what we do with what others have left us." - Robert F. Kennedy
The Pulitzer Prize winning classic by President John F. Kennedy, with an introduction by Caroline Kennedy, a foreword by Robert F. Kennedy, and vintage photographs of the family.
Written in 1955 by the then junior senator from the state of Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage serves as a clarion call to every American.
In this book, Kennedy chose eight of his historical colleagues to profile for their acts of astounding integrity in the face of overwhelming opposition. These heroes, coming from different junctures in our nation's history, include John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, and Robert A. Taft.
Now, a half-century later, the book remains a moving, powerful, and relevant testament to the indomitable national spirit and an unparalleled celebration of that most noble of human virtues. It resounds with timeless lessons on the most cherished of virtues and is a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit. Profiles in Courage is as Robert Kennedy states in the foreword: "not just stories of the past but a book of hope and confidence for the future. What happens to the country, to the world, depends on what we do with what others have left us."
Along with vintage photographs and an extensive author biography, this book features Kennedy's correspondence about the writing project, contemporary reviews, a letter from Ernest Hemingway, and two rousing speeches from recipients of the Profile in Courage Award. Introduction by John F. Kennedy's daughter Caroline Kennedy, forward by John F. Kennedy's brother Robert F. Kennedy.
Synopsis
During 1954 and 1955, John F. Kennedy, then a U.S. senator, chose eight of his historical colleagues, including John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, and Thomas Hart Benton, to profile for their acts of astounding integrity in the face of overwhelming opposition.
Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1957, Profiles in Courage -- now featuring a new introduction by Caroline Kennedy, as well as Robert F. Kennedy's foreword written in 1964 for the memorial edition -- resounds with timeless lessons on the most cherished of virtues and is a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit.
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) was President of the United States from 1961 to 1963. He was the youngest man ever elected to the Oval Office and the first Roman Catholic president.
"A book that deserves reading by every American." -- Springfield Republican
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Springfield RepublicanSynopsis
THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING CLASSIC OF POLITICAL INTEGRITY
With a foreword by Robert F. Kennedy and introduction by Caroline Kennedy
John F. Kennedy's enduring classic resounds with timeless lessons on the most cherished of virtues--courage and patriotism--and remains a moving, powerful, and relevant testament to the indomitable American spirit
During 1954-55, Kennedy, then a junior senator from the state of Massachusetts, profiled eight American patriots, mainly United States Senators, who at crucial moments in our nation's history, revealed a special sort of greatness: men who disregarded dreadful consequences to their public and private lives to do that one thing which seemed right in itself. They were men of various political and regional allegiances--their one overriding loyalty was to the United States.
Courage such as these men shared, Kennedy makes clear, is central to all morality--a man does what he must in spite of personal consequences--and these exciting stories suggest that, without in the least disparaging the courage with which men die, we should not overlook the true greatness adorning those acts of courage with which men must live.
As Robert F. Kennedy writes in the foreword, Profiles in Courage "is not just stories of the past but a book of hope and confidence for the future. What happens to the country, to the world, depends on what we do with what others have left us.
This Harper Perennial Deluxe Edition, featuring French flaps and deckle-edge paper, includes a special P.S. edition with vintage photographs, an extensive author biography, Kennedy's correspondence about the writing project, contemporary reviews of the book, a letter from Ernest Hemingway, and two rousing speeches from recipients of the Profile in Courage Award.
About the Author
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) graduated from Harvard with honors in 1940 and served as a P. T. Boat Commander in the South Pacific during World War II. He was decorated twice by the Navy for the serious injuries he suffered when his boat was rammed in two while attacking a Japanese destroyer in the Solomons, and for "his courage, endurance and excellent leadership" in towing injured members of his crew to safety.
A writer and newspaperman, Kennedy in 1940 wrote Why England Slept, a best-selling analysis of England's unpreparedness for war, termed by the New York Times "a notable textbook for our times."
The son of Joseph P. Kennedy, former Ambassador to Great Britain, and the grandson of Boston's one-time Mayor and Congressman John F. Fitzgerald, Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946 at the age of twenty-nine, and re-elected in 1948 and 1950. In 1952 he became the third Democrat ever elected to the Senate from Massachusetts, receiving the largest vote ever polled by a Senator in the history of the state. He was President of the United States from 1961 to 1963. He was the youngest man ever elected to the Oval Office and the first Roman Catholic President.