Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero - Tapa dura

"In his engaging new biography...Matthews, who has a deep knowledge of American political history, draws on coversations with numerous people...[offering] a valuable reminder of Kennedy's skill at uniting toughness with inspirational leadership."--The New York Times "Matthews stirring biography reveals Kennedy as a 'fighting prince never free from pain, never far from trouble, and never accepting the world he found."--Publishers Weekly "Matthews...blends tributes and chastisement in this highly personal account of John. F. Kennedy's career."--Kirkus "Chris Matthews takes on a giant of American life--and triumphs."--Brian Williams "NBC News " "Filled with the vitality and spirit that made Jack Kennedy such a magical figure. Chris Matthews shows the cunning and determination beneath that magic. Written with passion and insight. This book makes Kennedy vibrant again. It's an awesome and delightful book."--Walter Isaacson "author of Steve Jobs " "It's hard for a book to be loving, affectionate and honest, but Chris Matthews has done it. He captures JFK's virtues and flaws, his appreciation of heroism, his essential independence, his coolness at the core. Full of drama, infused with the joy of politics and battle, Jack Kennedy is an insightful piece of work and a great time! "--Peggy Noonan "Wall Street Journal " "Chris Matthews has written an insightful, engrossing, and candid account about what made John F. Kennedy tick. Every chapter brims with colorful anecdotes, political yarns, fast-paced drama, and solid research. Jack Kennedy is a riveting read by one of American's master political analysts. I give it ten gold-stars!"--Douglas Brinkley "author of The Great Deluge "

This is the story of the friendships that defined one of America's most beloved Presidents. Chris Matthews, who has been following and studying the Kennedys most of his life, has interviewed President Kennedy's closest confidants - family, friends, and those who served with him--to create a moving portrait of a man many loved but few really understood. Matthews focuses on the relationships between Kennedy and twelve of the people who were around him the most and knew him the best, from his days at Choate (the Connecticut prep school that inspired his famous "Ask Not..." speech), through his heroism during World War II, his political career, and, always, his devotion to the Kennedy family. These friends were with Jack Kennedy as he took surprising risks, struggled with chronic illness, and repeatedly confronted "the thin membrane between life and death." As Matthews describes it, Jack Kennedy was a rebel, an adventurer, and a great enjoyer of life precisely because he understood its fragility. Being with Jack Kennedy was great fun for his friends. Now, too, readers will share in that experience.