The JFK Debate

About the lecture

In this module, we trace the development of John F. Kennedy’s legacy from the hagiographical accounts of Arthur M. Schlesinger (A Thousand Days, 1965) and Ted Sorensen (Kennedy, 1965) to the later, highly critical accounts of Garry Wills (The Kennedy Imprisonment, 1982), Thomas Reeves (A Question of Character, 1991) and Seymour Hersh (The Dark Side of Camelot, 1997). We end by thinking about the contrast between how historians view Kennedy’s presidency and how it is viewed by the general public.

About the lecturer

Mark White is Professor of History at Queen Mary, University of London, specialising in US foreign policy in the Cold War and the US presidency since 1945. His recent publications include Against the President: Dissent and Decision-Making in the White House (2007) and The Presidency of Bill Clinton: The Legacy of a New Domestic and Foreign Policy (2012)