JFK’s Last Hundred Days: The Transformation of a Man and the Emergence of a Great President

Set to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his assassination, this intimate look at J.F.K.’s last 100 days makes the case that had he survived that fateful November afternoon, his political star would’ve only continued to rise in a seemingly assured second term. Clarke (Lost Hero) contends that Kennedy’s successful resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, as well as his popular stances on civil rights, lunar exploration, arms reduction, and tax cuts would’ve overshadowed his romantic scandals, tensions relating to Vietnam, and the public’s frustration with Jackie’s exotic European vacations. Clarke’s portrait of the president is highly favorable; plenty of background information is provided, but many unsavory—and well-known—facts are excised. Effusive encomiums on Kennedy’s charm and pithy anecdotes from big-name admirers take the spotlight, leaving the president’s iciness, penchant for sporadic cruelty, and mercurial tendencies to flit about the wings. Still, Clarke has a taste for a good tangent, and Camelot devotees will relish insider details, from descriptions of an obviously depressed Vice President Johnson “growling at anyone who disturbed him” to dismissive jabs at Sen. Barry Goldwater taken from the president’s official diary. Agent: Kathy Robbins and David Halpern, Robbins Office. (Aug.)