The Kennedy Half Century

The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy

By: Larry J. Sabato

Narrated by: Chris Kayser

An original and illuminating narrative revealing John F. Kennedy's lasting influence on America, by the acclaimed political analyst Larry J. Sabato.

John F. Kennedy died half a century ago - yet because of his extraordinary promise and untimely death, his star still resonates strongly. On the anniversary of his assassination, celebrated political scientist and analyst Larry J. Sabato - himself a teenager in the early 1960s and inspired by JFK and his presidency - explores the fascinating and powerful influence he has had over five decades on the media, the general public, and especially on each of his nine presidential successors.

A recent Gallup poll gave JFK the highest job approval rating of any of those successors, and millions remain captivated by his thousand days in the White House. For all of them, and for those who feel he would not be judged so highly if he hadn't died tragically in office, The Kennedy Half-Century will be particularly revealing. Sabato reexamines JFK's assassination using heretofore unseen information to which he has had unique access, then documents the extraordinary effect the assassination has had on Americans of every modern generation through the most extensive survey ever undertaken on the public's view of a historical figure. The full and fascinating results, gathered by the accomplished pollsters Peter Hart and Geoff Garin, paint a compelling portrait of the country a half-century after the epochal killing. Just as significantly, Sabato shows how JFK's presidency has strongly influenced the policies and decisions - often in surprising ways - of every president since.

Among the hundreds of books devoted to JFK, The Kennedy Half-Century stands apart for its rich insight and original perspective. Anyone who reads it will appreciate in new ways the profound impact JFK's short presidency has had on our national psyche.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2013 Larry J. Sabato (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

This is not a biography, rather an analysis.

Mr. Sabato answered many questions I had about the Cuban Missile Crisis, but I felt he spent a long time on things such as the assassination conspiracies. However , he does a good job explaining the effect Kennedy had on his successors.

The only major mistake I noticed was a reference to an AR-15 “Assault Rifle”. An AR-15 is NOT an assault rifle, it’s a semi-automatic. AR stands for “Armalite” which is the company that makes the firearm.

The narrator sucks so I recommend listening on 1.25 speed. Apart from that if you want to learn about Kennedy and don’t want a complete biography, this is the book for you.

Job Well Done

It was very intersting how Sabato put this book together. There were many facts that i did not remember and some I knew nothing about that caught my attension. If you are a history buff or not, this is a good listen to learn and review the Kennedy years.

One-third great

This book is divided into roughly three parts; 1) JFK's early life and presidency; 2) his assassination; 3) the impact JFK and his assassination had on American politics and the presidency after his death. I would rate the first of those three parts as average, not great. Author Larry Sabato profiles JFK's personality perhaps a bit less than would have been ideal, but he provides a solid basis for the rest of the book in describing JFK's early life with family and his rise to the Senate and presidency. The second part is where this book is weakest. The author adds nothing new to the pre-existing mountain of JFK conspiracy literature, and sometimes borders on sensationalism. At times he holds the same drumstick that lesser authors do, repeating inaccurate and misleading statements. For example, he reiterates the unconsidered opinion that the Warren Commission Report was a brief, rushed, incomplete, and dangerously flawed document (in truth, the Warren Commission report was nearly 900 pages long and an additional 26 hearing volumes contained testimonies from 550 witnesses and evidence. No other murder in American history was scrutinized, investigated, researched, and documented than the death of JFK). To his credit the author provides some balance in addressing the question of whether the JFK assassination was the work of one man or a conspiracy, but in tone it generally it panders to the conspiracy theorists. Perhaps the author believed that a discussion of the assassination in depth, including the conspiracy theories, would be expected by anyone purchasing a book on JFK, but I believe this section of the book does little to complement the remainder of the work. The last part of this book is where Sabato shines. I had never before considered the lasting impact that JFK, and his assassination, had on the American presidency. The author does a masterful job of getting into the minds of LBJ, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan, later presidents who either suffered from or reveled in the legacy of the assassinated president. This book is worth experiencing for this part of the book alone.

Amazing Account of History

Great recount of Kennedy and those who followed. A must read for anyone that loves History.

Well done!

The most comprehensive summary of JFK presidential events and legacy I’ve read yet. Not a thorough or even glancing summary of pre-presidential era. Very interesting and thorough review of JFK post-assassination politics and legacy issues. Interesting new viewpoints on the invocation of JFK by latter politicians snd the effect on the political scene of the era.