An Unfinished Life

John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963

By: Robert Dallek

Narrated by: Richard McGonagle

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

An Unfinished Life describes the birth of the Kennedy dynasty, the complexity of Jack's early years, and the mixture of adulation and resentment that tangled his relationships with his mother, Rose, and his father, Joseph. Forced into the shadow of his older brother, Joe, Jack struggled to find a place for himself until World War II, when he became a national hero and launched his career. Dallek reveals for the first time the full story of Kennedy's wartime actions and the true details of how Joe was killed, opening the door to Jack's ascendancy.

Here is the gripping story of Jack's transformation from an awkward speaker into a brilliant politician with irresistible charm. The audiobook carries us from Jack's work as a senator from Massachusetts, through the fiercely contested 1960 campaign against Nixon, and takes us on to the White House itself.

An Unfinished Life also discloses for the very first time that Kennedy was far sicker than we ever knew. While laboring to present an image of robust good health, Kennedy was secretly in and out of hospitals through-out his life, so ill that he was administered last rites on several different occasions. Here is a vivid portrait of a man who, because he knew how close he was to death, lived as much as he could - sometimes hurting others in the process.

Never shying away from Kennedy's weaknesses, Dallek also brilliantly explores his strengths. The result is a portrait of a bold, brave, human Kennedy, once again a hero.

©2003 Robert Dallek (P)2003 Time Warner AudioBooks. A division of the AOL Time Warner Book Group.

Critic reviews

"Sets the historical record straight...pitch-perfect prose...hands-down the best biography of JFK...a truly remarkable achievement." (Douglas Brinkley, author of The Unfinished Presidency)
"In this riveting tour de force...Dallek delivers what will most assuredly become the benchmark JFK biography for this generation...[He] is to be thanked for providing this thoroughly researched, well-sourced, responsible and readable biography that has for so long been wanting in Kennedy scholarship." (Publishers Weekly)
"...riveting and well-documented biography." (New Yorker)
"Richard McGonagle brings the president to life, mimicking the famous accents so well that his renditions of Kennedy speeches compare favorably to Kennedy's own renderings." (AudioFile)

Outstanding Bio. A must for all Americans .

Goos for the best historians of this particular period. "So do not ask what your contry can do,but ask what you can do for your country" JFK.

A Great Biography

Dallek was my professor at UCLA and I read the book before listening to the audo - a great book, readable and compelling. Dallek illuminates how JFK's illnesses were a significant force in shaping his character for the better and for the worse. He documents in great detail some of the most frightening moments in the cold war, political machinations and intrigue, the early days of the civil rights movements and how JFK and the political establishment reacted to this new reality. There is just so much here - there are passages that will have people hitting "rewind" to play again. A great book!

Why do the great people die young

What an amazing life. What an amazing person. The detail of JFk's life will educate, and inspire you. Learn not well publised facts about his youth, his sickness and disabilities. How he approached the negotiating table with russian leaders. Off coarse the insight to the missle crisis and much, much more.

A little too emphasis on his health

Would you consider the audio edition of An Unfinished Life to be better than the print version?

I never read the book

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Nothing really compelling

What about Richard McGonagle’s performance did you like?

He stresses his S's and it is annoying as hell

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

The go-to Kennedy biography

A great starting point for those interested in the fascinating life of one of our most talked about figures.

Timeline bio which is fine

This biography lacks the insights one expects in such an interesting charter as JFK. Compared to coverage of JFK and RFK by Robert Caro in his LBJ bio, the depth of topics is skimmed way too quickly. Obviously this is an abridged version but I wonder if by the structure I would have found the unabridged that much better. If you are checking a president off the bio list, this does it. But I now need to read an analysis of Kennedy in one of the challenging situations he found himself to really understand him.

Great historic read

As a Gen Xer with limited knowledge of JFK, this was a great book, bringing awareness to several terms I have heard of, but never truly understood. Well written and interesting for someone not totally crazy about politics.

A long list of what ifs

Not terrible, but the author spends too much effort trying to convince the reader of what might have happened had JFK not been assassinated while giving short shrift to what actually happened.

Dry as a bone

Dallek's overview of the Kennedy legacy is a political, not personal one. He stays away from pretty much everything that made Kennedy a compelling figure, focusing on a cut-and-dried political biography. One wishes he'd linger a bit on Kennedy's persona, charm and wit, but he instead plows full steam ahead with a "just the facts" account of JFK's brief White House tenure.

Best JFK biography I've read so far

Gets all the info I would expect, plus some interesting new revelations. A good starting point for learning about both Jack and President Kennedy.