An Unfinished Life

The is the first bio/historical book I read on JFK and I enjoyed it... At times, I felt a little more editorial that the bios I have read on FDR and Lincoln from Doris Kearns Goodwin, but Dallek does a great job on providing a big picture sense to the JFK Presidency and its place in History even though it is fairly recent in historical terms. It also gives you hope to think that each future President is being prepared in his youth for the challenges that will be faced by the next generation. All the foreign service and international assignments that JFK had while climbing the ladder, while expected in people of his "zip code", ended up being a crucial part of his preparation to understand and tackle the nuances and intricacies of the complex foreign relations with the Soviet Union, Asia, South America, and Europe that defined his Presidency and his legacy.

A highly informative and informational story of the president. Extremely enjoyed the early life and war stories.

All in all an informative bio of JFK. Rather dry or perhaps academic in tone it nonetheless sheds some new light on the man and his times particularly his health issues and the Cuban missile crisis.