'John F. Kennedy Ein Unvollendetes Leben', by Robert Dallek

DVA Munich ISBN: 3-421005200

The subject of this well written biography by Robert Dallek was born into a nouveau riche catholic family in Boston (US). According to this account, he was neglected as a child, suffered continuing ill-health and was eventually murdered. Following the death of his elder brother, his father used every kind of leverage to manufacture his public image in order to promote him to positions of influence and authority in public life. A philanderer, he eventually served briefly as President of the United States of America, embarking on a series of military and diplomatic adventures, brinkmanship, which brought the world close to global nuclear annihilation.

This biography is a sad tale of cynical manipulation, set against the background of a country, where money is a tool that buys acclaim, electoral success and high office. Dallek's book left me feeling sorry for its subject, who seems to have been powerless to oppose his father's determined machinations and consequently lived a life that seems poorly matched to his talents and inclinations. The family continue to play an influential role in US public life and a distant relative by marriage was recently elected to the Governorship of a Major State in unusual circumstances.

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