A Thousand Days

Summary

An insider history of the Kennedy administration written by the historian who served as a special assistant in the West Wing, covering the campaign, the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, civil rights, and Dallas. Schlesinger blends narrative reconstruction with personal observation of cabinet meetings, family dinners, and policy debates, presenting Kennedy as a pragmatic liberal still finding his stride. Despite its sympathetic angle, it remains an indispensable primary source for the early 1960s presidency.