Author and Harvard Professor Fredrik Logevall discussed his new book, JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917- 1956. The virtual event was hosted by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, Library, and Museum on November 17, 2020.
Logevall's presentation and the Q&A session highlighted the first 39 years of Kennedy's life—from birth through his decision to run for president. Logevall delves into JFK's early relationships, his formative experiences during World War II, his ideas, his writings, and his political aspirations. JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century has been called a sweeping history of the United States in the middle decades of the twentieth century, as well as the clearest portrait we have of this enigmatic American icon.
Fredrik Logevall is the Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Professor of History, Harvard University. A specialist on U.S. foreign relations history and modern international history, he was previously the Anbinder Professor of History at Cornell University, where he also served as vice provost and as the director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.
Logevall is the author or editor of ten books, including JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917- 1956. His book Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam, won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for History and the 2013 Francis Parkman Prize, as well as the 2013 American Library in Paris Book Award and the 2013 Arthur Ross Book Award from the Council on Foreign Relations. His other recent works include America’s Cold War: The Politics of Insecurity with Campbell Craig, and the college-level textbook A People and A Nation: A History of the United States with Jane Kamensky. Logevall’s essays and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Politico, Daily Beast, and Foreign Affairs, among other publications.
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, he is a past president of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, and is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and the Society of American Historians.
During the discussion, Frank Logevall engaged in a reflective conversation on his journey to develop the historical story of John F. Kennedy’s years before his time in the White House. He began his remarks fondly recalling his time in November 2017 where he lectured at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on the meaning of the Vietnam War. Logevall discussed his book Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam which was the 2013 Pulitzer Prize winner.
Logevall provided insights for his developing the book on John F. Kennedy. While researching for other books, he had focused on the context of Kennedy as President, as a U.S. Senator, during Vietnam, and during the Cold War. He was interested in exploring and expanding on his research of JFK into a full-life story (will be two volumes); one that is not only about Kennedy’s rise to the White House but also the rise of America.
The book touches on numerous themes of JFK’s life including his time in the U.S. Navy; his health and various conditions that affected his empathy towards people; the Kennedy family; the influence of JFK’s father, Joseph Kennedy Sr. on his life; the path of JFK’s life following the death of his brother, Joe Kennedy Jr. in WWII; and JFK’s early views on party politics amongst numerous others.
Watch the Program Here
When
December 17, 2020
Program Supporters
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum
