John F. Kennedy, Commander in Chief

About this book

A well-known Kennedy insider presents JFK - still larger than life - as war hero, man of peace, and president at the helm of the U.S. armed forces. Until now, the majority of books on the Kennedy administration has overlooked what many see as the defining aspect of John F. Kennedy's presidency: how he fulfilled his role as commander in chief of the armed forces. Nearly every memorable crisis or event of the JFK presidency had a crucial military component that Kennedy personally oversaw. In John F. Kennedy: Commander in Chief, Pierre Salinger shares his unique firsthand perspective on President Kennedy as military leader of the free world. He races the development of JFK's hands-on relationship with the armed forces - closer than any other post war president's - against the backdrop of the Bay of Pigs, through Laos, Vietnam, and the Berlin Wall, to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the space program. John F. Kennedy: Commander in Chief presents period photographs, many recently discovered in the files of the Department of Defense, that show the president's interaction with troops, equipment, and combat demonstrations. Also included are reproductions of directives and of transcripts of recently released recordings of the EXCOM crisis meetings and commentary from Marcus Wolf, former deputy director of the East German secret police agency, STASI. The eminent historian and Kennedy White House staff member Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., provides a foreword to the book. These enhance Salinger's text, richly contributing to this overdue celebration of a military architect who - despite many challenges - averted the United States armed forces involvement in any live-fire incidents. John F. Kennedy: Commander in Chief is a revelation for military buffs and Kennedy fans alike.