The papers of Richard Goodwin, a speechwriter to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and his wife Doris Kearns Goodwin, a presidential historian, shed light on decision-making at crucial moments in American history.
Tag Archives: Kennedy, John Fitzgerald
Hawks Are Standing in the Way of a New Republican Party
Conservatives must make a clear break with neo-neoconservative foreign policy.
Did John F. Kennedy and the Democrats Steal the 1960 Election?
“Campaign of the Century,” a new book by Irwin F. Gellman, revives an old contention that Richard Nixon actually won the presidency in 1960.
Tsar Bomba Nuclear Test 60 Years Ago Didn’t Make J.F.K. Flinch
A new study offers insights into how the United States reacted to Tsar Bomba, a planet shaker that made the deadly Hiroshima blast look tame.
Legislating in the Name of God
Republican officeholders are no longer coy about their religion-driven mission to stop abortion.
Friends in High Places
Hanging with presidents: Sometimes First Friends are helping found a country; other times, they’re mixing martinis.
The Pentagon Papers’ Lessons Went Unlearned
As a soldier in Vietnam, I already knew what the Pentagon Papers revealed. In the years since, America’s leaders have repeated the same mistakes.
Was the Space Program Worth the Cost?
Jeff Shesol’s “Mercury Rising” explores the careers of John Kennedy and John Glenn as a way to cut through the rhetoric of space exploration.
Should Young Americans Be Required to Give a Year of Service?
A year of teamwork could help bridge our social divides.
Jean Kennedy Smith’s Duplex Is Up for Sale
Ms. Smith, who died last June, was the last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy. She moved into the apartment at 4 Sutton Place after serving as ambassador to Ireland.
Presidents’ Day Auction Offers Lincoln’s Hair and Other Oddities
The auction feeds a thriving market for private collectors. Among the items: photographs, a lottery ticket signed by Washington, a Kennedy sweater, and a check from Donald J. Trump.
Understanding Biden’s Catholic Faith
Readers reflect on what Catholicism means to the president, and to society.
25 Great Writers and Thinkers Weigh In on Books That Matter
To celebrate the Book Review’s 125th anniversary, we’re dipping into the archives to revisit our most thrilling, memorable and thought-provoking coverage.
How Martin Luther King Jr.’s Imprisonment Changed American Politics Forever
Stephen and Paul Kendrick’s “Nine Days” recounts a brief episode of the civil rights movement that had a surprisingly lasting impact.
When the White House Was Full of Claws, Scales, Stripes and Tails
The long tradition of presidential pets is set to resume this January with two German shepherds belonging to President-elect Joe Biden. Their predecessors weren’t always cats and dogs.
Trump Objects to Commission’s Virtual Debate Plan
The Commission on Presidential Debates said the second presidential debate, scheduled for Oct. 15, would be virtual, because of virus concerns. Trump called the plan “ridiculous” in a Fox Business interview.
Biden Could Be Our Second Catholic President. It Doesn’t Matter.
With John F. Kennedy in 1960, Catholic America achieved a long-sought victory. But what did we win?
Groomed to Be President
Fredrik Logevall’s “JFK” brings the young Jack Kennedy to life with telling detail and knowing insights.
Solving the Mystery of What Became of J.F.K.’s Other Patrol Boat
A boat believed to be the PT-59, a Navy vessel Kennedy commanded after the PT-109 was sunk, has been mired in the muck off Manhattan for decades.
Donald Trump, Joe Biden and the Vote of the Irish
From Tammany Hall to ‘Build the Wall,’ the long journey of Irish-American politics.