Dimensions
152 x 229 x 33mm
The author of AN UNFINISHED LIFE, the critically acclaimed bestselling biography of JFK, takes an insider's look at the brain trust that influenced the crucial and lasting policy decisions of Kennedy's years in office.
Robert Dallek focuses on a tight circle of Kennedy advisers, including Attorney General Robert Kennedy; Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara; Secretary of State Dean Rusk; national security adviser McGeorge Bundy; and trusted aides Ted Sorensen and Arthur Schlesinger. The president's circle was hardly a peaceful one; fiery debate and personal rivalry often raged behind closed doors. But the contributions of these men to the successes and failures of the JFK administration -- the Bay of Pigs, civil rights, the Cuban Missile crisis, and Vietnam, to name a few -- were indelible. As he pulls back the curtain on heated White House discussions, Dallek reveals a president determined to surround himself with the best and the brightest -- and often finding himself disappointed with their recommendations. The result is a striking portrait of a leader whose wise resistance to advice, particularly on foreign affairs, may be seen as a cautionary tale for our own time.
Meticulously researched and masterfully written, CAMELOT'S COURT is an intimate tour of a tumultuous White House and a new portrait of the men whose influence would powerfully shape the Kennedy legacy.
