Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History
by Ted Sorensen
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ted SorensenEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-01
ISBN: 0060798718
Number of pages: 576
Publisher: Harper
Book Reviews of Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History
Book Review: The memoirs of JFK's most trusted aide.
Summary: 5 Stars
It was a much different time in America. As the sun set on the 1950's a new day was dawning. John Fitzgerald Kennedy had been elected the 35th President of the United States in 1960 at the age of 43. As he cobbled together his new administration he was looking for individuals who shared his enthusiasm for the future and the endless possibilities that beckoned. At the top of JFK's list was his right-hand man and trusted friend and advisor Ted Sorensen. It was Sorensen who would be named Special Counselor to the President and who would have a birds-eye view of the historic events that would unfold during the thousand days of the Kennedy administration. "Counselor: A Life At The Edge of History" is Ted Sorensen's long-awaited memoir. This is easily the best book I have ever read about what went on inside the Kennedy administration by a man who should clearly know. It is compelling reading.
Ted Sorensen was born in 1928 in the quintessential midwestern town of Lincoln, NE. His parents were both well-educated liberals and imparted their philosophy on their young son. He studied law at the University of Nebraska and graduated in 1949. While Ted loved his hometown, Lincoln simply did not offer the kinds of opportunities he was looking for. So he packed his bags and moved to Washington DC in 1951. He had no job and very little money. Sorensen soon found work with a federal agency and quickly began to make an impression on those he worked for and with. Within a year he was hired by the newly elected Senator from Massachusetts John Fitzgerald Kennedy. It was a relationship that would continue until that dreadful day in Dallas in Novermber, 1963.
"Counselor: A Life At The Edge of History" offers some truly remarkable insights into both JFK the man and JFK the Senator and President. As his most trusted friend and advisor Sorensen understood what JFK was all about. One thing that stands out about JFK is that he tried to appeal to the better side of people. This was very apparent in the speeches that he delivered both in political campaigns and as President. As Sorensen writes: "Its tone should be positive, inspirational, hopeful and forward-looking--not an endless litany of negative complaints about past misdeeds or the status quo." I remember hearing some of those speeches as a youngster. They truly were an inspiration to an entire generation of young Americans. Sorensen goes on to observe: "Kennedy believed that every voter was first and foremost an American, moved by appeals to service and the national interest not appeals to religious prejudice, material selfishness, or regional parochialism. Thus emerged exciting new volunteer opportunities like the Peace Corps and Vista. It really was an exciting time! Meanwhile, "Counselor" also describes in breathtaking detail some of the most crucial behind-the-scene moments in the Kennedy administration including the Bay of Pigs, the battle over Civil Rights and most notably the Cuban Missile Crisis. This is an extremely important addition to the historical record of this period!
I must tell you that Ted Sorensen is without a doubt one of the finest wordsmiths I have ever come across. Years ago one of his colleagues remarked: "Ted Sorensen can use words that everybody can understand--intellectuals, milkmen, diplomats, politicians." I would certainly concur. It is not wonder why so many politicians sought his assistance in the years and decades following the Kennedy assassination. "Counselor: A Life At The Edge of History" is the best book I have read thus far this year. I simply could not put it down! A great read for history buffs and general interest readers alike. Very highly recommended!
Summary of Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History
In this gripping memoir, John F. Kennedy's closest advisor recounts in full for the first time his experience counseling Kennedy through the most dramatic moments in American history.
Sorensen returns to January 1953, when he and the freshman senator from Massachusetts began their extraordinary professional and personal relationship. Rising from legislative assistant to speechwriter and advisor, the young lawyer from Nebraska worked closely with JFK on his most important speeches, as well as his book Profiles in Courage. Sorensen encouraged the junior senator's political ambitions-from a failed bid for the vice presidential nomination in 1956 to the successful presidential campaign in 1960, after which he was named Special Counsel to the President.
Sorensen describes in thrilling detail his experience advising JFK during some of the most crucial days of his presidency, from the decision to go to the moon to the Cuban Missile Crisis, when JFK requested that the thirty-four-year-old Sorensen draft the key letter to Khrushchev at the most critical point of the world's first nuclear confrontation. After Kennedy was assassinated, Sorensen stayed with President Johnson for a few months before leaving to write a biography of JFK. In 1968 he returned to Washington to help run Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign. Through it all, Sorensen never lost sight of the ideals that brought him to Washington and to the White House, working tirelessly to promote and defend free, peaceful societies.
Illuminating, revelatory, and utterly compelling, Counselor is the brilliant, long-awaited memoir from the remarkable man who shaped the presidency and the legacy of one of the greatest leaders America has ever known.
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