Two Days in June

He may have served for a thousand days but it was two days that made John F. Kennedy's presidency. No one before Andrew Cohen has recognized that, and because of his signal achievement in Two Days in June, no one will be able to write about -- no one will be able to think about -- John Kennedy ever again in quite the same way. Channeling Theodore White and William Manchester, Andrew Cohen has changed the way we regard JFK in Two Days as much as JFK changed the presidency and the world in those two days. David M. Shribman, editor, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , winner of the Pulitzer Prize Andrew Cohen calls the twodaysduring whichPresident John F. Kennedy delivered ground-breaking speechesaddressing the great post-war threats to America -- racial inequality and nuclear war his lyrical journey to peace and freedom. Cohen's ownlyricalaccount of these days provides anintimate, moving, and revelatory portrait of Kennedy that is superbly detailed and thrillingly narrated. Thurston Clarke, author, JFK s Last Hundred Days: The Transformation of a Man and the Emergence of a Great President and Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America Using a literary zoom lens, Andrew Cohen zeroes in on forty-eight dramatic hours in John F. Kennedy's presidency to superbly illuminate his leadership in a compelling and original way. It is Kennedy up close and personal, making history with two of his most important speeches -- one carefully planned, the other a brilliant improvisation. Two Days in June nimbly juggles fast-moving presidential challenges at home and abroad, with fascinating new details of the drama unfolding behind the scenes on Air Force One, in the Oval Office, in the private quarters of the White House, and in the most exclusive salon in Georgetown.... Cohen's analysis of the two speeches and their impact, and his assessment of their measure in JFK's presidency is astute and constitutes an entirely original perspective. His research has been prodigious. Even Kennedy devotees and experts will find new tidbits throughout, judiciously placed in the author'sseamless and riveting narrative, which is beautifully written and weaves together the consequential and the quotidian, with verve and authority..... At the center of the tale is Cohen's thoughtful portrait of JFK, the restless multi-tasker with the capacious world view, idealist and pragmatic simultaneously, ever alert to the quirks of human nature, his own included. Well beyond the president, the character sketches capture the big personalities (and several smaller ones) with insight and sensitivity. Through the prism of the Joseph Alsop dinner party, Cohen sweeps in crucial themes and personalities, putting the capital's secrets and licentious behavior in perspective, with wonderful fresh observations from Antonia Fraser. The entire book reflects Cohen's original take on mid-June 1963, beginning with his brilliant conceit of following the arc of JFK's flight from Hawaii to Washington to deliver the commencement address at American University. And it ends with his wonderfultouch, imagining the two days as depicted by a Renaissance artist, Kennedy in all his roles, tossing flares into the future. Sally Bedell Smith, author, Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House Praise for While Canada Slept A trenchant critique of modern Canadian foreign policy. Time magazine Cohen's contribution is invaluable. A book full of...rich detail, written with passion and engaging prose.... A must read for all of those who wish to understand the roots of Canada's global outlook. Globe and Mail