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Theodore Sorensen and the Kennedys

A Life of Public Service

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Offers an accessible biography of Theodore Sorensen, a speechwriter and key advisor of President John F. Kennedy

  • Assesses Sorensen’s impact on President Kennedy’s legacy and the Democratic Party in second half of the twentieth century

  • Appeals to scholars and students of twentieth-century American history, U.S. politics, and presidential decision-making and rhetoric

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xiii
  2. Growing Up on the Great Plains

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 1-21
  3. Meeting Kennedy

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 23-47
  4. Making Kennedy Matter

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 49-71
  5. Running with Kennedy

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 73-91
  6. Into the White House

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 93-113
  7. The Domestic Agenda

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 115-136
  8. Early Foreign Policy Challenges

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 137-164
  9. From Arrows to Olive Branches

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 165-186
  10. Life After Kennedy

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 187-213
  11. A Private Life in Public Service

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 215-239
  12. Epilogue

    • Michelle A. Ulyatt
    Pages 241-250
  13. Back Matter

    Pages 251-257

About this book

Of the hundreds of books written about John F. Kennedy, none have yet taken the full measure of the role that Theodore Sorensen played in shaping his presidency. Serving as President Kennedy’s speechwriter from 1952 until 1963, Sorensen was a key advisor in the White House and a gatekeeper of the Kennedy legacy in the years after his assassination. This book presents a compelling portrait of Sorensen’s life and place in the American political landscape. He became an outspoken critic of corruption in politics, a vocal opponent of the militarist foreign policy approach that successive administrations adopted, and an advisor to Democratic presidential candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. Taking up questions about the role of presidential advisors and the concept of public service, an ideal that was central to the most famous of the speeches that Sorensen wrote for President Kennedy, Michelle A. Ulyatt offers new insight into Sorensen’s influence on the Kennedy years and the generation of leaders who came after.

Authors and Affiliations

  • Kent, UK

    Michelle A. Ulyatt

About the author

Michelle A. Ulyatt holds a doctorate from the University of Kent, UK. Her work focuses on the role of presidential advisors in decision-making and the evolution of the public memory of President John F. Kennedy.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Theodore Sorensen and the Kennedys

  • Book Subtitle: A Life of Public Service

  • Authors: Michelle A. Ulyatt

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15796-8

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham

  • eBook Packages: History, History (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG, part of Springer Nature 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-15795-1Published: 11 April 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-15796-8Published: 03 April 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 257

  • Number of Illustrations: 4 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: US History, Political History, Foreign Policy

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access