BBC Radio 4, 11-15 November 2013
In the run-up to the fiftieth anniversary of John F/ Kennedy's death. this Book
of the Week gave a character-portrait of the President in his own words. Despite his faults (and there were
many), he had the ability to be able to communicate with people from different backgrounds and different cultures; even his
political enemies remarked on his compassion in times of strife. Although having to cope with major political crises
- especially during the Cold War period - Kennedy never lost his sense of balance. He might have made political mistakes,
but he made great efforts to rectify them. The letters also revealed his witty side, especially when communicating with
those younger than himself.
With Richard Laing taking the role of Kennedy, supported by Colin Stinton,
Trevor White and Kelly Burke, this series of programmes was a vivid reminder of just how significant a figure Kennedy was
in twentieth century American politics. The producer was Duncan Minshull.
