Profiles In Courage Slipcased Edition Decisive Moments In The Lives Of Celebrated Americans Deals on Profile

Profiles in Courage (slipcased edition): Decisive Moments in the ...

Category: (Book)

5 new, starting at $26.50

8 used, starting at $26.48

Editorial Reviews

In 1954-1955, John F. Kennedy's active role as a Senator in the affairs of the nation was interrupted for the better part of a year by his convalescence from an operation to correct a disability incurred as skipper of a World War II torpedo boat. He used his "idle" hours to great advantage; he rediscovered, and did intensive research into, the courage and patriotism of a handful of Americans who at crucial moments in history had revealed a special sort of greatness: men who disregarded dreadful consequences to their public and private lives to do that one thing which seemed right in itself. These men ranged from the extraordinarily colorful to the near-drab; from the born aristocrats to the self-made. They were men of various political and regional allegiances—their one overriding loyalty was to the United States and to the right as God gave them to see it.

There was John Quincy Adams, who lost his Senate seat and was repudiated in Boston for his support of his father's enemy Thomas Jefferson; Sam Houston, who performed political acts of courage as dramatic as his heroism on the field of battle; Thomas Hart Benton, whose proud and sarcastic tongue fought against the overwhelming odds that insured his political death; and Edmond Ross who "looked down into his open grave" as he saved President Johnson from an impeachment; and Norris of Nebraska; and Taft of Ohio; and Lamar of Mississippi (who did as much as any one man to heal the wounds of civil war). There was Daniel Webster, scourged for his devotion to Union by the most talented array of constituents ever to attack a Senator. For the most part Kennedy's patriots are United States Senators, but he also pays tribute to such men as Governor Altgeld of Illinois and Charles Evans Hughes of New York.

And in the opening and closing chapters, which are as inspiring as they are revealing, Kennedy draws on his personal experience to tell something of the satisfactions and burdens of a Senator's job—of the pressures, both outward and inward—and of the standards by which a man of principle must work and live.

John F. Kennedy has used wonderful skill in transforming the facts of history into dramatic personal stories. There are suspense, color and inspiration here, but first of all there is extraordinary understanding of that intangible thing called courage. Courage such as these men shared, Kennedy makes clear, is central to all morality—a man does what he must in spite of personal consequences—and these exciting stories suggest the thought that, without in the least disparaging the courage with which men die, we should not overlook the true greatness adorning those acts of courage with which men must live.

Customer Reviews

Makes History and Politics Fun

Reviewed by Bill R. Moore, 2010-02-28

Much has been made of Profiles in Courage's authorship; this is understandable, as the subject is legitimate and indeed fascinating. However, the focus has been so great that it has unfortunately overshadowed the excellent work itself. Thus, - other than saying it is now near-certain that although the book was Kennedy's idea and he did some of the planning, most or all of it was written by speechwriter Theodore Sorensen, credited as "research assistant" - I will focus entirely on the book. The bottomline is that it is great, one of the most intriguing and readable popular histories ever; it is essential for those interested in history, politics, or the moral concept of courage but written in such a way that it truly has mass appeal.

Profiles begins with a twenty-page Introduction exploring the meaning and ramifications of political courage, which is defined as politicians' determination to follow conscience despite outside pressure. This is an interesting - and indeed challenging - subject, because politicians are almost universally loathed as immoral and otherwise thoroughly despicable; calling them courageous is not only brave but seemingly perverse. However, the book soon makes a strong case that they make a truly courageous act at least every generation or so and shows that there is much to admire in those standing by their resolve in the face not only of constituent, lobbyist, party, and media pressure but often threats of termination, violence, or even death. The Introduction does a good job of describing the pressures that politicians, particularly senators, regularly face - a rare inside look at an often veiled world. It also makes a legitimate, if perhaps not fully convincing, argument for politics as simply non-moral rather than moral or immoral.

We then get to the meat - sections focusing on courageous acts by eight individual senators. They are about twenty pages each preceded by a few pages of background. The choices cover nearly the whole historical gamut of the senate up to that point, but while some are well-known (Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, George Norris, Robert A. Taft), some are less so (Lucius Lamar), and others are nearly obscure (Edmund G. Ross). More interestingly, others are famous but not for being senators (John Quincy Adams, Sam Houston), and the acts focused on are never obvious. The book makes clear that it does not champion the acts, presenting the issue neutrally while admiring the courage. Cynics may scoff at this as a lame attempt to prove the non-moral thesis or avoid political controversy, but it serves the book well, letting us take the stories and the courage on their own terms rather than getting bogged down in political sniping. Profiles then closes with a roughly ten-page section briefly detailing more political courage examples and a few closing remarks underscoring what has been said and beginning to put it in a larger political context.

If this sounds textbook-esque or otherwise boring, worry not; it is written in such a way that it is nothing less than fully engrossing. Incredible as it seems, this is as much of a page-turner as any pulp work; the scenes are painted so vividly and the stories told so well that it is near-impossible to put down the book. Profiles makes history and politics positively fascinating in a way that very few books can; even those who think they hate the subjects cannot help being pulled in. The book is thus extremely valuable for letting general readers dip a cautious toe in these frigid waters, possibly leading them to learn more about the senators or subjects generally; it is in fact so well written that it has inspired some to enter politics. Anything that can do this is truly incredible. Even those truly apathetic about the subjects can enjoy the book, though, as the stories are well worth reading in themselves.

One would be very hard-pressed to find any book about similar subjects that is so absolutely readable. A large part of this is that it is not scholarly in the strict sense. The text has no notes and rarely gives sources, meaning academicians will find it inadequate. However, this will bother very few, because the book is accurate, and there is a ten-plus page bibliography. After all, though, this is a popular book and must be judged on that front - in which case it is excellent. It is hardly hyperbolic to say that if general readers even remotely interested in history or politics - and even many who are not - read only one book about them, it should be this. The focus may be narrow and the scholarly acumen not top-notch, but it is enlightening and eminently readable - in short, all that most could ask for and far more than they will expect.

Profiles in Courage

Reviewed by Jim Johnson, 2010-02-11

I was in college when the book was written, but never got around to reading it. The writing was not great, but the stories were inspring.

Very Enlighting

Reviewed by Joseph Guillaume, 2009-10-12

The author has chosen eight United State Senators to show how courage can be revealed. When I first considered the title I was thinking of courageous acts of war or rescue. So it was really nice to find the story illuminated another type of courage, the courage to maintain your convictions when all around you withdraw their support for you. In some cases the courageous man didn't live long enough to be vindicated. This reading required me to further seek out reminders of the social and political climate in the time period each story was told. This should be a must reading for anybody considering going into politics.

Tempered and Thoughtful

Reviewed by Gregory Schneider, 2009-07-10

Kennedy's thoughtfulness and exquisite prose are unparalleled in our time. His careful analysis of the men and history surrounding them in this book fully deserve the Pulitzer prize he was awarded. I read Barack Obama's book _The Audacity of Hope_ not too long ago, and Kennedy's work completely blows it out of the water. Kennedy chooses to focus on one virtue that we should all strive towards and admire in others; through his thorough analysis of the courage of eight men he reveals much about his own character that we can admire. Originally published in 1956 as Kennedy was entering the forefront of American politics, we might have expected an exposition of political ideology or a detailed description of his campaign talking points - yet the future President chose to focus on an issue that he admired and saw as much bigger than himself. He did not disappoint.

Kennedy's prose is outstanding. It is still a refreshing and enthralling read even over 50 years after its original publication. At just over 200 pages, he uses concise, direct prose to cut to the heart of his argument while allowing himself to paint the scenes he describes in lush detail.

The senators that he profiles vary greatly in their background and the issues that they chose to exercise courage. While Kennedy obviously admires each of these men for the courage, he tempers this admiration by admitting that while they were courageous, they may have been wrong in their choices (perhaps none more so than his description of Robert Taft). He also delves into the complexities of courage and evaluating those who display it in the last chapter of the book. His analysis here is perhaps the most thoughtful and most compelling. By writing about these senators with an admission of their faults Kennedy gains credibility that might otherwise have been more suspect.

It is an outstanding book, and as the quote on this Amazon page says, it should be required reading for every American.

However, I suggest that you read a different edition. The editors of this book left numerous misspellings and typographical errors throughout the text which detracted from the overall experience; it gave an element of sloppiness to a book that was obviously written with great precision.

One courageous book

Reviewed by Jim-Jim, 2009-05-18

Whilst there remains some controversy regarding exact authorship, don't let it marr your reading experience. A very influential book. You'll soon see why it won a Pulitzer prize. And it features John Quincy Adams, one of America's best and sadly forgotten presidents, who was also involved in the Amistad case and helped free the slaves.