This comprehensive three-volume reference provides an overview of John F. Kennedy's presidency, covering the people, places, and events that comprised the political landscape of the Kennedy era.

The United States recently commemorated the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's election, a reminder of a period of time that countless Americans perceive as idyllic. Just as his election had instilled a pervasive sense of hope throughout the country, his assassination stunned the entire nation. Half a century later, Kennedy continues to inspire debates about the effectiveness of his presidency and political legacy.

The Kennedy family has played a leading role in the annals of American politics for over 100 years, no greater than when John F. Kennedy (JFK) became the 35th president of the United States. The celebrity surrounding the circumstances of his presidency, particularly his sudden assassination, made JFK the object of many enduring myths: that he might have been one of the country's greatest leaders had he lived, that he would have kept the United States out of Vietnam, and that he was a martyr to right-wing assassins.

Encyclopedia of the Kennedys: The People and Events That Shaped America is a three-volume reference set that provides an in-depth look at JFK's presidency, including his foreign and domestic policies, political allies and enemies, and major events and speeches. This A–Z encyclopedia also contains entries on the events of the 1960s that changed our nation forever, such as JFK's assassination and the Warren Commission report, the space program, and the My Lai Massacre, as well as the individuals who defined the time, such as writers Norman Mailer and James Baldwin, folk musicians Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and activists Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King, Jr. Appendices provide a substantial archive of primary documents and identify officeholders during JFK's presidency, while an annotated bibliography supplies sources for additional research.

Features
• A compelling timeline of JFK's presidency plots out major events
• A special focus on New Frontier policies and the president's conflicts with Communist regimes illuminate important domestic and foreign affairs
• Primary source documents include speeches, transcriptions of Cuban Missile Crisis discussions, and legislation
• Several useful appendices feature the entire Kennedy-Nixon debates and the Warren Report conclusions, among other documents

Highlights
• Contains approximately 300 entries spanning people, the presidency, the assassination, and primary sources of the Kennedy administration
• Features conspiracy theory sidebars that provide alternate interpretations of history
• Edited by one of the nation's leading presidential scholars

Joseph M. Siracusa, PhD, is professor of human security and international diplomacy and associate dean of international and justice studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia. His published works include ABC-CLIO's Reagan, Bush, Gorbachev: Revisiting the End of the Cold War; America and the Cold War, 1941–1991: A Realist Interpretation; and Foreign Affairs and the Founding Fathers: From Confederation to Constitution, 1776–1787.

Reviews
"Canvassing topics that are perennial fertile ground for research projects and reports, the Encyclopedia of the Kennedys is recommended for school media centers and public libraries seeking to fill gaps or update outdated collections."—Booklist

"This work provides an important foundation for understanding and assessing the people and key events of the Kennedy era. Summing Up: Recommended."—Choice