In the summer of 1963; in the wake of the Birmingham riots and hundreds of other protests across the country; John F. Kennedy advanced the most far-reaching civil rights bill ever put before Congress. Why had he waited so long? Kennedy had been acutely aware of the issue of race--both its political perils and opportunities--since his first Congressional campaign in Boston in 1946. In this; the first comprehensive history of Kennedy's civil rights record over the course of his entire political career; Nick Bryant shows that Kennedy's shrewd handling of the race issue in his early congressional campaigns blinded him as President to the intractability of the simmering racial crisis in America. By focusing on purely symbolic gestures; Kennedy missed crucial opportunities to confront the obstructionist Southern bloc and to enact genuine reform. Kennedy's inertia emboldened white supremacists; and forced discouraged black activists to adopt increasingly militant tactics. At the outset of his presidency; Kennedy squandered the chance to forge a national consensus on race. For many of his thousand days in office; he remained a bystander as the civil rights battle flared in the streets of America. In the final months of his life; Kennedy could no longer control the rage he had fueled with his erratic handling of this explosive issue.
#790991 in Books 1994-04-01 1994-04-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.00 x 6.02l; .92 #File Name: 0452011205400 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. the strongest leader everBy S. D. Simmonsi hard to believe a little german priness would become the most powerful woman in europe.but that catherine story .married to a stupid czravish who had no sense. he was determine to stay greman in russian;but katherina made show she learn langauge ;religion and people.she learn the art of policital when the time was right she took over.brought a new age not seen since peter the great.i would had like more about here early life in german but this book was well done.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Catherine the GreatBy MaryB....Friends had recommended this book to me. Not knowing much Russian history I enjoyed it and learned. It is especially interesting to read with the current situation going on in the Ukraine area0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. We Should All Know . . . .By KLNYes; we should all know the travesty and yet the triumph of the woman; Catherine the Great. Her world is one that in today's society we can only imagine. Set aside time to learn more about this astounding woman and her lot in life as a child; woman; and ruler.
