Due to a passing in the family a few years ago and my subsequent health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for years after the bereavement. Thank you for the opportunity.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been fascinated by JFK and his own story. Therefore, I was really curious to read this new kind of book about him. The book was very interesting and it's written in a very conversational way, which was really cool and innovative. If you want to know more about him, than that's the right book for you, for sure!

Thanks to Watkins Publishing and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

A foreword by Gore Vidal? What a treat! Similar to the other books in this series, this is an imagined interview with John F. Kennedy that imagines what his responses would be to a variety of questions relating to his life and career.

I'd say I have a pretty good grasp on this period of American and World History but there were still fascinating little nuggets of information covered. These books are short and engaging reads so I think they would be a great resource for students studying Citizenship/History/Modern Studies etc, I'll be passing on the recommendation to my school's Faculty Head.

I didn't feel that JFK's voice always shone through in his supposed answers. Although you will definitely read his responses in his unmistakable voice in your mind, I didn't always get the strong force of his personality shining through.

Overall, an interesting read just missing that inimitable Kennedy charisma.

Conversations with JFK by Michael O'Brien provides an interesting way to show history. This book is formatted like an interview, just like one you would read in a zine. This format makes it an easy read. Also, it is well researched. Though the words of "JFK" in the book are missing that certain charisma and comfortable certainty of the actual JFK, it is still interesting. I would recommend it to anyone with even the smallest interest in history or changing our current repetitions of it.
I received this book through Netgalley for free in exchange for my feedback.

This was an interesting, if somewhat surface, approach to a biography of JFK. I think the author did a good job of assessing JFK's overall tone and style of speech in his 'interviews' but the answers didn't dig into the man himself which is a bit of a disappointment for something presented in this format. The surrounding biographical information was succinct and well expressed, meaning that a reader learning about the Kennedys for the first time would have enough context to comprehend the overarching ideas. The foreword was likely the best bit, Vidal's prose jumps off the page and brings the late 1950s and early 60s to life. I think this would be really interested as a first dip dive into the era- but may not be required reading for anyone with broader knowledge.

This book should not be mistaken for a biography, it does not aim to be one and the "biographical essay" included here really is rather short. However, I truly feel that I got to know John F. Kennedy better by reading this fictional interview with him. And I actually didn't know very much about him beforehand, besides the most basic facts.

The interviewer covers some major areas, from politics (Cuban Crisis, Vietnam, Krushchev) over family (his Irish ancestry, his dad, his brother Robert, Jackie and his kids) and even religion. For each topic there are several Q&As, and to me at least JFKs answers sound very plausible (meaning I can imagine him answering like that). Some are indeed his own words, the rest is derivied from various sources the author (who already wrote a biography on John F. Kennedy in 2005!) consulted.

Thus I can recommend this book to JFK fans as well as to people who don't have time for long biographies but still want to get to know a historical figure a bit better. Only the price is a bit high for this rather short book.

This was a very unique way to educate and entertain the reader! I enjoyed the conversational element of this book. Very well-written!

This is a great series of ‘conversations’ thoroughly entertaining and interesting, whilst educational. Another great read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I really enjoyed this book, coming of age after the 1960’s and reading so many things about that era this added to my what if thoughts. The fictional interview helps us to relook at history the things we know for sure and some not so much. All and all a good read. Very well written.

This does not add new information but makes clever use of existing historical and personal facts. It would be a good briefing paper for an exam.! It is unfortunate that the interviewer could not pretend to get more personal in his questions to JFK but that would destroy the pretence that it is a real interview as it would have been barred territory. It is also always annoying when Americans (and many English people) use England and Britain as if they were interchangeable and this happens here but that is probably authentic. A series of similar books would be good briefings on American presidents. It helps to make history accessible. That is to be praised.