I was too young to remember him when he passed, but after reading so much about him when I was younger this book offered some new information and made me look at things that I had forgotten about him and his Presidency. I have always wondered where we would have gone as a Nation if he and his brother had lived. Avery good book, very much worth the read.

Today is the perfect day to showcase this book. I am a sucker for presidential biographies, especially anything Kennedy related. This was a great one.
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I thought I knew everything about Kennedy’s presidency but I learned some new tid bits like how a snowstorm hit before The Innaguration leaving the inaugural gala only 1/3 full
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Kennedy’s short presidency is fascinating to me and this book is a great addition to those interested in this topic!
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Huge thank you to #Dutton and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I have read many books over the years about President Kennedy. This one was really good. to read. To me it almost read like a novel. It was full of information, but still around 300 pages. I think this is a really important book and anyone that is interested in President Kennedy.

This excellent book on JFK was very interesting and well written. I liked that it focused on his growth as a leader and politician instead of being sidetracked by his personal life. It made me realize again that we lost someone who had great potential and who was intent on stepping up and serving his country. I highly recommend this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this new work.

This was an excellent read. Well-written and researched. Fans of Kennedy or fans of presidential history will eat this up. This is not a doorstop - just the right length at around 300 pages. Definitely recommend.

Incomparable Grace is the story of JFK's Presidency. Each time I read about about a President, I am always amazed I learn something new that I had not read or heard before. I was not disappointed in this book. Author and historian Mark K. Updegrove, head of the LBJ Foundation and presidential historian brings more information that gives us an insight in a different way than the previous books I have read. I was only eight when JFK was assassinated, so my memories are solely of his funeral, but it is ingrained in my memory.

The more I read I find he was not a perfect man, and yet we expect so much from the people we elect. We also vilify them when they don't live up to those expectations. The job itself does not come with a manual and they hit the ground running as soon as they arrive with ideals of how much they will change things for the better. Seldom does the outgoing President have everything tied up with a nice bow, having left nothing undone. In spite of this, for the short time JFK was in office he left his mark and will be revered.

This was a wonderful detailed story full of intimate details for those who love history and especially JFK.

One of the clearest memories of my childhood was being taken by my mother to her polling place to see her vote for John F Kennedy for president. And of course I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard about his assassination. My mother cried all weekend, and I remember the dignified bearing of Mrs Kennedy which helped the entire nation make our way through the trauma.

"Incomparable Grace," by Mark Updegrove, tells the history of the Kennedy presidency. This is not a long book, and at first I was apprehensive that it would gloss over too much, but I was pleasantly surprised. Updegrove does not cover the minutiae of events but rather he writes about Kennedy himself, and how he grew into his presidency. I kept thinking about how much our nation and the world lost when he died.

This is an excellent book. For those who know a lot of the history,it is an interesting look at the material from a different view. For those new to the subject it is a useful primer. Well-written and even-handed, I can heartily recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Incomparable Grace by Mark K. Updegrove is an insightful, concise consideration of JFK’s presidency, strengths, and weaknesses. This very readable and enjoyable history is a great introduction.

INCOMPARABLE GRACE:
JFK IN THE PRESIDENCY
by Mark K. Updegrove
Dutton
Pub Date: Ap 26

I've read much on the entire Kennedy clan and found this history of JFK's short time as President to be impactful and absorbing. Written by the head of the LBJ Foundation, Mark Updegrove, it is well-researched, deftly written, and a must-read for anyone intrigued by JFK and American presidential history.

Thanks to the author, Dutton, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#incomparablegracejfkinthepresidency
#MarkUpdegrove #Dutton #NetGalley

Incomparable Grace is an excellent portrait of the Kennedy presidency. It is relevant, thought-provoking, and surprisingly easy to read when reading most such books are like slogging through a swamp. The focus of the book is unquestionably of the presidential years though, of course, some background is often given with regard to earlier years.

It is an evenhanded biography which neither relegated itself to elevating JFK nor to denigrating him. It presents him as all too human with early growing pains as he assumed the presidential mantle and awkwardly faced down Nikita Krushev, with a difficulty with marital fidelity that expressed itself with young interns, with gangster’s mistresses, and of course with the bombshell herself, none of which was a secret to the Secret Service or to Jackie herself.

The book addresses issues chronologically, beginning with the standoffs with the Soviet Union and the mistake that was the Bay of Pigs, showing how decisions were arrived at and how the Bay Of Pigs was a disaster from the start with little visible US support and a misreading of the situation in the island. The standoffs with the Soviets continued in later chapters with the Cuban Missile Crisis, which perhaps was a result of the earlier debacle, and JFK’s maturing to the role as the world teetered in the brink of an all it nuclear war. Later in the book, the standoffs with the Soviets continue as Kennedy enters West Berlin after the Wall went up and declares I am. Berliner.

The other recurring issue for Kennedy was the Civil Rights movement, which he wished at first would wait until his second term when he would have a more free hand. The book chronicles how the Civil Right leadership responded that they could not wait any longer and eventually captured Bobby Kennedy’s ear and then the President’s ear. Indeed, with the violence in Birmingham and other hot spots, federal troops were needed to maintain order.

All in all, a top-notch book bringing to life the Kennedy years and the quick maturation of a man who was quick becoming a stand-out leader before his untimely demise in Dallas.

Normally, I don’t like books that micro-analyze a few years of a famous person’s life. And let’s face it: I know so much about JFK and his presidency, would there be any new information provided in Incomparable Grace? The short answer is no, there’s no new information here, but it is presented in a way that reflects upon the time we live in now. So that makes it new in a way.

There’s a brief biography of John F. Kennedy leading up to his role as President of the United States. Growing up in a large Irish Catholic family, serving in the south Pacific during World War II where his boat was sunk, serving in Congress and the Senate without any major distinctions to his name, before being catapulted to the big stage: leader of the Free World.

The early part of his presidency was a disaster with the Bay of Pigs invasion and his first summit with Soviet Premier Krushchev. But the thing that’s important to know, and what’s telegraphed in this book, is that Kennedy learned something from each mistake so it wouldn’t happen again. Through that growth became a man more confident in his abilities, able to handle whatever was thrown his way, more calculated and level-headed than he had been before.

It’s interesting that now we see that Kennedy wasn’t so big on the Civil Rights Movement until his brother, Bobby, moved him there. He wanted nothing to do with it because he might lose the southern Democrats in the 1964 election. But events pushed him out of his comfort zone to urge for a Civil Rights Amendment and an end to the violence on blacks in the south.

I’m always fascinated reading of Kennedy’s handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I’m even more fascinated by the way he handled the Soviets given the current circumstances with Russia. Our house was built right after the Cuban Missile Crisis, and we have a 12 x 12, 12-inch thick concrete bomb shelter in our house. It’s proved useful whenever there’s severe weather and we’re forced to the basement, and the extra storage room is great, but I can’t help but think back to a time when the threat of bombing America was an abstract thing and not reality.

Like I said, there’s nothing new here, but the book shows how Kennedy grew as a leader and as a husband and father during his time in the White House. And of course, it makes one wonder what the future could have been like had Dallas 1963 had never happened.

Incomparable Grace
JFK in the Presidency
by Mark K. Updegrove
Pub Date 26 Apr 2022
PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton
Biographies & Memoirs




I am reviewing a copy of Incomparable Grace through Penguin Group, Dutton and Netgalley:




Almost sixty years after his death, JFK still holds a large place in the American Imagination. While Baby Boomers remember his dazzling presence as president, millennials more likely know him from advertisements for Omega watches or Ray Ban sunglasses. But his his years in office were marked by more than his style and elegance. His story was that of a fledgling leader forced to meet unprecedented challenges, and to rise above missteps to lead his nation into a new and hopeful era.




When Kennedy entered office he was unexperienced but alluring his reputation more given by an enamored public than earned through achievement. In this gripping new assessment of his time in the Oval Office. In Incomparable Grace Updegrove reveals how JFK’s first months were marred by setbacks: the botched Bay of Pigs invasions, a disastrous summit with the Soviet premier, and a mismanaged approach to the Civil Rights movement. But it wasn’t long before the young President proved that behind the glamor was a leader of uncommon fortitude and vision.





Kennedy was humbled and admitted his mistakes and, importantly for our times, drew important lessons from his failures that he used to right wrongs and move forward undaunted. Kennedy grew as president, radiating greater possibility as he coolly faced a steady stream of crises before his tragic end.




If you’re looking for a great biography that paints a vivid picture of John F Kennedy, and his presidency.




I give Incomparable Grace five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I loved this book. I remembered most of the incidents covered, but learned a lot reading the Mark Updegrove book. It is very well written and for me, a very easy read. I wish more histories would be written like this!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy!

Do we really need another book about JFK? I was a little skeptical at first but I found this one was both different and informative. A lot of JFK books deal with so much minutiae that the real stories get lost. But “Incomparable Grace” by Mark Updegrove is very focused and direct. The major issues that the President had to deal with were covered in a clear and concise style. The writing was excellent and that made it a fast read. Also, Updegrove did not try to cover anything up in order to either made President Kennedy just short of a god or that he was derelict in his position.
Everything is covered here. Becoming President, the Bay of Pigs, the first meeting with the Soviet Union’s Premier, the Cuban Missile crisis, civil rights and finally Dallas, Texas.
There is not a lot new but because of the way it is written and having each chapter being built upon the last one, the book shines and should be included in anyones bookshelf who has an interest in JFK, or wants to have a better understanding of the events during that crucial time.

I learned about politics when I was nine years old and a friend asked me who my parents were voting for. If we weren’t for Kennedy, it meant we were Protestants and going to hell. I had no idea what she was talking about. I was clueless about politics and religion. I had to go home and ask my mom. She was voting for Kennedy, but we were going to hell anyways.

I was ten when the adults were riveted to the television, fearful of nuclear war. Now I know that was the Cuban Missile Crisis. We had a drill at school where we filed into the school basement and sat along the walls. And when I was eleven, I walked home from school in tears, and a few days later we gathered around the television to watch Kennedy’s funeral.

These moments were my earliest knowledge of the world beyond my family and school friends.

As an adult, I have struggled with the image and the reality of President John F. Kennedy. He was wildly popular and deified after his death, and yet he has been revealed as a very flawed man. Exactly what is his legacy? Was he a good leader, or a failure? What is his legacy?

Incomparable Grace by Mark K. Updegrove is an insightful, concise consideration of JFK’s presidency, his strengths and his weaknesses. This very readable and enjoyable history is a great introduction.

JFK come into the presidency with a number of challenges in place, civil and economic and international. The generals were more hawkish toward the Soviets. The economy was stalling. As a democrat, he needed to keep the Southern vote while reacting to the Civil Rights movement. America needed to respond to the Soviet’s advancements in space. Few thought that he had the experience to met the challenges.

JFK’s mishandling of the Bay of Pigs, Updegrove shows, led to Khrushchev to send missiles to Cuba. JFK’s equanimity successfully brought resolution. He was slow in responding to Civil Rights and Vietnam, perhaps waiting until reelection to take more controversial steps. He stood up to US Steel president Roger Blough when he proposed to raise steel prices, forcing him to capitulate. (Blough was a college friend of my grandfather!) The move was seen as anti-business, causing markets to plummet.

Updegrove reminded me of why JFK was so well liked and inspirational. He was young and good-looking. His wife was glamorous and intelligent and a trendsetter. Photographs showed them as a happy family. His speeches and vision were inspirational. He represented a new America, a younger America, a more hopeful America. He had a moral vision for America.

So let us begin anew–remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never feat to negotiate.
President Kennedy’s Inaugural Address quoted in Incomparable Grace by Mark J. Updegrove

Even when he failed, he took responsibility, making him even more likeable.

Patriarch Joe Kennedy set the standard for being a Kennedy, which included womanizing, JFK’s great moral failing; he became involved with a teenaged White House college intern. Reliance on family loyalty was a Kennedy creed; JFK’s brother Bobby became his Attorney General and nearly a co-president. In life-long continual pain, JFK never complained, tapping into the Kennedy pride of strength.

Who was this man, and why has he consistently be rated as one of the best presidents? Updegrove quotes JFK’s statement, “All I want people to say about me is what they said about John Adams–He kept the peace.” It’s a good legacy.

I received a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

This book is mainly focused on Kennedy’s years in the White House. It is a good overview of those years and is well written and a quick read. I have read several books about JFK that go into more depth that this one and ones that focus on particular actions in his administration. This is a good book for those who are looking for a quick read about the Kennedy Presidency.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

Reviews

Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency by Mark K. Updegrove is a wonderful nonfictional account and in depth look at the events that took place specifically during his time in the White House. It is excellent!

I love anything Kennedy. I have read numerous history, nonfiction, biographies, memoirs of not just former President Kennedy, but also Jackie, his family, and their legacy. So, of course I could not wait to delve into a book that took a magnifying glass to the events, actions, outcomes and legacies involving his years as President.

This gem covers not only professional, but also personal events that affected and helped shape his time in office. The author clearly has done his research and gives a balanced and honest look at his struggles, strengths, weaknesses, progression, and presents it in an easy to follow and understand form.

I devoured this book in two days and cannot recommend it enough for anyone fascinated with American history, Presidential history, and of course history involving JFK himself. A great addition!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Dutton/Penguin Group for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts immediately upon publication on 4/12/22.

JFK lives on our minds as one of our favorite presidents. Desperate does a great job of presenting why. I fully enjoy this nonfiction chronicle of his days in the White House. My only suggestion would be more pictures.