Author(s): Robert Dallek

Politics

In his critically acclaimed biography An Unfinished Life, Robert Dallek revealed John F. Kennedy, the man and the leader, as never before. In Camelot's Court, he takes an insider's look at the brain trust whose contributions to the successes and failures of Kennedy's administration - including the Bay of Pigs, civil rights, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Vietnam-were indelible. Kennedy purposefully put together a dynamic team of advisers noted for their brilliance and acumen, including Attorney General Robert Kennedy, JFK's adviser-in-chief; Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara; Secretary of State Dean Rusk; National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy; and trusted aides Ted Sorensen and Arthur Schlesinger. Yet the very traits these men shared also created sharp divisions. Far from unified, JFK's brain trust was an uneasy band of rivals whose personal ambitions and clashing beliefs ignited fiery debates behind closed doors. With skill and balance, Dallek illuminates a president deeply determined to surround himself with the best and the brightest, yet who often found himself disappointed with their recommendations.
The result is a striking portrait of a leader whose wise resistance to pressure and adherence to personal principles, particularly in matters of foreign affairs, offers a cautionary tale for our own time. Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Camelot's Court is an intimate tour of a tumultuous White House and a new portrait of the men whose powerful influence shaped the Kennedy legacy.