The Afterlife of John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Advance praise: 'This is a fabulous book on the 'Kennedy brand,' and its most meaningful ingredient - JFK himself. Michael J. Hogan is able to show how remembering the former US president in the decades after his death, was not just a matter of political and historical commemoration. Instead, it became an orchestrated effort to create and run a marketable product-person, complete with the continuous repetition of specific characteristics (JFK's style); the link between product and recognition; principal customer orientation and continuous adaptation of the product to contemporary audiences; and the creation of a distinctive 'corporate identity' where assistants and employees (in this case: the Kennedy clan members and officials) were and continue to be required to 'live' the brand. There is a history of political person branding to be written and Hogan shows us how and why.' Jessica Gienow-Hecht, Free University of Berlin Advance praise: 'This thoughtfully conceived, shrewdly argued, and elegantly written book explores JFK's presidency as performance art, analyzes family control of Kennedy's public memory, and shows that the martyred president's legacy still intrigues today.' W. J. Rorabaugh, University of Washington, Seattle Advance praise: 'Michael J. Hogan has given us a fascinating look not just at the afterlife of President Kennedy, but at how we memorialize - in our evolving histories and unfolding memories - leaders who touch our soul.' Larry Tye, author of Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon Advance praise: 'Hogan thoughtfully analyzes the enduring 'afterlife' of intellectual and emotional attachment to John and Jaqueline Kennedy: the painstaking crafting of the funeral and commemorative events, the drama of the final resting place, and the controversies over authorized biographies, libraries and museums, and layers of historical analysis.' Edward T. Linenthal, author of The Unfinished Bombing: Oklahoma City in American Memory Advance praise: 'John and Jacqueline Kennedy's own carefully constructed 'Kennedy brand' became central to the president's 'afterlife' in historical memory. This book examines the construction of the Kennedy style, assesses the dramatic symbolic effects of the president's tragic death, and dissects how the remembrance of Kennedy generated controversies during and after the 1960s. It provides a highly readable account of the struggles over Kennedy's memory and analyzes the 'heritage industry' that profited from the popular memory of the dead president. A fascinating read - highly recommended for scholars and general readers alike!' Emily S. Rosenberg, author of A Date Which Will Live: Pearl Harbor in American Memory Advance praise: 'In this imaginative and provocative work, Michael J. Hogan has provided us with a much-needed study of JFK the icon. Kennedy's memory, constructed and reconstructed, remains a powerful cultural and political force to this day.' Randall B. Woods, University of Arkansas and author of LBJ: Architect of American Ambition Advance praise: 'Michael J. Hogan, one of America's foremost Cold War historians, brilliantly analyzes how our 35th president still burns brightly in the hearts and minds of his countrymen. The Afterlife of John Fitzgerald Kennedy is an eye-opening homage revealing why JFK still carries emotional clout for the public-at-large. Highly recommended!' Douglas Brinkley, Rice University, Texas and CNN Presidential Historian