Robert Dallek's An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy is an outstanding one volume biography. Drawing upon recently opened archives and having access to previously unseen letters and medical records, Dallek has written a very accessible and scholarly biography that cuts through the haze of distortions and myths that encases much of what has been written about Kennedy, giving readers a freshly redrawn portrait of John F. Kennedy.

Though previous biographies have discussed Kennedy's various health problems such as Addison's disease, An Unfinished Life gives a very detailed account of Kennedy's medical history leaving the reader with a clear picture of the intense pain that Kennedy lived with. Indeed, Kennedy's health is one of the central themes running through An Unfinished Life.

Noted Lincoln biographer David Herbert Donald calls An Unfinished Life one of the most engrossing biographies that he has ever read. He says it is "A superbly informed account of John F. Kennedy's triumphant public life that creates a magnificent counterpoint to [Dallek's] fascinating revelations about Kennedy's history of illness and pain. An Unfinished Life is nothing less than a masterpiece."

An Unfinished Life can be found on the basement level of the Library at Call number E842.D28 2003.

An Unfinished Life is the latest of a series of excellent studies of John Kennedy and his Presidency. Readers may wish to check out Richard Reeves' President Kennedy: Profile of Power (E842.R358 1993) which focuses on Kennedy's years as President. Lawrence Freedman's Kennedy's wars: Berlin, Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam (E841.F69 2000) is a long overdue study of JFK's foreign policy. Arthur Schlesinger's A Thousand Days; John F. Kennedy in the White House (E841.S3) is an insider's account of the Kennedy Presidency that, while loyal to Kennedy's memory, still offers critical insight into the workings of the Kennedy administration.

There are a great many web sites devoted to the life of John Kennedy. The site for the Kennedy Library is the place to start. The URL for the library is http://www.cs.umb.edu/jfklibrary/.

This Monthly Book Spotlight was written by Jonathan Coe.

Image credit:The White House.