| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 90.3

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to JAH online. About 148 words from this article are provided below; about 403 words remain.

If you are a individual member of the Organization of American Historians, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a member of the Organization of American Historians, you can:: • Join the OAH and receive many member benefits including print and electronic issues of the Journal of American History.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two-hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the Journal of American History (86.1-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the Journal of American History.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 90.3 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

Kennedy and the Promise of the Sixties. By W. J. Rorabaugh. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. xxiv, 317 pp. $29.00, ISBN 0-521-81617-3.)

W. J. Rorabaugh sees the history of the early 1960s as a period of "promise," when many of the elements that would develop into the social, political, and personal movements of the sixties emerged out of the general complacence of 1950s America. Before the national tone turned cynical, confrontational, or self-destructive in mid-decade, these early years possessed the kernels of the coming transformations, although in generally optimistic forms. At the heart of this period stands John F. Kennedy, the golden center of the moment, able to capture the spirit of the times—"the best leaders express the aspirations of their age" (p. 1)—even though the accomplishments of his brief presidency do not match the aura that surrounds him to the present day.

. . .

There are about 403 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.