Jackie Kennedy: Images and Reality Book

Being a history teacher, I am always on the look-out for books to read right before I teach a specific subject. I have always been a little too lax on my 1950s history, so I picked up this book from the library in order to bolster my knowledge of the McCarthy-era. This was written by a veteran political reporter who felt distressed by the 2004 election and the polarization he saw at that time. Reading this book about the demagogue Senator from Wisconsin who was a self-proclaimed "Communist-fighter" for our government, when in reality he was smearing the good names of many good and loyal government officials, was very intriguing. His use of "The big lie" along with name-calling, bullying, and the press as the "court of public opinion" has me wondering what this author would say about the current political climate. While I see his frustration with the Bush administration's Patriot Act and other hard-line conservative actions against terrorism, I think his conclusions on the parallels between McCarthy and Bush are a little too broad of a jump. However, I think he would have an easier time with this administration, as the more I read of the book about McCarthy, the more I saw the face of Trump. The book is very well written and gives the details of the life, the rise, the fall, and the death of one of the most controversial figures in American history. Well worth the read.