Profiles in Courage For Our Time - Hardcover

Kennedy, Caroline

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786867930 ISBN 13: 9780786867936

Publisher: Hyperion, 2002

Synopsis

In the spirit of John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning Profiles in Courage, 13 essays honoring modern-day political heroes, penned by a collection of stellar authors.

Nearly half a century after then-Senator John F. Kennedy was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Profiles in Courage, his masterful portrait of American heroes, the words "politician" and "courage" are rarely uttered in the same breath. But, as this celebration of modern political bravery amply demonstrates, there are countless examples of heroism among today's elected officials. Profiles in Courage for Our Time pays tribute to 13 such heroes, each a recipient of the prestigious Profile in Courage award. The essays' authors are as noteworthy as their subjects: Anna Quindlen writes about Governor James Florio's passing of the strictest gun control law in the nation; Al Hunt details Russell Feingold and John McCain's efforts to reform political financing; Bob Woodward writes on former President Gerald Ford's controversial decision of conscience to pardon former President Richard Nixon.

"The Profiles in Courage Award seeks to honor those whose lives of service prove that politics can be a noble profession. We hope that Americans realize that there are men and women serving at all levels of our government who are legends of our time." --Caroline Kennedy

Renowned authors and award-winners featured in Profiles in Courage for Our Time:

--Michael Beschloss on Carl Elliot, Sr.
--Bill Kovach on Charles Weltner
--E. J. Dionne on Lowell Weicker, Jr.
--Anna Quindlen on James Florio
--Pete Hamill on Henry Gonzalez
--Steve Roberts on Michael Synar
--Marian Wright Edelman on Corkin Cherubini
--Maryanne Vollers on Charles Price
--Ron Suskind on Nickolas C. Murnion
--Michael Daly on Irish Peace Makers
--Anthony Walton on Hilda Solis
--Al Hunt on Russell Feingold and John McCain
--Teresa Carpenter on John Lewis
--Bob Woodward on Gerald Ford

About this title

About the Author

Caroline Kennedy is the author and editor of twelve New York Times bestselling books on American history, politics and poetry. She is also an attorney and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017, and the only surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School, Kennedy is active in the efforts to improve New York City public schools and serves as President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Reviews

In 1957, then-senator John F. Kennedy won a Pulitzer Prize for Profiles in Courage. In 1990, the Kennedy family resurrected the concept and established the Profiles in Courage Award for selfless public service. Now, in this expertly packaged anthology, Caroline Kennedy and over a dozen prominent writers bring the sacrifices of those award winners to life. Some essays address famous leaders like the Good Friday peacemakers in Ireland and campaign-finance-reform stalwarts John McCain and Russell Feingold. Others hail lesser-known local officials, like school superintendent Corkin Cherubini, who braved a firestorm to end race-based tracking in Georgia. All the winners acted with a rare breed of selfless courage but sometimes this courage came at a terrible cost. U.S. Representative Carl Elliot Sr. was chased out of office in 1964 because he fought segregation in Alabama; by the time he won the first Profile in Courage Award, he was living alone in a ramshackle house, confined to a wheelchair by diabetes and hounded by creditors. Kennedy has assembled an impressive roster of writers to compose these mostly inspirational stories: Michael Beschloss, Anna Quindlen, Albert R. Hunt. The most audacious essay in the collection belongs to Bob Woodward, who reverses 25 years of conventional wisdom in arguing that former president Gerald Ford should be applauded for his pardon of Richard Nixon after Watergate. Of course, not all of the essays have the same level of distinction, but all share the same Kennedy spirit. Unabashedly liberal and pro-government, this collection is a stirring look at people who rarely thought about what they could do for themselves, but always about what they could do for their country.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Inspired by her father's late-1950s best-seller, Caroline Kennedy compiles 14 essays lauding political courage. Contributors include Michael Beschloss, E. J. Dionne, Bob Woodward, Anna Quindlen, and Pete Hamill, among others. Each of the 14 essay subjects was a recipient of the Profiles in Courage Award, created by the Kennedy family a decade ago. The virtue of courage ordinarily involves some risk to one's life. With exceptions, such as civil rights leader John Lewis, the virtue as lauded in this volume involves inveighing against some powerful interest. Another attribute sought is the championship of liberal causes: the editor chose Republicans for about one-fourth of the profiles, and of that group, two for their liberal positions on issues (John McCain's crusade against political financing; Lowell Weicker's imposition of an income tax on Connecticut residents). Other essay subjects include Gerald Ford's controversial decision to pardon Richard Nixon and James Fioro's passing of the strictest gun-control law in the nation. The high-profile names of the editor and writers will attract wide interest. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Hyperion
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0786867930
• ISBN 13: 9780786867936
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368