TIME-LIFE JFK at 100: The Presidency and Beyond

War hero. Political icon. Martyr. As the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy is one of the most celebrated figures in American history. Born into wealth and power, Kennedy proved himself to the nation as a young man, then rose through the ranks of elected office, reaching the White House at just 42 years old. It was the dawn of the nuclear age, and in his short term as president, JFK balanced a Cold War steeliness with a commitment to public service to assert America's role as a global leader. Alongside his wife, Jackie, and their two young children, JFK represented the new face of a new generation, and the hope and optimism he expressed continues to reverberate today.