First published 1996
Christopher Matthews chronicles the complex relationship between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon from their early days as friends in Congress through their historic 1960 presidential campaign. The book reveals how two ambitious politicians who once respected each other gradually developed a mutual animosity that would define American politics for decades. Matthews shows Kennedy and Nixon as young congressmen finding common ground, then traces their diverging paths as Kennedy's charisma and Nixon's tenacity put them on a collision course. Their 1960 contest becomes the focal point where personal rivalry intersects with national destiny during the height of the Cold War. The author demonstrates how their competition established the political templates that would govern America's approach to the Soviet threat and domestic policy. Matthews captures the paranoia and suspicion that eventually consumed both men, showing how their personal battle reflected broader tensions in American society during this pivotal era.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, political-science, politics, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, political-rivalry
Setting: America, Congress
Period: 1960s, Cold War
377 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster