Coffee @ The Kennedy Museum with Joel Nelson
Join us for a cup of coffee as author and historian Joel Nelson discusses his newly book Kennedy’s Only Hero: How JFK’s Obsession with Winston Churchill Defined His Presidency.
Drawing on previously unpublished archival material, British historian Joel tells the story of how Churchill’s career, writings, policies, and even daily habits profoundly shaped the future President. Under Churchill’s influence, Kennedy shed his early isolationism and developed the worldview that would propel him to the White House — his conviction in peace through strength, his faith in summits, his understanding of rhetoric, his commitment to service and global engagement.
Nelson, a former Kennedy Scholar and assistant editor at Foreign Affairs journal, he currently lives in London.
Meet the author, enjoy fresh coffee and have your book signed!
Event Details
Location: JFK Hyannis Museum: Talk on second floor – Scudder Room and book signing to follow first floor lobby / courtyard and bookshop.
Attendance: In-person and via Zoom.
Cost: Free to members and non-members.
Registration: RSVP requested. Please register below.
About the Book
Winston Churchill is one of the most scrutinised figures of the modern age. And yet the extraordinary hold he had over John F. Kennedy — beginning in his teenage years and lasting to his final day — is little known.
Drawing on previously unpublished archival material, British historian Joel Nelson tells the story in his new book Kennedy’s Only Hero, of how Churchill’s career, writings, policies, and even daily habits profoundly shaped the future President. Under Churchill’s influence, Kennedy shed his early isolationism and developed the worldview that would propel him to the White House — his conviction in peace through strength, his faith in summits, his understanding of rhetoric, his commitment to service and global engagement.
Although they met only once, the encounter between these two iconic figures altered the course of the 20th century.