Potus Geeks Review: Reconsidering JFK (The Great Courses)
The Great Courses is a series of college-level audio and video courses and documentaries produced and distributed by The Teaching Company, an American company based in Chantilly, Virginia. The Great Courses are now known as Wondrium, but content is available through either entity. They produce lectures on several subjects including history. They have some especially good courses on Presidential History including series on Abraham Lincoln, an excellent series on the Civil War, on slavery and African-American history, a series entitled "Great Presidents" and many others. They have also produced a documentary on the impeachment of Andrew Johnson entitled Going to the Devil.
Last month they released a course on the legacy of John F. Kennedy entitled Reconsidering JFK, presented by Professor Michael Shelden of Indiana State University. Although over a half-century has passed since the death of President John F. Kennedy, there remains a strong divergence of opinion over Kennedy's legacy, between those who mythologize the man, ranking him among his nation's greatest Presidents, and those who view him as highly over-rated and tremendously flawed. Especially in these times of intense political polarization, it is refreshing to find such a candid, objective and impartial assessment of John Kennedy, the man and the President, as is presented by Professor Michael Shelden in this series of lectures. Professor Shelden remain true to his historian's moral compass, as he examines Kennedy's assets and liabilities, his strengths and weaknesses, both as President and as a person, considering the good with the bad, giving Kennedy credit where credit is due and taking his subject to the woodshed when deserved. Professor Shelden deserves high praise for his intellectual honesty.
As the lecturer summarizes in the Course Guidebook, "Hurting Kennedy's legacy more than anything else is the tug-of-war between those who can't hear anything negative about him and those who can't say anything positive. There should be more people in between who just want to know what he did - warts and all - and why he did it." Professor Sheldon accomplishes this Herculean task masterfully. He recognizes and examines Kennedy's intense political ambition, his keen political instincts, and his vision, as well as his many flaws, including his failures as president, his dishonesty in concealing the true state of his illness, his lust and his sacrificing principles for political expediency. What is especially delightful is how the lecturer takes to task disingenuous historians such as Arthur Schlesinger and others for their deliberate false portrayal of Kennedy, ignoring their ethical responsibility as historians.
This course covers the highlights of Kennedy's life and political career, giving consideration to some of the significant events that many other historians overlook, such as Kennedy's unsuccessful attempt to win the 1956 Vice-Presidential nomination for his party. The lectures address epic moments of the Kennedy Presidency including the Bay of Pigs, the battle with US Steel, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the battle for civil rights, Vietnam and Kennedy's fateful trip to Dallas. Professor Sheldon offers fresh insight on many of these subjects, based on his careful scrutiny of many hours of oral histories at the Kennedy Library. As much as has been written about President Kennedy, Professor Sheldon offers the student much that is new. He is also careful to consider Kennedy in the light of his times, a time when Kennedy's party was strongly influenced by its understanding of the need for support from those in the "Old South" as well as the considerations brought on by the Cold War.
Those who fall in either of the two extreme camps of opinions of John F. Kennedy may not like this course. Those who like their history unbiased and objective and who like to look at history untethered by pre-conceived biases will almost certainly enjoy this course as much as I did.
Last month they released a course on the legacy of John F. Kennedy entitled Reconsidering JFK, presented by Professor Michael Shelden of Indiana State University. Although over a half-century has passed since the death of President John F. Kennedy, there remains a strong divergence of opinion over Kennedy's legacy, between those who mythologize the man, ranking him among his nation's greatest Presidents, and those who view him as highly over-rated and tremendously flawed. Especially in these times of intense political polarization, it is refreshing to find such a candid, objective and impartial assessment of John Kennedy, the man and the President, as is presented by Professor Michael Shelden in this series of lectures. Professor Shelden remain true to his historian's moral compass, as he examines Kennedy's assets and liabilities, his strengths and weaknesses, both as President and as a person, considering the good with the bad, giving Kennedy credit where credit is due and taking his subject to the woodshed when deserved. Professor Shelden deserves high praise for his intellectual honesty.
As the lecturer summarizes in the Course Guidebook, "Hurting Kennedy's legacy more than anything else is the tug-of-war between those who can't hear anything negative about him and those who can't say anything positive. There should be more people in between who just want to know what he did - warts and all - and why he did it." Professor Sheldon accomplishes this Herculean task masterfully. He recognizes and examines Kennedy's intense political ambition, his keen political instincts, and his vision, as well as his many flaws, including his failures as president, his dishonesty in concealing the true state of his illness, his lust and his sacrificing principles for political expediency. What is especially delightful is how the lecturer takes to task disingenuous historians such as Arthur Schlesinger and others for their deliberate false portrayal of Kennedy, ignoring their ethical responsibility as historians.
This course covers the highlights of Kennedy's life and political career, giving consideration to some of the significant events that many other historians overlook, such as Kennedy's unsuccessful attempt to win the 1956 Vice-Presidential nomination for his party. The lectures address epic moments of the Kennedy Presidency including the Bay of Pigs, the battle with US Steel, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the battle for civil rights, Vietnam and Kennedy's fateful trip to Dallas. Professor Sheldon offers fresh insight on many of these subjects, based on his careful scrutiny of many hours of oral histories at the Kennedy Library. As much as has been written about President Kennedy, Professor Sheldon offers the student much that is new. He is also careful to consider Kennedy in the light of his times, a time when Kennedy's party was strongly influenced by its understanding of the need for support from those in the "Old South" as well as the considerations brought on by the Cold War.
Those who fall in either of the two extreme camps of opinions of John F. Kennedy may not like this course. Those who like their history unbiased and objective and who like to look at history untethered by pre-conceived biases will almost certainly enjoy this course as much as I did.