Death of a President by William Manchester
"Death of a President" is a historical narrative by William Manchester that chronicles the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, in November 1963. Commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of the late president, the book was intended as an authorized account to provide an official narrative amidst the proliferation of other works on the subject. Manchester, known for his admiration of Kennedy, depicts the events surrounding the assassination and the immediate aftermath, including the transition of power to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.
The book presents Johnson in a largely unfavorable light, which led to tensions between him and Robert F. Kennedy, the late president's brother. Jacqueline Kennedy's attempts to censor certain content resulted in a public legal dispute with Manchester, ultimately leading to a settlement. "Death of a President" quickly became a bestseller and is noted for its impact on the relationships between key political figures during a tumultuous period in American history. The work has since contributed to ongoing discussions and analyses surrounding the assassination and its implications for American politics.
Death of a President by William Manchester
Published 1967
Author William Manchester
A study of the events surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The book became the center of a public storm just before it was published.
Key Figures
William Manchester (1922-2004), author
The Work
The Death of a President was written by reporter William Manchester, author of Portrait of a President: John F. Kennedy in Profile (1962), at the request of Jacqueline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s widow. Jacqueline Kennedy hoped that the authorized account of the assassination that took place in Dallas in November, 1963, would preempt other books on the subject. Manchester, a passionate admirer of President Kennedy, wrote a long narrative that often placed Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, who had become president after Kennedy’s death, in an unflattering light, presenting him as a power-hungry boor. Johnson told aides “it makes me look like a son of a bitch.”
Impact
The book, released when political tension between Johnson and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the dead president’s brother and attorney general, was increasing, seemed likely to worsen the already bad relations between the two men. In an ill-considered move, Jacqueline Kennedy sued Manchester to compel him to delete negative language about Johnson and personal matters of which she disapproved. During the resulting public furor, the reputations of all involved suffered. Kennedy was seen as trying to censor an author whose work she disliked. Finally, lawyers for Manchester and Kennedy reached an out-of-court settlement. The Death of a President became a best-seller. It is remembered as a significant episode in the bitter animosity between Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy. It was also the moment when Jacqueline Kennedy’s public image suffered its first serious reverse since the murder of her husband.
Related Works
Hundreds of books have since been written about the assassination; one of the better accounts is The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: A Complete Book of Facts (1992), by historians James P. Duffy and Vincent L. Ricci.