Talk:JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956

This entry is a mess. Some of it appears to be translated from a language other than English; the non-fiction book is frequently referred to as a novel, and summarized as if it were one; and includes vast amounts of personal opinion. 66.58.217.84 (talk) 04:01, 10 September 2021 (UTC)


 * There is too much emphatic and poetic language in the article that needs to be cleaned up so that it matches the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. BlueSentinel122 (talk) 18:12, 18 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Most of the poetic language has been removed or altered to conform to the encyclopedic tone common to Wikipedia. The only opinions cited are those of the author, not the writer, as explained below. Dcw2003 (talk) 20:57, 13 August 2023 (UTC)

There was never a reference to the book being reviewed as a novel but Kennedy's Senior thesis was once called a novel, and should have been simply referenced as a thesis. The word novel does not appear in the review currently. The vast majority of the review is a summary of the content, and any pro-Kennedy sentiment that appears in the review comes directly from the research and conclusions of the author, Logevall, who is a lifelong Kennedy scholar, Harvard Professor of History, and Pulitzer Prize winner. It is his observations and conclusions about John Kennedy's actions based on Logevall's research and analysis of Kennedy's life experiences that give the book value. Many of his conclusions, such as his belief that the sinking of the PT-109 was not directly Kennedy's fault have been shared by many if not most contemporary authors, though conflicting views are still presented to promote objectivity. William Doyle writings in PT-109 is only one example. Direct references to the pages in the book itself appear in every instance where what might be considered pro-Kennedy sentiment is described in the review. The language has been edited to appear more encyclopedic, and informative. There is very limited personal opinion in the review; in nearly all instances, what are referred to as personal opinions are the conclusions and observations of the author Logevall, not the author of the review. Nonetheless, views that counter Logevall's conclusions have been added in respect to how Joseph Kennedy made his wealth, whether Kennedy was fully responsible for the sinking of the PT-109, and whether Kennedy's PT-109 experience influenced his decision to begin detente, the nuclear test ban treaty, and seek a diplomatic rather than a military solution to the Cuban misel crisis. Dcw2003 (talk)