Kennedy's Only Hero: How JFK’s Obsession with Winston Churchill Defined His Presidency

The surprising story of how John F. Kennedy’s obsession with Winston Churchill defined his life, transformed his politics, and helped elevate him to the nation’s highest office.

“A fascinating and discerning exploration of how one iconic twentieth-century leader helped shape the rhetoric and political persona of another.” —Fredrik Logevall, author of JFK

Winston Churchill remains one of the modern age’s most revered leaders. His life has been the subject of decades of mythmaking and scrutiny, and yet few know the powerful sway he had over another twentieth-century political icon—John F. Kennedy. Drawing on deep wells of unpublished archival material, Kennedy’s Only Hero uncovers Kennedy’s obsession with Churchill, whose career, policies, writings, and even daily habits profoundly shaped the future president.

Kennedy discovered Churchill’s books as a teenager and by his early twenties had become an unswerving believer in his brilliance. Under Churchill’s influence, Kennedy rejected his own youthful isolationism and adopted the approach to national and international politics that propelled him to the presidency. Although they would not meet until late in their lives, Churchill’s influence on Kennedy’s campaign tactics, speeches, and worldview was overwhelming. Kennedy’s conviction in the power of peace through strength, his faith in summits, his understanding of the importance of rhetoric, and his deep commitment to service and global engagement—all came from Churchill.

Kennedy’s Only Hero is an enlightening and deeply human story of an admiration and aspiration that changed the course of history.