Of the hundreds of books written about John F. Kennedy none have yet taken the full measure of
the role that Theodore Sorensen played in shaping his presidency. Serving as President
Kennedy's speechwriter from 1952 until 1963 Sorensen was a key advisor in the White House and
a gatekeeper of the Kennedy legacy in the years after his assassination. This book presents a
compelling portrait of Sorensen's life and place in the American political landscape. He became
an outspoken critic of corruption in politics a vocal opponent of the militarist foreign
policy approach that successive administrations adopted and an advisor to Democratic
presidential candidates such as Robert F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. Taking up questions about
the role of presidential advisors and the concept of public service an ideal that was central
to the most famous of the speeches that Sorensen wrote for President Kennedy Michelle A.
Ulyatt offers new insight into Sorensen's influence on the Kennedy years and the generation of
leaders who came after.
