"The President Has Been Shot!": The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

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"The President Has Been Shot!": The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

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Overview

A breathtaking and dramatic account of the JFK assassination by the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER!

In his new young-adult book on the Kennedy assassination, James Swanson will transport readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history. As he did in his bestselling Scholastic YA book, CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER, Swanson will deploy his signature "you are there" style -- a riveting, ticking-clock pace, with an unprecedented eye for dramatic details and impeccable historical accuracy -- to tell the story of the JFK assassination as it has never been told before.

The book will be illustrated with archival photos, and will have diagrams, source notes, bibliography, places to visit, and index

YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award Finalist

Product Details
About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545496544
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/24/2013
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	161,241
File size:	32 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

James L. Swanson is the Edgar Award winning author of the New York Times bestseller, Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer. His other books include Chasing Lincoln’s Killer, the best-selling adaption of Manhunt for young adults. He has held a number of government and think tank posts in Washington, D.C., including at the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Editorial Reviews

Swanson gives a fascinating account of the events and people leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK) in Dallas, Texas in 1963. Intimate and surprising details are provided that take readers back in time to that fateful November day and its aftermath. But few it seemed were worried that day. Security was limited. At forty-three, John F. Kennedy was America's youngest elected president (1960) and his pretty wife Jacqueline Bouvier (Jackie) was younger still by twelve years. Although JFK was elected by a slim margin, the Kennedy family soon captured America with their youthful charm. Swanson calls it the "Kennedy mystique." JFK had become "a youthful symbol of a new era of American optimism and spirit." However, he also proved to be a worthy leader. In less than three years JFK had dealt with the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, prevented a Russian missile attack, made landing on the moon a goal, achieved the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, spoke out for freedom and against communism at the Berlin Wall, and addressed America's growing problem of racial inequality among blacks. So as the Kennedy couple embarked on a Texas campaign trip in 1963, they were hopeful a second term would follow. But in the excitement of the moment an assassin's bullet awaited them instead, that of Lee Harvey Oswald. Swanson presents the facts and what little is known about Oswald, of his personal life, family, and possible motivations. Then when the assassination takes place, Swanson carefully describes Jackie's painful ordeal and heartfelt demands that dictated the funeral and how her husband would be remembered. New readers of JFK history will find Swanson's ?you are there' account both shocking and memorable. Photos, resources for further study, detailed building diagrams and more are provided. Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl

Children's Literature - Sharon M. Himsl

09/01/2013
Gr 6 Up—Swanson's title reads like a thriller, with intense pacing and an engaging narrative. The event is not depicted as dry, textbook history, but rather as a horrifying and shocking crime. Full- and double-page photographs of President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, and stills from the famous Zapruder film-which captured the assassination in real time-breathe emotion into the work. Kennedy's and Oswald's backgrounds are illuminated as the narrative descends toward their tragic connection. A well-illustrated map of Dealey Plaza detailing the President's route clarifies the position of relevant buildings and features at the time of the assassination. This book is graphic with respect to both images and verbage. Swanson provides a compelling case for Oswald as a lone gunman, arguing against the various and popular conspiracy theories. A diagram of the infamous "magic bullet" illustrates how a single bullet could cause multiple wounds for both JFK and Governor Connally. Despite the great number of books on Kennedy's assassination, this volume stands out for its gripping storytelling style and photographic documentation.—Jeffrey Meyer, Mount Pleasant Public Library, IA

School Library Journal

★ 09/02/2013
Swanson brings the same immediacy and thrillerlike tension he achieved in Chasing Lincoln’s Killer to this harrowing account of the Kennedy assassination (an adult version, End of Days, will be published later this year). As the subtitle suggests, Swanson concentrates on the buildup to and aftermath of the Dallas shooting on November 22, 1963. After a quick overview of Kennedy’s ascent to and first years in office (including the Bay of Pigs and the Space Race), he shifts between Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald in the days before and after the assassination. Swanson doesn’t avoid the horrific details of the shooting, and he’s open about the failings of well-meaning officials and staffers in the wake of the shooting. There’s no danger of uncovering any sympathy for Oswald, painted by Swanson as “a complaining, self-pitying, attention-seeking, temperamental, impoverished idealogue.” The book’s meticulous design incorporates numerous diagrams and b&w period photographs, and extensive source notes back up Swanson’s work. Even the simple decision to title the book’s chapters by date emphasizes how, in the span of just a few days, America changed irrevocably. Ages 12–up. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for CHASING LINCOLN'S KILLER
An ALA Best Books for Young Adults
BOOKLIST Notable Children's Book
Recommended as one of the top children's books about Lincoln by AMERICAN HISTORY MAGAZINE.
• "The YA version of Swanson's bestselling MANHUNT this account of Lincoln's assassination and the twelve-day search for his killer reads like a historical thriller. . . . Abundant period photographs and documents enhance the book's immediacy."--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review
• "Divided into fourteen chapters and an epilogue, the sentences are shorter and chapters are condensed from the original but the rich details and suspense are ever present, . . . It is a tale of intrigue and an engrossing mystery. With the approaching bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, this is a most welcome addition to all libraries."--SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review

YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award Finalist
"Swanson brings the same immediacy and thrillerlike tension he achieved in Chasing Lincoln’s Killer to this harrowing account of the Kennedy assassination (an adult version, End of Days, will be published later this year). As the subtitle suggests, Swanson concentrates on the buildup to and aftermath of the Dallas shooting on November 22, 1963. After a quick overview of Kennedy’s ascent to and first years in office (including the Bay of Pigs and the Space Race), he shifts between Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald in the days before and after the assassination. Swanson doesn’t avoid the horrific details of the shooting, and he’s open about the failings of well-meaning officials and staffers in the wake of the shooting. There’s no danger of uncovering any sympathy for Oswald, painted by Swanson as “a complaining, self-pitying, attention-seeking, temperamental, impoverished idealogue.” The book’s meticulous design incorporates numerous diagrams and b&w period photographs, and extensive source notes back up Swanson’s work. Even the simple decision to title the book’s chapters by date emphasizes how, in the span of just a few days, America changed irrevocably." - Publishers Weekly starred review

From the Publisher

In the vein of Swanson's young adult adaptions Bloody Times: The Funeral Of Abraham Lincoln And The Manhunt For Jefferson Davis (HarperCollins, 2010/Voya June 2010) and Chasing Lincoln's Killer (Scholastic, 2009/Voya December 2008), he again succeeds in the narrative nonfiction genre animating history for teens. With an introduction to Lee Harvey Oswald's past, as well as John F. Kennedy's rise to power and eventual presidency, the story is centered on the assassination, building suspense with rich descriptions, photographs, diagrams, and thoughtful chronological plotting. Swanson includes references to conspiracy theorists, possible motives, and the missteps taken by both Kennedy and his security detail during this time so as to present the material evenly. Once the gritty assassination occurs, Swanson then details the actions of Jackie Kennedy, successor Lyndon Johnson, and the assassin, and finally concludes the book with Oswald's murder and Kennedy's funeral. So much detail is packed into its pages that it begs to be shared, read, discussed, and dissected. It is as much a thriller as it is about romance, psychology, and politics. Swanson charms readers with mesmerizing, little-known facts, making readers the experts and inspiring them to become historians and inquirers. With appreciative readers, the hope is that Swanson will continue to publish for teens, with this latest being a valuable addition. Reviewer: Alicia Abdul

VOYA - Alicia Abdul

2013-09-01
Readers coming cold to this book about the assassination of John F. Kennedy will learn a great deal about the crime but much less about the man who died. Swanson devotes a scant 20 pages to the issues that dominated Kennedy's presidency before describing "the Kennedy mystique." In his telling, John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy come through as very human figures (albeit ones without weaknesses), who cast a bright light on national, global and political landscapes. His telling is almost hagiographic. The assassination and its aftermath occupy the heart of the book, the writing often straining to pull at heartstrings. This is particularly evident when describing Jackie Kennedy's actions before and during the funeral. Of course she was bereft--but strong enough to plan the entire observance down to the eternal flame on the grave. As for Lee Harvey Oswald, Swanson asks many gratuitous questions about what made him kill before admitting that neither he nor others know. Why ask? In the epilogue, Swanson waxes purple, stating that "Oswald struck from the shadows. Then he robbed us of the rest of the story." Well, what about Jack Ruby? Although the narrative verges on mythmaking, the many, many photographs and diagrams give the volume some value. Readers wishing for a more restrained, neutral, journalistic treatment should stick with Wilborn Hampton's Kennedy Assassinated: The World Mourns (1997). (source notes, further reading, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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