The author, Ottawa Citizen columnist, and Carleton University professor Andrew Cohen discusses his new book, Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History (Signal, 2014), with Joseph Planta.

Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History by Andrew Cohen (Signal, 2014). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Two Days in June

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

Just when you think there have been so many books on John F. Kennedy and his life and presidency, a book like Andrew Cohen’s latest comes along and shatters one’s notions and misconceptions of America’s 35th President. The book, called Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History, is also a very fine achievement for its author, who takes two days in the life and administration of President Kennedy, and narrates it absolutely thoughtful, reflective, dramatic, even evocative writing. The 10th & 11th of June 1963 proved to be eventful and dramatic days. On the 10 June 1963, in a much awaited speech President Kennedy speak on arms control and the simmering Cold War, while the next day he gives a speech on the civil rights that leads to the Civil Rights Act the following year. Kennedy, however would be slain in Dallas on the 22nd of November of that year, but these days prove pivotal to the one thousand days he was president. Andrew Cohen joins me now to talk about this book. I’ll get him to tell us about it, and what the impetus was for him to write about Kennedy this way. He is an award winning journalist, and a professor of journalism and international affairs at Carleton University. He’s also a syndicated columnist for the Ottawa Citizen, and appears regularly on CTV News. His previous books include While Canada Slept, Trudeau’s Shadow, A Deal Undone, and one of my favourite books, The Unfinished Canadian, which he was last on with in 2007. Two Days in June is published by Signal, which is an imprint of McClelland & Stewart. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Andrew Cohen; Mr. Cohen, good morning.

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