I have a fairly good collection of books about JFK, most of them read, several reviewed on this blog. One I hadn’t read yet was Conversations With Kennedy. It’s by Benjamin C. Bradlee. At the time the events of the book took place, Bradlee was a columnist with Newsweek magazine. Later he would go on to be managing editor of the Washington Post newspaper, a sister publication, and gain fame in the Watergate era.

When JFK was a senator from Massachusetts in the 1950s, recently married to Jackie, he was a neighbor to Bradlee, a few houses away in the Georgetown area of Washington D.C. Similar in age, similar in political views, and from relatively the same social circles, the two men became friends. They met socially, sometimes with their wives, sometimes alone or with Robert Kennedy or others. At some point in the relationship, fairly early on, Bradlee began taking notes on their conversations, realizing they could well be of historical significance. This continued when Kennedy became president in 1961.

Now, this arrangement sounds unethical to me. How could Bradlee, who wrote on politics for Newsweek, sometimes on JFK himself, befriend the person he’s supposed to stay neutral on? He could pick up behind the scenes info that no other reporter could get. But, if JFK was his friend, could Bradlee really write objectively on him?

Kennedy knew what he was doing, however, and I’m sure cultivated the friendship to foster positive press. Sure, he probably genuinely liked Bradlee and his wife and children, but still, the relationship smacks of unethical behavior by both men. But should reporters and journalists be required to give up or avoid friendships just because of their jobs? I wonder.

The book is well-written. Most of the chapters are short, as the notes were not extensive. Bradlee is a good writer. The information is of importance in history and is worth knowing. I’m glad that I read the book.

I rate this book 5-stars. But is it a keeper? It’s a mass market paperback, cheaply made, and a few pages at the front are falling out. On the other hand, I have an extensive collection of JFK books. I think for now I will add this to that collection, but I’m seriously thinking of getting rid of them all, selling them as a lot. I have one more to read (I think only one), after which I may just sell them. So this will go on the shelf for a short time.