The Making of the President, 1960
Encyclopedia
The Making of the President, 1960, written by Theodore White
and published by Atheneum Publishers in 1961, analyzes the 1960 election in which John F. Kennedy
was elected President of the United States
. The book won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
and was the first in a series of books analyzing American Presidential elections. (The others are The Making of the President, 1964 (1965), The Making of the President, 1968 (1969), and
The Making of the President, 1972 (1973).)
The Making of the President, 1960, was a huge success when the book came out in 1961. It stayed on the best-seller list for more than forty weeks. The book, written in a novelistic style, traces the 1960 campaign from the primaries (in which John F. Kennedy
faced Hubert Humphrey
and Senator Stuart Symington
) to the conclusion of the general election contest against Richard Nixon
.
The book had quite an impact on politics and its image. Critics and journalists who had read it were subjected to a shift in their way to describe everyday politics. As said by White in the book itself, it showed a leader under the pressures of circumstances. It reported a presidential battle in a different angle. This literary-journalistic book brought a dramatic point of view on the world of politics and its strategies, victories and defeats. White even noted all intonations and postures of the 1960 politicians. A chapter was also devoted on detailing the reasons behind Americans' way to vote and their way to live.
David L. Wolper
produced a film version of The Making of the President, 1960 which was finished shortly before President Kennedy's November 1963 assassination but released without revision.
Theodore H. White
Theodore Harold White was an American political journalist, historian, and novelist, known for his wartime reporting from China and accounts of the 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1980 presidential elections.-Life and career:...
and published by Atheneum Publishers in 1961, analyzes the 1960 election in which John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
was elected President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The book won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction has been awarded since 1962 for a distinguished book of non-fiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in another category.-1960s:...
and was the first in a series of books analyzing American Presidential elections. (The others are The Making of the President, 1964 (1965), The Making of the President, 1968 (1969), and
The Making of the President, 1972 (1973).)
The Making of the President, 1960, was a huge success when the book came out in 1961. It stayed on the best-seller list for more than forty weeks. The book, written in a novelistic style, traces the 1960 campaign from the primaries (in which John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
faced Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Humphrey
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
and Senator Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington
William Stuart Symington was a businessman and political figure from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.-Education and business career:...
) to the conclusion of the general election contest against Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
.
The book had quite an impact on politics and its image. Critics and journalists who had read it were subjected to a shift in their way to describe everyday politics. As said by White in the book itself, it showed a leader under the pressures of circumstances. It reported a presidential battle in a different angle. This literary-journalistic book brought a dramatic point of view on the world of politics and its strategies, victories and defeats. White even noted all intonations and postures of the 1960 politicians. A chapter was also devoted on detailing the reasons behind Americans' way to vote and their way to live.
David L. Wolper
David L. Wolper
David Lloyd Wolper was an American television and film producer, responsible for shows such as Roots, The Thorn Birds, North & South, L.A. Confidential, and the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory...
produced a film version of The Making of the President, 1960 which was finished shortly before President Kennedy's November 1963 assassination but released without revision.