Rising Star, Setting Sun: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and the Presidential Transition that Changed America

A monumental new history reveals how the transition of power from Eisenhower to Kennedy marked more than a succession of presidents—it was the culmination of a generational shift in American politics, policy and culture.

After winning the presidency by a razor-thin victory on November 8, 1960 over Richard Nixon, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s former vice president, John F. Kennedy became the thirty-fifth president of the United States. But beneath the stately veneers of both Ike and JFK, there was a...