Award-winning historian and biographer William Manchester turns his attention to the historical events that shaped our modern world, covering the period between 1950 and 1975. He tells the story in a series of essays that are well-crafted, insightful, and very compelling to read.
In the title essay Controversy, Manchester details his experience writing The Death of a President, the award-winning account of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was indeed a controversy like few others, engaging one of the most prominent historians of the day against Jackie Kennedy, the most famous, yet private, widow in the world. This 76-page essay provides a compelling insider's account of the most high-profile publishing struggle of its day.
"A work of love, even passion.... Mr. Manchester's final telling of the death of Kennedy is most moving; it is also less controversial than one had been led to believe by those who read the original manuscript." --Gore Vidal
This sweeping collection further provides a penetrating look at the period between World War II and the Vietnam era. In an account that's both exacting in its accuracy and a pleasure to read, these essays cover the events that shaped world history during this period of time--from the Bay of Pigs fiasco to Watergate and Vietnam.
William Manchester
William Manchester (1922-2004) was a journalist, Professor of History Emeritus at Wesleyan University, and the best-selling author of several noted histories, novels, and biographies. Notable works include The Last Lion, a biography of Winston Churchill spanning several volumes; American Caesar, on the life of Douglas MacArthur; The Arms of Krupp, A World Lit Only By Fire; and The Death of a President. His awards include the Dag Hammarskjold International Literary Prize, the National Humanities Medal, the Abraham Lincoln Literary Award, and the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award.
