The Presidency: The Edge of War

It had been a long while—eight weeks —between press conferences, and a lot had happened between times in the public life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Thus, there was a record gathering of 412 reporters and cameramen on hand when Kennedy walked into the big State Department auditorium one morning last week.

The President moved easily, showing no signs of his recent back injury, and he half-smiled his recognition to White House regulars. Yet his face appeared puffy and lined by new wrinkles, and his hands seemed to tremble slightly as he shuffled the...

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