View source for A Day That Changed History: The Assassination of John F Kennedy by Tracey Kelly

{{infobox1
|title=A Day That Changed History: The Assassination of John F Kennedy
|sort=Day That Changed History: The Assassination of John F Kennedy
|author=Tracey Kelly
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Kennedy's life and death put into context with some excellent supporting images.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=48
|publisher=Franklin Watts
|date=July 2013
|isbn=978-1445123578
|cover=1445123576
|aznuk=1445123576
|aznus=1445123576
}}

I have a vivid memory of hearing about the assassination of John F Kennedy.  He was young, charismatic and a hope for the future after the old guard who seemed to have been in power for ever - and then he was gone.  Books on JFK are easy to find - you'll find our favourites [[Top Ten Books on President John F Kennedy|here]], but it's rather more difficult to find a book which puts Kennedy and what happened into context, so I was delighted to receive a copy of ''A Day That Changed History: The Assassination of John F Kennedy''.

The book begins with Kennedy's birth in May 1917 and quickly takes us through his family,  privileged upbringing, war service, entry into political life and marriage.  By the time that he came to the presidency we're aware of his advantages - well educated, war hero and prize-winning author - but also of his problems - Addison's disease and back pain.  The upside of his time in office - the strengthening of civil rights, the establishment of the Peace Corps and NASA's Apollo programme are all there, but so is the debacle of the Bay of Pigs, the University of Mississippi riots and the Cuban Missile Crisis, all explained in simple language and supported by good images.

The assassination is dealt with sensitively, with images restricted to the before and after, including the death of Lee Harvey Oswald and there are references to the many conspiracy theories which have surrounded the assassination.  In the years which follow, the deaths of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, brother of JFK, are examined along with the legacy of JFK's short presidency.

It's a quick read, ideally suited to those who are old enough to be aware of world affairs and despite the sad topic the ending is positive, focusing as it does on the successes which the presidency brought and the inspiration which it gave to  future generations.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

For more non-fiction books aimed at children we can recommend [[Alan Turing (Real Lives) by Jim Eldridge]].

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{{toptentext|list=Top Ten Books on President John F Kennedy}}
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