Most historians now widely agree that the concrete accomplishments of President Kennedy were modest and that his failures and misjudgments were considerable. Yet Kennedy's image continues to shine in our historical memories with a brightness that few other figures of this century can match. Reasons are discussed. (RM)

Comparing the biographies of individuals is a technique that can be used to illuminate the larger history of a society. As an illustration, comparative biographies of two dissident leaders, Huey Long and Father Charles Coughlin, are discussed to show how they reflect the social and political history of the 1930s. (RM)

Characterizes the New Deal as "the single most important twentieth-century episode in the creation of the modern American state." Discusses the astonishing range of legislative activity enacted to respond to the Great Depression and the ensuing political opposition. Frankly evaluates those programs that failed. (MJP)