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Online copy of Life Magazine, March 17, 1961 (List of JFK's 10 favorite books)

AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
in Literary 007 Posts: 2,115
I found this because I was trying to confirm it came out in 1961 rather than 1963. On page 55 is the start of a lengthy article about President Kennedy's reading habits. The list of the 10 favorite books (including From Russia With Love) is a sidebar.

https://books.google.com/books?id=vUUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false

Comments

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Very good find! I like that!
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Astoundingly, From Russia with Love was the last film President Kennedy viewed in the White House theatre (thus, probably the last film he saw) before he was assassinated in Dallas, TX on 22/11/63.
  • AlexanderWaverlyAlexanderWaverly
    Posts: 2,115
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Very good find! I like that!

    Thanks. The reason it came up is I was having an exchange (via Facebook) about the date of the Life story. He thought it was 1963. I was pretty sure it was 1961. I found some blogs referencing that date but I wanted something more definitive. I tried Google images and found the link to the issue.

    That list definitely boosted Bond's popularity in the U.S. In 1962, Ian Fleming sent a letter to Robert F. Kennedy (then the U.S. attorney general) which included a note of thanks to the Kennedys for helping to boost his book sales. I read that letter myself. It's in the Fleming collection at Indiana University.
  • RevelatorRevelator
    Posts: 2,918
    PropertyOfALady wrote: »
    Astoundingly, From Russia with Love was the last film President Kennedy viewed in the White House theatre (thus, probably the last film he saw) before he was assassinated in Dallas, TX on 22/11/63.

    It's been said that both JFK and Lee Harvey Oswald were reading Fleming novels before the assassination. In any case, we know for sure that Oswald had checked out several Bond novels from the Dallas public library.
  • BT3366BT3366
    Posts: 1,917
    I appreciate this link because I didn't know this resource was available. I can now view any issue of Life from my laptop instead of having to go to a library and haul out a dusty old bound volume.

    Although I have these issues, Bond fans can also check out the GF and TB cover issues as well as the one with the OHMSS Bond actor candidates.
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