Schlesinger

This biography by Richard Aldous offers a vivid and comprehensive portrait of Arthur Schlesinger Jr., exploring his intellectual development, his role as a liberal intellectual and presidential adviser to John F. Kennedy, and his influence on mid-20th century American liberalism.

Aldous draws on oral histories, archival documents, and Schlesinger's papers to detail his career from early academic success through his White House years and beyond, though the later decades receive less emphasis.

The book highlights Schlesinger's relationships with key figures such as his father Arthur M. Schlesinger, Adlai Stevenson, and the Kennedy administration, portraying him as both a historian and a political actor.