39 The Kennedy myth
Description
This article is from the James Bond FAQ, by Michael Reed reed55@core.com with numerous contributions by others.
39 The Kennedy myth
One of the things that helped Fleming's books get noticed in the United
States was a plug by President John F. Kennedy. But the episode may not be
factual. Leading longtime Bond memorabilia collector and fan Alan
Stephenson (<mailto:klausink@aol.com>) disputes this claim with the
following revelation:
"This is one of those bits of urban legend. While Kennedy is known to have
read Fleming, this whole business of him admiring Bond and relishing 'From
Russia With Love' may owe more to his image-makers than JFK himself."
"Kennedy's press secretary, Pierre Salinger, was asked for a list of the
President's preferred reading. That list was essentially a work of fiction
itself: The secretary invented the whole thing, selecting titles that would
make Kennedy appear well rounded yet in-touch with the popular culture. If
JFK had generated the list himself, it's unknown if 'From Russia With Love'
would have ultimately appeared."
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