The Only Thing to Fear: A Novel

By David Poyer

Book Overview

In the spring of 1945, a young convalescent Navy Lieutenant John F. Kennedy begins his political career on President Roosevelt's staff, where he receives a dangerous, top-secret assignment. Reprint.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312857098
• ISBN13: 9780312857097
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Forge
• Length: 429 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 1.5" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

JFK in the Twilight Zone

I've read several of Poyer's other books, and greatly enjoy the Tiller Galloway series, and his Dan Lenson series to a lesser extent. This book came as a total surprise; it's nothing like his other works. It's a "what if" book about John Kennedy: what if he had come home from the war, and been assigned to head off an assassination attempt on FDR's life? To a great extent, the author uses real people, places, and events, and throws in a few Nazi's and Communists to stir the pot and build suspense. It's hard to tell Poyer is a huge JFK fan or hater, but I'm sure he spent a lot of time writing with his tongue rammed firmly into his cheek. Kennedy is roundly skewered either way, with his womanizing and loose morals getting special attention. At one point he misses a clandestine rendezvous with a newly-met nurse, and ends up having sex with an underage cripple who happened to be there instead. It's liberally sprinkled with skewed references to the future. At one point Kennedy, reflecting on his own service, prophesies that at least we've learned never to fight in the Pacific jungles again. If you're a big fan of J. Edgar Hoover, prepare to cringe, as he is not given the kid-glove treatment either! If you can get past the bizarre premise, you're liable to enjoy this book. It's well crafted, well paced, and well written. Poyer clearly put a lot of research into Kennedy and the mid-1940s, and creates a very believable period atmosphere. His obvious enjoyment with writing the book shines through, and it's more light hearted and humourous than his usual fare. This isn't - quite - science fiction, but if you can suspend disbelief a bit as any scifi fan must, Poyer will draw you in and provide a few hours of highly enjoyable reading. Get this at the library, or used if the price is right.