An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s

As usual with Doris Kern Godwin’s histories this book is more than just a history of the Kennedys and President Johnson and the fight for civil rights. With the background of the sixties Ms Godwin also gives us a detailed picture of her husband and herself in those exciting times, working in the White House, writing famous speeches for the presidents (her husband), sharing President Johnson’s memories near the end of his life (herself) and the many devoted Americans who believed in the changing times and the end of racism. It is also the story of Godwin’s life with her husband and their shared interests and love of America. Written after the death of her husband, the book is a tribute to him and to his political fights.

This book shows that Doris Kearns Goodwin was not only a talented teacher, writer and historian but a loving wife and caring person.

The historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has offered up both an individual memoir and testimonial to her late husband Richard (Dick) Goodwin. They were married for over 40 years. Dick was instrumental as an adviser and speechwriter for Presidents Kennedy and LBJ… and friends with Bobby Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy. The couple over their life together amassed many boxes (over 300) of letters, speeches, and memorabilia mostly from their 1960 experiences and relationships. They both had special access to two Presidents and a third possible one was denied. In preparation for this book, they decided to go through all of this material using it as a springboard to tell the 1960s from their perspectives.
There is nothing new in the way of undiscovered history in the book, although it offers unique insight into the major moments of the 1960s. It made me regret that Richard Goodwin did not write his biography. Yet he has found a loving and understanding communicator in Doris’s good hands. This reads as a living contemporaneous document. It feels as if you are with Doris and Dick as they sift through boxes full of memories and truths, like your with old friends who wish to reconnect with their past. Dick Goodwin died May 20, 2018 age 86. Doris is now 81.

Finished this book yesterday. This woman is one of my favorite historians (I do have a few). She was married to Dick Goodwin for 40 years, until he died in 2018. He served as an advisor and speechwriter for JFK, LBJ, and RFK – and also worked on Eugene McCarthy’s campaign for the presidency in 1968. He was the guy who coined the term “The Great Society” for Johnson, and also wrote Johnson’s famous speech before Congress (in response to Bloody Sunday) which was punctuated with Johnson movingly declaring “ … and we SHALL overcome.” He also became a close personal friend of Jackie Kennedy before JFK’s election, and remained so until her death in three 1990’s.

As for the author, she worked for LBJ in the last months of his administration, helped to pen his autobiography, and wrote her first book about him. She and Goodwin did not know each other until after their turns with these great leaders.

The book resulted from the two of them going through tons of boxes of original historical documents Goodwin had kept from his years around these great figures. It is replete with first-person, behind-the-scenes reporting of the great events of the history-changing years of the New Frontier, the Great Society, the Vietnam War, and the anti-war movement which capped off those years. Whether you lived through those years as I and my friends did, or not, this is a dynamic period of American history – and the book tells the story in an engaging fashion that Doris Kearns-Goodwin is known for. Highly recommended!!

Just finished “An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s” by one of my favorite historians, Doris Kearns Goodwin. This is, without question, one of her most personal and inspiring works to date.

One of my favorite reads in 2024, “Love Story” is a masterful blend of history, memoir, and biography. Told through the lens of her marriage to Richard “Dick” Goodwin—a brilliant speechwriter and advisor to presidents—this book is as much a love letter to her husband as it is to the ideals and promises of the 1960s.

The book is an extraordinary journey through the New Frontier of John F. Kennedy, the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson, and the turbulent but inspiring years of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the struggle for economic justice. Goodwin’s unparalleled access and meticulous storytelling make this account both personal and universal.

At its core, this book is about the partnership between two people who were not only deeply committed to each other but also to the idea that individuals can shape history. As Doris and Dick sift through decades of letters, diaries, and memorabilia in the twilight of his life, they uncover a treasure trove of untold stories and gain fresh perspectives on the giants of that era, including JFK, LBJ, Martin Luther King Jr., Bobby Kennedy, & Jackie Kennedy.

There are times I felt like I was sitting with the couple at their kitchen table, reflecting on the key moments, accomplishments, and unfinished dreams of the 60’s and the Goodwin’s life.

“An Unfinished Love Story” is a must-read for history enthusiasts, fans of Doris Kearns Goodwin, and anyone who believes in the enduring power of hope and human connection.

Check it out!