Profiles in Courage - Perennial Classics Author:John F. Kennedy During 19541955, John F. Kennedy, then a U.S. senator, chose eight of his historical colleagues to profile for their acts of astounding integrity in the face of overwhelming opposition. These heroes include John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, and Robert A. Taft. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1957, Profiles in Courage<... more »/i> -- now featuring a new Introduction by Caroline Kennedy, as well as Robert Kennedys Foreword written for the 1964 memorial edition -- resounds with timeless lessons on the most cherished of virtues and is a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit. It is, as Robert Kennedy writes, "not just stories of the past but a book of hope and confidence for the future. What happens to the country, to the world, depends on what we do with what others have left us."« less
In the classic sense,a hero is a person who is dead and has achieved great valor. John Kennedy outlines his philosophy of what is rare and great valor. He understood the personal cost of great sacrifice.