Countdown 1960: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of the 312 Days that Changed America's Politics Forever
by Chris Wallace
View on GoodreadsWhen you watch a presidential race run on television, private planes and slick advertising, you're watching what 1960 started, in Wallace's account. Written with Mitch Weiss, the book counts down 312 days from January 2, 1960, when John F. Kennedy declared his candidacy, to a razor-thin finish.
Core ideas
- A Catholic candidate: Kennedy had to win primaries, including a fight with Hubert Humphrey, in a country that had never elected a Catholic.
- Behind the debates: More than 70 million Americans watched Kennedy and Nixon debate, while family money and Nixon's vice presidency shaped the campaigns.
- The 2020 parallel: Nixon accepted a result the publisher says came with possibly valid fraud claims, and the book sets that against 2020.
Published2024
Pages448
ISBN9780593852194
ReadMay 2025
