Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner

Profiles in Courage

by John F. Kennedy

Summary

John F. Kennedy presents short biographical portraits of eight United States senators who risked their careers by taking unpopular stands of principle. The figures range from John Quincy Adams to Robert A. Taft, each chosen for an act of political courage that defied party or public pressure. The book endures as a meditation on conscience in public life, written by a senator who would soon become president.

Historical Context & Significance

It remains the only Pulitzer winning book written by a future president of the United States.