When John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the thirty-fifth president of the United States in January 1961, the cold war was at its height. Although the Soviet Union’s greatest opportunities for expanding its influence were in the newer, poorer countries of the Third World, Kennedy gave top priority to Europe, recognizing that the continent was the key to America's success, security, and survival in a dangerous world.

This collection of essays by both participants in and scholars of U.S. policy toward Europe from 1961 to 1963 includes superb contributions by British historian Alistair Horne, journalist John Newhouse, and arms control specialist Carl Kaysen. They treat such important topics as Kennedy’s relationships with European leaders, his administration’s Italian and Portuguese policies, the Limited Test-Ban Treaty of 1963, and the balance of payment crisis with Europe.

These essays prove to be an indispensable, balanced contribution to cold war historiography and a landmark event in the study of the dynamics of what is still called the Atlantic partnership.

“President John F. Kennedy is best remembered and most widely discussed for his foreign policy in Cuba and Southeast Asia, yet relations with Europe was where he spent much of his time and talents. In this fine book, seventeen leading scholars tell in an exemplary manner about the Kennedy Administration and transatlantic policies. Some praise him, others are critical; they are all thoughtful and give us much to think about.”—Stephen E. Ambrose, author of Nixon and Eisenhower