PEOPLE Magazine Article, Written by Kennedy Family Authority, Spotlights Revelations from New JFK Biography in Exclusive Feature

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Signaling major national interest in the early life of John F. Kennedy, PEOPLE Magazine has published an exclusive feature on Scott Badler's new biography, Becoming JFK: John F. Kennedy's Early Path to Leadership.

The feature, which ran on October 18, highlights a series of humanizing and unexpected revelations from the book, offering a first look at the formative years of the 35th president. The book moves beyond the myth of a man born into effortless success to paint a portrait of a young man grappling with chronic health issues, family pressures, and the awkward first steps of a political career.

In its exclusive preview, PEOPLE highlights several key revelations from the book:

Arrested on Martha's Vineyard: In July 1935, an 18-year-old JFK and his brother Joe Jr. were arrested for public disturbance and vandalism. Their father, Joe Sr., deliberately left them in a cell overnight to teach them a lesson. "It was a formative moment," Badler notes in the book. "Jack realized he could no longer rely on his older, favored brother's judgment and needed to trust his own instincts."

Chronic Health and Weight Struggles: A young JFK was so frail he once weighed only 125 lbs. In 1942, fearing he was "getting physically soft" at a desk job, he sent away for the Charles Atlas strength program, advertised for "scrawny weaklings."

Rebuffed by a Hollywood Actress: At a party in 1945, a young JFK was captivated by actress Olivia de Havilland and asked her to dinner. She refused. According to Badler, "It was an early education in a world where charm wasn't always enough, and power—whether in film or politics—was the ultimate currency."

An Unlikely Politician: The book reveals that JFK was not a natural politician. His early speeches were delivered in a "high-pitched monotone," and he was notably awkward when a voter tried to hand him a baby. Badler argues this was a "gift in disguise," as it "forced him to build a political identity based on substance, intelligence and his war-hero status rather than empty glad-handing."

The story was written by PEOPLE magazine's Editor at Large, Liz McNeil, one of America's foremost authorities on the Kennedy family.

With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, McNeil has meticulously evaluated and chronicled the dynasty's complex history, separating myth from reality for a global audience. Her expertise is anchored in landmark works, including her role as co-author of the instant New York Times bestselling book, JFK JR: An Intimate Oral Biography—a work hailed by The Washington Post as "the fullest portrait of Kennedy ever written."

Beyond biography, she has proven her investigative rigor as the creator and host of the groundbreaking podcast Cover-Up, which dedicated an eight-month investigation to the Chappaquiddick scandal.

Having interviewed hundreds of sources, from presidents and celebrities to the family's most intimate confidantes, McNeil possesses a rare and nuanced understanding of what the public knows, what remains hidden, and what continues to fascinate us about America's most storied family.

The book is now available wherever books are sold.

Contact: Bruce L. Bortz, Publisher, Bancroft Press, [email protected], 410-627-0608

SOURCE Bancroft Press