The President's Team: The 1963 Army-Navy Game and the Assassination of JFK

I didn't want the book to end! Michael Connelly weaves the characters of the story, facts about the personal side of President Kennedy with respect to his love of the Navy team, and the great rivalry of the football teams into a compelling story. It was a great read and he is a great author. I enjoyed the book very much.

Well written. Takes a pivotal moment in US history and looks at it through a very American lens. Even for the non-football fan, this is a fascinating book that really conveys how the nation dealt with assassination of JFK and America's love for this national sport.

This was an extraordinary time in history and Connelly brought the events and the amazing people clearly to light in his book. For the tradition and rivalry of the game to have be directly tied to one of the most devastating periods in American history secured it one of the most important games of it's time and I'm glad that I now know about it. Connelly's books are always a great read but this may just be his best yet. Anyone who enjoys football, is associated with Army or Navy, or is a Kennedy buff will, of course, enjoy the book but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it since I was too young to remember 1963 firsthand and have never been associated with the Army-Navy game. I found that I could not put the book down as I learned more about the people and as the Army Navy game approached. It's amazing to think of the leaders who came out of that team and that their brotherhood carries forward even today. It was an easy and very enjoyable read.

If you have an interest in the famous Inter-Service rivalry, the Army/Navy game, I would highly recommend "The President's Team." The book describes, in interesting detail, all the football games played by Navy during the 1963 season, exactly 46 years since the assassination Of President Kennedy, himself, a WWII Naval hero. The book explains the relationship between "the Army Game" and the political climate of the time - a perfect blend of History and the lore of Service Academy football. Of particular interest to me was the section entitled "Where Are They Now." The author, Michael Connelly, devotes ample space to a series of thumbnail sketches of all the players associated with the 1963 team, since their graduation from the Naval Academy. This book is a perfect Christmas gift for those readers interested in service academy athletic activities and their impact on World History of that era. Dr. Ken Miller

Connelly does a remarkable job chronicling the Navy football team of 1963 with the JFK assassination as the backdrop. He intertwines accounts of JFK and the Kennedy family with the inspiring individuals that made up the Navy football team. The President's Team masterfully weaves the storylines into an extraordinary and moving book.