Becoming JFK
Scott Badler
Bancroft Press
September 2025
Becoming JFK by Scott Badler explores his early path to leadership. It begins with JFK’s teenage years and ends with his successful run for Congress. What makes this book stand out from other JFK biographies are facts intertwined with fictionalized interactions and dialogue.
Readers learn how events and his family influenced him, from his success-oriented father to his emotionally absent mother, to his competition with his older brother.
This book explains Jack Kennedy’s formative years and his journey to finding his voice, purpose, and resilience. People get a close look at his psyche and how he became history’s iconic figure.
Elise Cooper: Is this an historical novel?
Scott Badler: No. I wanted to write in the creative non-fiction genre with basic truths of JFK’s young life using fictional techniques. I think I was able to talk about his thought processes more than in a normal non-fiction book. The non-fiction part are the facts like PT-109, his trips to Europe pre and post WWII and more, while the dialogue is the creative part of it.
EC: How did you come up with the conversations?
SB: Knowing his personality and wit I thought about what Kennedy would say. I think it added flavor to scenes.
EC: How would you describe his older brother, Joe Jr.?
SB: Competitive to a fault, jealous of JFK, a poor loser, quick temper, does not take responsibility, will blame others for his failures, and a hothead that can be cooled down by JFK. He might not have become President because he was not that smart and was hot-headed.
EC: Do you think JFK was the son that made a name for himself?
SB: He did pass Joe Jr. in several ways. Joe Jr. would never think outside the box. Jack wrote a best-selling book, while Joe Jr. tried but failed to write a book about what was happening in Spain. JFK was a war hero. Their father asked Jack, not Joe, to rehabilitate his political career, by writing articles about his positions. When the Germans sank the British ship, SS Athenia, in 1939, with 126 Americans aboard, their father as Ambassador sent Jack, not Joe. The Ambassador also sent Jack throughout Europe in 1939 to gather information and send it to him on what was happening in Europe and the Middle East. JFK was 22 years at the time. Symbolically, when Joe Jr. died Jack had passed him in rank. JFK was a Lieutenant, while Joe was a Lieutenant Junior Grade.
EC: How would you describe JFK?
SB: He had depth of character, except where women are concerned. He had internal struggles. JFK was analytical, resourceful, resilient, loyal, pragmatic, humble, curious, witty, and competitive.
EC: What do you want to say about Jack’s influences on his journey to leadership?
SB: The pre and post WWII trips. It helped him develop a world view. The “Ich bin ein Berliner” Speech given in 1963 could have been influenced by his time in Germany when he saw all the destruction. He was wary of war. He had traveled to Vietnam in the 1950s and was aware of the French failure there. I think during his second administration he would have pulled out of there.
Being with his father when he was Ambassador to the UK. It exposed him to diplomacy and public service. He and Joe both worked in the office. He met with all these leaders that was a fantastic experience for him. I put in the book how he got an understanding of perception, public opinion, and strategic decision making.
He wrote books, including While England Slept. He became more analytical. He did a lot of revisions, and worked with Arthur Krock, a famous writer. He learned to craft arguments, fine tune his works, and While England Slept led him to write other books later, including Profiles in Courage.
PT-109. It taught him to be resourceful, resilient, loyal, willing to take risks, able to adapt to circumstances, and a belief that triumph can happen in the face of adversity. He swam in very difficult waters. Some of it had to deal with guilt because he traded the lifeboat for a gun. Using JFK’s own words, they were “either going to court martial me or give me a medal.” They went with the latter. There was a memo that said he did not have all three engines on even though there was a recognition of Japanese ships in the area. Yet, the commander there was incompetent not having radar to pick up the Japanese boats.
Running for Congress helped him to learn how to campaign.
EC: Who influenced him?
SB: His father stressed that winning was everything. His mother influenced him on his relationship with women, and maintaining a detached persona. He was not an empathetic person. Another influence was his competitiveness with his brother. His short romance with Inga Arvad was another. It was the first time he was fully involved with a woman. She offered him maternal love, and was smart and beautiful.
EC: What were the themes of the book?
SB: Jack rising to the occasion. All the health problems he had, yet he moved forward, very impressive. This book was a story of transformation from a very young man trying to find his way and fit into the family while not taking over the top spot from Joe Jr. Yet, he realizes he must find his own way. Slowly, he transformed himself into a leader, from PT-109 to winning his congressional campaign.
EC: What do you want readers to get out of this book?
SB: I want readers to see his courage facing up to all his health problems. His courage in leading his men to safety with PT-109. A book quote, “There is a tension between his external ease and his internal struggles.” He is a shy person personally even though people who saw him as a politician did not think of him as shy. He had struggles trying to please his father.
EC: Next book?
SB: I will be writing about another politician.
THANK YOU!!
