Around the time of John F. Kennedy's death, Ananda Vikatan published a Tamil book on his life titled The Story of Kennedy. This is the cover of that book. It was written under the pen name Mayan. I believe "Mayan" was the pseudonym of the writer Maniyan, who was then one of Vikatan's editors and a popular serial novelist for the magazine.
I happened to come across an image of this book online recently, and it brought back a flood of childhood memories. This was the very first book I ever read about John F. Kennedy. I first noticed it hanging among the books displayed at the bookstore in the Jaffna Railway Station. Although I knew nothing about Kennedy at that age, I was captivated by his charimatic face on the cover and persuaded my mother to buy the book for me.
It was a beautifully produced volume, printed on glossy paper and filled with wonderful photographs of JFK and his family. I still remember the famous photograph of young John F. Kennedy Jr. hiding beneath the desk in the Oval Office while his father met with his officials, as well as the iconic image of the little boy saluting during his father's funeral procession. Those photographs left a lasting impression on me.
The book also described Kennedy's service in the Second World War. While commanding PT-109, his patrol torpedo boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer and split in two. Two members of the crew lost their lives. Kennedy, despite the chaos, rescued a badly injured sailor by gripping the strap of the man's life jacket between his teeth and swimming for hours until they reached a nearby island. I also remember the book containing a photograph of Kennedy aboard PT-109. The injuries he sustained during that ordeal were said to be the reason he suffered from chronic back pain for the rest of his life.
Seeing this book cover once again revived all these memories. Despite their strengths and weaknesses, the two American presidents who have always fascinated me the most are Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
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