At first glance, Joseph M. Siracusa’s Encyclopedia of the Kennedys: The People and Events That Shaped America appears full of promise. In the preface, Siracusa explains that he wrote this book to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s presidency, and his goal is to “capture the essence” of the legend of John F. Kennedy and the Camelot years. The scope of Siracusa’s reference set is admirable, covering the Kennedys themselves, significant events of the 1960s, political figures and their policies, and social issues, with a heavy emphasis on civil rights. The majority of the entries, however, focus on political figures that served as John F. Kennedy’s contemporaries. With coverage spanning approximately 100 years, the breadth of Encyclopedia of the Kennedys is clearly its greatest strength.

Given the subject headings assigned to Encyclopedia of the Kennedys, it can be challenging to pinpoint comparable reference titles. Certainly there are reference works that are broader in scope in discussing the 1960s and offer some overlap; some noteworthy titles include the following: Carl Singleton’s The Sixties in America (Salem, 1999), David Farber’s and Beth Bailey’s The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s (Columbia University Press, 2001), David Farber’s The Sixties Chronicle (Legacy, 2004), and James S. Baugess’ and Abbe Allen Debolt’s Encyclopedia of the Sixties: A Decade of Culture and Counterculture (Greenwood, 2012). Both Singleton’s three volume set The Sixties in America and Farber’s The Sixties Chronicle are rich with photos, graphs, and charts; the same cannot be said of Encyclopedia of the Kennedys: The People and Events That Shaped America. In contrast, The Columbia Guide to America in the 1960s offers a more scholarly tone and is arranged both thematically and alphabetically, giving it a clear advantage over the Encyclopedia of the Kennedys, which is arranged alphabetically only.

The greatness of this reference set is an illusion. Siracusa does a commendable job representing politicians on both sides of the aisle, with the length of the entry “Republican Party” (661–662) nearly matching the length of the entry “Democratic Party” (180–81). However, readers may wonder if Siracusa is trying to not only protect President Kennedy’s reputation, but that of his family and approaches a hagiography of the Kennedys. For example, the entry on Marilyn Monroe (561) seems vague, merely mentioning a “connection” with President Kennedy and his brother, Robert, but not elaborating on the affair between Monroe and the president.

Encyclopedia of the Kennedys contains several surprises. This reference set includes numerous entries on media personalities, such as the journalist Walter Lippmann (472–73) and CBS broadcaster Walter Leland Cronkite (157–59). Ironically, there is no entry for Maria Shriver, a broadcast journalist who is the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a sister of John F. Kennedy.

Readers of the Encyclopedia of the Kennedys will notice another glaring omission: there is no entry for John F. Kennedy Jr. Yet there is an entry for his sister, Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (401–3), as well as his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (403–4).

Like politicians, this reference set fails to uphold all of its promises. While Encyclopedia of the Kennedys is fairly comprehensive, its tone, omissions, and grammatical errors tarnish its reputation. Unfortunately this title adds little to a widely covered field; an objective biography of the Kennedys might be a better investment. Therefore, Encyclopedia of the Kennedys stands as an optional title for school, public, and academic libraries.