This collection investigates the cultural and political climate of the United States during the early 1960s under the administration of John F. Kennedy. Norman Mailer, a prominent journalist and novelist, utilizes his observational skills to critique the intersection of celebrity, power, and existential anxiety in mid-century America. Through a series of twelve essays and supplementary appendices, he constructs a framework that examines the shifting identity of the American presidency and its impact on the national consciousness.

Critics often note that the prose reflects the intense, idiosyncratic style characteristic of Mailer's mid-career journalism. Scholars frequently identify this work as a significant primary source for understanding the intellectual atmosphere surrounding the Kennedy era.