This work investigates the precise sequence of events and the immediate national impact surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. William Manchester, a historian with deep access to the Kennedy family, utilizes primary source interviews and personal observations to construct a minute-by-minute account of the transition of power and the national trauma experienced during the final days of November 1963.

Historians and critics frequently cite this work as a definitive, albeit highly detailed, primary account of the assassination's immediate aftermath. Readers often note the dense, immersive prose style that captures the atmosphere of the era with significant precision.