JFK diary written in post-World War II Europe up for auction

March 24, 2017 2:34 pm

By: The Associated Press

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BOSTON (AP) — A diary kept by a young John F. Kennedy during his brief stint as a journalist after World War II is being auctioned.

The diary was written in 1945 when the 28-year-old Kennedy was a correspondent for Hearst newspapers, rubbing shoulders with the powerful and traveling through a devastated Europe.

The 61-page diary provides insights into Kennedy’s thoughts on world leaders of the era.

Boston-based RR Auction says the diary is expected to fetch about $200,000 at auction April 26.

In the diary, Kennedy reflects on the legacy of Hitler and presages the future of the United Nations and the Western power struggle with the Soviet Union, a central conflict during his presidency 16 years later.

The diary was given by Kennedy to Deirdre Henderson, a research assistant in his campaign office in the late 1950s.