I am editing "A Companion to John F. Kennedy" for the Wiley-Blackwell series on American presidents and am searching for authors to write three separate chapters for the volume. These chapters would focus on the Kennedy-Khrushchev relationship, the Kennedy-Sorensen relationship, and the inauguration and transition period.

The book is part of a series that’s an outgrowth of the “Blackwell Companion to American History” series, which has focused on broad topics or eras in U.S. history. Examples of these works include the following titles:

A Companion to American Foreign Relations (http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405149868.html)
A Companion to Twentieth Century America (http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-140515652X.html)
A Companion to the Vietnam War (http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405149833.html)

The Companion series is now focusing on the presidencies, with the first titles now available on Franklin D. Roosevelt (ed. William Pederson), Richard M. Nixon (ed. Melvin Small), and Lyndon B. Johnson (ed. Mitchell Lerner):

Roosevelt: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1444330160.html Nixon: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1444330179.html Lerner: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1444333895,descCd-description.html

The book’s chapters are designed to be historiographical in scope and, as such, would require no new archival research on the scholar's part. They should 1) discuss the state of scholarship on the topic, 2) highlight the most influential literature on the topic, and 3) suggest new avenues for research. Each chapter should run from 8,000 to 10,000 words and should include a bibliography. In terms of audience, these chapters are designed for upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate students, as well as other scholars, especially those in related fields. The essays (and here I’m quoting from Wiley’s marketing material) should be “lively, accessible, and engaging.”

I would not need the essays until September 1, 2012, although I would gladly receive them as soon as possible. If the date is the sticking point, I could look to accommodate your needs. In return, Blackwell will provide a complimentary copy of the JFK volume, up to $400 worth of additional books from Wiley-Blackwell, and the right to purchase additional copies of the JFK volume and other Wiley books at a discount of 25% off the then current list price.

If you are interested in writing any of these chapters, please contact me at selverstone@virginia.edu.

Thanks,
Marc Selverstone
Associate Professor
Director of Presidential Studies
Miller Center
University of Virginia