Robert Kennedy
His Life
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4.5 • 10 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of Being Nixon and Road to Surrender, an objective, scrupulously researched biography of Robert Kennedy.
Robert Kennedy has been viewed as hero and villain—as the “Good Bobby” who, as his brother Ted Kennedy eulogized him, “saw wrong and tried to right it...saw suffering and tried to heal it,” but aslo as the “Bad Bobby” of countless conspiracy theories, the ruthless and manipulative bully who plotted with the Mafia to kill Castro and lusted after Marilyn Monroe. Robert Kennedy presents RFK as a human being and brings to life an extraordinarily complex man who was at once kind and cruel, devious and honest, fearful and brave.
By accessing RFK’s private papers and interviewing all of Kennedy’s closest aides and advisers—many of whom were forthcoming in ways they had not been before—journalist Evan Thomas paints a portrait that is sympathetic, fair-minded, and always readable. It is packed with new detail about Kennedy’s early life and his behind-the-scenes machinations: his involvement in a cheating incident in prep school; his first attempt at romance; and his many back-channel political operations. He includes new revelations about the 1960 and 1968 presidential campaigns, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and RFK’s long struggles with J. Edgar Hoover and Lyndon B. Johnson, both of whom were subtly and not-so-subtly trying to blackmail the Kennedys.
In a clear and fast-paced narrative, Thomas cuts through the mythology to reveal a character who remains one of the century’s most fascinating men.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Thomas has made a career writing about Washington insiders (he was co-author, with Walter Isaacson, of The Wise Men). A high-ranking editor at Newsweek, Thomas (an insider himself) has now written a nuanced biography of one of the 20th century's most iconic insiders. Although there are no startling revelations in this capably written, thick book, there is a lot of new information, thanks to the increasing openness of Kennedy's surviving colleagues and the new availability of oral histories, RFK's personal files, declassified national security documents and other sources. As a result, Thomas offers an illumination of the man's failings as well as his strengths, and unravels the complex knot of relationships within the Kennedy family. Portraying RFK as a man whose "house had many mansions," Thomas calls him "the lucky one"--he was raised in the shadow of his brothers, and his passion-filled life shined a light into "the family cave" of secrets. Throughout, Thomas highlights the contradictions of Kennedy's persona--he was an extraordinarily wealthy individual who could act spoiled one day, then express empathy with the have-nots on the next; he was a devoted, sometimes around-the-clock protector of his often wayward older brother, John, but still established his own career; he was shy but sought out publicity; and he was an enthusiastic family man who ran for the presidency despite its obvious risks. Though primarily a tribute to a man whose potential for greatness was cut short, Thomas's book sheds new light on a man--and an era, and a family--about whom Americans will probably never know the whole truth.
Customer Reviews
Good Book/Hoping for Better
Evan Thomas writes a good book about RFK but I enjoyed Chris Matthews' book on JFK much better. Thomas gets bogged down in too much detail, minor characters, and his habit of jumping around chronologically is confusing at times. You do come to appreciate RFK and get to know him better, so for this I am pleased. Like many great men he was a complex character. JFK does not come off so well and is one of the surprises of the book. Three stars!