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marieintheraw's review against another edition
3.0
This was for a school project, but Thomas made some parts interesting and some dragged.
modernviking's review against another edition
4.0
A good overview biography of RFK, only let down a little by the clear admiration that the author had for him. Seemed to lead to the author not really looking carefully at some of RFK's less savory choices he made, particularly as AG.
rcthomas's review against another edition
5.0
Evan Thomas does a wonderful job in creating a neutral and informative biography that draws on a multitude of important sources, accounts, and interviews with the people who knew Robert F. Kennedy the best. The book does a wonderful job of avoiding the perils of hagiography that plague other biographies (mostly written in the years after RFK's assassination) but also manages to capture the competing view in a useful way. Anyone interested in RFK, his life, and his motivations should definitely read this.
moliveiradev's review against another edition
5.0
I'd read a few memoirs and biographies of people contemporary to RFK. He was always one of the people that stood out, at least to me, for his belief in civil rights and efforts to help the poor.
This book doesn't turn him into a saint. However, it helps those who didn't live in his era to relate to him and understand him as a person. He would have made an amazing President. That might just be the biggest 'what if' America ever had.
This book doesn't turn him into a saint. However, it helps those who didn't live in his era to relate to him and understand him as a person. He would have made an amazing President. That might just be the biggest 'what if' America ever had.
srash's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed Evan Thomas's evenhanded Nixon bio that I read last year. Recently, in the run-up to the 50th anniversary of his assassination, it occurred to me that I knew way more about RFK's death and family than I did his life. In an effort to remedy that, I started researching biographies and saw Thomas had written one.
Just as he did with Nixon, Thomas approaches Kennedy fairly, neither skimming over his considerable virtues (his intelligence, his political acumen, his empathy for others, his sense of justice and fairness) nor skipping over his equally considerable flaws (his hot temper, his thin skin, his ruthlessness, his abrasive and awkward personality). Personally, I had no idea that RFK had such a fantastically dark, sarcastic sense of humor, and I appreciated the frequent examples of it.
Thomas covers Kennedy's childhood and his early career as Senate counsel (I found the section on his work in the Rackets Committee especially fascinating) before devoting considerable time to RFK's tenure as campaign manager, attorney general, and overall right hand for his brother Jack.
Though, perhaps the most interesting part of the book and what makes Kennedy such a poignant what-if in history, is his personal journey in the wake of his brother's murder. Devastated and unmoored from a central part of his identity as the quintessential little brother, RFK immersed himself in ancient Greek tragedy and emerged a staunch, outspoken supporter of civil rights and poverty reform. Of course, his life and career were cut short by an assassin's bullet in the midst of the 1968 presidential campaign, which Thomas, rather surprisingly, glossed over quickly.
Thomas's preference with biography, from what I can gather from this and his work on Nixon, is exploring and resolving apparent personality contradictions. His ultimate thesis is that so much of RFK's personality and career, including his reputation as both a ruthless political enforcer and fixer for his brother to his legacy as a compassionate societal reformer, his role as both family agitator and peacekeeper, and the intensely personal self-examination he underwent in the wake of JFK's own assassination, are very much rooted in his childhood.
That's not as Freudian as it sounds, and ultimately, I think Thomas is largely correct. One of the youngest of the many Kennedy children, RFK's childhood often comes off a lot lonelier and more pathetic than you'd expect from someone with his privileged background. If they weren't living in mansions, the emotional relationships occasionally come off as positively Dickensian. An anecdote that Thomas returns to again and again is that as a child, little Bobby couldn't swim but still jumped into the ocean and nearly drowned in the hopes that his parents or one of his older siblings would notice him. Ouch. According to Thomas, RFK spent the rest of his life doing the equivalent of jumping into the ocean and nearly drowning, hoping someone else in the family would notice, which is why when he was finally left to his own devices after his brother's death, he initially had no idea how to cope.
The only real complaint is I occasionally came across minor typos and errors. They weren't a big deal, but they did bother me. The worst was the continued assertion that Mississippi is 2 hours' behind Washington, D.C. No, it is not. (And if it's some weird 1960s time thing that has changed, it was never acknowledged, not even in the meticulous endnotes.) Surprised nobody caught that.
Just as he did with Nixon, Thomas approaches Kennedy fairly, neither skimming over his considerable virtues (his intelligence, his political acumen, his empathy for others, his sense of justice and fairness) nor skipping over his equally considerable flaws (his hot temper, his thin skin, his ruthlessness, his abrasive and awkward personality). Personally, I had no idea that RFK had such a fantastically dark, sarcastic sense of humor, and I appreciated the frequent examples of it.
Thomas covers Kennedy's childhood and his early career as Senate counsel (I found the section on his work in the Rackets Committee especially fascinating) before devoting considerable time to RFK's tenure as campaign manager, attorney general, and overall right hand for his brother Jack.
Though, perhaps the most interesting part of the book and what makes Kennedy such a poignant what-if in history, is his personal journey in the wake of his brother's murder. Devastated and unmoored from a central part of his identity as the quintessential little brother, RFK immersed himself in ancient Greek tragedy and emerged a staunch, outspoken supporter of civil rights and poverty reform. Of course, his life and career were cut short by an assassin's bullet in the midst of the 1968 presidential campaign, which Thomas, rather surprisingly, glossed over quickly.
Thomas's preference with biography, from what I can gather from this and his work on Nixon, is exploring and resolving apparent personality contradictions. His ultimate thesis is that so much of RFK's personality and career, including his reputation as both a ruthless political enforcer and fixer for his brother to his legacy as a compassionate societal reformer, his role as both family agitator and peacekeeper, and the intensely personal self-examination he underwent in the wake of JFK's own assassination, are very much rooted in his childhood.
That's not as Freudian as it sounds, and ultimately, I think Thomas is largely correct. One of the youngest of the many Kennedy children, RFK's childhood often comes off a lot lonelier and more pathetic than you'd expect from someone with his privileged background. If they weren't living in mansions, the emotional relationships occasionally come off as positively Dickensian. An anecdote that Thomas returns to again and again is that as a child, little Bobby couldn't swim but still jumped into the ocean and nearly drowned in the hopes that his parents or one of his older siblings would notice him. Ouch. According to Thomas, RFK spent the rest of his life doing the equivalent of jumping into the ocean and nearly drowning, hoping someone else in the family would notice, which is why when he was finally left to his own devices after his brother's death, he initially had no idea how to cope.
The only real complaint is I occasionally came across minor typos and errors. They weren't a big deal, but they did bother me. The worst was the continued assertion that Mississippi is 2 hours' behind Washington, D.C. No, it is not. (And if it's some weird 1960s time thing that has changed, it was never acknowledged, not even in the meticulous endnotes.) Surprised nobody caught that.
claire_reber's review against another edition
5.0
"This is the story of an unpromising boy who died as he was becoming a great man."
"As he searched for a way out--a means to allow the Russians to back down and save face-- the RFK that comes to mind is not the fierce inquisitor of Jimmy Hoffa or the hothead who picked so many fights for the honor of his family (or for no particular reason at all). One thinks instead of the less well-known but true Robert Kennedy, the oversensitive little boy who cringed at night as he listened to Joe Jr. bang Jack's had against the wall--the "pet" who saw his beloved mother suffer her husband's dalliances by retreating into faith--the unsure young man in the sailor suit who told his siblings to keep quiet lest they disturb their grieving father--the solicitous younger brother who tried to make Jackie show a little appreciation for Jack's skill as an athlete--the eager-to-please son who withstood the blows of his crippled father and still begged to help."
Brilliant. One of the best biographies I have ever read.
"As he searched for a way out--a means to allow the Russians to back down and save face-- the RFK that comes to mind is not the fierce inquisitor of Jimmy Hoffa or the hothead who picked so many fights for the honor of his family (or for no particular reason at all). One thinks instead of the less well-known but true Robert Kennedy, the oversensitive little boy who cringed at night as he listened to Joe Jr. bang Jack's had against the wall--the "pet" who saw his beloved mother suffer her husband's dalliances by retreating into faith--the unsure young man in the sailor suit who told his siblings to keep quiet lest they disturb their grieving father--the solicitous younger brother who tried to make Jackie show a little appreciation for Jack's skill as an athlete--the eager-to-please son who withstood the blows of his crippled father and still begged to help."
Brilliant. One of the best biographies I have ever read.
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Robert Francis Kennedy was born in Massachusetts in 1925. He was number seven out of nine children born to his parents. His mother was Rose, and his father was Joseph. His family on both sides were heavily Irish. He had the nickname Bobby in the family. He was well educated, attending some prestigious schools. His father did not think that Bobby was as great as his other sons, and didn't really have a close relationship with him. This was especially evident after his oldest brother, and protégé of his father, Joseph Jr, died while serving in World War II. He did serve in the Naval Reserve for a time, and served on a ship bearing his brother's name. He helped his brother, John F Kennedy, with his political campaigns, before ultimately getting involved in politics himself. He married Ethel Skakel in 1950, and the couple had eleven children together. (Which is way too many for me.) He worked for a time as a lawyer, then becoming Attorney General, and a US Senator.
As far as his political stances, he was a Democrat. He stated he would support ending the death penalty. One of his more famous moments was when he squared off with Jimmy Hoffa in the investigation into his funds. He also helped Martin Luther King Jr be released from jail for civil rights work. When he was elected to the role of Attorney General, he focused a lot on organized crime and the Teamsters Union. He was described as a liberal fairly often. He believed in a non aggressive foreign policy, racial and economic equality, and various social change policies. After President JFK's assassination, people were sure he would run for office and continue his brother's work. He did run for President in 1968, but lost the primary to a more experienced politician. He was assassinated in June 1968 by Sirhan Sirhan.
I have always been very interested in family dynasties, and this is one of my favorite dynasties to read about. I have read a number of books about this family, but not as much material on Bobby. Some of his personality traits didn't come off as strong as his older brothers. I do not care for his father, and think it is shameful that he was so cold towards his own child. The Kennedy family has certainly seen their share of tragedy and scandal, and Bobby Kennedy's life and death is a small chapter in that. This book was pretty detailed about his activities and policy, and I found it to be an enjoyable read. I am glad to have it in my collection, and would suggest it for anyone interested in the Kennedy family.
As far as his political stances, he was a Democrat. He stated he would support ending the death penalty. One of his more famous moments was when he squared off with Jimmy Hoffa in the investigation into his funds. He also helped Martin Luther King Jr be released from jail for civil rights work. When he was elected to the role of Attorney General, he focused a lot on organized crime and the Teamsters Union. He was described as a liberal fairly often. He believed in a non aggressive foreign policy, racial and economic equality, and various social change policies. After President JFK's assassination, people were sure he would run for office and continue his brother's work. He did run for President in 1968, but lost the primary to a more experienced politician. He was assassinated in June 1968 by Sirhan Sirhan.
I have always been very interested in family dynasties, and this is one of my favorite dynasties to read about. I have read a number of books about this family, but not as much material on Bobby. Some of his personality traits didn't come off as strong as his older brothers. I do not care for his father, and think it is shameful that he was so cold towards his own child. The Kennedy family has certainly seen their share of tragedy and scandal, and Bobby Kennedy's life and death is a small chapter in that. This book was pretty detailed about his activities and policy, and I found it to be an enjoyable read. I am glad to have it in my collection, and would suggest it for anyone interested in the Kennedy family.
unofficialcate's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
mpetruce's review against another edition
4.0
I don't read a lot of biographies. And I tend to gravitate toward 19th century history. But this was recommended by a friend and I make it a point to read books I am recommended even if I don't think I'll like it. This book was a pretty even-handed look at RFK. Not a lot of mythologizing and a plenty of warts to go with the good stuff. It;s easy for people to just scoff "Oh, the Kennedys, well, you know how they were." But then they can't exactly tell you how. Great insights.