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bargainsleuth's review
4.0
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Like I've mentioned before, I find the Kennedy family fascinating. So when a new book comes out, I find out about it one way or another and check it out. The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation came out in the summer of 2019 and it was the perfect summer read.
I've read two other Kennedy books from this author and gave them both 2 stars, so I was a little wary picking up this book. However, I was pleasantly surprised. There's enough first-hand accounts to make this book credible, with only a few times where I asked myself, "How the heck would anyone know that unless they were in the room?"
This book covers JFK,RFK and Ted Kennedy's offspring, as well as a few appearances by the Shrivers. There is no mention of the Lawford kids, despite the fact that the author interviewed Christopher Lawford and quoted him quite a few times. There is also very little about Jean Kennedy Smith's family, just a brief mention of the William Kennedy Smith case that was all over the papers and TV when I was in college.
This was a good, quick and frothy summer read full of gossip and some fact mixed in.
Like I've mentioned before, I find the Kennedy family fascinating. So when a new book comes out, I find out about it one way or another and check it out. The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation came out in the summer of 2019 and it was the perfect summer read.
I've read two other Kennedy books from this author and gave them both 2 stars, so I was a little wary picking up this book. However, I was pleasantly surprised. There's enough first-hand accounts to make this book credible, with only a few times where I asked myself, "How the heck would anyone know that unless they were in the room?"
This book covers JFK,RFK and Ted Kennedy's offspring, as well as a few appearances by the Shrivers. There is no mention of the Lawford kids, despite the fact that the author interviewed Christopher Lawford and quoted him quite a few times. There is also very little about Jean Kennedy Smith's family, just a brief mention of the William Kennedy Smith case that was all over the papers and TV when I was in college.
This was a good, quick and frothy summer read full of gossip and some fact mixed in.
jodyjsperling's review
3.0
I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the extended Kennedy family, and there’s plenty to praise about the writing, but I feel Taraborrelli struggle a little with hero worship. At times he justified the bad behavior of the Kennedy family in ways that put me off.
xtinamorse's review
4.0
PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge: The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list
shelleygirl90's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting. This family is a hot mess but inspiring at the same time, and I love reading about them even though I often am left feeling melancholy. The bits about Taylor Swift at the end made her seemed unhinged and weird to me. Dialogue throughout the book seemed a little cheesy.
sualum2012's review
3.0
“Where Bobby was concerned, maybe he cheated on Ethel, but we don’t know for sure and, based on what we do know of his character, it’s doubtful.” The Kennedy Heirs (2019) p. 475
“Jackie, Ethel, and Joan each felt the sting of a cheating husband...” Jackie, Ethel, Joan (2000) p. 50
Two books, published by the same author 19 years apart, with two dramatically different conclusions regarding Robert Kennedy’s extramarital activities. Having read numerous books about RFK, whether or not he cheated on Ethel seems to be a matter of interpretation, as different authors come to different conclusions. At the very least, if he did cheat, he was significantly more discreet than his brothers JFK and EMK, who pretty much everybody agrees we’re not faithful to their wives.
In his 2000 book, Taraborelli relates an incident where RFK was having an affair with an actress, Lee Remick. Lee allegedly called Ethel one night to inform her of the affair, at which point Ethel claimed RFK was sleeping next to her, but according to Taraborelli, RFK was actually in bed with Lee. He names other affairs RFK is supposed to have had, including with another actress Kim Novak.
If his 2000 book was his only book, I would have read it, taken it for what it was, and drawn my own conclusions (which, personally, I don’t find it to be in line with what we know of RFK’s character, but of course I can’t say for sure). My problem is the complete reversal of his position in his later book. I understand that new evidence comes to light, etc. but you can’t relate specific stories with specific people regarding affairs and then later claim they never happened without some additional explanation, which is not provided. I haven’t finished Jackie, Ethel and Joan (i read the Kennedy Heirs first), and I’m not sure I will, but it makes me question how much of his information can be backed by evidence or corroborated, and how much is gossip provided by one person without anyone else confirming the accuracy of the information.
It’s a gossipy, enjoyable book, but if you are looking for something factual and not a tabloid type, there are many other books on the Kennedys that have a stronger basis in fact than this author’s.
“Jackie, Ethel, and Joan each felt the sting of a cheating husband...” Jackie, Ethel, Joan (2000) p. 50
Two books, published by the same author 19 years apart, with two dramatically different conclusions regarding Robert Kennedy’s extramarital activities. Having read numerous books about RFK, whether or not he cheated on Ethel seems to be a matter of interpretation, as different authors come to different conclusions. At the very least, if he did cheat, he was significantly more discreet than his brothers JFK and EMK, who pretty much everybody agrees we’re not faithful to their wives.
In his 2000 book, Taraborelli relates an incident where RFK was having an affair with an actress, Lee Remick. Lee allegedly called Ethel one night to inform her of the affair, at which point Ethel claimed RFK was sleeping next to her, but according to Taraborelli, RFK was actually in bed with Lee. He names other affairs RFK is supposed to have had, including with another actress Kim Novak.
If his 2000 book was his only book, I would have read it, taken it for what it was, and drawn my own conclusions (which, personally, I don’t find it to be in line with what we know of RFK’s character, but of course I can’t say for sure). My problem is the complete reversal of his position in his later book. I understand that new evidence comes to light, etc. but you can’t relate specific stories with specific people regarding affairs and then later claim they never happened without some additional explanation, which is not provided. I haven’t finished Jackie, Ethel and Joan (i read the Kennedy Heirs first), and I’m not sure I will, but it makes me question how much of his information can be backed by evidence or corroborated, and how much is gossip provided by one person without anyone else confirming the accuracy of the information.
It’s a gossipy, enjoyable book, but if you are looking for something factual and not a tabloid type, there are many other books on the Kennedys that have a stronger basis in fact than this author’s.
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