kennedydechant's review against another edition
3.0
Not my usual choice, was good to branch out. Kennedy family is very interesting
sc85sis's review against another edition
5.0
Robert Kennedy was far from a perfect man. But he grew—in character, compassion, and knowledge—throughout his too short life. Larry Tye’s book does a beautiful job of showing the many facets of Kennedy the man and the politician. I can’t help but wonder what our country would be had RFK lived and possibly become President.
lohanesian's review against another edition
4.0
I didn’t know much about Jack and Bobby before reading this book, and what little I knew caused me to think of them as one and the same: progressive to be sure, but they didn’t do as much as they could have on civil rights and entangled us further in Vietnam. Now I know just why Bobby was so loved, and so hated. Hated because he could be a bit of a jerk, the consummate politician who had no qualms about using dirty tricks to get his brother elected or using heavy-handed prosecutorial tactics while serving on Joe McCarthy’s staff (WHO KNEW?!?!). The word the author Larry Tye uses time and time again (quoting people who knew Bobby) is ruthless. Tye does not hold back his criticism of Bobby, whom he accuses of writing a self-serving and untrue account of his role in the Cuban Missile Crisis in “Thirteen Days”.
But Bobby was loved because somewhere along the way, he acquired a heart. The book hints that the cause of his transformation was his brother’s assassination. Doris Kearns Goodwin argues that FDR’s suffering at the hands of polio made him much more compassionate to the suffering of others, and I think his brother’s death had a similar effect on Bobby. He brought attention to poverty in our own United States, advocating for an underclass of people that was ignored by every other politician. Tye describes him in his brief presidential campaign as a “reverse demagogue” who told his audiences the exact opposite of what they wanted to hear, causing even the most cynical of political reporters fell in love with him. I did too, and promptly burst into tears on the metro during my morning commute when I got to his own assassination after winning the California primary (spoiler alert).
Much like Obama, Bobby also had a talent for making a good speech, such as “Ripple of Hope” in apartheid South Africa, and the speech where he delivered the news, in an Indianapolis urban ghetto, of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, tying it to his own pain in losing his brother, who was also “killed by a white man.” It’s enough to give you chills, that in such volatile, painful moments, anyone could still appeal to love and common humanity.
But Bobby was loved because somewhere along the way, he acquired a heart. The book hints that the cause of his transformation was his brother’s assassination. Doris Kearns Goodwin argues that FDR’s suffering at the hands of polio made him much more compassionate to the suffering of others, and I think his brother’s death had a similar effect on Bobby. He brought attention to poverty in our own United States, advocating for an underclass of people that was ignored by every other politician. Tye describes him in his brief presidential campaign as a “reverse demagogue” who told his audiences the exact opposite of what they wanted to hear, causing even the most cynical of political reporters fell in love with him. I did too, and promptly burst into tears on the metro during my morning commute when I got to his own assassination after winning the California primary (spoiler alert).
Much like Obama, Bobby also had a talent for making a good speech, such as “Ripple of Hope” in apartheid South Africa, and the speech where he delivered the news, in an Indianapolis urban ghetto, of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, tying it to his own pain in losing his brother, who was also “killed by a white man.” It’s enough to give you chills, that in such volatile, painful moments, anyone could still appeal to love and common humanity.
mglady's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. The author didn’t try to paint Bobby Kennedy in any specific light. Instead, he focused on the progression of his ideologies and his person throughout his tragically short-lived life.
Being a biography it was certainly dense with little to no dialogue. That being said I still found myself turning my way through each page, eager to learn more. I would recommend this for anyone that enjoys biographies.
Being a biography it was certainly dense with little to no dialogue. That being said I still found myself turning my way through each page, eager to learn more. I would recommend this for anyone that enjoys biographies.
noahhalmrast's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
marisbest2's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good. Nice and comprehensive without being boring. Strong narrative arc without being overly fit to that narrative. Probably could have used a bit more depth in some places.
The assassination part was completely underwhelming. Usually at that point in a biography I get at least a little emotional but here it was nothing. Too short. Not enough drama. Idk.
RFK was a very interesting and impressive guy, probably the only person to be president who would have been more qualified than Bush Sr. He seems to have had strong moral instincts. His death, like that of JFK, allows him to be turned into a symbol instead of a person. And it seems like he was a better person than JFK in every way.
The assassination part was completely underwhelming. Usually at that point in a biography I get at least a little emotional but here it was nothing. Too short. Not enough drama. Idk.
RFK was a very interesting and impressive guy, probably the only person to be president who would have been more qualified than Bush Sr. He seems to have had strong moral instincts. His death, like that of JFK, allows him to be turned into a symbol instead of a person. And it seems like he was a better person than JFK in every way.
mrssloan's review against another edition
5.0
I have been reading this book since August. I loved it. Bobby was such an interesting contradiction, and such an 8. I identified with him a lot. I enjoyed learning more about this period of history, as well as learning about why Bobby's politics changed so much over time. The book was well-written and kept a clear focus which I imagine is hard to do when writing a biography. Made me love Bobby more, but was also honest about his flaws. Excellent book.
socraticgadfly's review against another edition
5.0
Simply a very good book.
Tye doesn't throw Bobby under the bus; he's not Victor Navasky or worse.
But, even more, he in no way buys into Camelot legend.
He notes that Bobby was slow and late, in Jack's name as AG, to civil rights and that both brothers wanted it that way. He cites the May 1963 meeting with black civil rights artists, and his not wanting to listen, as a point in detail. (So does Michael Eric Dyson in his new book, so, Camelot mythicists, drop it.)
He notes that, although repudiating Roy Cohn, he remained on friendly terms with Joe McCarthy until the tail-gunner's death.
He notes that even in the 1968 primaries, he could still play the race card, telling Orange County voters that Gene McCarthy wanted to move a bunch of black folks out there from L.A.
But, he does note that Bobby evolved on both civil rights and poverty, among other things. And he details how.
Tye doesn't throw Bobby under the bus; he's not Victor Navasky or worse.
But, even more, he in no way buys into Camelot legend.
He notes that Bobby was slow and late, in Jack's name as AG, to civil rights and that both brothers wanted it that way. He cites the May 1963 meeting with black civil rights artists, and his not wanting to listen, as a point in detail. (So does Michael Eric Dyson in his new book, so, Camelot mythicists, drop it.)
He notes that, although repudiating Roy Cohn, he remained on friendly terms with Joe McCarthy until the tail-gunner's death.
He notes that even in the 1968 primaries, he could still play the race card, telling Orange County voters that Gene McCarthy wanted to move a bunch of black folks out there from L.A.
But, he does note that Bobby evolved on both civil rights and poverty, among other things. And he details how.