This is a story of the Kennedy brotherhood in three acts: Act I looks at JFK's presidency, as seen from Ted's front-row seat; Act II considers Robert Kennedy's five brief years as the family standard bearer; and Act III deals with Ted's 40-plus years in the Senate as keeper of the flame.
The closing of Ted Kennedy's chapter in America's political and cultural life means that, for the first time perhaps, the real measure of the Kennedy legacy can finally be taken. John, Robert and Ted's individual stories can be seen as essentially one now, each successive brother striving to fulfill the interrupted promise of the brother before. This is a story of a brotherhood in three acts: Act I is John F. Kennedy's presidency, as seen from Ted's front-row seat; Act II is Robert Kennedy's five brief years as the family standard bearer, including his tenure in the Senate with his brother Ted and the memorable 82-day campaign that redefined the Kennedy legacy. Act III is Ted's 40-plus years in the Senate as keeper of the flame. How did the brothers pass the torch to each other? What have the three brothers left us collectively? And who carries the torch forward now? The Kennedy Legacy compellingly answers these questions and much more. Excerpt "Joe would often serve as a surrogate parent, filling in as enforcer and role model during the frequent absences of Joe Sr. and Rose. Jack would act as the family's detached observer, commenting and dissecting the proceedings as much as participating in them. Bobby was the fierce-willed altar boy, fighting for every scrap of ground he could get with a kind of messianic zeal, and Ted was the roll-with-the-punches guy. In short, Joe Jr. was the family's star, Jack its wit, Bobby its soul, and Ted its laugh...Joe Sr. genuinely expected all four sons to be president. He gloated when they were children that he would outdo the Adams family, which only had two presidents."
'Washington Post news editor and features writer Bzdek...delineates [the story] succinctly and compellingly...Bzdek does a fine job.' - Kirkus Praise for Woman of the House: 'Vincent Bzdek is a terrific observer and storyteller who has found the perfect subject in Nancy Pelosi. Woman of the House is a revealing portrait of the complex politician, part old-school, part New Age, who shattered the glass ceiling and became the most powerful female elected official in the nation's history.' -Eugene Robinson, political columnist, The Washington Post 'Bzdek [is] a crisp writer and effective storyteller...It's a page-turning and impressive ride.' - New York Post 'Bzdek provides a well-rounded portrait of a powerful woman.' - Booklist 'Balanced...[a] thoroughly researched biography.' - Library Journal
Washington Post news editor and features writer Bzdek (Woman of the House: The Rise of Nancy Pelosi, 2007) recasts the brothers' famous story in four acts, as each picks up the torch in the aftermath of tragedy.Act I chronicles their childhood under a harsh father, Joseph P. Kennedy, who groomed his sons for politics from a very young age; it ends with the death in World War II of Joseph Kennedy Jr., oldest brother and the family's political hope. In the second act, John takes Joe Jr.'s place and goes from congressman to senator to president in scarcely over a decade. Act III follows Robert as he soldiers on after John's assassination, becoming a senator and a presidential candidate, only to be shot in 1968. In the final act, Edward, too, runs for president and eventually becomes the lion of the U.S. Senate. Bzdek sees the Kennedy legacy not as a brief, shining moment, but as an ongoing part of the modern American story, with each brother continuing the mission of his predecessors. It's not a highly original insight, but the author delineates it succinctly and compellingly. Bzdek shines in his selection of details that reveal the Kennedy's humanity: Joseph Sr. unfurling a map at the dinner table to make geopolitical points to his children; John showing up for his first day as a congressman in tennis shoes and no jacket; Robert weeping onstage at the 1964 Democratic Convention; Edward's determination to give a speech at the 2008 Democratic Convention despite his diagnosis of brain cancer. Little here will surprise Kennedy buffs, but Bzdek does a fine job with the material.A short but well-told overview. (Kirkus Reviews)
Prologue: Keeper of the Flame Joe, Jack, Bobby and Ted Jack, Bobby and Ted Bobby and Ted Ted Epilogue: This Dream Shall Never Die
VINCENT BZDEK is the news editor and a features writer at The Washington Post. He has also written for The Wall Street Journal, Wired Magazine, The Denver Post, and is the author of Woman of the House (Palgrave, 2007). He lives in Washington, D.C, USA.
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