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Jun 23, 2007

Sandra rated it:

This book lets the reader know about the political climate of the 60s which forced the Kennedy brothers into decisions they didnt want to make and some that they did. They wanted the US to get past the Cold War fear that the military and CIA wanted us to feel. Lots of JFK's speeches leading up to VietNam are pertinent today. I only wish we were still trying to be a peaceful nation which is what Kennedy wanted more than anything else. Thats why he made such strides in getting along with Khrusche More...

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Mar 25, 2008

Eric rated it:

Aint no two, three of four ways about it.

The American military Industrial complex put a pumped bullets into President John F. Kennedy, splattering his brains all over his wife.

Then, when his brother Bobby( who wanted to be president in large part to find out who killed his brother) got close to winning, they killed him too.

Oh and they killed one few of Kennedy's girl friends along the way because they had too much influence on him.

This book is More...

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Dec 04, 2011

Rae rated it:

A somewhat dry and detailed account of JFK's administration and the aftermath of his assassination--mostly as seen through Robert's eyes. If I don't think about what happened to these two men, then I am satisfied with the politically correct explanations. When I think about what happened, however, I come to the conclusion that we don't have all the answers and that something definitely hinky took place!

From the last chapter: In recent years, the Kennedy legacy has been clouded by a s More...

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Mar 24, 2011

Caroline rated it:

This is a very very good book, insightful, thought-provoking, interesting and very moving. I found myself in tears at more than a few points. It's about Jack and Bobby Kennedy and their relationship throughout 'the Kennedy years'. I have to confess, I've never thought much about Bobby over the years - my attention has always been on JFK and his assassination - but the way this book looked at Bobby broke my heart. Because Jack was his whole world, his primary focus - and when Jack was murdered Bo More...

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Jul 26, 2011

Nicolas rated it:

This book wasn't what I expected it to be... and it took me a long time to figure that out. From what I read of this title before buying it, I assumed it was an account of the JFK assassination through the eyes of Bobby Kennedy. Instead it was basically just a retelling of the Kennedy years. It was well-written and enjoyable, it just wasn't what I was looking for. One of the big questions the book asked was, "Why didn't RFK uses his position and power to solve the JFK assassination?" I More...

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May 08, 2011

Pete rated it:

Great book! If you are reading this review, and you have not read David Talbot's 'Brothers', then I strongly recommend that you get hold of a copy. It is of no consequence even if you are, like me, not American. This 'Hidden History of the Kennedy Years' is everyone's history, for every nationality, for every generation.

My own personal belief, that has grown stronger with the years is President John Kennedy saved my life.
As a snotty nosed English kid aged nine years old he was More...

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Jun 07, 2009

Kate is currently reading it

I was 10 years old when JFK was shot. This book pulls me back to the feelings of being 10 and watching adults being sad and confused. I never totally understood the number of people that did not like JFK and RFK. No wonder it is so difficult to prove who shot them. There people in every facet of govt and political front all over the world that had very strong feeling about John and Bobby Kennedy. If you are a conspiracy person, you will be in heaven reading this book. I can't think a person in t More...

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Dec 17, 2009

Ophelia731 rated it:

This book convinced me that the government is not a complete loss. I wish I had been around when the Kennedys were.

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Jan 23, 2010

Rahim rated it:

A fine book. Even if the title is somewhat misleading (the book is hardly exclusively concerned with the Kennedy brothers' relationship), it does use their bond to as a point-of-departure for the Kennedy political philosophy, the brothers' murders, the conspiracy around their deaths, and the political climate of the '60s. Reading this book, I finally understood the phrase "the soul of a nation." And got a real idea of how that changed after the Kennedy deaths.

As an a More...

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Aug 09, 2008

Rick rated it:

I didn’t pay attention to the sub-title. Hidden histories are almost always conspiracy books written by folks who can’t let go of something dear to them, whether it’s the thought that Elvis can’t really be dead or that only a Conspiracy—large C—directly involving the highest reaches of American power could be responsible for a Kennedy's murder. I’m talking CIA. I’m talking FBI. I’m talking the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I’m talking Right Wing Men of Privilege and Wealth, I’m talking the Mafia. I’m t More...

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Apr 09, 2008

Randy rated it:

Fascinating stuff. I've read much about JFK and his assassination, this is the first I've read that went into some depth about RFK , his life and assassination. The author was a sympathetic biographer and had access to sources not quoted in other books. It gave a good inside view of John and Bobby's relationships with each other and the world. I was extremely surprised to learn that the official report on the RFK assassination was as flawed and disputed as the JFK event. Specifically, there were More...

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May 03, 2008

Nathan rated it:

David Talbot's 'Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years' is a study of the relationship between John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert. Specifically, the book focuses on Robert Kennedy's apparently firm belief that his brother was killed as a result of a conspiracy, most likely as direct blowback from the CIA's attempts on Fidel Castro's life. Talbot unearths countless references to both RFK and his aids that suggest RFK was almost fully convinced of a plot. The book also details RFK's More...

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Sep 02, 2008

B. Hallward rated it:

A fascinating book about the Kennedys that includes a hair-raising picture of the inner workings of the American government during the cold war, barely controlled generals pushing for nuclear war, a CIA answerable to no one. A great strength of this book is how it isn't framed as an argument for a particular conspiracy theory; instead it argues that the Warren report was an insulting failure to seriously investigate what happened, that the CIA lied to and successfully stonewalled generations of More...

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Nov 15, 2009

Janet rated it:

Begins on Nov 22nd with the compelling story of Bobby Kennedy on the day of his brother's death trying to find out more information about a possible conspiracy,making phone calls to the FBI,CIA,other officials.Even though well researched and documented,ultimately, I was disappointed with the book.the "usual suspects" take the blame for JFK's death.Was it the mafia?or the CIA? or possibly some anti-Catro exiles? the final answer is there is no defintive answer but lots of interesting sp More...

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Feb 21, 2009

Sandra rated it:

If you've ever wondered what really was behind the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers, this well researched book will leave you in no doubt. The impact on those close to them is haunting but also inspiring. It is a sobering reminder of the consequences that sometimes, all too often, result when someone sees wrong and tries to right it. The lesson? Hope for the best from people but expect the worse - and plan carefully for it.

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Apr 03, 2010

Nida rated it:

Read this for my JFK class I took in the fall (I miss college!). A moving book, tells you what happened behind the scenes with the Kennedy administration, the assassinations, and the strong bond between the two brothers. The brothers are remembered in history as remaining firm to their ideals and working as a team at a time where the dark forces within the government (CIA, Joint Chiefs, FBI) and their hawkish world views ruled the country.

This book really made me fall in love with More...

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Dec 22, 2009

Donna rated it:

Hard to put down...

I just wrote a three paragraph endorsement of this book, completed today on the ride home. Somehow I lost it...nonetheless, I recommended highly for anyone who loves history, is intrigued by the enshrouded mystery of the Kennedy assasinations, and/or is a thoughtful, freedom loving person.

Next on my list is William Manchester's The Death of a President...out of print, hard to find for a reasonable price...

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Jul 24, 2009

Greg rated it:

I have never been one to worship at the altar of Kennedy majesty, and truth be told, this book was a reminder that JFK and RFK were imperfect humans. That said, each contributed a great deal to the history and progress of our country through his service and passion. I appreciate that Talbot, even as an obvious admirer, was able to include details about Jack and Robert that highlighted their humanity and more specifically, their mistakes. I had hoped to read a bit more about the political hist More...

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Apr 05, 2009

Matt rated it:

Founding editor of Salon.com, David Talbot comes from the "I'm gonna write this nonfiction in the breathless and omniscient voice of a great novel!" school of historians, but his end notes tell an amazing story about the level of research and the amount of interviews he conducted with Kennedy family friends.

The middling New York Times' review of this book was written by a poor historical generalist who teaches at Columbia University and to my knowledge has only written about More...

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Mar 08, 2009

Jon rated it:

One of my favorite books of the last several years. Took a while to get through it but well, well worth it. I do feel like the book but be little bit pro-Kennedy but it wasn't bad. If you love history or politics you should definitely consider reading this one.

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Jan 18, 2009

Matt rated it:

A very good and very unsettling book. It contains many very interesting things. For all of the horrors it discusses, the presentation of what it was John and Robert Kennedy were actually trying to do with and for the country is, especially at this time, quite moving.

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Feb 19, 2010

Christina rated it:

Excellent accounts of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the "battle" of Olde Miss. I did not know that John Kennedy watched the film "Seven Days in May" and was concerned that a similar event would occur during his own administration. He was too close to being correct!

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Nov 10, 2010

G. rated it:

This is an excellent book, appealing to JFK murder freaks like myself. However, it's well-written and footnoted. Talbot is founder of Salon.com The premise is that Robert Kennedy suspected his brother was murdered in a conspiracy. (answering one of the all-purpose criticisms: 'why didn't his brother, the attorney general know and/or do something?') It's a fact that RFK called the CIA on the day of the assassination and asked the director if they had anything to do with killing his brother. More...

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Jan 07, 2008

Rossana rated it:

Amidst all the books written about JFK's murder, this one offers a fascinating and insightful account from the POV of Bobby Kennedy and the Kennedy siblings' band of loyal 'brothers'. The book was a fast read and gave you a glimpse into the lives of the Kennedy brothers as well as their inner circle. Whether or not you believe in the conspiracy theories about what happened in Dallas, it's hard to ignore what has come to light about that day in Dallas and the events that lead up to it. Be prepar More...

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Nov 30, 2010

Bob rated it:

If you read one recent (and by recent I mean the last ten years) book about the Kennedy assassination, this should be the one. If you read this and want more, then go to "Ultimate Sacrifice" and/or "The Road To Dallas"

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Dec 31, 2008

Ken rated it:

A journey into the world of JFK and RFK and their band of brothers. It was insightful and eye opening in what happened behind the scenes of the CIA, FBI and political partners.

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Jun 07, 2008

Thomas rated it:

This is a unique look at the Kennedys from within the Kennedy camp. We witness the major events of our era through the eyes of Robert Kennedy and the close-knit "band of brothers."

While this book doesn't settle the issue of the John Kennedy Assassination, it establishes who the Kennedy clan and its allies felt was responsible. RFK firmly believed "they" killed his brother. Whatever the reader's opinion of the event, it is interesting to view RFK's life and career More...

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Oct 27, 2011

Larry rated it:

Any history of the Kennedy brothers focuses on the murders of both, but the road to JFK's murder reveals a lot about the hidden conflicts of the Kennedy administration. Whether the subject was the implementation of civil rights, the Cuban Missile Crisis, or the Cold War in general, the forces that opposed JFK were considerable, beginning with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CIA, and the FBI. Talbot's book made me even more fearful in retrospect about the 60s than I was when I lived through those More...

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Mar 31, 2011

Mmmjay rated it:

Please read this book. This book and JFK and the Unspeakable are the two best books I have read about the JFK assassination.

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Oct 03, 2009

Katelyn added it

if you like biographies, if you like politics or if you just like the Kennedy's, this is one of the best I've read on them!

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