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Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy
No figure in American public life has had such great expectations thrust upon him, or has responded so poorly. But Ted Kennedy -- the youngest of the Kennedy children and the son who felt the least pressure to satisfy his father's enormous ambitions -- would go on to live a life that no one could have predicted: dismissed as a spent force in politics by the time he reached...more
Hardcover, 416 pages
Published
February 17th 2009
by Simon & Schuster
(first published February 10th 2009)
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A very readable biography of Ted Kennedy, senator from Massachusetts. Through his childhood, the death of his brothers, his journey through the Senate, his personal problems as well as his role as the 2008 Presential "kingmaker", this was a very interesting and quick read. I was surprised to read certain things in this book, such as his father, Joseph Kennedy, being the emotional center of the family. Other sources I had read made him the cold ambitious father.
Other points se...more
Other points se...more
This was a sympathetic biography of Ted Kennedy that did not ignore the troubling aspects of his life. Author did a good job of going back and forth from his political life and personal life and how one could affect the other--how he was not effective during the Clarence Thomas confirmation because of his personal life issues at the time and how pressures of his political life affected his first marriage
A lot of his life is so well known so I enjoyed the lesser known reading the lesser...more
A lot of his life is so well known so I enjoyed the lesser known reading the lesser...more
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When hearing of Ted Kennedy's brain tumor, Senator John McCain called him "the last lion of the Senate" and then added "he remains the single most effective member of the Senate if you want to get results." This biography of Senator Edward Kennedy was written by the staff of The Boston Globe and edited by Peter S. Canellos and it deeply inspects Kennedy's career in the Senate of the bi-partisan support that he was able to craft for many pieces of legislation since his electi...more
Canellos and others have put together an extremely sympathetic portrait of the former senator. It focuses primarily upon the many trials he endured over the course of his life (both personal and those related to family members) and his maturation and achievements as a US senator.
Canellos' has a lucid style and is accomplished at enabling a reader inexperience with the Kennedys or politics to keep up with the various aspects of Ted Kennedy's life. He dwells in particular upon the Kenne...more
Canellos' has a lucid style and is accomplished at enabling a reader inexperience with the Kennedys or politics to keep up with the various aspects of Ted Kennedy's life. He dwells in particular upon the Kenne...more
I think the writers at the Boston Globe did a great job with this book. I have read a lot about the Kennedys over the years and was hesitant to read another book about them. Then again, Teddy has more often than not been left out of the bright spotlight in the previous books I had read. Last Lion succeeds at giving a sweeping account of the life and times of Edward Kennedy, skillfully highlighting his vast accomplishments, while also sufficiently addressing his massive personal failings (Chappaq...more
Here is an important book about Ted Kennedy's conflicts and contributions. It is somewhat balanced between his mistakes and his successes. The main reason for reading it is to find out exactly what Kennedy contributed to our country and how far his sponsorship of bills, particularly on health care and the disadvantaged, has affected everyone's life in the USA.
This book engrossed and intriqued me. I'd always thought of Ted Kennedy as a scumbag, but I gained a new perspective on him from this book. Whatever his moral failings, and he certainly had his share, I couldn't help being fascinated by this man who seemed to have such a great love for his parents, family and country. From sleeping on the funeral home floor through the night when his dad died, to attending mass every day for a year when his mom died, to being there for all of his nephews, ne...more
While the assessment of Ted Kennedy leans toward the positive in this well-researched book, the authors are thorough in their coverage of his many weaknesses. As his personal life was in turmoil from one bad decision after another and one family tragedy after another, Kennedy became a Senate workhorse, focusing on the needs of the less fortunate and becoming one of the Senate's longest-serving and most-respected members. Nobody could make up a Kennedy story--who would believe it?--but the repo...more
Really interesting book. I didn't know much about Ted Kennedy at all and finally found out what the "scandal" was. This book is an amazing tribute not only to him, but to the Kennedy family and his role in preserving their legacy. I was impressed by how much Ted Kennedy has actually done for our nation, particularly in the areas of health care, education, civil rights and social programs. I had only ever heard about his drinking and womanizing and was surprised to learn how hard he ...more
This is book is not a David McCullough history, nor is it a trashy Kitty Kelley-esque dive into Ted Kennedy's personal life. Instead it is a very accessible, yet sympathetic account of Ted Kennedy's life and provides a welcome introduction to the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Senator's professional accomplishments and personal life. I learned quite a bit about Ted Kennedy reading this and left with a new found admiration for his accomplishments in the Senate, as well as his role as the Ke...more
A well-written account of Ted Kennedy's life, especially considering that it was done by a team of reporters. I'm by no means a fan of JFK or RFK, but the youngest Kennedy son grew to become an impressive figure in the Senate, especially once he gave up on his hopes to become president. This book inevitably became eulogistic by the end, but it gave fair attention to Kennedy's many shortcomings, as well. It also made me re-appreciate just how much tragedy surrounded him and his family.
I wouldn't say it was delved deep or offered a lot of new information -- though reading after the weeklong media lovefest that followed his death may have affected my opinion there. But well written for the most part. The bits I liked best were the behind-the-scene stories of "common" people he met, helped, remembered over the years. I felt listening to people speak at his memorial that it isn't often folks let that guard down and allow us to see the human being behind the posturin...more
This was a really good read. Read almost more like a novel than a biography. I didn't remember all the tragedies of his life in quite the right order. I know I was more involved in my own life at the time of his plane crash and Bobby's assassination.
I never realized how personable Teddy was. His attention to so many people was truly inspiring. He confirmed the truth of the saying that he was a man of the people. He didn't put on airs or put himself above anyone. I also have hi...more
I never realized how personable Teddy was. His attention to so many people was truly inspiring. He confirmed the truth of the saying that he was a man of the people. He didn't put on airs or put himself above anyone. I also have hi...more
I read this book after reading True Compass by the senator. This book was told a similar story but with a different slant. This is a great book, very complimentary to the greatest senator in history.
I liked learning about the personal side of Ted Kennedy. He was a very thoughtful considerate man and the family stories were great. So much has been written about the Kennedys it was exciting to learn new things about them.
I liked learning about the personal side of Ted Kennedy. He was a very thoughtful considerate man and the family stories were great. So much has been written about the Kennedys it was exciting to learn new things about them.
I give this book five stars because I love the Kennedy's, and because it was an easy flowing read that kept moving. Some books I have read about famous people's lives have really bogged down and been un-fun to read. This one was good with , I think, just the right amount of detail. This family has been through so much and having to do it in the public spot light must be very difficult but, this book shows the personal growth of Ted throughout his life. I am praying for his health.
Just a quick cut and paste from the Boston Globe staff. Handy only as a quick refresher on some of the landmark legislation he has been behind (he lets others take the credit). Also a quick review on some of the tragedies he has had to survive. The list is even longer than I remembered and, off-hand, I can think think of two that aren't even listed.
Mimi
added it
This book took Kennedy from an unknown in my memory to a real person, not only the "killer of Mary jo Kopchne". I identified with more of what happened in that era after reading this. The author did not gloss over Kennedy's womanizing and other faults. The good that Ted Kennedy did for our country should be pushed to the forefront.
This book appears to be have written last year when everyone thought Kennedy was going to die right away. Every so often, they seem to forget he's still alive.
It's hard to believe Ted is in his late seventies now - I still think of him as the kid brother.
The book is insightful as to how Kennedy's family formed him.
It's hard to believe Ted is in his late seventies now - I still think of him as the kid brother.
The book is insightful as to how Kennedy's family formed him.
We are very used to reading all about Jack and Bobby Kennedy. This portrait of Teddy looks at the Kennedy dynasty throug different lenses. Written by several members of the staff of the Boston Globe, this book gives a very favorable and human biography of the youngest Kennedy brother and his accomplishments.
This book was extremely well written. A very interesting book from which I learned much more than I knew about not only Teddy, but the entire Kennedy clan. But truly the most striking part of the experience of reading this book was that I couldn't put it down! The Boston Globe staff who worked on this book and Peter Canellos did an outstanding job creating a biography that was not only informable but extremely enjoyable.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. It was written by Boston Globe staff in a clear, concise manner with good neutrality. There was a lot that I did not know or was not paying attention to when it occurred. Most particularly, I was unaware that Kennedy had been fighting for universal health care for decades.
Truly an amazing life! When you think you're life is rough look at the Kennedy's - I was encouraged by his optimism and willingness to do positive things for this country. Sure, he has made some huge mistakes, but haven't we all, what is important is what we do after making those mistakes.
Being too young to know too much Kennedy history, this book was well written and very informative. It left you thinking that Ted kennedy should be given another chance. Certainly not a quick and easy read, especially if you are unfamiliar with the Kennedy legacy, but certainly worth the effort
The Kennedys' the glamor, the tragedy,Americas own 'royal' family, this is the story of the last son - his failings, and there are many, and his triumphs, and there are many.
I won't go through the details - it's just worth reading.
I won't go through the details - it's just worth reading.
Fanatical Democrat though I am, I've never been a huge fan of the Kennedys, but I was won over to Teddy by his decades of service to the Senate and commitment to traditional liberalism. I found Last Lion to be a thoroughly entertaining and enlightening read about a surprisingly complex individual.
I think this is a great read! I found it incredibly interesting to travel through the shoes of Ted Kennedy. Coming from Massachusetts, I already held a certain reverence for the Kennedy family, but after learning more about them, you wonder if a family like this will ever enter the American spotlight again.
Learning about one of the longest tenured Senators in the current legislature and the initiatives he's pushed in recent years, you wonder if his main priority (universal health ca...more
Learning about one of the longest tenured Senators in the current legislature and the initiatives he's pushed in recent years, you wonder if his main priority (universal health ca...more
Short of Ted Kennedy's own memoirs, I believe this book to be the definitive Ted Kennedy, tracing the Senator's fabled childhood, his rise to prominence, his fall from grace, and his redemption. I've long studied the Senator and so deeply identified with this book and the subject. Oh, how I've admired this man and all he's accomplished, and oh, how angry I was when his personal behavior ran contrary to his message. This book weaves the story of Ted Kennedy's life - his motivations, his concerns...more
I had a conversation with my grandmother on the phone this morning about this book and Ted in general. She said it best..."He did a lot for those of use who had no other options at the time."
Hailing from Massachusetts, I was aware of the story of the Kennedy family. It would have been easy for Ted to have lived in the shadow of his brothers, but he chose to establish his own legacy.
For all his well-publicized shortcomings, this book also focuses on his strengths and accomplishments. Long after he is gone, he should be remembered as one of the greatest senators in this nation's history, and as a man who held his family together through difficult times.
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For all his well-publicized shortcomings, this book also focuses on his strengths and accomplishments. Long after he is gone, he should be remembered as one of the greatest senators in this nation's history, and as a man who held his family together through difficult times.
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This is a long read but if you love the Kennedy's like I do you won't be able to put it down (and will constantly tell random Kennedy family stories in daily conversation).
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