The Revolution of Robert Kennedy: From Power to Protest After JFK

by John R. Bohrer

A groundbreaking account of how Robert F. Kennedy transformed horror into hope between 1963 and 1966, with style and substance that has shaped American politics ever since.

On November 22nd, 1963, Bobby Kennedy received a phone call that altered his life forever. The president, his brother, had been shot. JFK would not survive.

In The Revolution of Robert Kennedy, journalist John R. Bohrer focuses in intimate and revealing detail on Bobby Kennedy's life during the three years following JFK's assassination. Torn between mourning the past and plotting his future, Bobby was placed in a sudden competition with his political enemy, Lyndon Johnson, for control of the Democratic Party. No longer the president's closest advisor, Bobby struggled to find his place within the Johnson administration, eventually deciding to leave his Cabinet post to run for the U.S. Senate, and establish an independent identity. Those overlooked years of change, from hardline Attorney General to champion of the common man, helped him develop the themes of his eventual presidential campaign.

The Revolution of Robert Kennedy follows him on the journey from memorializing his brother's legacy to defining his own. John R. Bohrer's rich, insightful portrait of Robert Kennedy is biography at its best--inviting readers into the mind and heart of one of America's great leaders.

Genres: History, Biography, Politics, Nonfiction, American History, Historical, Kennedy Family

384 pages, Hardcover

First published June 6, 2017

About the author

John R. Bohrer is a reporter, historian, and television news producer. He has prepared anchors for high-profile interviews, tackled investigations, and his research has been cited by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and many more. His writing has appeared in New York magazine, The New Republic, Politico, and USA Today, among others. A New Jersey native and graduate of Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, he currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

The Revolution of Robert Kennedy was heavier on the policy than I expected. I thought I would learn more about the personal changes experienced in the years after the assassination of his brother. Instead the book focused more on the ways he changed politically. Not that that was a bad thing I just thought I was reading a different book.

I still enjoyed The Revolution of Robert Kennedy once I adjusted my perspective. I love all things Kennedy as you should know if you read my reviews with any regularity and I'm deeply fascinated by the 1960's. The author John Bohrer put together a vivid and absorbing account of Robert Kennedy's transformation from his brother's ruthless hatchet man who was one of the most hated men in the Democratic party to a progressive icon who still influences the base of the Democratic party. This book was meticulously( I feel like I spelled that wrong) researched and I would recommend it to those readers who love politics( from any era) and readers interested in the behind the scenes discussions around Vietnam.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"He did not save the world from annihilation or set a new policy or start a revolution. Rather, his words and gestures had altered some lives and given some hope to those who desperately needed it." -- page 302

A pretty good and even-handed micro-biography, focusing specifically on Robert Kennedy's career immediately after his brother's assassination in the waning days of 1963 and up to his storied visit to South Africa in mid-1966. (That is, concentrating on his final nine months in office at U.S. Attorney General and then his subsequent campaign / election and first year or so serving as Senator from New York.) Bohrer's work is heavy on the politics and policy - the then-escalating Vietnam conflict nearly dominates the final third of the narrative - as well as Kennedy's often uneasy and strained relationship with President Lyndon Johnson. However, while The Revolution of Robert Kennedy wasn't bad I was still a little disappointed (I had been looking forward to reading it since its publication in 2017), as it didn't seem like it brought anything new to the RFK table. It paled in comparison to Thurston Clarke's detailed The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America and the awkwardly-titled but concise In Love With Night: The American Romance with Robert Kennedy by Ronald Steel - both of which covered much of the same material, plus included anecdotes and stories from folks in the inner circle - and were, in my opinion, superior books on the subject matter.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any biography of Bobby Kennedy is very much a study in contrasts, a Tale of Two Bobbys, one might say. There is the early Bobby, McCarthy's attack dog, his brother's hatchet man, hard-edged and ruthless, not a man to be crossed. And there is the later Bobby - the liberal poster child, the man who embodied the hopes and dreams of a generation, the man who reached out to the poor and neglected groups on the margins of the American Dream.

So how to account for these two Bobbys? How to account for this revolution in personality and politics? For John Bohrer, the key to Bobby's transformation lies in the shattering, shocking murder of his brother Jack. Bobby became the symbol of the Kennedy legacy, the keeper of the flame, the heir to the New Frontier, automatically placed in unwilling opposition to the man who actually succeeded JFK in the White House, LBJ. Exiled from the centres of influence and power he had so long been used to occupying, Bobby struggled to find a new position for himself, a new identity and focus for the life that had so long been at the service of his brother.

In many ways Bobby's turn towards public service, striving to make a difference on a small scale, the 'tiny ripples of hope', where he had been so used before to strategy and political manoeuvring on a national scale, shouldn't have come as a surprise. As JFK himself said years before, "Just as I went into politics because Joe died, if anything happened to me tomorrow, my brother Bobby would run for my seat in the Senate. And if Bobby died, Teddy would take over for him." JFK probably didn't anticipate dying as early as he did, and Teddy had already taken his Senate seat for Massachusetts - but the principle remains. Bobby talked about moving to England, becoming a professor, writing a book - but he was a Kennedy, and politics was always the only option.

The revolution was in the scale. For the first time Bobby became exposed to the issues of the everyday, race and poverty and neglect, in a far more intimate and personal way than he had as Attorney General. He was no longer responsible for an entire nation, just the state of New York, and his immersion in local and regional affairs opened his eyes and changed his perspective. His famous speech in South Africa is indicative of that - not grandstanding, not major forces of history, not dominant personalities leading the way.

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

The Bobby Kennedy in the centre of power could never have made that speech, never realised that the powerless could make a difference. It took his brother's death and his own loss of identity and focus to realise that. His own revolution was only just beginning in 1968, and what it could have accomplished we will sadly never know.

[Bryan Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did RFK recover from his brother's death? How did he forge his own political path and message out of the shadow of JFK, but still keep the torch of his brother alive? These are some of the questions Bohrer raises in his new book that covers the political life of RFK from December 1963 to the summer of 1966. The author does come off sympathetic to RFK, but it's not hagiography, either. There are not many books that go into the weeds in these important years, so this book is most welcome.

RFK was thinking about the idea of revolution as he became U.S. senator. It wasn't a violent one, but a controlled one, run by young people. This revolution idea is a reflection of his times, the 1960s when change was happening fast at home and abroad. Also, Bohrer effectively illustrates RFK's gravity toward feeling and the need to see the problems. So, RFK would visit the slums, talk to everyone, including the other side of an argument or policy. This could be a reason why RFK was not necessarily liberal in all of his policies.

What impressed me is that there are few politicians that are willing to seek out the hard questions and try to answer them, few politicians who are willing to listen to the opposing side and weigh it. We need more of that in today's environment.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book covered the career of Bobby Kennedy from the time following Jacks death to his own. Recounting his growing into a liberal icon by opposing the Vietnam War, working for justice in race relations, and becoming a voice for the poor and disenfranchised of not only our country but the world. The 60's were a time of upheaval in our nation the book puts Kennedy in the forefront as a political leader.

[Michael Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know RFK until I opened this book. I have a much richer understanding of him as he grew up politically and find myself saddened at the unfinished lives that his brothers, his nephew and he had. I truly believe that our world would be a better place today. Thank you RFK for your passionate drive to make our world better.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. The author is clearly an RFK fan so if you're looking for a dispassionate biographical work, this probably isn't it - although I did feel that the author worked to present a full and faithful portrait of Senator Kennedy. While touching on the early years of Kennedy's career, including those spent working for his brother, the book focuses on the years between JFK's assassination and 1966 (omitting RFK's Presidential Campaign and assassination). What emerges is a man who struggled to find his own voice in the political world and never quite shook off the shadow of what came before and a man with a powerful ability to turn ideas into more than words - if for no other reason than he had the courage to say what many did not. I couldn't help but wonder what course our country may have taken had he lived. The difference made by one life and its loss is as haunting as it is encouraging. Well worth your time.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good and so sad, in two senses: how much RFK missed JFK, and RFK's looming assassination.

"'Long ago,' an anonymous Washington politician told the New Republic, 'Robert Kennedy discovered that no one was going to like him, in the sense that people liked Roosevelt, or Stevenson, or Jack Kennedy. So he decided to make people follow him because of the power of his ideas, or the rightness of his positions."

As always, LBJ provides color: "I want to be patient and understanding and reasonable. On the other hand, I think you know my natural inclinations." p. 262

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time I started this book, set it down for four years, and then finally finished it. I’ve never read a really in-depth history of Bobby during 1964-1966 before, so this was a new experience and I came away with a lot of new knowledge about that time period, his senatorial experience, and how he represents what I liked about Eric Foner’s The Fiery Trial — he is an example of change over time, of progress and potential, and that matters a lot.

[Amy V · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for a reading challenge - to read a biography/autobiography of a political figure. I was interested to learn more about Robert Kennedy, especially because last June was the 50th anniversary of his assassination. RFK was a very interesting man and I enjoyed learning more about his life. This book was a slower read for me though, because of the amount of political detail including conversations and quotes from speeches.

[Paul Wilner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done. And timely.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't recommend this book enough. Incredibly well researched. Loaded with fascinating detail about the political climate - both public and private - of the era. And as suggested by the title, a revealing look at the years RFK struggled to find his own political identity before ultimately coming into his own.

Most importantly, Bohrer's approachable writing style draws the reader in - conveying both the confusion and sense of urgency RFK felt in the years following his brother's assassination...making it a great read for both Kennedy scholars and newbies alike.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five stars for Bobby Kennedy.

Unfortunately I can’t get on board with all of the other high ratings for this book.

I suppose it’s partially my own fault - I wanted more of the personal stories throughout - chapters were too long for my liking, and it was just too political.

I understand this is who he was, but he was also a father and a husband - I simply wanted more of that side as well to lighten the heavy reading.

[Jan Olsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Robert Kennedy and have read many books about him but this is one of the best ones. As he said "the responsibility of our times is nothing less than revolution. It will be peaceful if we are wise enough; humane if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate enough. But a revolution will come whether we will it or not. We can affect its character, we cannot alter its inevitability."

[Eric Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

On November 22, 1963, Bobby Kennedy began a nearly three-year transformation from ruthless political operative to the vanguard of a social revolution. On that date, a scrawny and anti-social twenty-four-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy. The American Presidency was no longer Camelot and Bobby was left with nothing but the shadow of a brother and President. In his darkest moment,” Jack Bohrer writes in The Revolution of Robert Kennedy,” Robert Kennedy defined change.”

He began his career as a McCarthyite, declared war on Jimmy Hoffa’s Teamster Union, and approved a wiretap on Martin Luther King Jr. His intensity, focus, and anger was legendary. While investigating Hoffa, Bobby called over 1,500 witnesses and held over 207 hearings — in under three years. His own father famously said, “when Bobby hates you, you stay hated.” But then things started to change. At first, it was when he was his brother’s Attorney General; when directed that same intensity towards the southern Governors who refused to follow Civil Rights laws. It evolved into a full-on war against imperialism, racism and corporate greed. Bohrer chronicles this transition. 

To understand how this happened, it’s important to understand Bobby’s relationship with three things: his brother, his brother’s replacement, and his own search for meaning.

RFK and JFK’s relationship
John and Bobby Kennedy were both born to Joe Kennedy — a conservative financial baron who conquered the business world and wanted his sons to take the political realm. Backed by Joe’s billions, they did that — but not as Joe planned. Here is how the Washington Post described the relationship.
In his youth, Bobby never seemed destined for greatness. His father saw him as the “runt” of his litter, his mother worried he would grow up to be a “sissy,” while his older brother Jack bristled at his father’s suggestion that Bobby help on his 1946 campaign for Congress. JFK told friends to get a picture of the happy brothers working together and then “take Bobby out to [the] movies.”
By the end of JFK’s 1952 Senate campaign, Joe Kennedy called Bobby “tough as nails” and JFK believed Bobby built “the best [political] organization in history.” It was because Bobby would do whatever it took for JFK’s victory. If palms needed greasing, Bobby would make the payments. If someone needed intimidating, Bobby would make the plans. If a scapegoat was needed, Bobby would take the blame. In fact, it was a calculated strategy for Bobby to become the southern “villain” of the civil rights struggle. President Kennedy would provide optimistic language around civil rights, while Bobby was the hammer — sending troops and attorneys to force compliance with the legislation. RFK took that role with honor. By the mid-1960s, Robert Kennedy was hated by the South. President Kennedy’s assassination left with nothing but dread that it was for nothing.

RFK and LBJ’s Relationship
Bobby lost most of his political power when his brother died. Sure, he was still the Attorney General, but he wasn’t his brother’s Attorney General. He was Attorney General for a man who hated him. After all, Bobby once walked into a crowded hotel room and begged LBJ to withdraw from the 1960 Vice Presidential nomination. “Yesterday [when Jack won the nomination],” he later told a friend, “was the best day of my life, and today [when Johnson joined him] is the worst day of my life.” It only got worse after JFK’s death. LBJ viewed Bobby as his brother’s ghost — constantly judging him and planning for his downfall. Bobby was suspicious about his commitment to Civil Rights and only stayed on as Attorney General to see the passage of the Civil Rights Act. However, Bobby didn’t want to tear apart the Democratic Party and attempted tepidly support LBJ’s policies. This became increasingly difficult when LBJ became consumed with Vietnam.

RFK’s Search for Meaning
When JFK was assassinated Robert Kennedy lost his reason for living and the power that came along with being the President’s brother. He realized politics wasn’t about the tactical and procedural power games he mastered. It was about what you did with power to advance your own morals. His morals were decidedly on the side of racial, social, and economic justice.
He tied the civil rights movement to the Patriots that led the revolutionary war. “We had a revolution and overthrew a government because we were taxed without representation,” he told a campaign audience. “I think there is no doubt that if Washington or Jefferson or Adams were Negroes in a Northern city today, they would be in the forefront of the effort to change the conditions under which Negroes live in our society.” Imagine a modern politician today saying that about Colin Kaepernick.
He traveled to South America and preached revolution, to a region caught between communism and capitalism. He did so, without the biases of a former cold war warrior. He acknowledged the sins of capitalism while showing the potential for prosperity. He advised Peru to nationalize their oil industry because Standard Oil was effectively holding the country hostage. He audited corrupt USAID payments and ensured it got to the right place. He debated Chilean communists at universities about capitalism, only to tell the government that the country’s working conditions were so poor that he’d be a communist if he lived there. He traveled from American city-to-city building a working class alliance around economic and civil rights.
He built a campaign around ideas and morals rather than his brother. He found himself an icon of a moment.

The End
The book ends with a summary of Bobby’s anti-apartheid visit to South Africa. Here, the brother of a slain icon rallied against the racist policies of the Apartheid government and called on the youth to lead the revolution. 

Bohrer explains:

He left them that night declaring, “Each of us have our own work to do,” asking “if a man of forty’ can claim membership in “the world’s largest younger generation.” He had carried his brother’s torch deeper into a decade that had changed in ways neither could have expected and would change further still.”

[Jo Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to get through this book, not because I wasn't enjoying it, I just didn't have a lot of time to sit down and read a lot at once.
Thanks for this book John Bohrer. I didn't know it was your first book until reading the inside cover, but I really enjoyed the in depth look into Robert Kennedy's political life after JFK passed.
Robert was a great man, but in a different league to his presidential brother. He dealt with the negativity of Lyndon Johnson, which is such a shame as if Johnson had embraced the knowledge and political expertise of Robert, imagine what could have been achieved? instead of Johnson being paranoid about Robert's activities and interactions with the press.
Such a shame that Robert was also assassinated. He was hitting is stride outside of the shadow of his brother just previous to his passing also.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding read of a true politician who gave, cared, implemented change, a robust figure that fought for the common man. To summarize this book: "My brother need not be idolized," Teddy said, "or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life. To be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it.....saw suffering and tried to heal it......saw war, and tried to stop it."

[Jenn Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of Bobby Kennedy and this book tells his story following the assassination of his brother and how the next few years shaped his political future leading to his eventual decision to run for President. I loved learning about all of his experiences during those years including all of the places he visited and the speeches he gave to the large crowds of people who came out to see and hear from him.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somebody will flame me, and I don't care. I'm giving it an initial 3-star rating based just on the editorial blurb review. Bobby Kennedy did not "choose" to leave the Cabinet as much as he was, er, encouraged to leave after he blatantly tried to shove himself into the Veepstakes. Let's hope this isn't an entirely hagiographic book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book traces the history of Robert Kennedy's transformation from JFK's younger brother and attorney general to successful senator from New York and presidential candidate. This book also looks at how his views on important issues grew and changed, making him a historical figure in his own right. This is a great book for anyone interested in history, politics or fascinating people.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and extensively researched book. There is a sense of bias throughout the book which motivates me to read other accounts of Robert Kennedy's life. I did enjoy the book, would give it 4.5 stars if I could.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immense research on RFK's transformation from an
establishment "ruthless" prosecutor & daily advisor to
JFK to a politician focused on youth, the future, poverty,
& equality, all still waiting for attention to Federal priorities
cf. knee-jerk addictive military $pending.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Provides a great insight into the Kennedy/Johnson relationship. A good precursor to watching the recent CNN series on the Kennedy dynasty. Helps to explain why the Attorney General struggled morally when he found himself under the Johnson administration.

[mcq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impressive read about the development of RFK as a politician. Sometimes a bit dry, (too) detailed read for me but you keep on reading because Bobby is a very interesting underestimated person. Must read if you are interested in the Kennedy's or civil rights in the USA during the sixties.

[Brian Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating profile and covers his life from his brother's assassination until he enters the primaries in 1968 including trips abroad and how the rest of the world viewed him. Important read especially with current news.

[Judyarzt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good review of history in terms of Robert Kennedy's rise to power and his rivalry with President Johnson. Covers Civil Rights and Vietnam War eras.

[Lauren Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started out a little slow, lots of information and policy. Once the ground work was laid out, it picked up alot and was a very interesting read.

[Dan Krivit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and excellent story of the man and the times.

[Jim Swike]

I did not read far enough to give a proper review. Enjoy!

[Reese Holtzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fuck rfk jr