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Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver
Working for four presidents over six decades, R. Sargent “Sarge” Shriver founded the Peace Corps, launched the War on Poverty, created Head Start and Legal Services for the Poor, started the Special Olympics, and served as ambassador to France. Yet from the moment he married Joseph P. Kennedy’s daughter Eunice in 1953, Shriver had to navigate a difficult course between independence and family loyalty that tended to obscure his incredible achievements.
Scott Stossel, through complete access to Shriver and his family, renders the story of his life in cinematic detail. Shriver’s myriad historical legacies are testaments to the power of his vision and his ability to inspire others. But it is the colorful personality and indomitable spirit of the man himself—traits that allowed him to survive the Depression, WWII, and the Kennedy family—that will inspire readers today to expand the “horizons of the possible.”
Scott Stossel, through complete access to Shriver and his family, renders the story of his life in cinematic detail. Shriver’s myriad historical legacies are testaments to the power of his vision and his ability to inspire others. But it is the colorful personality and indomitable spirit of the man himself—traits that allowed him to survive the Depression, WWII, and the Kennedy family—that will inspire readers today to expand the “horizons of the possible.”
704 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 14, 2019
I had the privilege of working with Mr. Shriver and Special Olympics. I always thought he was a fascinating human being. Curious about everything. Genuinely interested in what you had to say. Friendly. Often funny. And smart. "Sarge" showed me just how remarkable he actually was. I enjoyed every page, and learned a lot about political history, as well. "Eunice: The Kennedy Who Changed the World" also is an excellent book. If you're interested in the Shrivers, Kennedys, and politics, I highly recommend these.
February 11, 2013
An epic slow read. Comprehensive; it covered everything. At 684 pages it took forever to finish as some parts were just fascinating and others you just had to plow through. A remarkable man who was absolutely selfless. Indefatigable too when he was the head of two federal agencies for several years and routinely put in 17 hour days. He got the Peace Corps as an official federal agency up and running in three months; something that would normally have taken two to three years to accomplish. You either loved him or hated him if you worked for him. He subordinated his personal goals to accommodate the Kennedy family and seems to have been used by them. His ability and talent were secondary to their primacy of blood-he was only married to a Kennedy-he was not a Kennedy. The most surprising thing I learned here was Nixon's active involvement in sabotaging the Vietnam peace talks during the 1968 election. Nixon actually interfered with the (LBJ's) government's negotiations with the South Vietnamese government by sending an emissary, Anna Chennault, to talk to the RVN ambassador-Bu Diem. Nixon promised Bu Diem more if he was elected so South Vietnam's junta walked away from a deal- the war would have ended then and saved another 20,000 American lives. Shriver was in Paris as the American Ambassador for Nixon at the time. Stossel wrote this with Sargent's willing participation. Some readers might find it hagiographic but it's not. Stossel strives earnestly to convey Shriver in all shades and he does a good job. Shriver was an idealist, a combat veteran, an advocate for peace, and the most saintly public figure in the American 20th Century. He certainly wasn't a capable politician. You feel the loss of his service as he would have been a superb governor or POTUS.
July 17, 2013
After reading the book written by Mark Shriver I decided to read a different persons view. It wasnt really that different. I still think he was a great man.
March 5, 2025
Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver by Scott Stossel is an excellent well-written history and biography. Sargent Shriver was clearly brilliant and committed to making America live up to its promise of equal opportunity and equal rights for all citizens. His work on the Peace Corps and OEO, Head Start and Legal Aid were presented fairly in this book and the author did not attempt to sugarcoat any of the shortcomings of Shriver’s poor administrative abilities. Despite his lack of attention to managing the day-to-day of an agency, Shriver's political acumen is never in doubt. This was a man who knew how to manage and influence people, even difficult personalities like LBJ and Nixon. Wresting money or support out of presidents and congressmen was a walk in the park for the always affable Shriver. New to me was the depth to which the Kennedy family (he was married to Kennedy sister Eunice Kennedy) worked to sabotage Shriver’s several opportunities for higher elected office. Bobby, Ted and even his own wife Eunice, at times, all worked against Shriver, or at the very least, failed to support Shriver’s elected political aspirations at nearly every turn….it was always going to be a ‘real Kennedy’ not an in-law if someone from the extended family was to be elected Vice-President or President. Too bad, for as this book highlights, had Sargent Shriver been successful in 1976 he would likely have also been able to hold off Republicans like Ronald Reagan in 1980, which would have put our country in a far different place than we are today.
Never elected to a governing position despite the interest of many different states and national leaders, Shriver’s influence and vision for service remains present today. Newsom’s ‘Sargent Shriver’ running for California lieutenant governor details the plans of California politician Josh Fryday’s plan to build a volunteer corps and was referred to by Governor Newsome as his “own Sarge Shriver.”
Although a long book I think it is well worth the investment of time for anyone interested in political history.
As an aside, I got my copy from a Little Free Library, right after I had been teasing my wife about the cookbooks she was taking. Needless to say, I came in for some abuse of my own about my selection. Glad I decided to keep it.
February 11, 2011
This is a richly detailed biography of a complicated, talented man. I am always fascinated by the early life and development of prominent people, and Sarge is no exception. The account of his leadership of the Peace Corps and the Office of Economic Opportunity showed him in the best light, and perhaps glossed over his weakness in administration. Shriver is widely known as the husband of Eunice Kennedy. His political ambitions never came to fruition, and it is perhaps in this area that the inherent conflicts of being your own person while enmeshed in a clan as powerful and parochial as the Kennedys were. Worth the time it took to read.
January 19, 2008
This book brought me back to a time (before I was born) when politicians were larger than life and really thought they could change the world. This book not only made me fall in love with Sargent Shriver, it made me stop calling Maria Shriver "Skeletor" for about a week--an amazing achievement!
January 22, 2012
A titan....one of my great heroes who I had the great privilege to know.
August 7, 2017
Rejoyce, Central patron, August 2017, 3 stars:
This book took me four weeks and six good books to finish. It's an exhaustive account of Sargent Shriver's professional life, and although you get a sense of his personality and motivations, his relationships with his close family is kept at great distance. For such an exhaustive book it felt like you were racing through important stuff, and he was involved with so many governmental/ presidential changes around Kennedy, the Peace Corps and the Great Society push of Johnson and yet you feel like these were just covered with a light touch.
This book took me four weeks and six good books to finish. It's an exhaustive account of Sargent Shriver's professional life, and although you get a sense of his personality and motivations, his relationships with his close family is kept at great distance. For such an exhaustive book it felt like you were racing through important stuff, and he was involved with so many governmental/ presidential changes around Kennedy, the Peace Corps and the Great Society push of Johnson and yet you feel like these were just covered with a light touch.
April 12, 2020
An amazing life and it's so important we remember his considerable accomplishments. I enjoyed this book, although it was about 200 pages too long. I was surprised why the author kept referring to the "mentally retarded" instead of the "intellectual disability" or some other term. The older term is very demeaning.
March 22, 2023
If like me, the Kennedys are an important part of the last 60 year’s history…. That book is a must, Sagent Shriver was a man extremly loyal but he was pour also firm in his own beliefs; he was in my view the greatest Kennedy even if his name was Shriver.
January 15, 2023
This book is about Sargent Shriver, the guy who married into the Kennedy clan, ran the Peace Corps, started the Jobs Corps, and "Head Start", waged the "War on Poverty", and stood in as Vice Presidential candidate when Thomas Eagleton was removed from the Democratic ticket.
In many ways Shriver was a remarkable man. He, more than anyone, could claim to have had more fingers more "liberal pies" than anyone in the American politics of the 1960s.
That said he was also hideously disorganised (getting by on passion, drive and intelligence) than any other subject of a political biography that I've read.
When his disorganisation is coupled with shabby treatment at the hands of his in-laws (as an example, Ted Kennedy would only refer to him as "Eunice's husband" in a stump speech to avoid saying his name), his general "niceness," and lack of "political killer instinct," it's probably not surprising he didn't achieve all he could politically.
That said, it's a good book, you'll just finish it wondering "What if...?"
In many ways Shriver was a remarkable man. He, more than anyone, could claim to have had more fingers more "liberal pies" than anyone in the American politics of the 1960s.
That said he was also hideously disorganised (getting by on passion, drive and intelligence) than any other subject of a political biography that I've read.
When his disorganisation is coupled with shabby treatment at the hands of his in-laws (as an example, Ted Kennedy would only refer to him as "Eunice's husband" in a stump speech to avoid saying his name), his general "niceness," and lack of "political killer instinct," it's probably not surprising he didn't achieve all he could politically.
That said, it's a good book, you'll just finish it wondering "What if...?"
April 30, 2014
I kept in mind the Sarge was married to a Kennedy and in that I hope he stood on his own and made his mark. This book did not let me down. You automatically think that being married to Kennedy would over ride any type of accomplishments that he would try. Sarge Shriver was able to stand on his own with his family, and as ambassador for another country for years. Relationships with his children with stood tests with Eunice on several occasions, as with one of his son's arrest on drug charges. If discipline was left up to Eunice she was often be heard to tell the children to shake it off, if your second you have not won. No Kennedy loses. Sarge reminded the children every day they were not Kennedy's, they were Shrivers. So inclusion to my book review I do recommend this book with a 4 to 5 star rating thank you.
May 16, 2007
a really great book. just not "2,000 pages" great.
January 29, 2011
Interesting and very comprehensive book about the life and career of Sargent Shriver. Though, perhaps a bit overwritten at 700 pages.
July 23, 2013
After reading "A Good Man" by Mark Shriver I wanted to read more about Sarge. It wasn't really that different, but still a really good book about a really good man.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews