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The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America's Empire
The Kennedys in the World tells a new, rich, fascinating, and consequential story about Jack, Bobby, and Ted Kennedy. From an early age the brothers developed a deep understanding of the different peoples, cultures, and ideologies around the world; a keen appreciation for the challenges that such differences created for the United States; and a strong desire to reshape America’s response to them.
From their childhoods in the first half of the twentieth century, the brothers were prodded by their ruthless, demanding, win-at-all-costs father, Joe Kennedy, and their cold and distant mother, Rose, to learn and care about the world—and told they could shape America’s role in it. For more than six decades after World War II, the brothers shaped broad issues of war and peace as well as the U.S. response to almost every major global challenge of their times: the Soviet Union and China, the Cold War and Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Chile, Nicaragua and El Salvador, Korea and Vietnam, South Africa and Northern Ireland, and Iraq (twice).
In their time, America was what it remains today—the world’s greatest power, with roles and responsibilities that stretch across the planet. Consequently, as the brothers remade America’s empire, they invariably changed the world.
From their childhoods in the first half of the twentieth century, the brothers were prodded by their ruthless, demanding, win-at-all-costs father, Joe Kennedy, and their cold and distant mother, Rose, to learn and care about the world—and told they could shape America’s role in it. For more than six decades after World War II, the brothers shaped broad issues of war and peace as well as the U.S. response to almost every major global challenge of their times: the Soviet Union and China, the Cold War and Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Chile, Nicaragua and El Salvador, Korea and Vietnam, South Africa and Northern Ireland, and Iraq (twice).
In their time, America was what it remains today—the world’s greatest power, with roles and responsibilities that stretch across the planet. Consequently, as the brothers remade America’s empire, they invariably changed the world.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published August 17, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 6, 2021
The Kennedy family has been an important influence in the US as well as around the world. Not just because they were wealthy and privileged. All the Kennedy children were expected from a young age to be knowledgeable in world events. They were encouraged to and expected to be involved in contributing to and making the world a better place for all. They each travelled all over world which helped them to see the positives as well as the negatives. This was in order to view the countries they visited firsthand and not be influenced by someone else's viewpoint.
I was amazed to read of the conversations that the children were expected to have at a young age; to research topics in order to have knowledgeable responses for their discussions; that Rose Kennedy clipped and posted magazine and news articles she thought were important for the children to read and discuss at mealtimes on a bulletin board. This is not an ordinary upbringing or are they the typical topics discussed around dinner tables then or now.
These three men, all very different personalities and strengths helped to shape the US by their experiences, hard work, and achievements. For all their faults they were good men with high ideals of helping other countries to become free from human rights violations, communism, and other wrongs.
I was amazed to read of the conversations that the children were expected to have at a young age; to research topics in order to have knowledgeable responses for their discussions; that Rose Kennedy clipped and posted magazine and news articles she thought were important for the children to read and discuss at mealtimes on a bulletin board. This is not an ordinary upbringing or are they the typical topics discussed around dinner tables then or now.
These three men, all very different personalities and strengths helped to shape the US by their experiences, hard work, and achievements. For all their faults they were good men with high ideals of helping other countries to become free from human rights violations, communism, and other wrongs.
March 1, 2021
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I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ll read anything on the Kennedys, one of the families that used to be considered American “royalty” for the power they held, the glamour they exuded, their philanthropic efforts, and more. I actually have a picture of RFK and JFK hanging on the wall that I found in a thrift store more than 30 years ago. So it was a no-brainer when NetGalley and Potomac Books offered The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire to me as an ARC, I jumped at the chance to read it to offer my honest opinion. The book goes on sale to the general public March 1, 2021.
The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire is not your standard Kennedy biography. Rather, it’s a look at how they viewed foreign policy, even at a young age, and how their frequent trips around the world help shape their views and helped them make decisions when they were in positions of power.
If you’ve read anything about the Kennedys, most of the information will not be new to you. As the book’s title implies, this book is how the brothers’ views of what was going on across the globe affected their decisions throughout their lives. In fact, it shows how some of Jack, Robert and Ted’s views changed as they got on the ground and visited certain areas of the world, getting a better understanding of what was going on instead of staying in Washington and relying upon reports from others to form opinions.
The book is divided into three sections, one section for each brother. Not surprisingly, the bulk of the book is about John F. Kennedy, since even at an early age, he had an interest in foreign affairs. But there’s a lot of crossover with each part, too, with Bobby and Ted appearing in the Jack section, and even the ghosts of Jack and Bobby in the Ted section. There’s even an epilogue, a What If? game that is so often played when discussing the brothers, especially Jack and Robert.
The biggest what if has to be Vietnam and JFK’s plans. The book shows evidence that Jack intended to pull out of the country, but not until after the 1964 election. Also interesting is that I’ve read now in more than one place that John Kennedy was not that big on the space race, despite his declaration to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960’s. There’s even a speech revealed where he talks about a moon mission should include the Russians as it should be an accomplishment of all humankind, not just one nation.
I also always find interesting the evolution of Robert Kennedy from Cold War Hawk to a man who vociferously opposed the very Vietnam War that he originally championed. He was honest when he brought it up, saying he had been in the administration that escalated the “police action” but that he had come realize that he was wrong in his views. Not many politicians admit they were wrong, and that’s why RFK has always been the favorite of the Kennedy family.
The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire is an interesting read if you care about the history of the world politics from the 1930’s right up until Ted’s death in 2009.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ll read anything on the Kennedys, one of the families that used to be considered American “royalty” for the power they held, the glamour they exuded, their philanthropic efforts, and more. I actually have a picture of RFK and JFK hanging on the wall that I found in a thrift store more than 30 years ago. So it was a no-brainer when NetGalley and Potomac Books offered The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire to me as an ARC, I jumped at the chance to read it to offer my honest opinion. The book goes on sale to the general public March 1, 2021.
The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire is not your standard Kennedy biography. Rather, it’s a look at how they viewed foreign policy, even at a young age, and how their frequent trips around the world help shape their views and helped them make decisions when they were in positions of power.
If you’ve read anything about the Kennedys, most of the information will not be new to you. As the book’s title implies, this book is how the brothers’ views of what was going on across the globe affected their decisions throughout their lives. In fact, it shows how some of Jack, Robert and Ted’s views changed as they got on the ground and visited certain areas of the world, getting a better understanding of what was going on instead of staying in Washington and relying upon reports from others to form opinions.
The book is divided into three sections, one section for each brother. Not surprisingly, the bulk of the book is about John F. Kennedy, since even at an early age, he had an interest in foreign affairs. But there’s a lot of crossover with each part, too, with Bobby and Ted appearing in the Jack section, and even the ghosts of Jack and Bobby in the Ted section. There’s even an epilogue, a What If? game that is so often played when discussing the brothers, especially Jack and Robert.
The biggest what if has to be Vietnam and JFK’s plans. The book shows evidence that Jack intended to pull out of the country, but not until after the 1964 election. Also interesting is that I’ve read now in more than one place that John Kennedy was not that big on the space race, despite his declaration to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960’s. There’s even a speech revealed where he talks about a moon mission should include the Russians as it should be an accomplishment of all humankind, not just one nation.
I also always find interesting the evolution of Robert Kennedy from Cold War Hawk to a man who vociferously opposed the very Vietnam War that he originally championed. He was honest when he brought it up, saying he had been in the administration that escalated the “police action” but that he had come realize that he was wrong in his views. Not many politicians admit they were wrong, and that’s why RFK has always been the favorite of the Kennedy family.
The Kennedys in the World: How Jack, Bobby, and Ted Remade America’s Empire is an interesting read if you care about the history of the world politics from the 1930’s right up until Ted’s death in 2009.
January 28, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this enthralling take on the political work of Jack, Bobby, and Ted. It wasn't an overly lengthy book on the Kennedys which I appreciated as someone who has read those longer biographies and is familiar with basic details of their lives. 'The Kennedys in the World' begins with an intentional voice primarily on the political trials and tribulations that each man faced in their careers and maintains that focus throughout.
The author doesn't spend much time going over the more well-known facets of their lives (the assassinations, Chappaquiddick, etc.) and, with good detail, centers on the reasoning and backgrounds that led Jack, Bobby, and Ted to make the decisions they did at the time. While I do believe that even if someone hasn't read an abundant amount on the Kennedy men they could pick up this book and not be lost, I'd recommend checking out a biography or two to better understand the historical events mentioned in this book. (RFK biography recommendation: 'Robert Kennedy: His Life' by Evan Thomas).
The text organization also made for a seamless reading experience. Instead of including clunky sections of text that can be overwhelming even for a seasoned biography reader, the author separated the topics as they were mentioned (makes more sense when seen).
My only criticism is that I wish more was mentioned about Senator Ted Kennedy's later career in the senate (the 2000s) leading up to his passing in 2009.
Overall Thoughts: An original contribution to the multitude of Kennedy books available. This one is worth a read for those who are interested in learning more about what each brother struggled with and achieved in their respective political careers.
Rating: 4/5 stars.
*Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
The author doesn't spend much time going over the more well-known facets of their lives (the assassinations, Chappaquiddick, etc.) and, with good detail, centers on the reasoning and backgrounds that led Jack, Bobby, and Ted to make the decisions they did at the time. While I do believe that even if someone hasn't read an abundant amount on the Kennedy men they could pick up this book and not be lost, I'd recommend checking out a biography or two to better understand the historical events mentioned in this book. (RFK biography recommendation: 'Robert Kennedy: His Life' by Evan Thomas).
The text organization also made for a seamless reading experience. Instead of including clunky sections of text that can be overwhelming even for a seasoned biography reader, the author separated the topics as they were mentioned (makes more sense when seen).
My only criticism is that I wish more was mentioned about Senator Ted Kennedy's later career in the senate (the 2000s) leading up to his passing in 2009.
Overall Thoughts: An original contribution to the multitude of Kennedy books available. This one is worth a read for those who are interested in learning more about what each brother struggled with and achieved in their respective political careers.
Rating: 4/5 stars.
*Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
January 18, 2021
This book is divided into three sections focusing on each one of the three Kennedy brothers – Jack, Bobby and Ted, with a good deal of crossover in each section. The author also has a tendency to bounce around the timeline in each section instead of building a chronological order. If the reader has read a great deal about the three there is not much new here. It is just a different focus. It will be a more enjoyable read for someone who has not read much about the brothers.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.
October 29, 2021
I learned a lot. They had a huge impact.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews