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Robert Kennedy and His Times | 
 enlarge | Author: Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
Publisher: Mariner Books
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
Buy Used: $6.18
You Save: $11.77 (66%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 73926
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 1088
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.6
ISBN: 0618219285
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.922092
UPC: 046442219280
EAN: 9780618219285
ASIN: 0618219285
Publication Date: June 3, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Different Edition
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Product Description
Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., chronicles the short life of the Kennedy family's second presidential hopeful in "a story that leaves the reader aching for what cannot be recaptured" (Miami Herald). Schlesinger's account vividly recalls the forces that shaped Robert Kennedy, from his position as the third son of a powerful Irish Catholic political clan to his concern for issues of social justice in the turbulent 1960s. ROBERT KENNEDY AND HIS TIMES is "a picture of a deeply compassionate man hiding his vulnerability, drawn to the underdogs and the unfortunates in society by his life experiences and sufferings" (Los Angeles Times).
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 A dirty player August 1, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Robert Kennedy played to win. The idea that he was a champion of the little guy is a myth. If you look at his record, you'll see that he was involved up to his neck in nefarious operations. A lot of material was not avaialble for this book - especially some recent de-classified material which shows that RFK not only knew about the plans to assasinate Castro but was deeply involved in the attempt to destroy him and Cuba - take a look at:
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/cuba_mis_cri/620119%20Meeting%20with%20the%20Attorney%20Gen..pdf.
 I greatly important read June 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Arthur Schlesinger's mammoth biography is a critically important look into one of our countries most engaging political figures. This book, while written by a Kennedy insider, is one of the most well researched documentaries I have ever come across. In today's political arena, so much of what we read or hear about is blatantly biased or otherwise opinionated, it is refreshing to a book that has so many sources attributed to it. It was interesting to read about Bobby's difficulties in academics, his faith, and his need to please his father. I would really recommend this book to any person who has a thirst for a moving story or is interested in politics. While I -- and most of us -- know how the story ends, there is this intense curiosity I encountered as the book moved along, that maybe the outcome on June 5, 1968 would change.
A highly recommended read.
Engrossing, yet incomplete biography July 7, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Arthur Schlesinger writes competently enough on RFK's religious and political beliefs and evolution as a public figure. There is roughly 400 pages on his time as Attorney General and 300 on his time as U.S. Senator and presidential candidate. What is lacking is a feeling of really knowing the man personally that I usually get after reading a good biography (e.g. Truman, Years of Lyndon Johnson). Though Schlesinger's is among the longest RFK biographies, almost nothing is mentioned about his marriage, relationship with children and family or anything else aside from his public life and persona. The most interesting aspect of RFK is his willingness to get dirty; visiting rat-infested slums in Bedford, NY and listening to people. No U.S. Senator does that anymore. He truly cared about poverty and suffering and based his presidential campaign around it. He was an excellent public servant and; had he lived a few years longer, would have made a great president. Considering this is the highest-regarded of RFK biography, I was sorely disappointed. Schlesinger as historian manages only dry prose which cannot capture the style or mood of the nation at the end of Kennedy's life.
If only... May 28, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This affectionately written biography of Bobby Kennedy is both pleasurable and painful to read. The man's transformation from his early years as a rackets investigator and attorney general who probably deserved the description of "ruthless," to his years following the assassination of his brother when he became a champion of the disenfranchised and an outspoken critic of U.S involvement in Vietnam, is nothing short of remarkable. One cannot help but imagine how our history might have been changed had he not been killed just after winning the California Democratic Presidential Primary in June, 1968. Could Kennedy have gone on to win the nomination? It seems likely. One thing to keep in mind when playing "What if?": The eventual Democratic nominee, Hubert Humphrey, a man with virtually no charisma at all, nearly beat Richard Nixon for President.
 A Sweeping History of Robert F. Kennedy January 26, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed reading this book. Schlesinger has given us a true portrait of Robert Kennedy, including wonderful insights into his childhood and early adult life by publishing excerpts from family letters.
He goes into great depth to show the work that RFK did as his brother's Attorney General (sometimes a little too much depth) but it gives you an appreciation for RFK's great administrative skills. After seeing how RFK worked as head of the Justice Department, surrounding himself with the `best and the brightest' I believe that he could have a made a great president.
What is amazing from this book is the transformation of RFK following his brother's assassination. He became a champion of the poor, of blacks and an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam war. RFK is shown to be a man of great conviction, courage and compassion. Schlesinger also portrays a man of introspection, humor and family values.
It was a great tragedy that he was himself killed in 1968. Unfortunately the book ends rather abruptly upon RFK's death, while I thought a chapter summing up his life and legacy was needed.
That said, this is still the best book available on the life of Robert Kennedy. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to know more about the complex historical figure of RFK.
Whether you agreed with all his politics or not, you come away from this book inspired by Kennedy's example and by his quest to "tame the savagenesss of man and to make gentle the life of this world."
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