The Ambassador: Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940
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- Author：Susan Ronald
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Summary
Acclaimed biographer Susan Ronald reveals the truth about Joseph P。 Kennedy's deeply controversial tenure as Ambassador to Great Britain on the eve of World War II。
On February 18， 1938， Joseph P。 Kennedy was sworn in as US Ambassador to the Court of St。 James。 To say his appointment to the most prestigious and strategic diplomatic post in the world shocked the Establishment was an understatement: known for his profound Irish roots and staunch Catholicism， not to mention his “plain-spoken” opinions and womanizing， he was a curious choice as Europe hurtled toward war。
Initially welcomed by the British， in less than two short years Kennedy was loathed by the White House， the State Department and the British Government。 Believing firmly that Fascism was the inevitable wave of the future， he consistently misrepresented official US foreign policy internationally as well as direct instructions from FDR himself。 The Americans were the first to disown him and the British and the Nazis used Kennedy to their own ends。
Through meticulous research and many newly available sources， Ronald confirms in impressive detail what has long been believed by many: that Kennedy was a Fascist sympathizer and an anti-Semite whose only loyalty was to his family's advancement。 She also reveals the ambitions of the Kennedy dynasty during this period abroad， as they sought to enter the world of high society London and establish themselves as America’s first family。 Thorough and utterly readable， The Ambassador explores a darker side of the Kennedy patriarch in an account sure to generate attention and controversy。
On February 18， 1938， Joseph P。 Kennedy was sworn in as US Ambassador to the Court of St。 James。 To say his appointment to the most prestigious and strategic diplomatic post in the world shocked the Establishment was an understatement: known for his profound Irish roots and staunch Catholicism， not to mention his “plain-spoken” opinions and womanizing， he was a curious choice as Europe hurtled toward war。
Initially welcomed by the British， in less than two short years Kennedy was loathed by the White House， the State Department and the British Government。 Believing firmly that Fascism was the inevitable wave of the future， he consistently misrepresented official US foreign policy internationally as well as direct instructions from FDR himself。 The Americans were the first to disown him and the British and the Nazis used Kennedy to their own ends。
Through meticulous research and many newly available sources， Ronald confirms in impressive detail what has long been believed by many: that Kennedy was a Fascist sympathizer and an anti-Semite whose only loyalty was to his family's advancement。 She also reveals the ambitions of the Kennedy dynasty during this period abroad， as they sought to enter the world of high society London and establish themselves as America’s first family。 Thorough and utterly readable， The Ambassador explores a darker side of the Kennedy patriarch in an account sure to generate attention and controversy。
Reviews
Matt
，
First and foremost， a large thank you to NetGalley， Susan Ronald， and St。 Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication， which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review。I have long been a fan of the Kennedy family， perhaps America’s first political dynasty。 While much of my focus has been on JFK and his assassination， Susan Ronald opened my eyes to another angle worth exploring。 Joseph P。 Kennedy， the patriarch of the Kennedys， used power and influence to sway opinions， First and foremost， a large thank you to NetGalley， Susan Ronald， and St。 Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication， which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review。I have long been a fan of the Kennedy family， perhaps America’s first political dynasty。 While much of my focus has been on JFK and his assassination， Susan Ronald opened my eyes to another angle worth exploring。 Joseph P。 Kennedy， the patriarch of the Kennedys， used power and influence to sway opinions， both in and out of the political arena。 When he was given the role of US Ambassador to the Court of St。 James’s （United Kingdom）， it was the job of a lifetime。 However， as Ronald argues effectively throughout this tome， it came with significant consequences for the country， the president， and world history。 Ronald puts forth strong arguments and keeps the reader enthralled throughout as she lay the groundwork for how Kennedy’s ambassadorship changed history， not entirely for the better。Susan Ronald opens the book offering the reader some great backstory on the Kennedys and how Joseph helped build his empire on both American coasts。 His love of the movie industry helped make him a household name， though his focus was making money rather than making sure every American could recite his name at the drop of a hat。 As his family grew， Kennedy found ways to build walls around himself， keeping his wife， Rose， at a distance when it suited him。 However， He always wanted his eldest， Joe， Jr。， and John （Jack） close to the action， hoping to pave the way for their successes in the years that followed。With his eye on the ambassadorship in the United Kingdom， Kennedy lobbied Franklin Roosevelt （FDR） for the appointment。 Many people know Kennedy was wealthy， but a position like this would require more than cutting a cheque to cover the costs。 He would need to be a diplomat and one with power to persuade。 Kennedy did all in his power to show that his influence could be used properly in Europe and that his connections would effectively help the Americans build stronger ties with their allies。 Reluctantly， FDR agreed to the appointment in 1938， but tried to leash Kennedy to ensure things flowed smoothly。While Kennedy was keen to use his new role to cement European connections， he was fond of offering his opinions when it came to the brewing unrest on the European continent。 As the Germans and Italians rose to power， Kennedy repeatedly espoused views that fascism was not entirely problematic， as long as it kept communism from rising。 This was not official American foreign policy and there are numerous instances when FDR offered angered rebukes about his ambassador。 Kennedy was， perhaps indirectly， trying to formulate US policy on his own and speaking as the government mouthpiece while doing so。 Using his ties within the British government， Kennedy sometimes could be seen to shape politics at Westminster in a time when a united front was needed against the boisterous Germans and equally troubling Italians。Appeasement appeared to be the theme of the day， as Kennedy supported his British counterparts while they dealt with the fascist uprising。 FDR did not take the easiest approach and recall his ambassador， for many reasons。 With an upcoming election in 1940， FDR sometimes surmised that it was better to keep Kennedy away， so as to prevent him from making a run for the Democratic nomination。 While war inched closer， Kennedy pushed his views， but was eventually rebuffed when FDR-supported Churchill returned to the prime ministership。 Kennedy was no longer the great political statesman and bided his time while FDR turned attention elsewhere。 Kennedy had overstayed his welcome and was soon on his way back， with little to show and no overt support from his own government。Ronald effectively portrays Joseph P。 Kennedy’s rise to power as being one in which the man thought that he could use his influence to change opinion， no matter what his superiors wanted。 While this did occur repeatedly， the clash between Kennedy and official US foreign policy never seemed to be properly resolved。 Kennedy dictated what he wanted， the State Department issued their version， and the two wafted next to one another， while Europe stood on shaky ground。 Ronald shows how this gamble to send Kennedy to Europe paid off more to keep him out of the Administration’s hair than to keep things steady and calm。 Joseph Kennedy had an agenda and would not leave without pushing it in one direction or another。 That it caused a great deal of turmoil in the late 1930s is clear to many， though could it have been halted without ruining FDR’s chances at an unprecedented third term in office？ That’s a mystery best left to the alternate historians。While this was by no means a light and quick read， Susan Ronald makes it highly enjoyable for the reader who has an interest in this sort of thing。 Her attention to detail and thorough analysis provides the reader with something intriguing to read。 Much of the instability within Europe is well-known， but Ronald’s perspective offers readers a great insight into what happened and how Kennedy played a key role in its development。 With chapters that are easily digested and a captivating narrative， the story advances well and the curious reader is provided some wonderful nuggets。 Susan Ronald is clear in her arguments and does leave the reader with something on which to chew as they consider what might have been。 I’d gladly read more of her work， as this offered a great perspective on pre- and early-war analysis。Kudos， Madam Ronald，， for an insightful book。 I am glad I took the time to read it and hope to find more of your work soon。Love/hate the review？ An ever-growing collection of others appears at: http://pecheyponderings。wordpress。com/A Book for All Seasons， a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www。goodreads。com/group/show/。。。 。。。more
Ivy
，
While initially this sounded fascinating， as I've read the first several chapters I've discovered I'm not actually that interested in the Kennedy's or this particular aspect of history。 Susan Ronald is very thorough， covering each person's perspectives and background to adequately convey the significance of each interaction。 Unfortunately， it reads a little dense to me， and I feel like it's assumed I know information even as it's being shared。 I expect this book would be much better for people m While initially this sounded fascinating， as I've read the first several chapters I've discovered I'm not actually that interested in the Kennedy's or this particular aspect of history。 Susan Ronald is very thorough， covering each person's perspectives and background to adequately convey the significance of each interaction。 Unfortunately， it reads a little dense to me， and I feel like it's assumed I know information even as it's being shared。 I expect this book would be much better for people more interested in Joe Kennedy or already more familiar with this time period。 。。。more
Carol Perreault
，
This book chronicles the tenure of Joseph Kennedy's ambassadorship to Britain just before WW2。 He was outspoken and such a womanizer， and held fast in his beliefs。 But he also kept in mind how his actions and words would affect his sons potential political careers。 This book chronicles the tenure of Joseph Kennedy's ambassadorship to Britain just before WW2。 He was outspoken and such a womanizer， and held fast in his beliefs。 But he also kept in mind how his actions and words would affect his sons potential political careers。 。。。more
Lee Husemann
，
I have read numerous books about the Kennedys since John F。 Kennedy was the president back in the early 60s， but never a book about his father， Joseph P。 Kennedy Sr。 This was a real eyeopener as I had not read anything about the family dynamics of Joe， Rose and all the children。 Joe was a womanizer and both he and Rose were social climbers who wanted to be part of the high society of London。 Joe was sworn in as US Ambassador to Great Britain just before the beginning of World War II。 He started I have read numerous books about the Kennedys since John F。 Kennedy was the president back in the early 60s， but never a book about his father， Joseph P。 Kennedy Sr。 This was a real eyeopener as I had not read anything about the family dynamics of Joe， Rose and all the children。 Joe was a womanizer and both he and Rose were social climbers who wanted to be part of the high society of London。 Joe was sworn in as US Ambassador to Great Britain just before the beginning of World War II。 He started out being very well liked but soon was not liked at all。 I enjoyed reading about the children's lives and problems and there was a lot of information that I had not read before。 Overall， I really enjoyed this very well-researched and well-written book about the famous Kennedys。 Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC of this fascinating book。 。。。more
Liz
，
I’ve read a fair amount about the Kennedys， but this is the first nonfiction book I’ve read that tackled Joe， Sr。 in any depth。 Don’t go into this if you want to like the subject。 I found Kennedy thoroughly unlikeable。 Ronald paints a picture of the man in all his roles - family man， womanizer， businessman， political appointee。 The book gives us plenty of lead up to his appointment as Ambassador to England in 1938。 It then takes us through his tumultuous 3 years in the position。 Kennedy was tot I’ve read a fair amount about the Kennedys， but this is the first nonfiction book I’ve read that tackled Joe， Sr。 in any depth。 Don’t go into this if you want to like the subject。 I found Kennedy thoroughly unlikeable。 Ronald paints a picture of the man in all his roles - family man， womanizer， businessman， political appointee。 The book gives us plenty of lead up to his appointment as Ambassador to England in 1938。 It then takes us through his tumultuous 3 years in the position。 Kennedy was totally unprepared for the job。 A narcissist， he felt he knew better than the President and Secretary of State and often spoke out of turn。 He was disloyal to Roosevelt as he had his own presidential ambitions。 Like PM Chamberlain， he was convinced Hitler could be dealt with and managed and that a “German economic powerhouse wasn’t necessarily a bad thing。” He was continually of the opinion that fascism was better than communism as it would protect capitalist positions。 Ronald gives us a well rounded dissertation on the times。 She shows us not just Kennedy’s positions， but also those of the other American politicians and ambassadors and the British politicians。 She also adds in bits about the Kennedys’ social ambitions。 The book tends to dryness， but I felt that I learned a lot from it， especially concerning the build up to the war。 My thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
，
Ronald writes a forthright assessment of Joe Kennedy's brief but destructive time as US ambassador to England。 Her prose is erudite and I appreciated her candor。 For too long the name Kennedy has been enshrined， but she shreds the veneer and reveals Joe Kennedy for what he really was。 He was completely out of his depth in foreign diplomacy and milked the title for the rest of his life。 Kennedy was exceptional at making money， but his puffed up self importance was a shield for his many shortcomin Ronald writes a forthright assessment of Joe Kennedy's brief but destructive time as US ambassador to England。 Her prose is erudite and I appreciated her candor。 For too long the name Kennedy has been enshrined， but she shreds the veneer and reveals Joe Kennedy for what he really was。 He was completely out of his depth in foreign diplomacy and milked the title for the rest of his life。 Kennedy was exceptional at making money， but his puffed up self importance was a shield for his many shortcomings。 The book doesn't contain any new revelations， at least for me， but it's a good starting point for a reader who is well acquainted with the Kennedy clan。 Thanks to St。 Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance copy。 。。。more
A
，
Great read for a deep dive into the history of the making of an American political dynasty。 Joe and wife Rose were the ultimate social climbers， and the reader is ultimately left with how characteristically narcissistic they both were with Joe engaging in multiple affairs and Rose frequently traveling alone away from family。 In larger measure， he was on the wrong side of history as it relates to Hitler and the Nazi party， siding with Chamberlain that appeasement was the path forward and advocati Great read for a deep dive into the history of the making of an American political dynasty。 Joe and wife Rose were the ultimate social climbers， and the reader is ultimately left with how characteristically narcissistic they both were with Joe engaging in multiple affairs and Rose frequently traveling alone away from family。 In larger measure， he was on the wrong side of history as it relates to Hitler and the Nazi party， siding with Chamberlain that appeasement was the path forward and advocating letting Hitler have his way with Europe。 Adept at improving his personal fortune and propelling his children into the upper stratosphere of society， Joe was determined to create a context by which either he and/or a son would be elevated to the Oval Office。 Ronald’s details concerning the complicated relationship between Kennedy and FDR （FDR just wanted him out of the country and out of his hair） are interesting in that we see how FDR was able to manipulate Kennedy while Kennedy continually thought it appropriate to rail against the president and tell him what to do。 Most deeply disturbing is Rosemary’s fate。 Relegated to a mental institution after years of violent moods， seizures and missing developmental milestones， Rosemary eventually underwent a lobotomy at her father’s direction。 The author details the facts that only Joe visited her for many years， with her sisters only visiting after their father had passed on。 Full disclosure， I received a complimentary ARC copy from NetGalley。 。。。more
Lisa Konet
，
This was an interesting read about how self-centered， egotistical and narcissistic Joesph Kennedy was and that he wanted to be an Ambassador in England/St James because of wealth and name。 He was initially welcomes but overall bombed/failed at the job because he believed more in commerce as a businessman for political gain。 Thank goodness this kept him out of the political scene in Washington。 His relationship with FDR was complicated and the two tolerated each other at best。I did not know that This was an interesting read about how self-centered， egotistical and narcissistic Joesph Kennedy was and that he wanted to be an Ambassador in England/St James because of wealth and name。 He was initially welcomes but overall bombed/failed at the job because he believed more in commerce as a businessman for political gain。 Thank goodness this kept him out of the political scene in Washington。 His relationship with FDR was complicated and the two tolerated each other at best。I did not know that much about JPK until reading this book， which was very dull in many spots and sometimes made my eyes glaze over。 I did enjoy reading about the complicated relationships he tried to keep in the political scene that he did very little experience in， hoping that his wealth as a businessman would carry him over。 Thank goodness JFK and RFK turned out quite different and were better/moral people that their father。 Their assassinations are still sad， even though I only learned about them through school and books。Still a recommended read for any history buff。 I could tell this was well researched。Thanks to Netgalley， Susan Ronald and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。Available: 8/3/21 。。。more
Nancy
，
I have never taken the time to read about Joseph Kennedy and I was mesmerized by this well documented， extremely detailed biography of his Ambassadorial years 。 If he is the man that Ms。 Ronald described in this book， it shocks me to know that he survived in his position at the Court of St。 James for as long as he did。 I don’t in any way doubt the validity of the portrait she painted， but I am struggling to accept that such a man was chosen for this important position （ given his acknowledged sh I have never taken the time to read about Joseph Kennedy and I was mesmerized by this well documented， extremely detailed biography of his Ambassadorial years 。 If he is the man that Ms。 Ronald described in this book， it shocks me to know that he survived in his position at the Court of St。 James for as long as he did。 I don’t in any way doubt the validity of the portrait she painted， but I am struggling to accept that such a man was chosen for this important position （ given his acknowledged shortcomings and lack of experience） 。 That choice， and the decision to keep him in his position， reflects directly on Franklin Roosevelt， of course。 Putting aside the partisan politics that permeates the Roosevelt- Kennedy relationship， the author demonstrates Mr。 Kennedy’s pro-German sensibilities， which given the benefit of history， are disturbing。I appreciated the opportunity provided by NetGalley to read this book in exchange for a candid review。 。。。more
Monica
，
I received this from Netgalley for my honest opinion。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。This book looked at Joseph P。 Kennedy's ambassadorship in Britain just before and right after the start of WWII。 I have never read anything about Kennedy before this book。 I knew he was a very rich guy， but I never knew he was such a narcissist。 I mean he thought he was entitled to so many different positions， until Roosevelt finally appeased him with this one in England。 It was interesting to see how Kenn I received this from Netgalley for my honest opinion。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。This book looked at Joseph P。 Kennedy's ambassadorship in Britain just before and right after the start of WWII。 I have never read anything about Kennedy before this book。 I knew he was a very rich guy， but I never knew he was such a narcissist。 I mean he thought he was entitled to so many different positions， until Roosevelt finally appeased him with this one in England。 It was interesting to see how Kennedy thought his ambassadorship was preceived and the actual way it was。 Most of the Brits at first liked him， but when Hitler started demanding lands back， most of his Brit friends started departing from him。 This book took a lot of research and you can tell， when you read it， that it was well researched。 Just the amount of data Ronald had to go for had to be enormous。 Roland didn't write this so that I came away thinking how great a guy Kennedy was。 Yes， he set his family and future generations up for life。 That said， he pinned his son's against each other， he was never ever faithful， he was a narcissist， had a gigantic ego， and was a womanizer。 Plus， the Brits thought he was a pessimist because he kept telling them they couldn't win a war。If you are interested in the Kennedy's or WWII， I think you would enjoy this book。 Happy Reading 😊 。。。more
Darrell
，
Excellent
Angela Randall
，
Good book
Jeanne Nichols
，
Although I knew that Joseph Kennedy， Sr was the Ambassador to the Court of St James in the time period just before World War II。 I did not know how difficult and often acrimonious the relationship was between Kennedy and FDR。 This also showed me a side of Rose Kennedy that I had not expected。 I enjoyed this book very much。 It also made me regret again the assassinations of JFK and RFK。
Margaret
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 They say that “ History doesn’t repeat itself but it rhymes。” （ A quote frequently attributed to Mark Twain。） You may think that Donald Trump was the first so-called politician to pay no attention to what was the “ correct” way of doing things，to be a shameless self-promoter that admired dictators， said what he wanted to whether it was true or not， lacked the skill sets to do the job required and put profits before ， well， anything。 This book will prove otherwise。 I found so many similarities be They say that “ History doesn’t repeat itself but it rhymes。” （ A quote frequently attributed to Mark Twain。） You may think that Donald Trump was the first so-called politician to pay no attention to what was the “ correct” way of doing things，to be a shameless self-promoter that admired dictators， said what he wanted to whether it was true or not， lacked the skill sets to do the job required and put profits before ， well， anything。 This book will prove otherwise。 I found so many similarities between Donald Trump and Ambassador Joseph P。 Kennedy that I took six pages of notes on just that while reading， too much to go into while writing a simple book review。Much research was done by the author while writing this book。 Besides the body of the book， it has an extensive list of “ Dramatis Personae “ （ You can’t tell the players without a score card！） Notes， footnotes， endnotes， bibliography and index。 I received this book from Goodreads Firstreads。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Casey Wheeler
，
This book focuses on Joseph P。 Kennedy’s plot to become the Ambassador to Great Britain and the amazingly poor performance by him once he is in the position。 Roosevelt appointed him primarily to get him out of his hair in D。C。 and Kennedy had not inkling on how to be diplomatic or the proper way of representing the interests of the United States。 There is really nothing new here if one has read other biographies on Kennedy。 It will be an informative book for those who have not or have read very This book focuses on Joseph P。 Kennedy’s plot to become the Ambassador to Great Britain and the amazingly poor performance by him once he is in the position。 Roosevelt appointed him primarily to get him out of his hair in D。C。 and Kennedy had not inkling on how to be diplomatic or the proper way of representing the interests of the United States。 There is really nothing new here if one has read other biographies on Kennedy。 It will be an informative book for those who have not or have read very little about the man。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。 。。。more
Eileen Kennedy
，
Joseph P。 Kennedy won his varsity letter in baseball at Harvard; in the last game， despite his being struck out， he seized the winning ball which should have been awarded to the team captain。 This incident seems to sum up his character: if he believed himself entitled， he grabbed for it。 He felt he deserved recognition from high places and campaigned for Roosevelt in anticipation of a reward。 He did not get what he wanted but he saw the job as ambassador to Britain as a way to rise。 He was not e Joseph P。 Kennedy won his varsity letter in baseball at Harvard; in the last game， despite his being struck out， he seized the winning ball which should have been awarded to the team captain。 This incident seems to sum up his character: if he believed himself entitled， he grabbed for it。 He felt he deserved recognition from high places and campaigned for Roosevelt in anticipation of a reward。 He did not get what he wanted but he saw the job as ambassador to Britain as a way to rise。 He was not equipped with the personality needed for such a position。 He lacked a decent understanding of world affairs， unlike his second son。 He saw fascism growing across Europe but failed to see the need for engaging in conflict with these countries。 He called for neutrality for America while he attempted to strengthen his business interests。 He lived up to the description of “loose cannon。” He alienated the majority of the English people。 He manipulated the press and spoke disparagingly about the American President。 He talked too much， appearing vulgar and coarse to some and charming to others。 Referred to as “Jittery Joe，” he was regarded as a coward。 Susan Ronald provides detailed and well-supported incidents in his tenure as ambassador along with analyses of how he viewed a situation and how others viewed him。 His tunnel vision of life and aggressive nature turned off many; however， it set his own family on a destiny of historic proportions。 。。。more
Jeff
，
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway。 This is the first thing I've read by the author。I didn't know anything about Joe Kennedy prior to reading this book。 The writing was easy to read and well documented。 The down side for me was a complete lack of connection with Joe Kennedy。 This should be read as a cautionary tale for how a person who seems to have everything can be their own worst enemy。 He is completely oblivious to how unliked he is by most of the people around him and he just keeps digging I won this in a Goodreads giveaway。 This is the first thing I've read by the author。I didn't know anything about Joe Kennedy prior to reading this book。 The writing was easy to read and well documented。 The down side for me was a complete lack of connection with Joe Kennedy。 This should be read as a cautionary tale for how a person who seems to have everything can be their own worst enemy。 He is completely oblivious to how unliked he is by most of the people around him and he just keeps digging the hole deeper。 The only redeeming quality seems to be his dedication to his children， unfortunately that dedication doesn't extend to anyone else。 His only goal is to get a son as president and to make money。 In the end I just couldn't stand the guy。 This wasn't the fault of the writer， he just wasn't a person that could be trusted to do the right thing unless there was an advantage to him。 After reading this I wondered how his children managed to become political powers and the answer can only be money。 The further I read the more difficult it got for me to pick the book back up， luckily there is only about 365 pages （in the edition I have） of actual reading the remainder of the 426+ pages are notes and bibliography。 。。。more
Sandra Padilla
，
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway， as someone who reads a lot about the Kennedy family， I enjoyed The Ambassador: Joseph P。 Kennedy at the Court of St。 James's 1938-1940 by Susan Ronald。 The book was very informative and well-researched。 Joseph P。 Kennedy brought about his own fall from power， he was inexperienced for the job and seemed more focused on using his new position as a means to promote his own potential run for President。 I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway， as someone who reads a lot about the Kennedy family， I enjoyed The Ambassador: Joseph P。 Kennedy at the Court of St。 James's 1938-1940 by Susan Ronald。 The book was very informative and well-researched。 Joseph P。 Kennedy brought about his own fall from power， he was inexperienced for the job and seemed more focused on using his new position as a means to promote his own potential run for President。 。。。more
Lisa of Hopewell
，
My InterestI have stated many times my life-long interest in the Kennedy family， which I inherited from my parents and my paternal grandmother。 I have a substantial library of books on them， and though I no longer buy that many on the family， I found this one on Net Galley and received it in exchange for an honest review。 [I do not make any money off this blog。 Even my Amazon links are merely for readers' convenience。]The StoryJoe Kennedy's story is well known--father of the famous Kennedy sons: My InterestI have stated many times my life-long interest in the Kennedy family， which I inherited from my parents and my paternal grandmother。 I have a substantial library of books on them， and though I no longer buy that many on the family， I found this one on Net Galley and received it in exchange for an honest review。 [I do not make any money off this blog。 Even my Amazon links are merely for readers' convenience。]The StoryJoe Kennedy's story is well known--father of the famous Kennedy sons: President John F。 Kennedy， Attorney General/Senator Robert F。 Kennedy， Senator Edward M。 Kennedy and his namesake， Joe。 Jr--killed in World War II He is equally well-known for his daughter Kathleen （"Kick"） who married their heir of Duke of Devonshire， "Billy，" Marquess of Hartington， Eunice who founded The Special Olympics， Pat who married British actor Peter Lawford， Jean married to the head of the Kennedy business empire， Steven Smith， （and mother of the once-notorious William Kennedy Smith） and Rosemary--the daughter he tried so hard to protect， yet agreed to lobotomized。 Until the lobotomy， however well-intentioned it might have been， being Rosemary's father was perhaps Joe's most admirable role。 He loved her so。Joe Kennedy's best-known trait was his ruthlessness。 This book does an excellent job of showing that。 He was also a pioneer in the use of public relations。 Americans knew of that big family of Joe and Rose Kennedy before he became head of the new SEC or Ambassador， let alone before Jack became a Senator or President， because of his relentless self-promotion。Today we would say that the "optics" were good for Joe Kennedy to serve as Ambassador to the "England" [The Court of St。 James]--the gregarious big Irish-Catholic American family not only showed America's love of home and family but also showed that an Irish Catholic was as good as anyone else。 Even as late as the 1930s this was not always the case。 The family was interviewed sailing for England--the very young Bobby and Teddy being the stars of the interview。 Rosemary and Kick were shown leaving with Rose for their debut at Buckingham Palace--a move that delighted Irish Catholic Americans only a generation or two removed from what they saw as British treachery in Ireland。 Equally engaging was the image of little Teddy with his family after receiving his First Holy Communion at the Vatican。 Joe Jr， "Kick，" and Jack all became darlings of the aristocratic social round--Kick even bagging one of the most eligible bachelors of her generation。 The Irish Catholic Kennedy family were "society，" not servants。Sadly， Ambassador Joe Kennedy was often more an embarrassment than an asset。 In terms of policy， Joe was more interested in his own growing reputation than in the interests of the administration he represented in London。 He allied with "Peace in our time" Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain instead of with Churchill [out of office then] or other politicians more in tune with FDR's policies。 Joe Kennedy was not a man for details。 He meddled， badly， took credit for the ideas of others， and used his friendship with Clare Booth Luce of Life Magazine to hype his own views and proposals， including his so-called "Kennedy Plan" for Jewish resettlement。 He would later turn defeatist on the UK's chances of winning the war。 FDR's staff decided he was dangerous and his stint as Ambassador was ended。My ThoughtsThis was an easy， but engaging read。 There is some new （new-er） information that has not been seen much before The author， happily， does not dwell on the entire Kennedy saga which has been told in great depth too many times。 She focuses solely on Joe's professional life （i。e。， the building of his fortune through liquor imports， Hollywood， and the stock market） then on his tenure as Ambassador。 She adds enough family details to give a good portrait of the man。My Verdict3。5The Ambassador: Joseph P。 Kennedy at the Court at St。 James， 1938 to 1940 by Susan Ronald will be released on August 3rd。 It is available now for pre-order。 。。。more
Skahns
，
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review。 The Ambassador is a well written and super interesting biography detailing the time Joe Kennedy spent as an ambassador to Great Britain。 If you love reading in great detail about a specific time period of someone’s life and are interested in the Kennedy patriarch， this book is for you！
Stuart Jennings
，
This is a great book。。。the founding of the Kennedy dynasty。。。Well written and in-depth。。。masterfully told。。。The writer， Susan Ronald， has done an excellent job。。。If you're a fan of the Kennedy's。。。this will surely entertain。。。 This is a great book。。。the founding of the Kennedy dynasty。。。Well written and in-depth。。。masterfully told。。。The writer， Susan Ronald， has done an excellent job。。。If you're a fan of the Kennedy's。。。this will surely entertain。。。 。。。more
Tim
，
A well written book covering the subject very well。 Having read many books on WW2， I have an good understand of the time frame and events of the time。 Susan does a good job of building the book to read like a story and not just an academic or lecturing the reader。 The book flows very well and allows the reader to feel like they get to know the players。 If you have read very little history or on WW2， I think you might miss some of the important events and how the players reacted。 Over all if you A well written book covering the subject very well。 Having read many books on WW2， I have an good understand of the time frame and events of the time。 Susan does a good job of building the book to read like a story and not just an academic or lecturing the reader。 The book flows very well and allows the reader to feel like they get to know the players。 If you have read very little history or on WW2， I think you might miss some of the important events and how the players reacted。 Over all if you enjoy history and WW2， I would recommend adding this book to your reading list。 。。。more
Dan
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As a lover of history books I have a few bad habits - one， I pile up tons of books on different topics and over think reading order or priority。 "What to read first - this history of the Russian Revolution or this biography of Lenin？" Two， I pick things that are just massive and span eras or lifetimes and take just as long to read。 This was a great change of pace and enjoyable read that I would recommend to just about anyone。 It is focused on a familiar period of time but in an area I haven't re As a lover of history books I have a few bad habits - one， I pile up tons of books on different topics and over think reading order or priority。 "What to read first - this history of the Russian Revolution or this biography of Lenin？" Two， I pick things that are just massive and span eras or lifetimes and take just as long to read。 This was a great change of pace and enjoyable read that I would recommend to just about anyone。 It is focused on a familiar period of time but in an area I haven't read a ton about。 The focus on this small period of WWII and in Kennedy's life and career was always interesting and will definitely lead me to explore more in related areas of history。 I think this story has some commonalities to things in the current day as well - the conflicts that arise between economic focused and people/social focused policies。 The idea that improving a nation's economy will inevitably solve many ills that citizens face was just as much of a force then as it is today。Well written， easy to read narrative style， and a memorable story。 Definitely recommended。*Provided by NetGalley 。。。more
Mark Chimel
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After reading The House of Kennedy and Logevall's JFK biography this summer and other JFK and RFK biographies in the past， I was excited to learn more about the father that made it all possible。 This biography， like Logevall's JFK biography， is focused on a period of time rather than a whole life， and in this case that period is small， yet pivotal number of years。 While Joe Kennedy's term as ambassador have touched on in other Kennedy books I have read， this book definitely reveals a lot more de After reading The House of Kennedy and Logevall's JFK biography this summer and other JFK and RFK biographies in the past， I was excited to learn more about the father that made it all possible。 This biography， like Logevall's JFK biography， is focused on a period of time rather than a whole life， and in this case that period is small， yet pivotal number of years。 While Joe Kennedy's term as ambassador have touched on in other Kennedy books I have read， this book definitely reveals a lot more details about his tenure， and the events that led to WW2 from that perspective， than any other I have read。 I surprisingly never remember reading that Joe Kennedy's dream for his family was to have a greater impact that the Adams in American history， but this is an important detail mentioned early in this book that serves as a great framework for viewing the events that occurred throughout the time period covered。 Joe Kennedy was a man of great ambition who ultimately came up short in his dream to be president himself， and this book gives a great picture of why he came up short but also how he set up his family for future glory and power at the same time。*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Colleen
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The Ambassador is a very interesting and well detailed book。 The depth of details on the pages brings it all to life。 You can easily picture yourself as a fly on the wall listening to the conversations。 I had an opinion of Joe Kennedy， and it was not very favorable based on other details I have read。 His anti-Semitic and fascist beliefs are hard to bear and difficult to relate。 Given his beliefs and dispositions it is amazing he was appointed ambassador。 Joe was unqualified， untrained， and total The Ambassador is a very interesting and well detailed book。 The depth of details on the pages brings it all to life。 You can easily picture yourself as a fly on the wall listening to the conversations。 I had an opinion of Joe Kennedy， and it was not very favorable based on other details I have read。 His anti-Semitic and fascist beliefs are hard to bear and difficult to relate。 Given his beliefs and dispositions it is amazing he was appointed ambassador。 Joe was unqualified， untrained， and totally unreliable having failed at previous positions prior， other than his own self interest in order to better his position and wealth。 His failure to see that he was the problem， his opinions were wrong and not that of the State Department is startling。 However it appears that being strong willed， opinionated and unloyal to a fault find it easier to blame others， something we still see today， creating havoc where ever they go。 。。。more
Donna Pingry
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So much information in this book is news to me！ I enjoyed it immensely but had to put it down sometimes to digest it all。 As an Ambassador he was totally unqualified for his post。 He was put in place thinking he could do no harm out of the country。 He planned to run for President but WW2 and FDR got in the way。 His total claim to fame was that he fathered nine children。 What a legacy for the Kennedy's！ I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgallery。 I was not required to write a po So much information in this book is news to me！ I enjoyed it immensely but had to put it down sometimes to digest it all。 As an Ambassador he was totally unqualified for his post。 He was put in place thinking he could do no harm out of the country。 He planned to run for President but WW2 and FDR got in the way。 His total claim to fame was that he fathered nine children。 What a legacy for the Kennedy's！ I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgallery。 I was not required to write a positive review。 The opinions I have expressed are my own。 。。。more
Mo Smith
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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。All opinions are my own。I've read many other books （both historical fiction and nonfiction） about the Kennedys， but I hadn't delved into the patriarch that much。 This book was well-organized。 I thought it was meticulously researched and chock full of interesting details。 That being said， at times it may have been TOO researched， and the sheer volume of information seemed overwhelming and a bit of a slog to get through。 I did come I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。All opinions are my own。I've read many other books （both historical fiction and nonfiction） about the Kennedys， but I hadn't delved into the patriarch that much。 This book was well-organized。 I thought it was meticulously researched and chock full of interesting details。 That being said， at times it may have been TOO researched， and the sheer volume of information seemed overwhelming and a bit of a slog to get through。 I did come away from the book learning much more about Joe Kennedy （and how eerily similar his false facts and nonsense is to 45） and have added several books from the bibliography to my reading list。I would recommend this to others who are interested in this time period or the Kennedy family。Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC！ 。。。more
Carol Macarthur
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Ronald's well-documented biography bursts with new information relating to Joe Kennedy's career， politics， and family life， especially in the period of his ambassadorship to the Court of St。 James。 The reader learns especially of the intensity of Joe Kennedy's drive for political standing and great wealth， as well as of his relentless lust for life。 In short， Ronald makes clear that Joe Kennedy allowed nothing to get in the way of any of his plans and desires， large or small。。 Ronald's well-documented biography bursts with new information relating to Joe Kennedy's career， politics， and family life， especially in the period of his ambassadorship to the Court of St。 James。 The reader learns especially of the intensity of Joe Kennedy's drive for political standing and great wealth， as well as of his relentless lust for life。 In short， Ronald makes clear that Joe Kennedy allowed nothing to get in the way of any of his plans and desires， large or small。。 。。。more
Milena Frank
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