Biography

Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon

Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon

  • Downloads：6553
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-07 14:54:49
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Larry Tye
  • ISBN：0812983505
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

"A multilayered， inspiring portrait of RFK 。 。 。 [the] most in-depth look at an extraordinary figure whose transformational story shaped America。"--Joe Scarborough， The Washington Post

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Soon to be a Hulu original series starring Chris Pine。 Larry Tye appears on CNN's American Dynasties: The Kennedys。

"We are in Larry Tye's debt for bringing back to life the young presidential candidate who 。 。 。 almost half a century ago， instilled hope for the future in angry， fearful Americans。"--David Nasaw， The New York Times Book Review

Bare-knuckle operative， cynical White House insider， romantic visionary--Robert F。 Kennedy was all of these things at one time or another， and each of these aspects of his personality emerges in the pages of this powerful and perceptive biography。

History remembers RFK as a racial healer， a tribune for the poor， and the last progressive knight of a bygone era of American politics。 But Kennedy's enshrinement in the liberal pantheon was actually the final stage of a journey that began with his service as counsel to the red-baiting senator Joseph McCarthy。 In Bobby Kennedy， Larry Tye peels away layers of myth and misconception to capture the full arc of his subject's life。 Tye draws on unpublished memoirs， unreleased government files， and fifty-eight boxes of papers that had been under lock and key for forty years。 He conducted hundreds of interviews with RFK intimates， many of whom have never spoken publicly， including Bobby's widow， Ethel， and his sister， Jean。 Tye's determination to sift through the tangle of often contradictory opinions means that Bobby Kennedy will stand as the definitive biography about the most complex and controversial member of the Kennedy family。

Praise for Bobby Kennedy

"A compelling story of how idealism can be cultivated and liberalism learned 。 。 。 Tye does an exemplary job of capturing not just the chronology of Bobby's life， but also the sense of him as a person。"--Los Angeles Review of Books

"Captures RFK's rise and fall with straightforward prose bolstered by impressive research。"--USA Today

"[Tye] has a keen gift for narrative storytelling and an ability to depict his subject with almost novelistic emotional detail。"--Michiko Kakutani， The New York Times

"Nuanced and thorough 。 。 。 [RFK's] vision echoes through the decades。"--The Economist

Download

Reviews

Tom ，

The tragedy of Bobby Kennedy is that he was still becoming when he was killed。 He had gone from "ruthless" knee-jerk conservative to， as the title suggests， a liberal icon。 That journey is the narrative of Tye's excellent book。 The warts are here， as is the halo。 RFK was perhaps the most complex of the Kennedy brothers， and Tye does him justice。 The other tragedy of Bobby Kennedy is to consider what a difference he could have made as America fractured in the late 1960s， if not as president， then The tragedy of Bobby Kennedy is that he was still becoming when he was killed。 He had gone from "ruthless" knee-jerk conservative to， as the title suggests， a liberal icon。 That journey is the narrative of Tye's excellent book。 The warts are here， as is the halo。 RFK was perhaps the most complex of the Kennedy brothers， and Tye does him justice。 The other tragedy of Bobby Kennedy is to consider what a difference he could have made as America fractured in the late 1960s， if not as president， then certainly as a voice that needed to be heard。 。。。more

John P。 Davidson ，

An excellent biography of Robert Kennedy。 I can recommend this highly。

Kyle Monsees ，

Bobby Kennedy was a rare public figure。 At a time in America where the country seemed to be splitting and many politicians took sides， RFK sought to unify the country in a way that resonated with Americans across divisions of race， socio-economic status， or geography。 He defied political convention: championing free enterprise in Bed-Stuy one day and marching with Cesar Chavez the next。 RFK was a Democrat from cradle to grave。 But his political education as a Cold Warrior and ally of the red-bai Bobby Kennedy was a rare public figure。 At a time in America where the country seemed to be splitting and many politicians took sides， RFK sought to unify the country in a way that resonated with Americans across divisions of race， socio-economic status， or geography。 He defied political convention: championing free enterprise in Bed-Stuy one day and marching with Cesar Chavez the next。 RFK was a Democrat from cradle to grave。 But his political education as a Cold Warrior and ally of the red-baiting Joe McCarthy burnished his conservatism。 His family’s staunch Democratic ties coexisted with a fierce belief in hard work and personal responsibility。 His progressive evolution was halting and inconsistent but drew from his direct experiences with poor black families in Mississippi， coal workers in Appalachia and farm workers in California。 Tye doesn’t gloss over Bobby’s many faults from approving wiretaps of Martin Luther King Jr。 to his self-serving portrayal of his role in the Cuban Missile Crisis。 But he maintains that throughout， Bobby drew people to him。 He captivated and inspired his staff， journalists， and millions of Americans to believe in his vision for the country。 What is more remarkable about his story is that his entire career from “ruthless” congressional aide to campaign manager to attorney general to senator and finally to a presidential candidate all took place in fifteen years ending when he was shot at the age of 42。 He sets an example for those who aim to change the world。 He didn’t live long enough to achieve many of his goals， but his legacy will survive in those who felt called to serve in his honor。 。。。more

Nathanial Green ，

Senator Kennedy is one of my all-time favorite elected officials， and this is now one of my all-time favorite books。 He was complicated， often *quite* wrong， but Tye does a better job than anything I've yet seen or read navigating the many contradictions inherent to his persona。 It's worth your time。 I was moved， inspired， and in many ways， saddened by reading it; our world would look quite different had he not been assassinated。 Senator Kennedy is one of my all-time favorite elected officials， and this is now one of my all-time favorite books。 He was complicated， often *quite* wrong， but Tye does a better job than anything I've yet seen or read navigating the many contradictions inherent to his persona。 It's worth your time。 I was moved， inspired， and in many ways， saddened by reading it; our world would look quite different had he not been assassinated。 。。。more

— cat ，

i mean。 yeah。 bobby kennedy man。 to think it could have been him instead of nixon Hurts。and holy fuck how many airplane accidents can one family ENDURE if i was a kennedy i would simply never leave the house。 m

Jordan Salinas ，

4。0

Elaine ，

So many 'what ifs'Engrossing， tantalizing as to what might have been。 We watched RFK grow as a person， and still wish we could have seen more。 So many 'what ifs'Engrossing， tantalizing as to what might have been。 We watched RFK grow as a person， and still wish we could have seen more。 。。。more

David ，

Larry Tye's biography of Robert F Kennedy is top-notch！ The pacing of the narrative is great， but for me it starts with his whole approach to this story， which is represented in the full title of this book。 It's the transformation story of someone who was a staff member for Joseph McCarthy during his infamous hearings， a man who defended McCarthy until death， someone who was pretty staunchly conservative。 However， it shows a man who sounds like so few elected officials to high office today or an Larry Tye's biography of Robert F Kennedy is top-notch！ The pacing of the narrative is great， but for me it starts with his whole approach to this story， which is represented in the full title of this book。 It's the transformation story of someone who was a staff member for Joseph McCarthy during his infamous hearings， a man who defended McCarthy until death， someone who was pretty staunchly conservative。 However， it shows a man who sounds like so few elected officials to high office today or any other time: he was someone who desperately wanted to know how it felt to be someone else。 He visited poor blacks in the South to know what their world was like。 He visited apartheid South Africa to understand their world。 As someone who has done a political 180 because of the people I've met and my experiences with them， I appreciate this story of someone who was willing to seek those experiences to shape his worldview。 It's also a nice sneak peek at what childhood was like in the Kennedy home。 It's also a reminder that so few things about today's political climate are unique。 This is why everyone should read history books and biographies。At one point， I was sure I was only going to give this book 3 or 4 stars because I wasn't quite grasping that it was a meandering linear narrative。 That is to say。。。it goes from early to late chronologically， but it sometimes jumps ahead a year or two to follow how something pans out before backtracking with another topic。 At one point， the author is telling us about the civil rights experiences of 1963 when I was starting to think， "Are we REALLY going to skip the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis？ How on earth can you talk about RFK without talking about THAT？" No need to worry。 The author not only backtracks， but also reveals some information that wasn't disclosed until 2014。 So if you only know this story through the book or film Thirteen Days， there is a little mythbusting at work。Ultimately， this is a great example of a life that shows the power and potential of aligning ruthlessness besides an open mind for new experiences。 One of the great "what ifs" of American History for over 50 years has been。。。what if RFK had won the presidential election in 1968？ This book only strengthens the power of that question。 。。。more

Alev ，

JFK'den de bahsediyor。 JFK'den de bahsediyor。 。。。more

Allan Heron ，

There are many points in 20th century history where alternative histories can be pondered， but the assassination of Bobby Kennedy is perhaps the key one of them all。 Consider a history where he was not assassinated？ 1968 was such a pivot point that we would probably be living in a very different world。This is an excellent biograpgy that gets to grips with the many apparent contradictions that made up the man， and his political journey from anti-communist hardliner through to the inspirational ma There are many points in 20th century history where alternative histories can be pondered， but the assassination of Bobby Kennedy is perhaps the key one of them all。 Consider a history where he was not assassinated？ 1968 was such a pivot point that we would probably be living in a very different world。This is an excellent biograpgy that gets to grips with the many apparent contradictions that made up the man， and his political journey from anti-communist hardliner through to the inspirational man campaigning to lead America into a new future。 。。。more

Tameka Fleming ，

This is a biography mostly about the adult life of Robert Francis Kennedy。 Author Larry Tye， does give flashbacks of the younger Kennedy to explain his ambiguity which is brought up by people who knew him and or disliked him and Tye himself。 One thing that rubbed me the wrong way， Tye kept saying Kennedy did not like MLK yet never explained their relationship in depth as if the reader would automatically know that fact。 I did not grow up in the 60s。 I am not well-read on either figure。 I was con This is a biography mostly about the adult life of Robert Francis Kennedy。 Author Larry Tye， does give flashbacks of the younger Kennedy to explain his ambiguity which is brought up by people who knew him and or disliked him and Tye himself。 One thing that rubbed me the wrong way， Tye kept saying Kennedy did not like MLK yet never explained their relationship in depth as if the reader would automatically know that fact。 I did not grow up in the 60s。 I am not well-read on either figure。 I was confused as to why he kept bringing it up without elaborating。 There is some mention of a possible affair between him and Jackie which I think is careless since it only perpetuates a rumour that has never been proven。 Also， the author seemed to be ambivalent about his own opinion of RFK。 He would make statements about RFK's actions/reactions then contradict them in later chapters like he wasn't sure if he liked the subject he was writing about。 Because it seems that RFK had a bad reputation， it is evident in the writing that the author himself was unsure where he stood when it came to his opinion of RFK。 It is understandable because RFK seems to be a complicated man who went through a personal transformation in his later years that would leave small-minded people believing he is a flip-flopper or untrustworthy politician。 However， in the end， Larry Tye did a good job reflecting on how his personal growth took shape which is why RFK is not an ambiguous man just a man who was changing as he learned and matured。 This is a great book to pick up if you are at all curious about this legendary figure of American history。 。。。more

Mike ，

Solid biography。 Balanced treatment of the man。 Not perfect but gets the job done。

Tim Huang ，

One of the best biographies I have ever read。 A masterful blend of narrative pose and meticulous research。

Jocelyn Leigh ，

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal，" RFK reminded us， "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。""To Bobby， policy was personal and power was its handmaiden。""Joe's school years set the formula for his career in business: Barrel through doors your dad opened。。。use somebody else's money。。。"On RFK in high school: "I tho "Each time a man stands up for an ideal，" RFK reminded us， "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。""To Bobby， policy was personal and power was its handmaiden。""Joe's school years set the formula for his career in business: Barrel through doors your dad opened。。。use somebody else's money。。。"On RFK in high school: "I thought of him sort of looking like a bat trapped in a pantry， you know？ I mean， 'How did I get here？'""Paul Jacobs， of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions， conceded that 'Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters Union are the antithesis of what I believe a union leader and a union ought to be' and that Bobby was right to go after them - but within limits that Bobby never understood。 He exceeded his committee's mandate by interfering in union affairs， meddling in the judiciary's oversight of the union， and otherwise making life miserable for Hoffa。 'Although I have nothing in common with Hoffa， the union leader， Hoffa， the citizen， is me，' added Jacobs。 'His rights are the same as mine and require the same protection。'""'I don't think politics requires much，' he insisted， 'except effort。'" - RFK"'There may have been some vote buying for some people with whiskey， money， or both， but they weren't votes for us and it wasn't our whiskey and it wasn't our money。'" - RFK"Lying in bed next to Ethel he ticked off other possibilities - he could run a non-profit （he was already president of the Joseph P。 Kennedy， Jr。 Foundation）， run a newspaper （he enjoyed courting reporters and had briefly been one himself）， or teach， travel， or simply spend a year reading （he relished the thought of each but never seriously considered any）。""To him the most unconscionable of sins was indifference。""'John， it's more important that these people in the church survive physically than for us to survive politically。'" - RFK"。。。the white mobs are 'just a small minority group' that 'doesn't represent the vast majority of the people in the South。。。 and it certainly doesn't represent the feelings of the United States Government or the American people。'" - RFK"Bobby's aides educated the D。C。 police about the public relations risk of using their twenty-seven dogs to control a crowd to whom dogs like those symbolized police oppression。 （Marchers。。。policed themselves in a way that set the model for crowd control。）" - On the historic March on Washington"King felt Bobby should have understood that the youth faced even greater peril from the day-to-day racism they were protesting。""'How can we say， to a Negro in Jackson: when a war comes you will be an American citizen， but in the meantime you're a citizen of Mississippi and we can't help you？'" - RFK"He proved so adept at appropriating other men's wise ideas that it barely mattered how few were his own。""He saw counterinsurgency as embracing everything from land reform to building schools， roads， clinics， labor unions， and an impartial judiciary。""A realistic optimist， he perceived what he called 'a tremendous reservoir of goodwill toward the United States which will disappear if the potential is not realized。' The way to realize it， Bobby added， is by 'keeping ourselves prepared militarily， but also building our strength in the domestic areas， such as civil rights， economic productivity and Social Security。'""'The joyful Christian couple who are obviously enjoying every minute of their travels may help convince the world that it is possible to be happy and an American at the same time。'" - On RFK & Ethel's international tour"Unless they know enough to talk about what is right and wrong in America they would do the country a favor if they 'stayed in bed at home。'" - RFK on Americans abroad"'There is so much now to be done - for the Negros and the unemployed and school kids and everyone else who is not getting a decent break in our society。 This is what counts。 The new fellow doesn't get this。 He knows all about politics and nothing about human beings。'" - RFK on LBJ"He saw sooner than most that America's racial challenge was no longer Southern segregationists but Northerners who were seldom in conflict with blacks because they almost never encountered them。""'Robert didn't come to us and tell us what was good for us，' said Chavez deputy Dolores Huerta。 'He came to us and asked two questions。 All he said was， 'What do you want？ And how can I help？' That's why we loved him。'""He admonished his listeners that 'as the skilled and professional people of South Africa and the world， you will be largely removed from contact with the hungry and the deprived， those without ease in the present or hope in the future。 It will require a constant effort of will to keep contact， to remind ourselves everyday that we who diet have a never ceasing obligation to those who starve。'""'A revolution is coming - a revolution that will be peaceful if we are wise enough， compassionate if we care enough， successful if we are fortunate enough， but a revolution that is coming whether we will it or not。'" 。。。more

Sarah Wagner ，

This biography is focused on RFK's political career， but with plenty of details about his personal life as well。 I hadn't known Bobby Kennedy started his political career working for Senator Joe McCarty， which made his transition to liberal politics all the more fascinating。 RFK seemed to be one of those rare politicians who can exist on multiple places on the political spectrum and also convey a compelling vision of a better nation。 Had he lived longer， he may have further developed his politic This biography is focused on RFK's political career， but with plenty of details about his personal life as well。 I hadn't known Bobby Kennedy started his political career working for Senator Joe McCarty， which made his transition to liberal politics all the more fascinating。 RFK seemed to be one of those rare politicians who can exist on multiple places on the political spectrum and also convey a compelling vision of a better nation。 Had he lived longer， he may have further developed his politics and advanced the causes of civil rights and poverty that he cared so much about。 Unfortunately， due to his early death， this account of his life leaves one with a sense of unfinished business and lost potential。 An interested reading， and one that often felt relevant to current American politics。 。。。more

Richard Moss ，

Bobby Kennedy， the great lost liberal President？Possibly， but as Larry Tye's biography makes clear， he was a lot more complex than that。Tye looks to steer an appropriate middle way between those who have mythologised RFK and those who have looked to shatter his image。What emerges is a man who could be ruthless， and conservative。 But also caring， and visionary。 It is also a journey of transformation from his early days working for Joe McCarthy to running as an anti-war candidate for the Democrati Bobby Kennedy， the great lost liberal President？Possibly， but as Larry Tye's biography makes clear， he was a lot more complex than that。Tye looks to steer an appropriate middle way between those who have mythologised RFK and those who have looked to shatter his image。What emerges is a man who could be ruthless， and conservative。 But also caring， and visionary。 It is also a journey of transformation from his early days working for Joe McCarthy to running as an anti-war candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination。 He learns and adapts his own approaches and views through life and career events。By the end you are persuaded that something significant was lost when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in 1968。 At the very least it might have spared the US the Nixon Presidency and Watergate。RFK was no saint but his combination of political acumen， popular appeal and progressive views could have made him one of the USA's great Presidents， and for me the political education and turbulent times he saw meant he would have been better prepared for the office than his brother。Tye's sources are excellent and the prose pithy and straightforward。 I found it odd that he chose to use some outdated language for African Americans and disabled people。 Understandable perhaps in direct quotes， but not in the actual author's narrative。The narration of this audio book is good， and brings the prose to life。 。。。more

Kevin Lentini ，

One of the most engaging biographies I’ve ever read。 Tye’s examination of Bobby’s growth as a person and politician was powerful and inspirational。

Becky Morris ，

From past comments， articles， tweets， etc。 I’ve always said Bobby was my favorite Kennedy， but what did I？ An early 90s millennial who came of age with Obama know about Bobby or the Kennedys in general？ I picked up this book hoping to get a better understanding of who Bobby was and what his loss may have meant for the world。 I got so much more。 This book is lovingly crafted and also like Bobby， ruthless。 It doesn’t shy away from moments of Bobby’s life that weren’t perfect。 And it highlights the From past comments， articles， tweets， etc。 I’ve always said Bobby was my favorite Kennedy， but what did I？ An early 90s millennial who came of age with Obama know about Bobby or the Kennedys in general？ I picked up this book hoping to get a better understanding of who Bobby was and what his loss may have meant for the world。 I got so much more。 This book is lovingly crafted and also like Bobby， ruthless。 It doesn’t shy away from moments of Bobby’s life that weren’t perfect。 And it highlights the ability for all of us to grow and improve as we learn。 I was particularly drawn to the parts that showed Bobby as a playful and dedicated brother。 I also thoroughly enjoyed the attention given to Bobby’s civil rights and war against poverty efforts。 That’s what truly pushed home how detrimental electing Nixon in 1968 was， especially with all I’m learning in June 2020。 By the end， I grieved Bobby’s death in a way that made me felt like I was there， in 1968 rooting for him to win and having that ripped away。 That comes from the beautiful story telling in this book。 Bobby was a real one。 。。。more

Curtis Moser ，

Meticulously researched and surprisingly balanced， this was a wonderful look at the rarest of politicians-- one with the ability to self-reflect and change his stance when he felt he was in the wrong。 How different our country might have been had Kennedy survived to become President。 Terrific biography。 5 stars。

Glenn W。 ，

This book was my first formal introduction to Bobby Kennedy。 I knew of the man from a purely historical consideration while growing up， but this book took me in-depth behind the major events that comprised and defined his life。 All in all it was a simply marvelous book and endearing account of a truly inspiration life。 Many times I found myself setting the book aside and taking time to reflect through the personal meaning of what I had just read。 Great book that I highly recommend to anyone look This book was my first formal introduction to Bobby Kennedy。 I knew of the man from a purely historical consideration while growing up， but this book took me in-depth behind the major events that comprised and defined his life。 All in all it was a simply marvelous book and endearing account of a truly inspiration life。 Many times I found myself setting the book aside and taking time to reflect through the personal meaning of what I had just read。 Great book that I highly recommend to anyone looking to "make a difference" in the lives of others！！！ 。。。more

Marjorie ，

It took me many years to find this book， a balanced biography of Robert Kennedy。 Mr。 Tye is obviously a fan of Bobby Kennedy but still wrote a balanced book。 I learned much about behind the scene workings of a presidential campaign。 It was fascinating！ The story of the various campaigns was more a part of the story than the minutiae of Kennedy's life。 This man died in 1968 by an assassin's bullet and his story is as relevant today as when he was campaigning for the presidency in 1968。 I can't re It took me many years to find this book， a balanced biography of Robert Kennedy。 Mr。 Tye is obviously a fan of Bobby Kennedy but still wrote a balanced book。 I learned much about behind the scene workings of a presidential campaign。 It was fascinating！ The story of the various campaigns was more a part of the story than the minutiae of Kennedy's life。 This man died in 1968 by an assassin's bullet and his story is as relevant today as when he was campaigning for the presidency in 1968。 I can't recommend it more。It didn't take me as long to read as the dates indicate。 I put it down and picked it up at various times。 I 。。。more

David ，

Great read on one of the dynamic Kennedys

TJ ，

One of the most insightful biographies I have ever read。 Larry Tye has succeeded in revealing the motivations of this complex man， including his growth from Cold Warrior to racial healer。 The reader truly feels a personal connection to Bobby Kennedy while reading this book， which is all too rare in a biography。

Candace Rollins ，

I struggled when rating this book， it fell between a 4 and a 5 star。 It was extremely well written and encompassed all aspects of RFK's life。 I have often pondered what the world and our country would be like if Kennedy had not been assassinated。 No Nixon， the lives saved in Vietnam， the progression in racial relations。 I believe the world changed for the worse when he died。 I would recommend this book to everyone， especially progressives， if only to imagine what might have been。 I struggled when rating this book， it fell between a 4 and a 5 star。 It was extremely well written and encompassed all aspects of RFK's life。 I have often pondered what the world and our country would be like if Kennedy had not been assassinated。 No Nixon， the lives saved in Vietnam， the progression in racial relations。 I believe the world changed for the worse when he died。 I would recommend this book to everyone， especially progressives， if only to imagine what might have been。 。。。more

Matías Londono ，

GREAT BOOK！ A VERY THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF A COMPLEX LEADER， NOT FALLING IN THE COMMON ADULATION TO KENNEDY`S CLAN， PROVIDING A VERY CRITICAL AND CANDID VIEW OF NOT ONLY RFK BUT ALSO ABOUT JFK AND JOE KENNEDY。 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED GREAT BOOK！ A VERY THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF A COMPLEX LEADER， NOT FALLING IN THE COMMON ADULATION TO KENNEDY`S CLAN， PROVIDING A VERY CRITICAL AND CANDID VIEW OF NOT ONLY RFK BUT ALSO ABOUT JFK AND JOE KENNEDY。 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 。。。more

Bonnie J。 Yoman ，

He meticulously details RFK's life in a fair and balanced way。 The end result is the pain of his death and what might have been for our nation is still palpable even after all these years。 Bobby， we hardly knew ye。 He meticulously details RFK's life in a fair and balanced way。 The end result is the pain of his death and what might have been for our nation is still palpable even after all these years。 Bobby， we hardly knew ye。 。。。more

Rachel ，

This took me a long time to get through but nevertheless， this was a respectful and well planned biography。 Bobby is a fascinating figure to me and I appreciate that the author did not view him with rose colored glasses nor was he harsh。 For anyone interested in the Kennedy family， this is a must read。

Morgan ，

HAIL BOBBY Rather than a boring political diatribe I found in this book a thoughtful insight into Bobby Kennedy – the man。 Granted a man of many faces; a man of many moods; a man with faults and shortcomings; but definitely a man of compassion and reason。 A man who saw a need for radical change and the conviction and strength to actually try to accomplish it。Bobby Kennedy would not have been everyman’s hero; his personality would have grated on some; but it did not diminish the fact that this wa HAIL BOBBY Rather than a boring political diatribe I found in this book a thoughtful insight into Bobby Kennedy – the man。 Granted a man of many faces; a man of many moods; a man with faults and shortcomings; but definitely a man of compassion and reason。 A man who saw a need for radical change and the conviction and strength to actually try to accomplish it。Bobby Kennedy would not have been everyman’s hero; his personality would have grated on some; but it did not diminish the fact that this was a man of sympathy and caring for the least of humanity; a man who sought to fight for justice for those who could not fight for themselves。 Most importantly – a man who was willing to change his opinion when he saw the need。As he suffered through the tragedy of the assassination of his closest brother， President John F。 Kennedy， Bobby carried on in his grief and pain to do the right thing as he saw it。This book does not seek to paint this man as Saint Bobby; but it does show that Bobby Kennedy was a man of merit – his untimely death robbed the USA and the world of a fearless leader with enough empathy to have been truly great。 This is an excellent recounting of a life too short-lived。 Sadly， we are unlikely to see such a man again in our lifetime。 。。。more

Marie Gase ，

Very detailed。 Did a good job of showing both the good and bad sides of him and how he evolved over time

TRISHA ，

GREATNESSExcellent book。 America lost a great man。Great book。 Robert Kennedy would have been a great Mr。 President。He was in tune with America and its people。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0