Book Description

A collaborative effort of Christian scholar Lewis Baldwin and Muslim scholar Amiri Al-Hadid, Between Cross and Crescent details the interconnections between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.: their faith claims, their perspectives on culture, and their visions of the ideal society and world. The authors reject two common tendencies: to reduce Malcolm and Martin to "misguided, angry Muslim imam" and "gentle, harmless Christian preacher" and to treat the two men as polar opposites. The result is the most comprehensive and detailed work in print about the two leaders and the first to bring together a Muslim and a Christian scholar in dialogue about their relationship to such significant issues. Particularly original are the insights into how Martin and Malcolm viewed each other, family and children, and women (an entire chapter is devoted to the "character of womanhood"). "Al-Qur'an and Sunnah" offers a new and creative interpretation of Malik El-Shabazz as a Sunni Muslim and statesman. Of special importance is the skillful delineation of the historical and cultural forces underpinning the two leaders' religious and cultural perspectives--not the least being their common roots in traditions based in the American South. The authors also turn a careful scholar's eye to their perspectives on religion, interfaith dialogue, and the relationship between the African-American struggle and global liberation movements. There is no more detailed resource about the relationship between Martin King and Malcolm X. The depth of scholarship in this volume extends even to the extraordinary amount of information relegated to footnotes, themselves a gold mine of documentation for all readers interested in the interface between faith claims, politics, and social and cultural transformation. A collaborative effort of Christian scholar Lewis Baldwin and Muslim scholar Amiri Al-Hadid, Between Cross and Crescent details the interconnections between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.: their faith claims, their perspectives on culture, and their visions of the ideal society and world. The authors reject two common tendencies: to reduce Malcolm and Martin to "misguided, angry Muslim imam" and "gentle, harmless Christian preacher" and to treat the two men as polar opposites. The result is the most comprehensive and detailed work in print about the two leaders and the first to bring together a Muslim and a Christian scholar in dialogue about their relationship to such significant issues. Particularly original are the insights into how Martin and Malcolm viewed each other, family and children, and women (an entire chapter is devoted to the "character of womanhood"). "Al-Qur'an and Sunnah" offers a new and creative interpretation of Malik El-Shabazz as a Sunni Muslim and statesman. Of special importance is the skillful delineation of the historical and cultural forces underpinning the two leaders' religious and cultural perspectives--not the least being their common roots in traditions based in the American South. The authors also turn a careful scholar's eye to their perspectives on religion, interfaith dialogue, and the relationship between the African-American struggle and global liberation movements. There is no more detailed resource about the relationship between Martin King and Malcolm X. The depth of scholarship in this volume extends even to the extraordinary amount of information relegated to footnotes, themselves a gold mine of documentation for all readers interested in the interface between faith claims, politics, and social and cultural transformation. ... Read more

Book Description

Designed especially for beginning readers, First-Start Biographies trace the childhood years of famous men and women who overcame obstacles and achieved greatness. Illustrated in full color. ... Read more

Book Description

This study examines three presidential assassination movies in their relation to the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy.They have long been neglected as potentially major factors in Lee Oswald's motivation, partly due to persistent conspiracy obsessions.The study presents several revelations.Oswald almost certainly saw The Manchurian Candidate in late 1962, because it played at theaters very near his Dallas workplace and apartment, and his wife Marina later testified that he went to movies alone during the same period.Within weeks thereafter, he bought his fateful rifle, a near-twin of the one featured in the film.In April 1963 he used the rifle when trying to assassinate General Edwin Walker, a nationally-prominent conservative living in Dallas.The attempt failed, yet emboldened Oswald in his militant Marxism.Then, in October 1963, and within days of learning that President Kennedy would visit Dallas, Oswald definitely saw another presidential assassination film, We Were Strangers (1949).He saw it on television and even watched it twice on the same weekend.Finally, Oswald did not see Suddenly (1954, starring Frank Sinatra) in the autumn of 1963, despite some claims to the contrary, yet was also influenced by it, though indirectly.In sum, this study strongly supports the lone assassin conclusion about Oswald, while adding significant "copycat" factors to it. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Simple but Important Contribution
A quick, clear read, Loken's investigation provides a compelling look into this surprisingly sparsely considered area among the body of written work about JFK's assassination. The strength of Loken's thesis lies in the fact that he does not try to reach too far with or make careless assertions about the information he has uncovered. It's definitely worth a read, and its brevity allows for multiple ones.

Kudos to John Loken for his fine bit of research about this important area of assassination research. His book should added to those mythical "must read" lists of JFK assassination books which, oddly enough, seem to be conspicuously lacking any balance in terms of books that support the "lone gunman" theory. Oswald's Trigger Films provides one example of work that seems to be interested in providing objective, reasoned evidence and allowing the reader to draw his own conclusions about it.

Well Written Analysis
Establishing a motive for Lee Harvey Oswald in the assassination of JFK has always been a goal of those who promote the lone assassin view of that event. John Loken's "Oswald's Trigger Films: The Manchurian Candidate, We Were Strangers, Suddenly?" does not prove such motive of course. It does show, if one accepts the well-reasoned premise, that Oswald could have been "triggered" to act, at least in part, by films with a powerful visual impact.

The author shows that Oswald almost certainly did see the film We Were Strangers (with its subject of a revolution in Cuba involving an assassination plot) very shortly before the assassination. Further, Loken breaks new ground by proving that The Manchurian Candidate (starring Frank Sinatra and involving programmed assassins) was playing in Dallas for two months in late 1962. Oswald would have certainly known of the film through his reading of Time magazine (which he subscribed to) and newspapers, and had access to two theaters that ran the film.

Loken presents evidence that Oswald did not see the film Suddenly, another Sinatra thriller. This is unfortunate since that film with its images of an assassin at a window, a scoped rifle, and a dark limousine had the most potential for a psychological trigger. Still, Loken shows that Oswald may have been indirectly influenced by this movie's powerful imagery.

Today, we accept the fact that motion pictures can influence a person to commit a violent act (John Hinckley and the Columbine killers are two examples). Oswald's Trigger Films is a thought provoking and well-written look at Lee Harvey Oswald and three films that may have had a similar sway.

John Loken presents a very compelling argument
The bells went off in my head the very first time that I heard about John Loken's thesis. It immediately seemed entirely reasonable. So much so, that I'm flabbergasted that apparently nobody previously has dealt with this theme in a significant manner. ... Where did Oswald get the idea? The author contends that the impressionable and immature young man was probably influenced by three motion pictures, We Were Strangers (1949), Suddenly (1954), and perhaps most importantly, the Manchurian Candidate (1962) released only a year before the assassination.

"Not only did Oswald have a strong inclination toward such fantasies of intrigue," adds Loken, but he frequently imitated "what others had done or said before him." The author concedes that there's no proof that Oswald viewed the Manchurian Candidate, but it is very unlikely that this was the case. Moreover, he subscribed to a number of publications which highlighted this film starring Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey as the one chosen to assassinate the president. I don't think it to be out of line to place a special emphasis upon the latter actor's last name being Harvey. Sinatra may have felt so guilty about the possibility Oswald was influenced by the Manchurian Candidate that he made sure it was pulled from distribution for a number of years.

You must obtain a copy of Oswald's Trigger Films. It is mandatory if you are truly interested in further exploring the motivating factors behind the Kennedy assassination. Do not allow the author's lack of prestigious credentials deter you. John Loken has earned your respect. This relatively short book will not be deemed disappointing.

The Copycat Thesis
When one first learns of the thesis of this book, it seems pretty far-fetched: Oswald was influenced to murder Kenndy by the films he watched? Surely a man as disturbed as Oswald, who had already attempted a local Texas assassination, wouldn't need any more to jump to a larger target.

And yet, John Loken surprises. He makes a very convincing case for these movies being the inspiration for Oswald's desperate act of becoming infamous. He follows every thread he can find and doesn't spare us the details, whether they are ultimately convincing or obscured by time. It's a quick read (and priced as one) yet still contains supporting footnotes and photos of newspaper clippings. All in all, an unexpected idea fleshed out by facts. Well worth the read.

"Lee-How Bout Passing The Time By Playing A Little Solitaire
This is a strange and curious little book.....

The author's premise is that three films dealing with assassinations of political figures (Suddenly, The Manchurian Candidate and We Were Strangers)gave Lee Oswald some of the impetus to murder JFK...

An interesting thesis, but the problem with the book is though, try as he might, the author John Loken is unable to verify for sure that Oswald ever saw 2 out of the three films, making the point of the entire work sort of moot.

Loken also gives short shrift to many of the plot details of the films, two of which, Suddenly and "Strangers" are totally obscure and probably unknown to Mr. Loken's potential audience.

"Oswald's Trigger Films" is no 'War and Peace'...the text is only 40 pages, the rest given over to author's notes and local Dallas TV and movie listings...

Again, the premise of the book is fascinating and deserves more than the somewhat skimpy treatment given here... ... Read more

Book Description

Encompasses the most moving moments in American social history with the extraordinary civil rights leader.In addition to The American Dream speech which is where Dr. King expounds on applicable sections of the Declaration of Independence, in particular that section that refers to All Men Are Created Equal, this compilation includes excerpts from a speech delivered in June of 1966 at the Zion Church.Included in these segments is the infamous We Shall Overcome speech. ... Read more

Book Description

John H. Davis's illuminating and informative history of America's most provocative family stretches from the bludgeoning business tactics of Joseph P. Kennedy to Senator Ted Kennedy's involvement in the Palm Beach scandal and the latest developments in the JFK and RFK assassination cases.

As first cousin to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, Davis has enjoyed a close relationship with the Kennedy family. This familiarity has allowed him access to a number of previously unpublished personal letters, papers and recently released transcripts, which, combined with months of interviews, have produced one of the most comprehensive and revealing biographies ever written on an American family clan. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most popular series ever published for young Americans, these classics have been praised alike by parents, teachers, and librarians. With these lively, inspiring, fictionalized biographies -- easily read by children of eight and up -- today's youngster is swept right into history. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Humble Prince!
Rich beyond belief, surrounded by the Jet Set, envyied by royalty, and a living icon of history, John Kennedy Jr. had it all-yet he was a humble, grateful, and compassionate.Beginning in the hub of our nation's capitol and ending with a subdued and sad farewell upon USS John Fitzgerald Kennedy, this little book is an etched composite of an American sons' life.

A Humble Prince!
Rich beyond belief, surrounded by the Jet Set, envyied by royalty, and a living icon of history, John Kennedy Jr. had it all-yet he was a humble, grateful, and compassionate.Beginning in the hub of our nation's capitol and ending with a subdued and sad farewell upon USS John Fitzgerald Kennedy, this little book is an etched composite of an American sons' life.

A Humble Prince!
Rich beyond belief, surrounded by the Jet Set, envyied by royalty, and a living icon of history, John Kennedy Jr. had it all-yet he was a humble, grateful, and compassionate.Beginning in the hub of our nations capitol and ending with a subdued and sad farewell upon USS John Fitzgerald Kennedy, this little book is an etched composite of an American sons' life.

Best ofthis genre!
Dozens of books have been written about JFK Jr. but this book is different.I liked the factual historical approach of this book:the glamourization and controversial slant of most books about the Kennedy's is thankfully missing.This book provides a good role model for developing compassion in children.He had it all; but still, he had a good heart! Frankly I enjoyed this refreshing story and who could forever forget the haunting portrait on the cover.

A tribute to America's prince
An impressionistic, haunting image of JFK jr.on the cover draws the reader inside to learn of the short, but meaningful life of JFK's son, a member of America's royalty, his charmed life cut short.This book caries the readerthrough his life with great interest, and makes a wonderful gift for anyonewho remembersAmerica's Kennedy years, those halcyon days of Camelot. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Murder in Memphis
As it is a particular field of interest to me, I have probably read more about the trilogy of 1960's assassinations than most. Most conspiracy theories, however, involve a certain suspension of disbelief, and the reader, as investigator, must decide what they believe or not. Not so in Mark Lane and Dick Gregory's Murder in Memphis; without pointedly trying to be, their simple stating of the facts is the single most damning, disturbing, and convincing indictment of the FBI and others involved that I have ever read. Brilliantly written, the book is also meticulously researched; every source used is clearly identified and the reader gets the impression they could independently verify every statement made with relative ease. A non-stop page-turner from beginning to end; it is a must read for anyone who enjoys non-fiction.

Not as good as orders to kill
This is a fairly good book but nothing like Orders to Kill by William Pepper which is much more detailed and conclusive in it's arguments. Thinking about it I guess these guys probably re-released to cash in on the time, effort and money that Pepper spent on the the case. Still it is much better than Posner so... ... Read more

Amazon.com

On October 12, 1964, socialite Mary Meyer was shot to death along a wooded path where she was taking her afternoon walk. Ordinarily such a crime wouldn't attract the attention of the CIA's head of counterintelligence, but Meyer was no ordinary Washington socialite. Born into a wealthy, bohemian family in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Meyer studied at Vassar, worked as a journalist during World War II, married--and later divorced--a war hero, became a proto-feminist, experimented with drugs, and had an affair with John F. Kennedy. When Meyer decided to try LSD, she didn't get it from some random dealer and trip in the park. Instead she turned to Timothy Leary himself--and, evidence suggests, she might have eventually shared her stash with the President of the United States.

Shortly after Meyer was found dead, her diaries were spirited away: her brother-in-law, Ben Bradlee, turned the documents over to the aforementioned CIA official, James Jesus Angleton, believing that it was in her, and others', best interest that her secrets die with her. A Very Private Woman pieces together some of these secrets, and hints at many more. It's a compelling story not only of a woman who lived at the edges of power, influence, and history, but who lived in and was buffeted by some of the most significant cultural changes of the second half of the 20th century.--Lisa Higgins ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Brings Back the Era of the 60s
What a great book to escape into.This is a quick read, and a must for anyone who is fascinated with both the Kennedy's and the early 60s.Sure makes you think about what it must have been like to know JFK and be part of his private circle.I definately recommend this book!

The Culture That Designed American History
Mary Pinchot Meyer's life and death occurred within the apex of American old money and power.That power, politically and ideologically was no where more penetrating than within the intelligence community. The'Company,' where her previously idealistic and later reactionary husband worked, has been implicated in nefarious, double dealings since that time and Cord Meyer was at the top of itschain. His was the brainstorm that invented student dissident groups, staffing it with agents and keeping tabs on my generation's protests.His best friend wasthe infamous James Jesus Angleton. Angleton took posession of Mary's diary hours after she died.

The first part of the book, the graced childhood, Brearley/Vassar educations and the social connections that the beautiful Mary enjoyed was for me the most interesting. This fascination remained steady through the early days of her marriage to Cord Meyer, their relationship to the World Federalists a group of high-minded world- government idealists, and the decline of their affections and left leaning beliefs.

Mary's relations with the Washington Elite were also revelatory. Especially little known facts of the iconic Ben Bradlee's tell all relations with the CIA. Women were marginalized and often depressed- Mary was psychoanalyzed by the famous Dr. Oller, a follower of Wilhelm Reich.These well-educated and oftengifted women toyed with art Gurdjieffian mystecism and many divorced after numbing and endless affairs.Mary Meyer was not unique in her adulterous and monied travels; but her relation to Timothy Leary, (also a CIA confidant at times) and her status as JFK's rare female friend as well as occassional mistress casts a different perspective on the otherwise sex-addicted president.

There is no clear evidence that Mary Meyer was taken out by the CIA for knowing too much about Kennedy's death,but the author spends the latter third of the book sifting through the evidence. That section unearthed and mainly debunked any theories that previous writers have put forth. Indeed, that was where the pace of the otherwise compelling story slowed.

Whereas some reviewers found the tale too spare a study of this debutantte turned psychedelic artist; I found the book essential to coming to terms with the human personalities that directed our lives in the Cold War. American operatives hobnobbed with the mafia and ex-Cuban mercenaries as well as drank, played around not much differently from how they and their fathers had famously done at Harvard and Yale.
There are several portraits of Jackie and Jack that give some further insight into that complicated relationship but mainly this is a tale of men who were, as their wives, patricians all- despite a forced street guy bravado, men who believed strongly in first their entitlementto lead the world, second, to protect the nation from communism with whatever means possible and third, to use the constitution to defend their actions.
The Washington set was a social club that led the world- it was a collusion of media and government men and politicians.

Perhaps most telling, is the depiction of the nature of power, the manner by which it is bestowed and what occurs when so few checks and balances are secured to manage its shadow side.

FEMALE FOREST GUMP,BUT WHY THE SUBTITLE?
A fascinating, detailed account of Mary Pinchot Meyer ... whose connections to other famous personalities made me exclaim about halfway through the book, "She's a female Forest Gump!" I agree with another reviewer who suggested one also read the footnotes ... I found myself doing that almost immediately, marking the first time I recall keeping two bookmarks in a book (one for the "regular" pages and one for the footnote section). My only disappointment is that author Nina Burleigh in her introduction says she "decided early on that (John F.) Kennedy warranted only a single chapter in Mary's life" so a single chapter on Kennedy was "sufficient." Why, then, is the subtitle of this book "The Life and Unsolved Murder of Presidential Mistress Mary Meyer" and why is (easy to recognize) JFK pictured with Mary Meyer on the cover? The answer most likely relates to marketing ... the titillating subtitle no doubt helped to sell this book.

A Very Private Woman is astonishing.
A beautiful woman is murdered on a Georgetown towpath beside a canal on a bright October day in 1964. How this woman died, where her personal papers disappeared to & how her killer fared makes for an astonishing mystery & Nina Burleigh has researched a biography of an unsung Golden Girl wholived a charmed life among CIA beginners in the decade of the Cold War,raised her golden children & then had a finger on the pulse of power. Awell-wrought look into that time & those places! The honeymoon traintrip to San Francisco is a telling adventure. A real life murder mystery inthe age of conspiracies...

Don't bother
Not a good attempt to provide cover for her favorite political desire but diverting attention to a well respected president. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Edward Klein shows that, despite their glamorous public lives, the Kennedys were as human as the rest of us. Through details on the couple's most intimate moments, including Jackie's defloration in a Paris elevator, and her amusing, albeit catty, disposition (kept under wraps because of her political standing), the ivory tower of their existence seems less out of reach. With chapter titles such as "Indiscreet," "Love Lies Bleeding," and "Pleasure First" the book reads a bit like a romance novel, but with a biting touch of reality. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The Myth of Camelot
Jackie was Edward Klein's editor at Doubleday. The book opens with chapters that present a detailed biographical sketch of Jackie's pre-JFK life and then proceeds into how Jack and Jackie came to be.Joe Kennedy needed to find a suitable wife for John if he was to advance in politics.He turned to his good friend Arthur Krock of The New York Times who suggested Jackie Bouvier.Joe approved so Arthur contacted newspaperman Charlie Bartlett, Jackie's friend, to arrange an introduction.

John was the [fun loving person] of Washington with one of the worst attendance records in the House of Representatives.He found girling and parties much more interesting.Jack liked the challenge of conquest but once conquered he soon lost interest and was incapable of sustaining a prolonged relationship.He stated that he wanted to have children but he wanted to marry a woman who was chaste because he was worried about being compared to other men.

Both Jack and Jackie's families had way too much control over their adult children's lives! Joe Sr. even picked out Jackie's engagement ring.At the luncheon where the mother's were to discuss their wedding, Jack acted like a scolded child.It was pretty clear that he didn't want to kiss bachelorhood goodbye and that he wasn't in love with Jackie.

Janet Bouvier Achincloss, Jackie's mother, felt her daughter was marrying beneath her and was putting up a fight with Rose about how the wedding should go.Joe Kennedy intervened.He sneered at the Archinclosses because they were old money but were unable to maintain it and keep living in style.In the end, Joe got his very public very politic wedding.

Jack treated Jackie as the means to an end: the White House and children.Jack even had a brief fling with Jackie's sister Lee while Jackie was in the hospital.Friends implied that the Cuban Missile Crisis caused Jack to take a renewed emotional interest in his immediate family and that he and Jackie very close.Yet he still had a mistress?Please!

This book has it all scandal, [physical attraction], drugs and lies!It takes an intimate look inside the world of old money WASPs and of the newly moneyed and their views of each other. Klein used primary sources including interviews with many of the people in Jack and Jackie's life.One thing Klein never discussed was what Jackie's feelings and beliefs were surrounding the conspiracy theories that have grown up around JFK's murder.A great companion book to this is The Day John Died by Christopher Andersen, which focuses on really both JFK's children's lives before and after the assassination.I simply could not put either book down!

A Touching Report
ALL TOO HUMAN is a touching history of the marriage of John Fitzgerald Kennedy to Jacqueline Bouvier.

In hindsight, Jacqueline had as big an impact on modern culture as did her first husband, perhaps simply because her life lasted longer.Yet this is not to belittle her actual influence; an entire generation of women modeled themselves on her style. Her dignity, her educational standards, her appreciation of the arts, all proved to be an inspiration to the world.

Author Edward Klein has turned writing about the Kennedys into a cottage industry. This particular biography is a nice balance to many other harsher reports, focusing here as he does on the good points of the marriage of this President and his First Lady.

Frothy and surprisingly touching
Reading this book I was reminded of an old 70s song, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love." For in this version of the Kennedy marriage, that seems to be what happened. Jackie needed to make a "successful" marriage that would land her "real money," and time was running out. After all, she was 24 years old! JFK needed a wife, a good and presentable CATHOLIC wife, to enhance his image with voters. From these cynical beginnings, according to Klein, a marriage was born and eventually, true love. Over the decade they spent together, Jack and Jackie came to appreciate and depend on one another, bonded by unique experiences and the love of their children. I have one quibble with the point-of-view of this book: Jackie became one of the most influential women of the century because of her marriage to this powerful man. To pretend otherwise is just silly. And for Klein to insist that Jackie was "important" politically is also silly. This is not Hillary Clinton, Rosalyn Carter, or Eleanor Roosevelt we're talking about here. She represented her nation well overseas, honored her husband's memory gallantly and worked hard at being a good mother. There is much to admire about her. But she was neither a policy wonk nor a political powerhouse, but a glamorous celebrity, and therefore historically, she was no where near as important as her first husband.

Unpresidented Prose
As of the most successful dynasties in American history, the Kennedy's have left an indelible mark on our nation unlike any other. Millions have proclaimed John to be a hero exemplifying American characterizes and Jackie exhibiting class beyond compare. Klein challenges the status quo by revealing the first family's moral devoidness throughout the course of their campaign and life in general. No longer worthy of the apotheosis so many Democrats have been attempting to bestow to the martyred president, rather a man with extreme moral vicissitude unforeseen by the watchful eye of the nation. Who would have ever thought that before the 1960 election Kennedy had been in the company of a young female to "relax" him before he took center stage against a nation of voters? John shines through as a hedonistic man looking to secure power and politics for his personal discourse. Jackie is seen as a modern day Anna Nichole Smith for her power and money-hungry ways in looking at Jack as a means to build upon herself even greater. Although these themes are a bit cynical and I don't agree with all of them, Klein writes with such chosen linguistics that simply reading will be candy to your eyes. If you are looking for a fun read recounting one of our nation's most memberable presidents All Too Human (or the John Stephanopoulos novel by the same name) are in a class by themselves.

A touching story.
This book tells the touching story of the relationship between Jack and Jackie Kennedy. It is well-written and is a sympathetic telling of their relationship. I enjoyed it very much - better than most of the books about the Kennedys on the market. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by Ron Goldfarb, who was recruited as a young lawyer to work with RFK, Perfect Villains, Imperfect Heroes tells the story of Robert Kennedy's tenure as attorney general, from his inexperience to his success at carrying out the most relentless campaign against organized crime ever mounted. of photos. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Insightful History!
Ron Goldfarb's "Perfect Villains, Imperfect Heroes" is an insightful analysis of the RFK led Attorney General office investigation of the mob. Part memoir and part history, you feel like you are part of the action when you read this interesting book.

Disappointing
Overall, too much emphasis on Goldfarb, and not enough on Kennedy. The description of his work in Newport is somewhat dull. However, his thoughts at the end about the JFK assassination connection with organized crime are interesting. ... Read more

Amazon.com

More than 30 years after his death, Robert Kennedy continues to occupy an exalted place in the American psyche as a symbol of unfulfilled promise and shattered expectations. Had he lived, the legend goes, he would have become president and solved the major problems of the age, including the war in Vietnam, racial tension, and social injustice. According to Ronald Steel, he "represented not a rational political alternative, but something more powerful and attractive: an escape from politics." To many, he was the last, best hope for meaningful change. The question at the heart of In Love with Night is why this "strange and enduring phenomenon" remains seductive to so many Americans and what Kennedy's lionization says about the culture that made him a martyr.

"At some point," writes Steel, "without ever quite intending it, American liberals, and even many conservatives, fell in love with Robert Kennedy." The author then shows this romance to be closer to a misguided attempt by the American people to create "a heroic figure to fill our needs" in the wake of the death of John F. Kennedy. Seeing himself as the rightful heir to his brother's legacy, Robert successfully filled the role of political savior by assuming "the identity of the survivor." Imbued with lofty expectations by an adoring segment of the populace, his image came to outweigh by far his modest achievements as a public figure. During his run for the Democratic nomination in 1968, he gathered strong support among minority groups and the underprivileged, while carefully appearing to be all things to all people. Without denying his genuine appeal, Steel debunks Kennedy's image as a champion of the underdog, painting him as a craven opportunist who solicited the support of the more disenfranchised groups not out of altruism but political necessity and self-interest.

Calling his book a "study of character and circumstance" rather than a biography, Steel is primarily interested in the wide gap between the man and the myth, and, on the whole, his deconstruction is not a flattering one. Kennedy admirers will bristle at the book's core message, but Steel makes valid, well-argued, and often compelling points, particularly on the nature and value of cultural myths. In the end, this is all mere conjecture, for it will never be known whether Kennedy would have even been elected, much less what kind of president he would have been. For as Steel writes in one of his kinder moments, "The best of Robert Kennedy was not in what he did, but in what he has inspired in others." And that, perhaps, is the only legacy that matters. --Shawn Carkonen ... Read more

Reviews (23)

The Art of Assuming
We all know the saying, when you assume you make an (butt) out of you and me. Ronald Steel wrote a book about assumptions, which is bad enough. He tries to use the legend of RFK to predict vitality as a President and a man. However, he is unable to stay focused enough to present his case until the last nine pages.

Except for the last nine pages, the book is a very concise biography of Kennedy with a derogatory slant. Steel is critical of JFK's Presidency, making the suggestion that he would have been a forgettable president had he not been assassinated first. While Bay of Pigs was a failure, I suppose the Cuban Missle Crisis was unimportant in American history. Avoiding nuclear war is not important to Mr. Steel. The book suggests the legendary status JFK was exulted to was the only reason we even know of RFK. Steel goes on to suggest that Robert Kennedy was obsessed with his brother in the year following JFK's assassination. I suspect Mr. Steel would suggest Robert should be over his brother's death in a week's time. I would like to send Mr. Steel a copy of the Kubler-Ross's Stages of Dying.

My favorite assumption by Steel is that the primary reason RFK ran for President was because he wanted to be JFK. He makes Robert out to be like an obsessive stalker. Is it possible that RFK felt he had something to give the country as President? Or maybe he had something to prove being in his brother's shadow for so long?

The last nine pages, where Steel explains his thesis, is servicable for toilet paper. What is your vendetta against RFK, Mr. Steel? Robert Kennedy may not have won the nomination of his party, but RFK's very campaign stance is proclaimed hypocritical. Having apparently not cared for African-American rights during his tenure as attorney general, it is suggested that he only campaigned on the issue to get the votes. The portrayal of good Bobby/bad Bobby split personality is simplistic and inaccurate way for some to label Bobby coming out of his brother's shadow. He could not win, he was either mourning too long or trying too hard to establish his own identity. RFK encompassed the hopes of many Americans and had ideas to change America. He never had the opportunity to prove himself. Maybe he is not worthy of the legendary status he has gained in American history. However, people do change and can emerge with new priorities in their lives. I would hope Ronald Steel changes his career.

Shamefull!!
it's one of the worst book about RFK, The purpose of this book is evidently to tarnish and destroy the
memory and legacy of Bobby Kennedy, who was a great man like his beloved brother Jack. he was nice and not tough.
don't buy it, but buy more realize books like: RFK and his time, a common good..

Nothing New Here
The purpose of In Love With Night is to examine both the legacy of Robert Kennedy, and America's continued fascination with his tragic family. It does this by giving a biography of the man through the lens of the times in which he lived. Particular emphasis is given on his relationships with his father and his brother Jack, but the meat of the book is the conflict between the `good Bobby' and the `bad Bobby'. According to Steel, Bobby Kennedy was not the angel everyone thought he was. No big surprise there. After all, who was the angel everyone thought they were? In the end, this book seems to be about how Ronald Steel thinks the Kennedys are overrated. Again, no big surprise. Skip this one and read any of the far better books on RFK and his family.

Skip This One...
The purpose of this book is evidently to tarnish and destroy the
memory and legacy of Bobby Kennedy. It is far too negative, picking away at his image with every chapter. It is too harsh in its analysis of RFK, insinuating that all of his deeds and actions had selfish, ulterior motives behind them, and even goes so far as to refer to his followers during his presidential campaign as "animals," something I found to be totally inexcusable. My question is what was the point in writing this book in the first place? No, Bobby Kennedy was not a perfect man, but he was a good man. After reading this book, you might find yourself feeling displeased, or downright angry. Save yourself the hassle- go read a better book about RFK.

On the money
I read this book right after I read, "The Last Patrician", another "sort of" biography of Robert Kennedy. I found "In Love With Night", to be a much better read. The language is less pompous, and the book stays more on the subject of Robert Kennedy. Kennedy was a dificult man-dificult to like, dificult to be around, dificult to understand.This book presents the facts and leaves the conclusions to the reader. A good book for anyone interested in the mystique and myth built up around the life of Robert Kennedy. ... Read more