Ted Kennedy

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Compact Guide to Kansas Birds
Ted T. Cable , Scott Seltman , Krista Kagume , and Gregory Kennedy
Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9768200251

Average customer rating:

A Pleasant Surprise
Easy to use
NOT a waste of your money!
Excellent Book

Birds of Michigan
Charles T. Black , Gregory Kennedy , and Ted Nordhagen (illustrator)
Manufacturer: Lone Pine Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Michigan Birds
Birds of Michigan Field Guide, Second Edition
Mammals Of Michigan Field Guide (Mammals Field Guides)
Michigan Bird Watching: A Year-Round Guide
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds: Michigan (NG Field Guide to Birds)

ASIN: 1551053365

Customer Reviews:

A Pleasant Surprise.......2007-01-19

I've used (and abused) a number of bird books over the years.... and tend to carry a veritable library with me on my forays. But I've been frustrated by most of the identification guides available today. I know they can't be perfect, if only because birds themselves vary so much, but surely they could be just a little better. This one is. I hope Lone Pine Press and Mr. Black expand beyond the Michigan edition. In the meantime, I though, I won't have to carry such a library into the woods. "Birds of Michigan" will suffice by itself.

Easy to use.......2006-12-05

I agree with the other two reviewers' comments. This book is very easy to use, proving much information in a concise yet digestible way. While it provides a lot of detail, it does not do so in a tedious way--this is a field guide that is actually READable! It is very user-friendly and has helped me clinch idenifications of even rare migrants due to the written descriptions which do not overwhelm the field guide. Large, accurate drawing of the birds are supplemented with written descriptions emphasizing the field marks. The maps are on the same page as the birds, which can help narrow down birds in the field more rapidly. This has been a helpful local supplement to my National Geographic & Peterson Field Guides. I also recommend Stan Tekiela Birds of Michigan book & CD set and Peterson's Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides(R)) (Audio CD)
by Richard K. Walton, Robert W. Lawson, Roger Tory Peterson.

NOT a waste of your money!.......2006-05-13

As a child I enjoyed seeing a flash of color flitting among the leaves, listening to bird song, and even sneaking up upon a nest of hatchlings to watch their antics; but with age, I developed a deeper appreciation for the birds in my home state of Michigan. Ultimately I ended up spending hours flipping thru books trying to find the best bird guide for me to use. AND this book has proven to be the best of the best! This guide easily helps me in identifying the birds I'm looking at by providing a clear colored pic for EVERY bird, giving the length and width of each bird, info on feeding habits and habitat(s), and areas for best viewing/finding. In addition the book goes one step better and even tells you what species are similar and how to make sure you have correctly identified your find. Heck, the size of the book is even spiffy since it's light enough to not be a hinderance in your backpack. The only fault I have with the book is in its description of the call/song/or voice of the birds - they try, but, for example, the song of the common house wren does not sound like "tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi oodle-oodle-oodle-oodle" to me. But then I'd be hard pressed to write down exactly what it DOES sound like!

Excellent Book.......2004-12-17

This is a wonderful book for someone just starting out in bird watching. Before I got this book I had no clue as to what the majority of the birds at my backyard feeder were. It has color life like drawings of all of the Michigan birds along with descriptions of them. Each description includes where they can be found along with the time of year they are found. It also includes descriptions of their size and any unique markings. One of my favorite features is that every description has a couple of cross reference birds that look similar to the one you are looking at so that way you can be sure you are looking at the right description. There is also a very handy quick find reference of all of the birds at the beginning of the book. I always use this first when I spot a new bird. It is wonderful because within several pages are small pictures of all of the birds so you can quickly identify the new one you've found. This is a very handy book to have around even if you don't plan on doing more than watching the birds at your feeder.

Joseph P. Kennedy: The Mogul, the Mob, the Statesman, and the Making of an American Myth

Average customer rating:

The man who gave us the Camelot myth
Nothing new
Good Biography, Told In Right Historical Context
Pretty thorough lambasting of an unlikable character.
Joseph P. Kennedy

Joseph P. Kennedy: The Mogul, the Mob, the Statesman, and the Making of an American Myth
Ted Schwarz
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Founding Father: The Story of Joseph P. Kennedy
The Sins of the Father: Joseph P. Kennedy and the Dynasty He Founded
Hostage to Fortune: The Letters of Joseph P. Kennedy
The Dark Side of Camelot
Sons and Brothers: The Days of Jack and Bobby Kennedy

ASIN: 0471176818

Book Description

Advance Praise for Joseph P. Kennedy

"Ted Schwarz gives us a darker, and truer, picture of the founding father (and only Kennedy to ever make any money) than the habitual family spinmeisters and hagiographers."<BR> -Axel Madsen, author of Gloria and Joe: The Star-Crossed Love Affair of Gloria Swanson and Joe Kennedy

What price glory?

He is best known as the patriarch of America's most loved, hated, and talked-about family. Long before the Kennedy name became synonymous with wealth, political idealism, and agonizing tragedy, however, Joe Kennedy was on the move. This unflinching portrait of the man who sired three major twentieth-century political figures introduces copious new information about Joseph Kennedy's questionable financial practices, his Hollywood exploits, his tenure as ambassador to Great Britain, and his relationship with organized crime. Drawing on previously untapped sources, author Ted Schwarz provides a rare peek into Joseph Kennedy's secret activities and public accomplishments, including: <UL> <LI>Baseball scams that Kennedy concocted as an adolescent</LI> <LI>Kennedy's cynical manipulation of Franklin Roosevelt's son</LI> <LI>His business dealings with Al Capone</LI> <LI>Kennedy's very public affair with actress Gloria Swanson</LI> <LI>How he transformed Hollywood studios into product manufacturers</LI> <LI>His dismal performance as ambassador to Great Britain</LI> <LI>And much, much more</LI></UL>

Customer Reviews:

The man who gave us the Camelot myth.......2006-06-15

It is obvious from reading this book that the author holds Joe Kennedy Sr. in very low esteem and cares little for the Kennedys in general. Based on the information he presents, one can clearly see why. If only a fraction of it is true; Joe Kennedy could best be described as a ruthless, self-serving, border-line criminal and stock manipulator; an inveterate philanderer, ignoble husband and father, and, all-in-all, a poor excuse for a human being.

It isn't clear, however, as to whether the author held these views when he began researching the book or came to those conclusions after studying his subject. The answer to that question would seem to bear heavily on the efficacy of the subject matter he presents. Did the author, for example, pick and choose his data? If so, although it seems highly unlikely, Joe Kennedy may have had some redeeming qualities which went untold. Perhaps he didn't kick his dog.

It is also somewhat disconcerting that throughout the book the author occasionally throws in gratuitous pejoratives seemingly intended to cast aspersions on Joe, although, in light of the evidence, Joe certainly needs none. And, at other times, he tells us what some of those who knew Joe were thinking and lets us know what they thought of Joe. One is left to wonder how he knows, since he rarely references these sources.

Nevertheless, based upon its numerous notes and references, this is a well researched and well substantiated biography of a man who, although extremely wealthy and politically powerful, spent most of his life in the shadows. In later life, he used his wealth and power to give America the illusion of "Camelot," but during his lifetime he did much more than that. During World War I, for example, he dodged the draft. Then, with the advent of prohibition, he used his father's connections in Canada and England to arrange booze shipments for delivery to underworld characters in the United States, such as Al Capone. He never worked as a "bootlegger" in a romantic sense. He never outraced the Coast Guard to deliver the goods. Instead, Joe just made the money. Later, he went to Hollywood where he made his mark and took Gloria Swanson as his mistress. While there, he managed her affairs (business) and lavished her with expensive gifts - most of which were later found to have been paid for with Gloria's own money. (Geez, what a guy!) Then, if truth be told, Joe established and helped run various stock pools aimed at manipulating the stock market to the benefit of the pool members. (This is said to have been one of the causes of the stock market crash of 1929 and the resulting "Great Depression.") Later, Joe helped get Franklin D. Roosevelt elected president and, as a result, managed to get himself appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain shortly before World War II. Unfortunately, Joe didn't understand world affairs, seemed to side with the fascists, and never grasped the fact that he was in England to represent the president of the United States, not to express his own views and make more money. So, when the State Department was finally forced to bypass him in the decision making process, President Roosevelt demanded and accepted his resignation. Following the war, Joe had a frontal lobotomy performed on his daughter, Rosemary, ruining her life; then set about furthering his son's, John F. Kennedy's, political career through one nefarious scheme after another. Joe even managed to preclude JFK's being court marshaled for dereliction of duty for letting his PT boat (PT-109) be rammed, causing two deaths, and instead arranged to have JFK cast as a national hero. The rest, as they say, is history.

Bottom line: Those who are more interested in the Kennedy's than I am, and knew a lot more about the Kennedys than I did, may find this book repetitive of previous works. Those who aren't, and particularly those who fell for the Camelot myth, will certainly find it to be a real eye opener, particularly since old Joe still wields some measure of power having tried very hard to mold his sons in his own image.

Nothing new.......2005-03-16

If you have never read anything in depth about either the Kennedy family or Joseph Kennedy (sins of the father, the founding father) you might go thru this book and discover a revelation or two. If you have, then this book will come across as trite, boring and a bit fraudulent. By the latter, I mean the book promises new revelations, and delivers nothing more than the usual information that any "light" student of the Kennedys and Joe in particular already know. Worse yet, some of the contentions are incorrect and almost none of them are backed up by source materials in the book's note section. For instance, the author suggests that JFK's doctors knew he would not live thru a second term, and further suggest that the assassin's bullet spared us-Citizens that is- from watching our president die in office post 1964. Yet, the author offers absolutely no source information for this contention. Yes, anybody who has read more than two Kennedy books knows that JFK was ill throughout most his life; but that same person would know that most of his life threatening ailments were under control by the time he was elected president. (The fact that these illnesses were kept secret from the general public does not make them fatal within the second term, as the author implies!). There are other points in this book where it is evident that the author just plain does not like Joe Kennedy. That's ok. A little odium dripped on a biographical protagonist as deserving as Joe Kennedy can be forgiven- after all the man did do a great many horrible things in his life time. But when that level of despise effects the quality of ones research and ultimately hobbles ones effort, than a little restraint might have been appropriate. Don't bother with this book.

Good Biography, Told In Right Historical Context.......2003-11-29

The book was a great insight into JPK and gives the reader a more solid understanding of his descendants. It also sheds a great deal of light on anti-Irish sentiments and gives an almost psycho-social explanation for JPK's actions based on the discrimination he encountered as a youth. One review stated that there was too much anecdotal information that is not properly accounted for. This may be true. However, i always enjoy a biography that explains the subject matter (i.e.JPK) in the historical context in which they lived in. This was done masterfully by Mr. Schwarz.

Pretty thorough lambasting of an unlikable character........2003-10-10

If you're a follower of the Kennedy saga, there may be little new material here in the biography, JOSEPH P. KENNEDY. But it's interesting and highly readable. It covers everyone from JPK's ancesters in Ireland to Caroline and John Jr.'s generation. Jackie comes off well. But there are a lot of unpleasant things about Rose I'd never heard before. And there are things I knew about but never knew the truth behind -- like the tragedy of Rosemary.

As I read the book, I thought he made statements that would be considered controversial. But as I read on, and looked at the notes and bibliography, I realized Mr. Schwarz did indeed appear to be well informed. It's oddly written, with some really long sentences and some anecdotes stuck in totally out of any time sequence. If only for the insights into the worlds of politics and Hollywood, it's well worth your time. And it's pretty enjoyable.

Joseph P. Kennedy.......2003-09-20

I thought I knew a lot about the Kennedy family before, but this book opened up a whole new world. It's really fascinating reading, especially if you like to read about the Kennedy family.

Marita: One Woman's Extraordinary Tale of Love and Espionage from Castro to Kennedy

Average customer rating:

Exciting, incredible.
Marita Lorenz - - her book will not disappoint
More CIA Disinformation made into a Novel
Ich bin Deutsche und habe es gelesen!!!!!

Marita: One Woman's Extraordinary Tale of Love and Espionage from Castro to Kennedy
Marita Lorenz , and Ted Schwarz
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

Exciting, incredible........2007-06-12

This woman lived one wild life. Some of it may seem unbelieveable, but I don't think you can make this kind of stuff up. She survived WWII and a rape by a soldier, was a lover of Fidel Castro and was solicited by the CIA to kill him, trained with anti-Castro militias, married the ex-dictator of Venezuela, lived for six months with her child by the dictator with stone age Indians in the jungles of Venezuela, and was recruited for the assassination of JFK. Eventually she hit bottom and now lives poverty in NYC. You have to pity this woman for what she suffered yet admire her for her bravery. I'm glad she didn't kill Castro and it she puts Castro in a good light. Too bad she didn't stay in Cuba. Her life was ruined by the CIA.

Marita Lorenz - - her book will not disappoint.......2006-06-07

Marita Lorenz's story is amazing. She wrote this book (along with Ted Schwarz). A friend had recommended it, and I was completely taken aback by Marita's life. If you are interested in history or just want to her an exciting true story of a strong and determined woman, read this book.

More CIA Disinformation made into a Novel.......2003-09-08

This (few facts/lots of fiction) spy genre by now is easily recognizable for what it is: CIA/FBI misdirection and disinformation.

It is mostly many titillating and salacious but isolated facts strung together seemingly leading to a climax but then abruptly fading-out to nowhere. A new strain begins in the middle of nowhere and leads to another nowhere. Then it switches back to the previous nowhere, etc. etc., ad infinitum.

The astute reader cannot be fooled by this lurching nonsense. That Ms. Lorenz was a fine soldier of fortune--female style--and was a CIA/FBI mercenary who somehow managed to survive through some very turbulent times is a detail that no one can deny. But in the end this is only a detail, not a story.

The 64 thousand dollar question is if she did all of the things this book claims she did, how she managed to do so and still lives to tell about it? Now that is a story, but this book does not tell us that story. It opts for B-rated movie excitement version of a few isolated facts strung together instead.

She was Castro's lover and managed an assasination try on him; and was in the cabal with Lee Harvey Oswald, Frank Sturgis, Jack Ruby and E. Howard Hunt that led to JFK's assasination, yet managed to escape complicity in both assasinations, and then lived to write a book that tells us nothing about any of this? And saddest of all, she does not even give us the benefit of her speculation?

Somewhere there is an interesting story to be told about Martita Lorenz's life that will have the ring of truth, but this CIA redacted meleodrama, masquerading as a cheap unbelievable love story is not it.

Too bad that Marita does not realize that over the years of her experiences and the writing of this book, America has grown up--even if she hasn't. She continues to live out her life through the 50s and 60s spy games in her head. That is about all one will get out of this poorly written teenage-level spy novel.

In a way this is very, very sad. There is probably a lot she could have told us about the events of the past that would have made a difference to American and German history. But, alas she and her co-writer opted instead for an immature potential B-rated movie script instead.

Why did they opt to do this? Did Marita indeed have something to hide? Does she need money? In the end was she a double/triple agent like her mother was? Did Castro turn her? Maybe she was indeed part of a Castro revenge attempt on JFK's life? Who knows? This supposedly innocent love story raises more questions than it answers.

The only fact worth retaining from the book was mentioned as an aside early on (page 5). It is that Joe Kennedy hated and wanted to get Myer Lansky out of Cuba if not wanted him killed right after the Cuban revolution. They were bootlegging competitors. This fact alone lends independent credibility and corroboration to Micheal Collins Piper's Final Judgement theory about Lansky and JFK's assasination (See on AMAZON.COM Michael Collins Piper, Final Judgement).

Other than that this book is an empty shell. Thank God we readers are no longer stupid enough to go for this kind of pablum.

Ich bin Deutsche und habe es gelesen!!!!!.......1999-01-27

Hoffentlich kann einer meine Sprache ich kann kaum Englisch. Wenn es jemand lesen kann, dann bitte ich um Hilfe ich suche dieses Buch seit 4 Jahren (evtl. auf Deutsch) und habe leider keinen Erfolg. Vielleicht kann mir jemand helfen Ted Schwarz oder Marita selber zu finden. Liane Simon aus Germany

The Shadow President: Ted Kennedy in Opposition

Average customer rating:

No Teddy, I'll Be the Designated Driver
Balanced.
Disappointing Followup to "The Education of Edward Kennedy"
The Dream Lives On
We need Ted Kennedy's expertise and ability to get results.

The Shadow President: Ted Kennedy in Opposition
Burton Hersh
Manufacturer: Steerforth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Edward M. Kennedy: A Biography
The Reagan Diaries

ASIN: 1883642302

Product Description

At the heart of The Shadow President is a controversial idea - that, more than is brothers, Ted Kennedy has come to be the most influential political figure of this generation. His challenge to Jimmy Carter in the 1980 primaries, his bitter rearguard defense of social programs during the Reagan-Bush years, and the many upheavals in his personal life are all fully treated here.

Customer Reviews:

No Teddy, I'll Be the Designated Driver.......2005-10-07

When will the media learn that no matter how much you try to dress Ted Kennedy up, he's still the same: a morally bankrupt, lecherous old fart wo's time has passed him by. If there ever were poster children for term limits, its doddering old fools like Teddy.

Balanced........2000-06-15

Although the book does contain some factual errors, overall it is nicely written and well researched. Love him or hate him, the senior senator from Massachusetts HAS and CONTINUES to wield signifigant influence over domestic and international affairs.

At this point, Kennedy wields more self earned power and influence than anybody could have imagined when he used to be compared to Jack and Bobby. Kennedy would not be as influential as a president.

Disappointing Followup to "The Education of Edward Kennedy".......2000-06-06

Hersh's 1972 biography "The Education of Edward Kennedy" is still, after nearly three decades, one of the best Kennedy books out there. "The Shadow President," however, fails to live up to the high standards Hersh set in his earlier book. While "The Shadow President" includes a lively account of the 1994 Kennedy-Romney Senate race, the rest of the book is dreadfully dull, containing many well-worn anecdotes and familiar tales that have been better recounted elsewhere. Replete with glaring factual errors (Maryland senator Paul Sarbanes is described as representing Delaware, and more strangely, Wyoming's Alan Simpson is referred to a senator from Nevada) which a self-described "Washington insider" like Hersh should not have made. Hersh offers his own highly-speculative and undocumented "insights" as fact, while blasting other authors like Joe McGinniss who have done the same. His tendency to quote at length anonymous sources identified merely as "a longtime friend" or "an influential senior staffer" is also grating and serves to further degrade a frustratingly slapdash book. Hersh can and has done better, and the sense one gets reading "The Shadow President" is that this book was quickly hobbled together to make a few bucks. All in all, a disappointing sequel to a classic work of political reportage.

The Dream Lives On.......2000-02-16

Too many Kennedy books either laud or trash the family. Some nitpick over voting records, while many focus entirely on their personal lives. In this book, author Hersh, gives us a balanced and fair look at Ted Kennedy's long and distinguished senate career, without ignoring Kennedy's flaws that have kept him from moving down to the other end of Pennsylvania Ave. Hersh has been following Kennedy for years, and is trusted enough by the senator to have rare access, but a good enough journalist and author to not be compromised by friendship. The book contains lots of inside analysis of Kennedy's realtionship with his large family and even larger staff, his 1980 presidential run which failed but reinforced Kennedy's role as a liberal leader, and his continued effort to shape national policy while trying to overcome his image problems. For those who have followed Teddy Kennedy's career over the years, this book does a good job of putting it all together.

We need Ted Kennedy's expertise and ability to get results........1998-01-12

As a lifelong democrat and resident of Massachusetts, I am liberal but not 100%. I usually agree with Ted's issues, but not always. Found in this book a fuller understanding of what he has accomplished and am grateful to have him as a Senator. The book points out some of his proven and alleged failings as a human being, but I don't judge politicians by their private lives. What's more important to me is the way in which we care for one another, and I feel we are lucky to have Ted as our watchdog.

The Senator: My Ten Years with Ted Kennedy

Average customer rating:

dirty laundry
Interesting to a point
Old history gives me new insight
A tabloid disguised as a book
A Shocker!

The Senator: My Ten Years with Ted Kennedy
Richard E. Burke
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Death at Chappaquiddick
The Clinton Crack-Up: The Boy President's Life After the White House
Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy
While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within
Godless: The Church of Liberalism

ASIN: 0312304668

Customer Reviews:

dirty laundry.......2006-08-11

The author worked closely with Ted Kennedy through most of the '70s and the very early '80s as a member of his Senate staff and personal go-to guy, and had very personal access to both the Senator and his family. The book is mainly about the Senator's vices and his family's troubles during that period (which the author was deeply involved in).

I was hoping for more politics and policy. The author vaguely alludes to legislative accomplishments, but doesn't really discuss any. From reading the book, I would gather that the time between saving democracy during the Watergate crisis and the 1980 presidential election was one big party, with some family drama thrown in. The section on the 1980 presidential election was good.

It's clear that Kennedy made bad choices in that period, which was, literally for me, a lifetime ago; some were personal, some were political. What struck me was how many of the unattractive features described by the author reminded me of our current president: the sense of entitlement, a lack of accountability, intense competitiveness, demands for loyalty, and a strange snobbishness (Kennedy thought the Carters were unsophisticated but, according to the author, also thought that the hostage crisis couldn't be helped by President Carter's efforts to understand the situation by *gasp* reading books about Iran). On the plus side, both men have a strong devotion to family.

I didn't really like the book; I finished it only because I'd started it, and I didn't have much else handy at the time. If you are interested in Kennedy dirt, though, this book has it in spades. It's not for everyone, but maybe it's for you.

Interesting to a point .......2006-01-20

The first 100 pages is interesting but then it begins to get repetitive and aimless. It's worth what I paid for it -- got it at the dollar store. Confirms that TK is worse than I thought, but I wonder if he's even worse than Rick knows. Hmmm.

Old history gives me new insight.......2005-09-25

I found this book at a "free read" and am glad I picked it up.
I feel that Mr. Burke gives what appears to be honest insight into his observation working first from afar then eventually beyond close at hand to Senator Kennedy. I believe the positives of this book far outweigh any negatives one might find in the disclosure of personal family happenings. This book actually has caused me to see Senator Kennedy in a more human, approachable image that as formerly, simply focusing on his family heritage regarding money, fame, etc. My heart goes out to the whole Kennedy family who has suffered tragedy after tragedy in spite of all their wealth which only brings home the truth that money cannot buy happiness. I strongly urge one to read this book. I am glad I did.

A tabloid disguised as a book.......2005-08-15

Burke, once Ted Kennedy's personal secretary and family friend, writes a tell-all story of the senator's private life during the 1970's. Mr. Burke consumes more than 300 pages to inform the reader that Senator Kennedy often used drugs and had extramarital affairs. Mr. Burke, while condemning Kennedy's private life, states that he admired the legislative skills and positions of the senator, but offers no analysis or insight into how the senator's private life affected his legislative duties. Did Kennedy miss votes? Did he initiate less legislation? Was he less effective dealing with colleagues, either through diminished capacity or soiled reputation? The reader is left to wonder.

Mr. Burke, in a tattle-tale manner, relishes the opportunity to expose sordid details of the senator's personal life along with those of many other Kennedy family members. The reader is told of countless liaisons, most of which do little to further inform the reader. Senator Kennedy, as a public figure, is fair game, but Burke goes beyond the senator, exposing the private lives of the senator's children, nieces, nephews and deceased brothers. Burke's motives for divulging the transgressions of children are unclear and reveal, at best, poor judgment on Burke's part.

This boorish and aimless book is as much a story of the exploits of a senator and his family as it is of a groupie's rapid rise and fall within the political fast-life of DC, and of the lingering resentment harbored upon once again being on the outside looking in. The groupie: Mr. Burke.

A Shocker!.......2003-06-05

Burke tells an exciting story in a book that is hard to put down. I was unaware of Teddy's sexual and otherwise illegal exploits, so if you were like me, this book will prove to be very informative. Burke reveals much about the character of the man for whom he worked and worshipped.

Average customer rating:

Senatorial Privilege
Leo Damore
Manufacturer: Black Star Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000CSB9CI

Product Description

From back cover: "Senatorial Privilege is the story behind a girl's tragic death, Teddy Kennedy's cowardly behavior, and the network of friends, lawyers, and public relations people who covered up for him."

Average customer rating:

If This One Was A Friend the Kennedy's Dont Need More Enemies
Mean Spirited, Critical, and Irritating
Watching The Younger Generations Self-destruct
one of the worst books ever written about the Kennedys
A Waste of Money!

The Kennedys: The Third Generation
Barbara Gibson , and Ted Schwarz
Manufacturer: Thunder's Mouth Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This is the Kennedy Family as you've never seen them before. Their name is synonymous with power and privilege. No other American family has known the public scrutiny of the Kennedys. And now the reputation of the Kennedy name rests on the shoulders of its third generation. Includes never before seen family photos, and a new chapter on JFK Jr.'s tragic death.

Customer Reviews:

If This One Was A Friend the Kennedy's Dont Need More Enemies.......2005-07-23

Wow, I was a little suprized at this book.I like other are semi intrigued by the Kennedy's( I go through spurts LOL) I thought that Barbara Gibson would write a true story about the family since she was so intimatley connected to them. This was really horrible!(I can understand why some of the Kennedy's don't read any books about their family after this book)She had nothing nice to say about one Kennedy...Caroline and John like the rest of our generation maybe tried out drugs(pot,ups,diet pills)but certainly were not drug addicts as it seems to allude to in the book. Caroline and John(RIP) seemed to be brought up very well. Even if you did not like Jackie, she raised two good, solid adults who by all outward appearances seem humble. So what Caroline tried to get to the head of an ice cream line by using her name....What KID wouldn't try that if it might work? LOL Somehow I dont see her doing this once she became an adult. I cant even picture her trying to cut the line, she seems like a very dignified lady, as was her mother. Ditto Maria Shriver. I saw an intimate portrait of her and she too seems humble.She was 17 when she got a little annoyed at Barbara Gibson because she would not let Maria drive Granny's car..C'mon this is the best you have on Maria, and you label her a brat. I dont see her shoving people out of the way either. What they did as kids we all did, just on a smaller stage and a smaller scale. I was a brat from 13 to about 18 and I am super glad no one is writing about me.I do feel sorry for Ethel Kennedy. From several different books she sounded obnoxious from the word go...talk about power going to your head..and you never hear any real positive stories about her children, yet I am sure some of them have contributed to the world at large. Ethel could have learned a thing or two about parenting from Jackie and Eunice Shriver. Even poor Sarge Shriver is attacked in this book as a snob!(Maybe he appeared snobby so he could not be misquoted, and he kept his mouth shut) Poor man. Anyway if you want to read a book that tears down this family as much as possible, this is the book to buy (LOL), otherwise save your money and buy one that would give a fair picture overall.

Mean Spirited, Critical, and Irritating.......2001-07-30

Having read and enjoyed Barbara Gibson's story about working with Rose Kennedy during the matriarch's later years -- and the related stories of the fun and foibles of the clan's grandchildren -- I anticipated a more in-depth chronicle here about the lives and significant contributions and problems of the grandchildren-generation of America's Kennedy clan.

It was a bloodbath.

Whereas Gibson sounds as though she enjoyed her job despite the frustrations of working in such self-centered and affluent milieu in her book about Rose, this book presents those same grandchildren as selfish, snobbish, hedonistic hellcats with thorough disregard for the lives of those around them... resulting from their sub-par parenting courtesy of their abused, neglected, drug-addicted folks and hell-bent-on-success grandparents.

This is a textbook of intergenerational blame.

The redeeming qualities of this book include its attempt at even handedness (for example, the author does note that with few exceptions, Maria Shriver did in fact earn her journalistic distinction on her own... and that Caroline and John Kennedy were basically good children, exceptions to the Kennedy rule) and its historical validity; based on my experience reading every other Kennedy biography I can get my hands on, most of Gibson's factual information is accurate.

However, allegations that Rosemary Kennedy never was retarded ring false to me (Gibson claims Rosemary was merely unacceptably mediocre as well as dyslexic... seems to me that other Kennedy children were similarly underendowed in priority areas, but no one wanted to lobotomize THEM -- except maybe Gibson herself). The word "hate" and its relative "hatred" are flung around with reckless abandon, classifying everything from Ethel's feelings about her son David to Rose's reaction to Kym to Jackie's response to John Jr.'s potential acting career.

The author truly seems to hate this family, to use her already overused adjective. Obviously, she anticipated a windfall of money to make such a distasteful book worth her time, or maybe her co-author bewitched her... but there are more judicious Kennedy biographies out there, ones that manage to highlight accomplishments of this very accomplished family without seeming to relish their weaknesses, proclivities, deviations, or vulnerabilities.

Get this from the library.

Watching The Younger Generations Self-destruct.......2001-01-10

In spite of the title, a good portion of the book is devoted to a repetition of familiar family history centering on Joe, Rose, Jack, Bobby and Teddy. This book is not friendly to the Kennedys. It will be most interesting to those who enjoy watching members of the younger Kennedy generations self-destruct.

one of the worst books ever written about the Kennedys.......2000-08-07

This book should never have been written. It is poorly researched, riddled with inaccuracies, and so relentlessly anti-Kennedy that it induces mental nausea. Ms. Gibson has made capital out of her secretarial job, but neither her pontificating nor the scuttlebutt of "household staff" is worth reading.

A Waste of Money!.......2000-01-04

While I don't have an overwhelming delight nor animosity towards the Kennedy family, I believe that the author, Barbara Gibson, does. Writing this book provides her with an opportunity to bash a former employer. The book is poorly written with regurgitated passages throughout. It also contains typos that should have been easily caught during proofing. Example: Anthony Shriver "was born in 1965..." Further down on the same page you will find this sentence: "In February 1965, he was quoted in People magazine..." Please! If you are going to take my money at least get your product correct.

Customer Reviews:

Exploring the Man.......2006-03-02

I believe that this is a great book for those who want to learn about the private and public life of Senator Ted Kennedy. The book explores why he was able to get where he is today and why he did not go any further. I believe that because of the facts that are presented in the book it gives a clear picture why Ted did not get the Presidential Nomination by the Democrats in 1980. This book does not just state facts about the man it also gives us a picture of his character and dignity.
In this book the author likes to give matter of fact statements and then elaborate on them with his own opinion. Since this book gives opinions that come from author, I believe that it makes the biography more interesting. This book is written in third person, since the author did not know Ted Kennedy on a personal level. Also the author sometimes says what some of the other Kennedy's are thinking which I believe is very effective to help the flow of the novel.
In addition, I believe that the author is trying to get us to be able to understand Ted and his family history better. I also think that he wants us to be able to come up with our own ideas of why things happened in Ted Kennedy's life that led to either positive or negative effects on his political career. Another effective tool that the author uses is that he never really allows for politics to come into the way he writes his opinions. This book is a good book for those who want to learn more about the legacy of Ted Kennedy.

Exploring the Man.......2006-03-02

Average customer rating:

The Senator - My Ten Years with Ted Kennedy
Richard (et al) Burke
Manufacturer: St Martin's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O717OW

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