by David Nasaw
First published 2012
Celebrated historian David Nasaw presents the complete story of Joseph P. Kennedy, architect of America's most prominent political family. Drawing on exclusive access to Kennedy's personal papers at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Nasaw traces the remarkable transformation of an East Boston outsider into a Washington power broker. Kennedy's relentless ambition propelled him through careers as banker, shipyard manager, Hollywood executive, Wall Street operator, and founding SEC chairman. His dramatic downfall began with his controversial tenure as Irish American ambassador to London, where his antiwar stance before World War II earned him White House condemnation and public scorn. Nasaw examines Kennedy's complex legacy, addressing persistent questions about his alleged connections to organized crime, his isolationist politics, his troubled marriage to Rose, and his decision to lobotomize daughter Rosemary. The biography reveals a man whose personal tragedies matched his public controversies, exploring how the father who launched a political dynasty also endured profound family suffering.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, political-science, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, political-intrigue
Setting: East Boston, London, Washington
Period: World War II
868 pages · Hardcover · The Penguin Press
Content warnings: mental-illness