leondumoulin.nl: Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years ( ): David Talbot, Mel Foster: Books.
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- Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years
From acclaimed journalist David Talbot comes a groundbreaking narrative account of one of the most tumultuous periods in our history: Though countless books have been written about the Kennedy men and their brief, tumultuous time in the White House, few have offered as many explosive revelations as this one. A topic of perennial interest, Brothers is a multilayered, complex tale of gut-wrenching history. Your Cart items Cart total.
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Brothers Hidden History Kennedy Years, May 22 | Video | leondumoulin.nl
Buy from another retailer. Free eBook available to NEW subscribers only. Must redeem within 90 days. See full terms and conditions and this month's choices. More Books from this Author. Season of the Witch. The Death of Mrs. Westaway By Ruth Ware. Lying in Wait By Liz Nugent. So, dear reader, I'm a conspiracy nut, a term given to those who do not accept the authorised view of events and in this case I'm quite happy with the term. I have listed the names of people I believe to have been involved with the assassination in '63, long before reading Talbot's book and it is reassuring to find this author's list concurred with mine.
So, back to the book review. To echo my own beliefs there is a quote from Arthur Schlesinger "JFK had a great capacity to resist pressures from the military. He simply thought he was right. Lack of self confidence was never one of Jack Kennedy's problems. We would have had nuclear war if Nixon had been president during the missile crisis. But Kennedy's war hero status allowed him to defy the Joint Chiefs. He dismissed them as a bunch of old men.
I found out that my world was not the real world. After Dallas, after the Ambassador Hotel, after Watergate, after Iraq and the never ending war on terror, the real world is subjected to concealed dark forces in thrall to agencies and corporate design that are not subject to law and ballot box.
View all 3 comments. Feb 15, Eric rated it really liked it Shelves: Aint no two, three of four ways about it. Kennedy, splattering his brains all over his wife. Then, when his brother Bobby who wanted to be president in large part to find out who killed his brother got close to winning, they killed him too. Oh and they killed a few of Kennedy's girl friends along the way because they had too much influence on him. This book is well researched, well written by a noted writer. Mar 24, Caroline rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is a very very good book, insightful, thought-provoking, interesting and very moving.
I found myself in tears at more than a few points. It's about Jack and Bobby Kennedy and their relationship throughout 'the Kennedy years'. History seems to have sidelined Bobby and his murder over the years - the attention has always been on JFK and his assassination - but the way this book looked at Bobby broke my heart.
Because Jack was his whole world, his primary focus - and when Jack was murdered Bobb This is a very very good book, insightful, thought-provoking, interesting and very moving. Because Jack was his whole world, his primary focus - and when Jack was murdered Bobby was absolutely bereft. And then he pulled himself together, set about on a political career of his own and set out after the White House, all so he could continue his brother's legacy, and was then murdered himself.
Jul 22, Erik Graff rated it really liked it Recommends it for: This book is both a biography of the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert, from until , and a review of their assassinations and the controversies surrounding them. Along the way the author, a believer in a conspiracy linking both murders, documents how RFK himself subscribed to such beliefs as regards the events of 22 November, Author David Talbot is also a believer in the Kennedy brothers themselves.
Although he deals briefly with the promiscuity of the elder, even mentioning rumors This book is both a biography of the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert, from until , and a review of their assassinations and the controversies surrounding them. Although he deals briefly with the promiscuity of the elder, even mentioning rumors of his use of psychoactives, he fails to address how this behavior could, if revealed by those in the know in the FBI, CIA and the press, have led to his downfall in the intended campaign.
As regards potential sexual scandals involving the younger brother there is not a word. Instead, he focuses on claims that one or both of them were involved in the assassination attempts against Castro, discounting all of them. There's no question that the CIA, domestic mobsters and disaffected Cubans were gunning for Fidel, the question for Talbot is instead to identify precisely which spooks, crook and terrorists had included the brother Kennedys in their hit list—and why.
The answer to the question of motive and the identification of the murderers is not precisely given in this book. Motives abound, the virtues of the Kennedys being their crimes in the eyes of the many suspects considered. These virtues included, in Talbot's eyes, the courageous attempts for reconciliation with the Communists, the rejection of policies of military and economic aggression against third world nations, the prosecution of organized crime and the promotion of civil rights—all of which set teeth on edge in certain circles.
While I, like Reeves in his A Question of Character, would emphasize such concerns more than Talbot does, the idea that both Kennedys matured positively towards the end of their careers, an idea shared by both authors, is an attractive one. One would like to think that their deaths, and the grief of millions, meant something.
Aug 30, B. Hallward rated it it was amazing Shelves: A fascinating book about the Kennedys that includes a hair-raising picture of the inner workings of the American government during the cold war, barely controlled generals pushing for nuclear war, a CIA answerable to no one. A great strength of this book is how it isn't framed as an argument for a particular conspiracy theory; instead it argues that the Warren report was an insulting failure to seriously investigate what happened, that the CIA lied to and successfully stonewalled generations of A fascinating book about the Kennedys that includes a hair-raising picture of the inner workings of the American government during the cold war, barely controlled generals pushing for nuclear war, a CIA answerable to no one.
A great strength of this book is how it isn't framed as an argument for a particular conspiracy theory; instead it argues that the Warren report was an insulting failure to seriously investigate what happened, that the CIA lied to and successfully stonewalled generations of official inquiry boards representing the American people, and the a lazy, contemptibly passive media was willing to swallow whatever official line they were given. But, on another level, it's a rich complicated portrait of the Kennedy brothers, both their aspirations and their failures.
Clearly sympathetic without fawning, it reveals JFK and RFK as people who had a powerful vision of peace and social justice in an era of painful turmoil and deep hatreds. Jun 23, Sandra Cox rated it it was amazing. This book lets the reader know about the political climate of the 60s which forced the Kennedy brothers into decisions they didnt want to make and some that they did. I only wish we were still trying to be a peaceful nation which is what Kennedy wanted more than anything else. Thats why he made such strides in getting along with Khruschev This book lets the reader know about the political climate of the 60s which forced the Kennedy brothers into decisions they didnt want to make and some that they did.
Thats why he made such strides in getting along with Khruschev, Castro, etc. The CIA were the ones who wanted to assassinate Castro. All of this leads up to the major reasons JFK was killed. I would say though that this book is more rewarding for the journey it takes the reader on than the destination it gets you too at the end. Talbot makes a convincing and passionate case for the Kennedys' example in response to the revisionism of recent years.
RFK, too, comes across as a remarkable character — the rare politician to actually become radicalised the closer he got to power his involvement with the growing civil rights movement is particularly notable in this regard and one whose own slaying has always struck me as an even greater loss to the world than that of his brother. Was this radicalism, this strength of character in the face of the great military-industrial complex enough to get the brothers killed by a conspiratorial alliance between the CIA, the Mafia and a cabal of radicalised Cuban exiles?
Despite dragging up some intriguing but deeply frustrating near-confessions from suspects who might well have found themselves on the edge of such a conspiracy if it happened, Talbot cannot ultimately answer that question. But the story he tells in trying to answer it is at turns thought-provoking, deeply irritating, and profoundly inspiring.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. May 21, Tom rated it really liked it Shelves: Beyond reading summaries and a few critiques of the Warren Commission report when it was first issued, I had never delved deeply into the speculation about who really killed John F. Kennedy, and, later, Robert F. David Talbot's wide-ranging book offers an insightful way to revisit and catch up on the awful events.
He provides no conclusive answers but leans heavily toward a suspicion that the JFK plot involved either CIA agents, anti-Castro Cuban immigrants or the Mafia, or perhaps an Beyond reading summaries and a few critiques of the Warren Commission report when it was first issued, I had never delved deeply into the speculation about who really killed John F.
He provides no conclusive answers but leans heavily toward a suspicion that the JFK plot involved either CIA agents, anti-Castro Cuban immigrants or the Mafia, or perhaps an alliance of two or all three groups. He touches very briefly on the possibility that Lyndon Johnson may have been involved, but doesn't give it much attention. Interestingly, he passes over the possibility that Richard Nixon, who, of course, hated Kennedy, might have played a role, except to include a cryptic quote from Nixon that implied Tricky Dick may have had some inside knowledge.
His reporting and analysis of RFK's murder is more cursory and superficial. He is skeptical Sirhan Sirhan hatched the plot completely on his own, but is sketchy about who might have set up the hit, and why. As both assassinations fade into history, probably few Americans under 50 care that much about what happened and why.
Talbot's concluding chapter faults the media for failing to press thorough, independent inquiries of their own. He is particularly hard on Benjamin Bradlee, JFK's personal friend, who conceded he didn't launch a Watergate-scale investigation because he feared it could damage his own budding career and image at the Washington Post. Talbot also scolds the Kennedy Library for continuing to restrict access to key archives that could shed more light. It shows how Bobby suspected CIA involvement right from the day his brother was shot, yet felt he would not be able to move effectively against any CIA culprits until he became president.
He skips lightly over the attitudes of Ted Kennedy, and Jacquelyn Kennedy, so the reader is left to wonder why they didn't pursue their own expose. Paralyzed by grief, or intimidated by the fear they could be next? In short, the book, in spite of its limitations, causes us to question whether the CIA has been tamed or is still a threat to our constitutional government.
And with the new US-Cuba detente in place and growing stronger, is there any lingering danger from anti-Castro diehards? Nov 15, JwW White rated it really liked it Shelves: This book will convince most skeptical readers that there was a conspiracy behind the assassination of President Kennedy. Different readers might come to different conclusions about who was behind the assassination other than Oswald , but the author lays out a complex web of things that are too many and too connected to be coincidence. Adding credence to the author's claims is the fact that reputable mainstream researchers have recently exposed the gaping holes and unexamined areas in the Warre This book will convince most skeptical readers that there was a conspiracy behind the assassination of President Kennedy.
Adding credence to the author's claims is the fact that reputable mainstream researchers have recently exposed the gaping holes and unexamined areas in the Warren Commission's findings. Also backing up his thesis is the fact that the House Subcommittee on Assassinations concluded that there was a conspiracy a fact most reporters chose to ignore and one that silently disappeared.
Far too many news reporters and laypersons today choose to ignore the all-important question of who killed JFK and why. This is sad not just for the sake of history, but for the fact that the issue has immense implications concerning who really runs the U. The book was well written, dense with facts and research, and balanced in its approach. This book made go back to one of my favourite periods of US politics and characters as well. Very well written and very well researched in my opinion not being an expert on the subject but having read many books on the matter I say that The book recounts the origins of the Kennedy family and the developments that took John to the White House and Robert to the State Department as well as the implications of them taking sides during those years in reference to diverse groups of power.
Of cou This book made go back to one of my favourite periods of US politics and characters as well. Of course the book recounts John's assassination and goes well after it to describe the pain that Bobby carried with him and that according to the author, never left him, implying even that he "knew" he was going to share the same fate than his brother John. I loved this book.
Dec 20, Thomas rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a unique look at the Kennedys from within the Kennedy camp. We witness the major events of our era through the eyes of Robert Kennedy and the close-knit "band of brothers. RFK firmly believed "they" killed his brother. Whatever the reader's opinion of the event, it is interesting to view RFK's life and career as products of that belief.
I was This is a unique look at the Kennedys from within the Kennedy camp. I was impressed both with the level of research and with the writing style. Though a great deal of information was presented, Brothers moved along very quickly. Jul 26, Diane rated it really liked it. Anyone interested in a well researched account of the Kennedy assassinations, the relationship between JFK and RFK, and the inner workings of our government should read this book. After reading it, I am convinced that that both JFK and RFK were extraordinary, though flawed men, whose murders were never truly solved.
Nov 19, Sarah A French Girl rated it it was amazing. Best book I've read this year. Sheds much light on what the Kennedy brothers were truly about and what they attempted to do. If Bobby would have lived, I reckon he would have been greater than his brother. He was truly an ember in the ashes. I'll write a proper review soon. Aug 04, buki rated it it was amazing. The book is full of anecdotes and fabulously depicts the political climate of the 60s.
Also, in a refreshing change in approach from his later work, Talbot takes a more measured path in Brothers — using a much broader range of sources and even more of his own personal interviews. All of this results in a story that for me was much more empathetic and enjoyable with an exceptional crescendo to disaster. But with that being said, Brothers also has one of the greatest endings to a non-fiction piece I have experienced in a long time. Throughout the book, he maintains a way of writing that stays the balance between full accusations and pointless speculations. Never wasting time, he keeps the book moving from beginning to end — through all the tumultuous years of before, during and after the Kennedy era — and still manages to leave no point less or more addressed than it should be.
Through asking all the right questions and speculating all the uncomfortable answers, Talbot points a finger right at the heart of American democracy. The narrative itself is a complex one. To Talbot, the two Kennedy brothers Bobby and Jack are neither saints nor sinners but tragic figures caught in the midst of the earth-shattering s. Misguided crusaders or justice wielding light-bringers?
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Largely, Talbot leaves that for the readers to decide. I obviously wont spoil the content, but a large amount of people are already familiar with the Kennedy story. While fact and speculation are clearly defined, all the undoubtable events paint a picture eye-opening enough.
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No doubt, every factual event presented in the book is accompanied by a wide array of speculation. But this time around, Talbot brings a much better arsenal of sources and personal evidence. Everything is backed up by varying degrees of proof sources and interviews, for the most part , listed in a large section at the end of the book.
Talbot himself clearly conducted a lot of interviews with high profile individuals who either were connected to the Kennedy years or personally knew one of the Kennedy brothers themselves. Sometimes the interviews he conducts require no editorializing being emotional enough in their own right. There, as it appears, is nothing more striking than the words of those who were there.
Fascinating characters like Ted Sorensen, Arthur Schlesinger, Generals Lemnitzer and LeMay, Frank Mankiewicz and many more light up the story all the more with their interesting backstories and additions to the Kennedy tale. All of it almost seems fictional as the reader slowly plays witness to what may very well be the crime of the century. This results in a troubling but understandable story, that strikes deep even 50 years on.
Jan 08, Steve Lehrman rated it it was amazing. I cannot imagine a more valuable book about American leadership in the second half of the 20th Century. The assassination of John F. Kennedy was the nightmare event of my childhood. I approach such material warily, because of the number of books already written and because the subject is tender to my heart. However, this is not merely a book about the Kennedy assassinations. This is a story about how two brothers strove mightily to bring a different kind of politics and a different world view to I cannot imagine a more valuable book about American leadership in the second half of the 20th Century.
This is a story about how two brothers strove mightily to bring a different kind of politics and a different world view to a nation already weary of the Cold War. The tightrope walk they attempted involved appeasing the militant anti-Communist right while keeping minds and hearts open to the possibility of peace. I can't imagine what it must have taken to write a book like this one, where so many sources have been accessed, either by interview, transcript, previous writings, videos, etc.
I was on alert for attempts to skew this story one way or another, but found myself convinced that the writer was determined to keep researching until the evidence created a preponderance of probability for him. It is heartbreaking to read, in a way that truth is sometimes heartbreaking. These Kennedys he writes of are neither the adored martyrs of myth, nor the bawdy bad boys of the counter-mythologies. They are real people, flawed and struggling to make a difference in this world. Joseph Kennedy, their father, is similarly viewed in this "warts and all" manner.
Kennedy was assassinated, his brother Robert was the chief law enforcement official of the United States. Why didn't he solve the crime? What obstacles did he encounter? Through exhaustive interviews and newly revealed documents, Talbot makes a compelling case for what he believes may have happened in Dallas, what he believes may have happened in Los Angeles, and gives a compelling account of RFK's life in between those two events. Add to that the beautifully composed prose of the book, and it is not only an essential work of history, but an irresistable piece of writing. Jan 14, Travis Weir rated it liked it.
Very well researched book covering Jack Kennedy's presidency, as well as the years afterwards leading up until Bobby Kennedy's run for the Senate.
Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years
Also, covers Bobby's subsequent '68 Presidential campaign. There were a lot of things that I liked about this book. I will start with those. I had already read much abo Very well researched book covering Jack Kennedy's presidency, as well as the years afterwards leading up until Bobby Kennedy's run for the Senate. I had already read much about Kennedy but this book gave me even more of an insider look at the White House, it was quite eye-opening. I also really enjoyed how it covered Bobby's campaign run in , and the author also showed how diligent he was in his research with coming up with tidbit after tidbit.
But unfortunately, what really brought the rating down for this book was the author's inexplicable shine job, page after page, on Lyndon B. I was aghast reading how almost apologetic Talbot was on Johnson, treating him like this poor man by the end of his presidency, who was "haunted". Talbot also had Johnson dutifully believing that there was definitely a conspiracy behind Jack's assassination, and he Johnson definitely did not believe Hoover's reports from the Warren Commission.
For goodness sakes -- Johnson was the one behind the entire conspiracy! Recent publications have covered the fact that of anyone alive at that point in history, LBJ was the one who had the most to benefit from Jack's death, without a doubt. He also glossed over all of LBJ's manipulations during Jack's time in office, etc. It was just a huge weak point in the book. All in all, if you are an afficianado of the Kennedys, I do recommend this book. There is too much good information presented by it, despite its flaws. May 26, A Kritzer rated it really liked it.
Not sure what I was expecting but, David Talbot brings to light more of the brother to brother relationship of Robert and Jack Kennedy. The best parts focus on Bobby.