Robert Kennedy: Brother Protector

Rating:
Summary: AN EXCELLENT PORTRAYAL OF A GOOD MAN
Review: Robert Kennedy was better than a great man. He was a good man and his track record in minority work certainly underscores this point. I have always believed he was sincere in his efforts and that he truly cared about people. He was of an usual caliber and his loss was certainly one that was keenly felt. I can to this very day remember those two horrendous days in June when he was assassinated and later died. It was the first death that ever affected me personally. I was then a child and I remember saying that "I hate the man who shot Senator Kennedy! I hate him and I hope they throw him in jail forever and I wish Rosey Grier had broken his [the assassin's] head!" My mother gave me some sound advice that I remember today. Her exact words to me on June 6, 1968 were, "Senator Kennedy would not want you to hate anyone. Instead of hating the assassin, pray instead for an end to violence and pray for his family." It took me some time before I was able to do that, and I am glad to be able to say today that I can. Over the years, I have prayed for David, the son who watched his own father die on television and was so consumed with his own grief that he, too, became a casualty. One of my all time favorite stories about Robert Kennedy was his success in climbing Mt. Kennedy in Canada in March of 1965. He was a man whom many described as acrophobic, yet he was able to table his terror and climb that mountain out of love for his brother. (I think the mountain should have been named after ROBERT Kennedy -- he claimed it). He wisely gave credit where credit was due upon reaching the top of that mountain -- he made the Sign of the Cross. I just love this story so much that I have told it before the Toastmasters. I think it is very inspiring and just underscores the character, determination and hard work of a man who worked hard to meet personal goals. Robert Kennedy was in my eyes a success story. I was a history major and he was the subject of my senior project. It was one of the few writing assignments I ever enjoyed and I did well. Robert Kennedy was a man who not only marked sociopolitical milestones in his lifetime. He marked personal milestones in the lives of those who were interested in his life.

Rating:
Summary: AN EXCELLENT PORTRAYAL OF A GOOD MAN
Review: Robert Kennedy was better than a great man. He was a good man and his track record in minority work certainly underscores this point. I have always believed he was sincere in his efforts and that he truly cared about people. He was of an usual caliber and his loss was certainly one that was keenly felt. I can to this very day remember those two horrendous days in June when he was assassinated and later died. It was the first death that ever affected me personally. I was then a child and I remember saying that "I hate the man who shot Senator Kennedy! I hate him and I hope they throw him in jail forever and I wish Rosey Grier had broken his [the assassin's] head!" My mother gave me some sound advice that I remember today. Her exact words to me on June 6, 1968 were, "Senator Kennedy would not want you to hate anyone. Instead of hating the assassin, pray instead for an end to violence and pray for his family." It took me some time before I was able to do that, and I am glad to be able to say today that I can. Over the years, I have prayed for David, the son who watched his own father die on television and was so consumed with his own grief that he, too, became a casualty. One of my all time favorite stories about Robert Kennedy was his success in climbing Mt. Kennedy in Canada in March of 1965. He was a man whom many described as acrophobic, yet he was able to table his terror and climb that mountain out of love for his brother. (I think the mountain should have been named after ROBERT Kennedy -- he claimed it). He wisely gave credit where credit was due upon reaching the top of that mountain -- he made the Sign of the Cross. I just love this story so much that I have told it before the Toastmasters. I think it is very inspiring and just underscores the character, determination and hard work of a man who worked hard to meet personal goals. Robert Kennedy was in my eyes a success story. I was a history major and he was the subject of my senior project. It was one of the few writing assignments I ever enjoyed and I did well. Robert Kennedy was a man who not only marked sociopolitical milestones in his lifetime. He marked personal milestones in the lives of those who were interested in his life.

Rating:
Summary: Read this book!
Review: This was a book that I could hardly put down! I am absolutely fascinated with Bobby Kennedy. I wasn't born yet when he was killed, however, he is someone that I truly like and empathize with. James Hilty does an outstanding job. He tries to wash away the myths as well as the outright lies about Bobby's life. Hilty keeps his opinion out of this historical review. When there is no proof to prove or disprove something, he tells us all the facts. He then tells us what probably happened considering the aftereffects and the actions taken in similiar circumstances. Hilty shows us that a lot of the power and the politics in the JFK administration, were due to Bobby. Bobby was by no means perfect, just human. He submerged his own desires and identity to propel his brother's career. I eagerly anticipate Act II, Bobby "on his own."

Rating:
Summary: Very poor biography of Robert Kennedy
Review: Unlike many readers, I did not like this book and stopped reading after 70 pages. It is a poorly-written biography. Many issues, like the civil rights struggle and the Kennedy's angst, are not analyzed with great depth. The ancedotal stories of Bobby and Jack are cute, but lend nothing to an intellectual understanding of Robert Kennedy. Perhaps those who know nothing of the Kennedys might enjoy this book; but, for serious biography readers, this is disappointing and unreadable.