RFK: A Memoir

Rating:
Summary: "by the awful grace of god"
Review: I grew up with mixed feeling about RFK. Being raised by Goldwater Republicans, the Kennedy mythos held little sway. But I was 6 years old when RFK was assasinated and I saw him dying lying spread eagle on the floor, his head haloed in a corona of blood, his face impassive.

I still have no sympathy for the Kennedy mythos and I have no sympathy for messianic politics (looking for the leader, whether left or right), but I've been drawn to RFK. He alone was really devout. He alone really saw the moral dimension during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He alone accept his share of responsibility for Vietnam.

This book was written soon after RFK's death and it's a wonderful memior. Newfield is not a "kennedy groupie" altho' he is so, so close to his subject you forgive him for his hero worship. It is not to be treated as an objective historical document, Newfield is blind to the achievements of the Great Society and vicious towards LBJ, but given the context in which he wrote that's hardly surprising.

For a more critical, yet remarkably complementary (when it comes to RFK) account, I would recommend Garry Wills THE KENNEDY IMPRISIONMENT.

Rating:
Summary: A fine book with personal touch
Review: Newfield's writing is both honest and truthful, Robert Kennedy gave this country his life, his vision and a sence of hope and peace. This book gives a excellent sence of his struggle to give this world just that...

Rating:
Summary: A fine book with a personal touch
Review: Robert kennedy gave this country his life, his vision and sence of hope and peace to all. Newfield's writing does a fine job of showing RFK struggle to do just that.