Robert Kennedy and His Times
by Arthur Meier Schlesinger Jr.

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Book Reviews of Robert Kennedy and His Times

Book Review: A SCHOLARLY, SUBJECTIVE VIEW OF ROBERT KENNEDY
Summary: 5 Stars

Robert Kennedy was a man whose core appeared to be diligence. An intelligent, intense and often serious man, he often appeared to be driven. His driving intensity was readily apparent in all aspects of his life. He appeared to take recreational activities seriously, e.g. football which he played with great zeal. He takes that same zeal and applies it to his interrogating and pursuing Teamsters and Mafiosi; he is equally zealous and driven during his tenure as Attorney General (1960-1964) and later as a Senator.

Schlesinger chronicles the man's life from the beginning; he describes Robert Kennedy's academic career, which, too was marked by laborious effort. Letters from and to him from various family members are included; these missives do point up to a strongly developed person.

In many ways Robert Kennedy was a self taught man. The boy who really had to apply himself as a student became well versed in classic literature by adulthood. Robert Kennedy could quote long passages from authors such as Aeschylus, Camus and Sophocles by heart; he was able to draw from a myriad of esoteric sources. The man who admitted that for most of his life he "did not lie awake nights concerned about the plight of minorities," would later become a strong advocate for the disenfranchised. He educated himself in civil rights related issues and served as the voice of many.

His death leaves a painful void in history. Schlesinger appears to stop short and gives a very minimal account of the Senator's death. In reading this particular work, one cannot help but feel that Schlesinger just could not bring himself to recount the Senator's death in 1968.

Indeed, the death of Robert Kennedy has left many gaping questions unanswered. This, as with any work on his life makes one wonder what might have been had he lived to win the 1968 Presidential Election. Schlesinger plainly admired the late Senator and treats him almost deferentially in this work. It is a work well worth reading. It is thoroughly researched and gives

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