In Love with Night: The American Romance with Robert Kennedy

by Ronald Steel

Retracing the life and myth of Robert Kennedy, the author shows how he transformed himself from JFK's right-hand man into a crusader for the poor and down-trodden

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, American History, Biography Memoir

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Ronald Stee was an American writer, historian, and professor. He was the author of the definitive biography of Walter Lippmann.

Reviews

[Fergie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Ronald Steel's book, one is left to wonder what his true feelings are toward his subject matter. At times, you sense that Steel genuinely admires Robert Kennedy. At other times, his comments verge almost on contempt. Perhaps, this leads us to a more human understanding of RFK than the more common God-like qualities we place upon his memory as well as his brother's.
My understanding of the Kennedy brothers has always been that Teddy was the only true liberal among them. JFK and, in many ways, RFK, were much more conservative in their thinking than many of us progressive-minded voters like to acknowledge. This book builds upon that truth. History tends to forget that Bobby Kennedy worked for -- and even idolized the infamously anticommunist, witch-hunting conservative Senator Eugene McCarthy. We remember the Bobby Kennedy who carried on his brother Jack's legacy through his support of issues connected to civil rights and the poor. However, in this book, the author attacks that image and supplants it with the image of a politically astute man who was driven by his own political aspirations to follow a necessary path instead of an impassioned carrier of a worthy torch.
It was disappointing to read many aspects of this book. It would be much easier to read about a man compelled by his own moral fiber to fight for the rights of others. This is the man history and the masses remember. It is the myth of Bobby Kennedy we left-thinking voters have come to cherish. In truth, the real Robert Kennedy was more complicated. There were moments when I felt empathy for the man. He never seemed truly happy or comfortable in his skin. Steel does an adequate job outlining the potential reasons for this based on RFK's family, religious faith, and upbringing.
Teddy Kennedy was forced to live out the scars of his own poor personal choices as JFK did not. And while Bobby did not seem to have the same moral, personal weaknesses that afflicted his brothers, his affliction seemed much more cutting in that he struggled mightily to find his place. Teddy was the true and only real progressive (in today's terms) of the Kennedy brothers, but because he had the gift to live out his life, he is not immortalized to the extent of his brothers. Liberals, to this day, call upon RFK to evoke their message, but the real history tells us his pull toward the poor and disenfranchised was more out of political need than a powerful, inner desire. For me, this leaves a bit of a stain on the man and the memory of Bobby Kennedy. It's a disappointment to be sure, but Steel needs to be commended for taking on the issue of the true Bobby Kennedy. FINISHED 9-3-12

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written, this book traces the careers of Robert F. Kennedy and of the Kennedy mythos which he bore. In so doing, some conventional, mostly apologetic, beliefs are disputed, particularly as regards the Democratic presidential primaries in 1968. Having been a supporter of contender Eugene McCarthy myself, suspicious of the opportunistic RFK, my agreement with author Steel may be seen as suspect.

[Serena Sparks · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most painfully inaccurate and frustrating books I've ever read. The author practically insults Kennedy every chance he gets and assumes the worst. The idea that everything Bobby ever did in his life was politically calculated and that he deeply cares about people, or was conservative is absolutely ridiculous. He also had zero involvement with Marilyn Monroe (this has been debunked dozens of times), and had no knowledge of the attempts the CIA made against Castro's life. Also, the implication that Bobby was responsible for his brother's brutal murder is absolutely disgusting. The author was clearly an admirer of Lydon Johnson and had the belief that Bobby Kennedy was evil or "ruthless".

[Chris Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very even-handed written biography that does a good job of explaining the man and how the myth and legend was created. Interesting insights on a complex personality.

[The Reading Evenstar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

[gracie m’lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
"we can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it."
lyndon b. johnson

don't have too much to say about this bad boy...i bought this book on one of my used book store spree days. pretty sure i managed to find 15+ books about rfk and/or liberalism in the sixties that day, and i'm clearly still working through them.

in love with night was a fun place to start, because it attempts to provide a fun little analysis on, well, the american romance with robert kennedy. honestly, though, i was a little disappointed, because most of the analysis was bordering on surface level, and it got redundant more than a few times. there was a lot of focus on rfk's journey from disgruntled runt of the kennedy litter to passionate aeschyulus quoter, from assistant counsel on mccarthy's subcommittee on investigations to 1968 presidential hopeful who was thought to be perhaps the most liberal kennedy yet. i loved that aspect of the book, getting to see the way rfk played double agent as joe kennedy's most conservative son and america's most liberal kennedy. however, that started to drag about halfway through when the analysis failed to move forward into how and why this little scorpio man actually became one of america's most beloved liberal icons (lol), how and why america adopted the belief that if only our beloved bobby had lived, we would perhaps be in a golden age of equality and acceptance today (lol!).

steel begins to seriously delve into this misguided idea, what he calls "the bobby myth," only in the last couple of chapters in the book. sorry, but for a book called the american romance with robert kennedy, it focused a lot more on the robert than the romance, the twisted relationship between liberal america and the idealized bobby kennedy.

honestly, i can't say i learned TOO much from this book, because unfortunately i'm not well mentally (looping back to the day i bought ten books on rfk for reasons still unbeknownst to me, myself, and i) so i knew a lot of it before (some of us have watched the docuseries bobby kennedy for president five times since march 2020), but i can appreciate the semi-deep dive into the duality of who robert kennedy was (despite the false advertising tbh).

[Fawaz Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Ronald Steel has done what few historians were able to do, which is to delve deep into the inner soul of RFK. The beauty of the book lies in its author's ability to examine the phenomena of RFK and the reasons that made him the subject of fascination for historians. You might find the book being harsh on RFK and you may not agree with the author but believe me this book is a treasure.

This book will make you understand the parallels of RFK and Obama. Although the book is mainly about RFK, it has given me an insight into the "Obama Phenomena" as well.

Enjoyable read and highly recommended.

[Paul Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book that argues the premise that Robert Kennedy was just another politician, and people who long for him are merely the victims of spin and myth and legend. The author makes a good argument, relecting RFK's bio and the history of the times. But he sometimes goes over the top in his analysis, and oftentimes gets repetitive.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

RFK - a flawed and sometimes conflicted man who may have been POTUS. Author Steel doesn't simply repeat myths or whitewash history but takes a somewhat more even-handed approach in examining Kennedy's political career.

[Carolyn Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author unveiled the dark side of R. Kennedy, or did he just confirm what everyone understood drove politics in the 1960's, a personality that reaped with duplicity.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very insightful book, putting all sorts of holes into the Kennedy mystique. Steel carefully shows how Bobby Kennedy had JFK's legacy thrust upon him, but very much like his older brother he was almost worshipped by his followers, even though both brothers were neither as progressive as their followers believed, nor did they accomplish as much as has been attributed to them. The myth of the Kennedys is shown to be what they might have accomplished, rather than what they actually did accomplish.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book takes a more deconstructive aspect to the man of Robert Kennedy Senior, arguing that he was nothing more than a typical politician whose views actually tilted towards Conservative at times, and that what people praise about him is instead the myth constructed around him and his brother. A fascinating if cynical look at the man.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love myth-making.

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just started this, it was a gift from a friend who knew I just finished "Brothers" which I liked. I'm not a great Kennedy worshiper but admire the good they did and am curious about what drove them.

I think that like FDR, the Kennedy brothers were driven by the source of the family's wealth, they felt they needed to make up for the ill gotten sources of the family fortune and so were driven by forces most of us only read about. Not perfectly good men, but not all bad demons either. For those who aren't aware, the Kennedy money in large part came from bootlegging alcohol and other criminal activities. There was a well known and established connection between the Mafia and Joe Sr. In FDR's case, it was from the clipper ship trade and opium. The personal drivers, guilt, ambition, and fame are fascinating to me.

This author hasn't clinched me yet. He seems to write from a very lofty position and offers opinions where facts would better make his case. When in a book of this sort one writes: "It is said" and then fail to provide a footnote, I'm not seeing the fact as much as the ax the author is grinding. Ten pages in I can see he doesn't like Bobby. Fine. So far he looks like a pontificator but I will read on and see if he has anything to offer beyond opinion.

July '08

I finished this a while back. I agree with the authors basic premise that the Kennedy's reputation is inflated beyond reason. That however is a phenomenon in itself. I think I hold RFK in higher esteem than the author though I don't believe either brother qualifies for sainthood.

[Dave Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book exploring the other side of the Kennedy mystique.

[Rahmat Romadon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kennedy have some affair with Monroe - thats kills him.

[Kirk Bower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tries to capture the "kennedy contradictions" So-So

[Nel]

hey thanks... i owe you one.

[Laurie Hoppe · Rating 3 out of 5]

An examination of how/why Bobby Kennedy remains an icon of liberal politics, In Love with Night is less a biography than a 240-page editorial. It concentrates on Bobby's policies and behind-the-scenes maneuvers, and it's on solid ground when it explores the tougher and often ugly side to RFK's emphasis on action and victory. I appreciate how it compares and contrasts emotional, angry RFK and cool, ironic JFK. But for all the attention it pays to Bobby's relationships with his mother, his father, the Catholic Church and how they shaped him, it makes scant mention of his marriage of his 11 children (Ethel was pregnant when he died). I assume the family he created had some impact on him, too.

The book also examines the phenomenon that was Bobby's final campaign. The way Kennedy's personal grief fused with the traumatized nation's was sincere and powerful, but not entirely his doing. To quote the book's last line, "The Bobby Myth is our creation, not his."