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The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Tragedy and Triumph
From New York Times bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli comes The Kennedy Heirs, his most revealing Kennedy book yet.
A unique burden was inherited by the children of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his celebrated siblings, Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy. Raised in a world of enormous privilege against the backdrop of American history, this third generation of Kennedys often veered between towering accomplishment and devastating defeat. In his revelatory new book, acclaimed Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli draws back the curtain on the next generation of America’s most famous family.
John Kennedy, Jr.’s life in the public eye is explored, following the Kennedy scion as he faced the challenges posed by marrying his great love, Carolyn Bessette. Riveting new details are shared about the couple’s tragic demise—and why Ethel Kennedy advised Carolyn not to take the trip that would ultimately end her life. John’s sister, Caroline Kennedy, had her own complicated relationships, including a marriage to Ed Schlossberg that surprised her mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and an unexpected bond with her mother-in-law, Mae Schlossberg.
Additional stories, many shared here for the first time, illuminate the rest of the Kennedy dynasty: Kara Kennedy, Ted’s daughter, and her valiant battle against lung cancer; how Ted’s wife, Vicki, introduced a new era of feminism to the Kennedy family; the lifelong struggles with addiction faced by Bobby Kennedy Jr. and Patrick Kennedy; the unexpected way pop star Taylor Swift helped Conor Kennedy heal after the death of his mother, Bobby’s wife Mary; and Congressman Joe Kennedy III’s rise to prominence. At the center of it all is the family’s indomitable matriarch, Ethel Kennedy—a formidable presence with her maddening eccentricities and inspiring courage.
Based on hundreds of exclusive first-hand interviews and cultivated over twenty years of research—including numerous Oral Histories from the JFK Library and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute—The Kennedy Heirs is an epic drama of ambition, scandal, pride and power.
A unique burden was inherited by the children of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his celebrated siblings, Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy. Raised in a world of enormous privilege against the backdrop of American history, this third generation of Kennedys often veered between towering accomplishment and devastating defeat. In his revelatory new book, acclaimed Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli draws back the curtain on the next generation of America’s most famous family.
John Kennedy, Jr.’s life in the public eye is explored, following the Kennedy scion as he faced the challenges posed by marrying his great love, Carolyn Bessette. Riveting new details are shared about the couple’s tragic demise—and why Ethel Kennedy advised Carolyn not to take the trip that would ultimately end her life. John’s sister, Caroline Kennedy, had her own complicated relationships, including a marriage to Ed Schlossberg that surprised her mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and an unexpected bond with her mother-in-law, Mae Schlossberg.
Additional stories, many shared here for the first time, illuminate the rest of the Kennedy dynasty: Kara Kennedy, Ted’s daughter, and her valiant battle against lung cancer; how Ted’s wife, Vicki, introduced a new era of feminism to the Kennedy family; the lifelong struggles with addiction faced by Bobby Kennedy Jr. and Patrick Kennedy; the unexpected way pop star Taylor Swift helped Conor Kennedy heal after the death of his mother, Bobby’s wife Mary; and Congressman Joe Kennedy III’s rise to prominence. At the center of it all is the family’s indomitable matriarch, Ethel Kennedy—a formidable presence with her maddening eccentricities and inspiring courage.
Based on hundreds of exclusive first-hand interviews and cultivated over twenty years of research—including numerous Oral Histories from the JFK Library and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute—The Kennedy Heirs is an epic drama of ambition, scandal, pride and power.
624 pages, ebook
First published June 11, 2019
761 people are currently reading
1845 people want to read
About the author
J. Randy Taraborrelli
25 books487 followersJ. Randy Taraborrelli is an author known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures. He is a featured writer in several entertainment magazines in Canada, England, and Australia. He also appears on television as an entertainment news reporter on shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, Today and CBS This Morning. Taraborrelli resides in Los Angeles, California.
Taraborrelli, who has written eighteen books (including updated and expanded editions), has had fourteen of them appear on the New York Times best seller list, the most recent of which was 2014's The Hiltons - The True Story of an American Dynasty. His first best seller was Call Her Miss Ross in 1989. His 2009 biography of Marilyn Monroe - The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe - made a re-appearance on the e-books best-seller list at number two in the summer of 2012.
In November of 2012, it was announced that Reelz cable channel had optioned Taraborrelli's New York Times best-selling book, After Camelot, as a miniseries. It will be his second television miniseries, the first airing on NBC in 2000 and based on his book, Jackie, Ethel, Joan.
Through his newly formed J. Randy Taraborrelli Productions, Taraborrelli is currently developing and producing a number of television projects.
Taraborrelli, who has written eighteen books (including updated and expanded editions), has had fourteen of them appear on the New York Times best seller list, the most recent of which was 2014's The Hiltons - The True Story of an American Dynasty. His first best seller was Call Her Miss Ross in 1989. His 2009 biography of Marilyn Monroe - The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe - made a re-appearance on the e-books best-seller list at number two in the summer of 2012.
In November of 2012, it was announced that Reelz cable channel had optioned Taraborrelli's New York Times best-selling book, After Camelot, as a miniseries. It will be his second television miniseries, the first airing on NBC in 2000 and based on his book, Jackie, Ethel, Joan.
Through his newly formed J. Randy Taraborrelli Productions, Taraborrelli is currently developing and producing a number of television projects.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
July 12, 2019
Added to my "I'll read anything about the Kennedys" shelf. Like Taraborrelli's other books, this is well-researched (it not at times a little TOO generous to the subjects, but I get it, when you to interview them). Other reviewers have noted that it would've been super helpful to have a family tree (or multiple). I was getting confused and I feel like I know the different lines and offspring better than most. Big book but a very fast read.
June 15, 2019
Randy Taraborelli is a good, not a great writer. He's no Leo Tolstoy, but then he's writing about a uniquely unhappy family, the Kennedys. His newest book, "Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy", has a too long-title but is actually an entertaining book. The "kids" he's looking at are the kids of Joe and Rose Kennedy's children; "kids" who are now in the their 50's and 60's. He also looks at their kids; the fourth generation from the top.
I doubt if it's ever been easy to be a Kennedy. From Joe and Rose on down, the children and grandchildren have been given great promise in life, but have also been saddled by drinking and drug problems. Several have been through addiction treatment and many others probably should have been. Bobby Kennedy's assassination in 1968 caused his eleven children terrible stress and pain. And, of course, their feelings- "Kennedys don't cry" - were never address by Teddy and Ethel, both of whom were in terrible pain themselves. The problems multiplied as these kids grew up and married and raised their own troubled children.
Perhaps the main Kennedy, the "star" of the family, was John Kennedy, Jr. His marriage and early death in the mid-to-late 1990's is explored in detail in the book. Taraborrelli intersperses the love story of John and Carolyn with chapters about the other Kennedys. It's a clever way to tell the story of the Kennedys as a whole, while keeping the reader hooked. Taraborrelli might not be a great writer but he's been telling the story of this troubled family in so many books already makes his latest book a must-read.
I doubt if it's ever been easy to be a Kennedy. From Joe and Rose on down, the children and grandchildren have been given great promise in life, but have also been saddled by drinking and drug problems. Several have been through addiction treatment and many others probably should have been. Bobby Kennedy's assassination in 1968 caused his eleven children terrible stress and pain. And, of course, their feelings- "Kennedys don't cry" - were never address by Teddy and Ethel, both of whom were in terrible pain themselves. The problems multiplied as these kids grew up and married and raised their own troubled children.
Perhaps the main Kennedy, the "star" of the family, was John Kennedy, Jr. His marriage and early death in the mid-to-late 1990's is explored in detail in the book. Taraborrelli intersperses the love story of John and Carolyn with chapters about the other Kennedys. It's a clever way to tell the story of the Kennedys as a whole, while keeping the reader hooked. Taraborrelli might not be a great writer but he's been telling the story of this troubled family in so many books already makes his latest book a must-read.
October 3, 2019
This is a fascinating look at the Kennedy family since 1963 with a surprise guest appearance by Taylor Swift?!
In some ways, it reads like a cautionary tale for generational wealth. The clear message: the 2nd and 3rd generations of the Kennedy family have had more than their share of misogyny, drugs, alcoholism, infidelity, addictions, elitism, etc. It’s tough to read about at times. Maybe this speaks to how terrible traumas can affect future generations?
The only ones who seem to have it together are the families of the Kennedy women. The Shrivers, the Lawfords, the Smiths, and the Schlossbergs seem to be the only ones who are truly down to earth.
Also, the chapters about Taylor Swift were surprisingly fascinating. She’s an honorary Kennedy!! Taylor Swift is a Kennedy aficionado! A few years ago, Taylor became friends with Ethel, dated both cousins Patrick Schwarzenegger AND Conor Kennedy, and bought a house next to the Kennedy compound to get closer to the family. Then things fell apart after she crashed a Kennedy wedding!! Where is THIS book?
All in all, a fun and fascinating read!
In some ways, it reads like a cautionary tale for generational wealth. The clear message: the 2nd and 3rd generations of the Kennedy family have had more than their share of misogyny, drugs, alcoholism, infidelity, addictions, elitism, etc. It’s tough to read about at times. Maybe this speaks to how terrible traumas can affect future generations?
The only ones who seem to have it together are the families of the Kennedy women. The Shrivers, the Lawfords, the Smiths, and the Schlossbergs seem to be the only ones who are truly down to earth.
Also, the chapters about Taylor Swift were surprisingly fascinating. She’s an honorary Kennedy!! Taylor Swift is a Kennedy aficionado! A few years ago, Taylor became friends with Ethel, dated both cousins Patrick Schwarzenegger AND Conor Kennedy, and bought a house next to the Kennedy compound to get closer to the family. Then things fell apart after she crashed a Kennedy wedding!! Where is THIS book?
All in all, a fun and fascinating read!
June 15, 2019
I really liked this book. I've probably read just above every book ever written on the Kennedys and really enjoyed learning about this generation. They've had their issues, as most everyone does, but I find them fascinating. The one thing I didn't like was that the book seemed to end abruptly, almost in mid-story.
July 15, 2019
I really loved this book. It was so easy to read and enjoyable, which was a good thing since it was over 500 pages. There was lots of information especially about the younger generation of Kennedys. So many in this family have dedicated their lives to helping those in need, less fortunate.
April 25, 2020
I too am fascinated with everything Kennedy. This book did not disappoint.
March 30, 2024
The only copy of this that my library had was in large print, so this turned into 913 pages of Kennedy history. From this visual alone, I now personally feel like a Kennedy scholar myself
May 29, 2021
“Where Bobby was concerned, maybe he cheated on Ethel, but we don’t know for sure and, based on what we do know of his character, it’s doubtful.” The Kennedy Heirs (2019) p. 475
“Jackie, Ethel, and Joan each felt the sting of a cheating husband...” Jackie, Ethel, Joan (2000) p. 50
Two books, published by the same author 19 years apart, with two dramatically different conclusions regarding Robert Kennedy’s extramarital activities. Having read numerous books about RFK, whether or not he cheated on Ethel seems to be a matter of interpretation, as different authors come to different conclusions. At the very least, if he did cheat, he was significantly more discreet than his brothers JFK and EMK, who pretty much everybody agrees we’re not faithful to their wives.
In his 2000 book, Taraborelli relates an incident where RFK was having an affair with an actress, Lee Remick. Lee allegedly called Ethel one night to inform her of the affair, at which point Ethel claimed RFK was sleeping next to her, but according to Taraborelli, RFK was actually in bed with Lee. He names other affairs RFK is supposed to have had, including with another actress Kim Novak.
If his 2000 book was his only book, I would have read it, taken it for what it was, and drawn my own conclusions (which, personally, I don’t find it to be in line with what we know of RFK’s character, but of course I can’t say for sure). My problem is the complete reversal of his position in his later book. I understand that new evidence comes to light, etc. but you can’t relate specific stories with specific people regarding affairs and then later claim they never happened without some additional explanation, which is not provided. I haven’t finished Jackie, Ethel and Joan (i read the Kennedy Heirs first), and I’m not sure I will, but it makes me question how much of his information can be backed by evidence or corroborated, and how much is gossip provided by one person without anyone else confirming the accuracy of the information.
It’s a gossipy, enjoyable book, but if you are looking for something factual and not a tabloid type, there are many other books on the Kennedys that have a stronger basis in fact than this author’s.
“Jackie, Ethel, and Joan each felt the sting of a cheating husband...” Jackie, Ethel, Joan (2000) p. 50
Two books, published by the same author 19 years apart, with two dramatically different conclusions regarding Robert Kennedy’s extramarital activities. Having read numerous books about RFK, whether or not he cheated on Ethel seems to be a matter of interpretation, as different authors come to different conclusions. At the very least, if he did cheat, he was significantly more discreet than his brothers JFK and EMK, who pretty much everybody agrees we’re not faithful to their wives.
In his 2000 book, Taraborelli relates an incident where RFK was having an affair with an actress, Lee Remick. Lee allegedly called Ethel one night to inform her of the affair, at which point Ethel claimed RFK was sleeping next to her, but according to Taraborelli, RFK was actually in bed with Lee. He names other affairs RFK is supposed to have had, including with another actress Kim Novak.
If his 2000 book was his only book, I would have read it, taken it for what it was, and drawn my own conclusions (which, personally, I don’t find it to be in line with what we know of RFK’s character, but of course I can’t say for sure). My problem is the complete reversal of his position in his later book. I understand that new evidence comes to light, etc. but you can’t relate specific stories with specific people regarding affairs and then later claim they never happened without some additional explanation, which is not provided. I haven’t finished Jackie, Ethel and Joan (i read the Kennedy Heirs first), and I’m not sure I will, but it makes me question how much of his information can be backed by evidence or corroborated, and how much is gossip provided by one person without anyone else confirming the accuracy of the information.
It’s a gossipy, enjoyable book, but if you are looking for something factual and not a tabloid type, there are many other books on the Kennedys that have a stronger basis in fact than this author’s.
June 22, 2019
Engaging and Inciteful
I really love this author. He writes about America's first family with respect, honesty and a bit of awe. His research is so thorough and detailed you feel as though you know his subjects personally. Reading of the third and fourth generation's triumphs, missteps and tragedies in one book is a bit overwhelming. The privilege , entitlement and a responsibility these family members were born with is a heavy burden most of us can be glad we have never had to bear. Some of them have accomplished it with grace and dignity, others had a much tougher time. All of them contributed to the tapestry we know as Kennedy.
I really love this author. He writes about America's first family with respect, honesty and a bit of awe. His research is so thorough and detailed you feel as though you know his subjects personally. Reading of the third and fourth generation's triumphs, missteps and tragedies in one book is a bit overwhelming. The privilege , entitlement and a responsibility these family members were born with is a heavy burden most of us can be glad we have never had to bear. Some of them have accomplished it with grace and dignity, others had a much tougher time. All of them contributed to the tapestry we know as Kennedy.
July 7, 2019
I have probably only given 3 books a 5 star rating. Mr. Taraborrelli is a master storyteller who makes you hang on to his every word. He has written other Kennedy books and yet still manages to keep you enthralled with his latest book. Could not put it down
I do think however, he needed a family tree to help keep track of the new generations.
Kudos to a wonderful author!
I do think however, he needed a family tree to help keep track of the new generations.
Kudos to a wonderful author!
June 28, 2020
Loved the book for its easy read.. but didn't like how the author interjected his political belief. Quoting democratic presidents galore but slamming anything to do with republicans.
July 9, 2025
It was ok! Long and a bit hard to follow but that could be bc there are so many Kennedy family members to cover. I wasn’t sure how he organized everything bc it felt a bit all over the place. It wasn’t chronological and it also felt sent by family. Taborelli does a good job of touching on everyone but I did find myself wanting more details.
February 12, 2022
The Kennedy heirs was a good audio book. I really enjoyed listening to it. A must for anyone who likes non fiction
July 22, 2023
Thinking they’d have a future together, she’d actually started doodling “Taylor Swift Kennedy” on a notepad just to see how it looked—and it looked pretty good.
Taylor Alison Swift - she's just like us!
June 17, 2019
Bestselling Kennedy chronicler (JACKIE, ETHEL, JOAN: Women of Camelot; AFTER CAMELOT: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family) J. Randy Taraborrelli has created yet another solid offering focusing on the famous Kennedy family. No matter what Americans think about this remarkable political clan, most of us do think of them --- either in memory of their notable tragedies, in surprise at their foibles, or in hope of seeing their name rise again in positive ways on the national scene.
It’s not an easy assignment covering the Kennedys, since there are multiple members of the second and third generations, at least 29 being examined here. Ethel and Bobby had 11 children, Teddy, three. John, Jr. and his wife, Jacqueline, had two --- by far the best known, named in the title of this fact-fraught account. Caroline, who was five when her father was assassinated, arguably might be said to have attained the most success, having married the longest and once served as Ambassador to Japan under President Obama. Her brother John, remembered by an older generation for staunchly saluting his father’s cortege as a toddler, could have inherited the so-called Kennedy curse, dying in a plane he was piloting, a crash that killed his wife and sister-in-law.
Bobby’s son, David, was 13 when he watched his father’s triumph and murder in quick succession on television; cocaine and other drugs caused his demise. Another of Bobby’s boys, Michael, who attended Harvard and attained a law degree, is here revealed as an unstable character who had a blatant affair with his children’s teenage babysitter. He also died suddenly, tragically, while skiing and playing Nerf football with family on Aspen Mountain.
The devastating effects of alcohol and drugs run like sap through the family tree, with Teddy, his wife Joan and many offspring afflicted. There has been a general tendency for self-engendered disgrace in the third generation echoing Teddy’s involvement in a horrific car crash/murder. Ethel, though, is shown here as the single ramrod-straight official proponent of Kennedy-ism, which to her mind would never have included even bad language, much less substance abuse and philandering.
Taraborrelli’s somber examination of a cursed clan was the product of some years of interviewing and ceaseless study into the family that has become the journalistic quarry of his writer’s aspirations. This lengthy segment ends, thankfully, on a positive note, with the ascension of Joe Kennedy III (Bobby’s grandson), a Harvard grad and Peace Corps volunteer, now a Massachusetts Congressional Representative ready to stand in the more solid footprints of his forebears. As Taraborrelli states, “He inherited the burden of expectation and didn’t mind it; he embraced it.” As a fourth generation Kennedy, Joe III may, he speculates, “have learned some important lessons about fidelity and commitment.”
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
It’s not an easy assignment covering the Kennedys, since there are multiple members of the second and third generations, at least 29 being examined here. Ethel and Bobby had 11 children, Teddy, three. John, Jr. and his wife, Jacqueline, had two --- by far the best known, named in the title of this fact-fraught account. Caroline, who was five when her father was assassinated, arguably might be said to have attained the most success, having married the longest and once served as Ambassador to Japan under President Obama. Her brother John, remembered by an older generation for staunchly saluting his father’s cortege as a toddler, could have inherited the so-called Kennedy curse, dying in a plane he was piloting, a crash that killed his wife and sister-in-law.
Bobby’s son, David, was 13 when he watched his father’s triumph and murder in quick succession on television; cocaine and other drugs caused his demise. Another of Bobby’s boys, Michael, who attended Harvard and attained a law degree, is here revealed as an unstable character who had a blatant affair with his children’s teenage babysitter. He also died suddenly, tragically, while skiing and playing Nerf football with family on Aspen Mountain.
The devastating effects of alcohol and drugs run like sap through the family tree, with Teddy, his wife Joan and many offspring afflicted. There has been a general tendency for self-engendered disgrace in the third generation echoing Teddy’s involvement in a horrific car crash/murder. Ethel, though, is shown here as the single ramrod-straight official proponent of Kennedy-ism, which to her mind would never have included even bad language, much less substance abuse and philandering.
Taraborrelli’s somber examination of a cursed clan was the product of some years of interviewing and ceaseless study into the family that has become the journalistic quarry of his writer’s aspirations. This lengthy segment ends, thankfully, on a positive note, with the ascension of Joe Kennedy III (Bobby’s grandson), a Harvard grad and Peace Corps volunteer, now a Massachusetts Congressional Representative ready to stand in the more solid footprints of his forebears. As Taraborrelli states, “He inherited the burden of expectation and didn’t mind it; he embraced it.” As a fourth generation Kennedy, Joe III may, he speculates, “have learned some important lessons about fidelity and commitment.”
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
July 31, 2019
I have been fascinated by the Kennedy family since I was a child, and learned about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. I had been home sick that day, and was watching a soap opera with my mother when Walter Cronkite broke in with the news. For the next four days, my family, along with most Americans, was glued to the events surrounding the mourning period of our president, along with the unexpected murder of President Kennedy’s killer on nation wide TV. I was not that much older than Caroline Kennedy, and I was fascinated by her and John John, dealing with the death of their father in front of the whole country. From that moment on, I read anything I could get find about the family, and this interest increased after the assassination of Bobby, and the marriage of Jackie to Onassis. When I saw this book at the library, my interest was piqued because the subjects of the book are the members of the third generation, Caroline, John, and their cousins, and he behind the scenes stories of their lives and the “Kennedy curse.” This book is long, but it is an engrossing read. The author has written several books about the Kennedy family, and he has done an incredible amount of research and interviewed so many people on the inside. After reading this book, I have the utmost respect for the members of this family who have emerged relatively unscathed from the pressures and expectations of being a Kennedy, and I feel sympathy for those who were plagued by demons because of their family ties. This is a very interesting book, and I highly recommend it to those who are interested in America’s first family.
July 31, 2019
Titan biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli's fourth book on the Kennedy dynasty focuses on the lesser-known but still fascinating third generation--the 29 sons and daughters of John, Robert, Edward, Eunice, Pat Kennedy and Jean Kennedy. There have been dozens of Kennedy clan biographies but few have focused on this wing. Taraborrelli (Jackie, Janet & Lee) has become a leading Kennedy historian, conducting more than 400 interviews concerning the family lineage over the last two decades.
The Kennedys have always been a magnet for scandal and tragedy, and the newer generation followed that playbook: sex, drug and alcohol addictions, reckless behavior, marital problems, suicide, hospitalizations, criminal arrests and deaths. The book begins with the 1999 plane crash that killed 38-year-old JFK Jr. and his 33-year-old wife. It then backtracks to the 1994 death of his mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the battle with his sister, Caroline, over her funeral. There is also plenty of drama from the children of Ted and Joan Kennedy, raised in an alcoholic home. Thankfully, the family also has a sense of humor. At one point, Ethel moans, "I can't handle any more bad news about Kathleen right now. My diet pills are starting to wear off."
"The Kennedy Heirs" weighs in at 600 pages, but with bite-size chapters, it's a speedy read. Authoritative comments and anecdotes from the family and friends make this an intimate, trustworthy and riveting book. It is an important and worthy follow-up to Taraborrelli's previous Kennedy biographies.
Taraborrelli's fourth book on the Kennedy dynasty--focusing on its third generation--is an authoritative, irresistible page-turner.
The Kennedys have always been a magnet for scandal and tragedy, and the newer generation followed that playbook: sex, drug and alcohol addictions, reckless behavior, marital problems, suicide, hospitalizations, criminal arrests and deaths. The book begins with the 1999 plane crash that killed 38-year-old JFK Jr. and his 33-year-old wife. It then backtracks to the 1994 death of his mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the battle with his sister, Caroline, over her funeral. There is also plenty of drama from the children of Ted and Joan Kennedy, raised in an alcoholic home. Thankfully, the family also has a sense of humor. At one point, Ethel moans, "I can't handle any more bad news about Kathleen right now. My diet pills are starting to wear off."
"The Kennedy Heirs" weighs in at 600 pages, but with bite-size chapters, it's a speedy read. Authoritative comments and anecdotes from the family and friends make this an intimate, trustworthy and riveting book. It is an important and worthy follow-up to Taraborrelli's previous Kennedy biographies.
Taraborrelli's fourth book on the Kennedy dynasty--focusing on its third generation--is an authoritative, irresistible page-turner.
December 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. It is very easy to read even though it is more than 500 pages. This book is mainly about the 3rd generation of Kennedy's, which are the children of the JFK's brothers and sisters. There is more time spent on the children that have political lives. It said that much of their money was in a trust that is hard to withdraw the money from so when the Chicago Merchandise Mart was sold in 1998 for $625 million--this was split among the children of Jack, Bobby, Teddy, Eunice, Pat and Jean. And according to the book the 27 cousins immediately received $10 million from the sale, which is described on page 291.
January 26, 2020
When a book is over 500 pages long, it takes a while to read. This book was worth the tme to read it and set it down and pick it back up and read some more. I have always been fascinated by the Kennedy family and now am fascinated by their heirs. Well done and thorough book.
October 14, 2019
Who doesn’t love reading about the Kennedy’s and all their stories? So much tragedy and heartbreak for one family. Interesting read with lots of good stories about so many family members.
April 7, 2020
Fascinating to read about the next generation of Kennedys and in-laws (including my governor.)
April 27, 2025
“…families are made up of individuals, and each person‘s life story is a unique combination of influences and circumstances. Put it this way: when someone from an influential family closes his eyes to go to sleep at night, his thoughts in those solitary moments usually don’t have to do with the greater good as much as they do with whatever is ailing him personally—his vices, his challenges… his pain, his sorrows… his hopes, his dreams for his own life. If these concerns somehow dovetail with what’s best for the family, all the better. Often, though, they don’t.”
Always been a fan of The Kennedys. This book dives deeper into the lives of the third generation (JFK, RFK, and Teddy’s kids)— some familiar stories, some new.
Always been a fan of The Kennedys. This book dives deeper into the lives of the third generation (JFK, RFK, and Teddy’s kids)— some familiar stories, some new.
May 24, 2024
This book really goes into depth about the 2nd-4th generation of Kennedy’s in a well written, informative way. I read this as an audiobook, and I do wish there was a family tree I could’ve used because it got hard at times remembering which children belonged to each person, especially when they’re all named the same (there’s like 4 Joes and 5 Patricks it’s crazy). This book had so many topics including:
-scandals
-infidelity
-misogyny
-abuse of power
-an affair with an underage babysitter
-untimely deaths
-plane crashes
-mental health and addiction
-Taylor swift
Overall a really great insight into the Kennedy family beyond JFK.
-scandals
-infidelity
-misogyny
-abuse of power
-an affair with an underage babysitter
-untimely deaths
-plane crashes
-mental health and addiction
-Taylor swift
Overall a really great insight into the Kennedy family beyond JFK.
September 9, 2023
I have always been fascinated by this family in particular Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy who I have always admired and looked up to. This author has written many books about the Kennedys and is always very respectful of their place and in history and their desire for privacy. This was a fascinating book about the whole family. There is an unbelievable amount of tragedy and also a strong sense that they feel the need to serve their country which is very admirable.
July 24, 2020
Very enjoyable read - I didn't know the back story on many of the featured Kennedys. I thought the format worked well to tell the story of one person at a time as opposed to chronologically. The author also did a good job focusing on the more interesting characters (including limiting the coverage of the "fourth" generation).
I felt this book could use a family tree to keep everyone straight. Also the use of long quotes made it hard to know who was speaking - eventually I stopped looking back if I forgot who the author was quoting.
Finally I couldn't help but chuckle that even an author who clearly idolized the Kennedys and wrote several books on them couldn't present Teddy as anything but a terrible human being (with very few exceptions).
I felt this book could use a family tree to keep everyone straight. Also the use of long quotes made it hard to know who was speaking - eventually I stopped looking back if I forgot who the author was quoting.
Finally I couldn't help but chuckle that even an author who clearly idolized the Kennedys and wrote several books on them couldn't present Teddy as anything but a terrible human being (with very few exceptions).
August 3, 2020
This is the second book I've read by this author. He has become my new favorite. This was an AH-MAY-ZING story....so detailed and such a rollercoaster. This story was raw and I feel like most people can relate to the Kennedy emotions. I cried and cried and cried. From happiness, to scandals, to adultery, to victories, to drug addictions, to misery and heartache...this book has it ALL!
November 10, 2021
This was an excellent read on the Kennedy family, really delving in to the personalities of many members of the family, other than the most famous ones. The complexities of many family relationships come to light, and found this to be very enlightening and informative, with not one iota of sensationalism.
i-quit
October 25, 2025I absolutely cannot stand when books claiming to be nonfiction have full-on conversations, not just quotes that are verifiable. Unless these mundane conversations were recorded, we have no way for sure of knowing what was actually said. It’s incredibly frustrating because I was so excited to read this book.
December 28, 2020
I know there are a slew of Kennedy books- the family sometimes considered American royalty. My mum was one of those worshippers....
This book takes a beaten-to-death topic and comes at it from a different direction. Taraborrelli's focus is on the later generations of Kennedys. Not just a political saga, not just a glorified tale of rich kids and their foibles, but more an honest and open telling of relatives with a famous last name.
My question to the author would be this: There are different branches of the Kennedys now, why were the Lawfords and Smiths left out??
A thick book but an easy, flip the pages read!
This book takes a beaten-to-death topic and comes at it from a different direction. Taraborrelli's focus is on the later generations of Kennedys. Not just a political saga, not just a glorified tale of rich kids and their foibles, but more an honest and open telling of relatives with a famous last name.
My question to the author would be this: There are different branches of the Kennedys now, why were the Lawfords and Smiths left out??
A thick book but an easy, flip the pages read!
April 27, 2023
i love a good gossip book about the kennedys but minus one star for the blatant misogyny against taylor swift ❤️
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