The Last Brother

by Joe McGinniss

In The Last Brother, McGinniss brings to life the childhood, the brief triumph & the long downward slide of the last Kennedy brother, exposing the chilling reality behind the glittering facade of America's 1st Dysfunctional Family, as well as the terrible cost of Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy's dark ambitions for his children--even the last & least of them. His book focuses in particular on the extraordinary 60s, a decade that began in glory for the family with Jack's ascension to the presidency, & ended--after the murders of Jack & Bobby, the tragedy at Chappaquidick & their father's death--with Teddy, the last brother, standing alone in the rubble of Camelot. While The Last Brother is both shocking & newsworthy, Teddy Kennedy emerges as a curiously tragic figure, the victim of his own family, forever "the fat, awkward little boy" who was ignored by his siblings, his father & his mother, then propelled, unwilling & unprepared, into the public limelight. Searing, yet strangely moving & even sympathetic, The Last Brother presents a detailed, tragic portrait of a man at war with himself, doomed to live in the giant shadow of his brothers, trapped in the glorious but hollow Kennedy myth, longing--but unable--to escape.

Genres: Biography, Politics, History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Crime

626 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1993

About the author

Joe McGinniss was an American journalist, non-fiction writer and novelist. He first came to prominence with the best-selling The Selling of the President 1968 which described the marketing of then-presidential candidate Richard Nixon. It spent more than six months on best-seller lists. He is popularly known for his trilogy of bestselling true crime books — Fatal Vision, Blind Faith and Cruel Doubt — which were adapted into several TV miniseries and movies. Over the course of forty years, McGinniss published twelve books.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I wasn't sure how I would rate this book.

Do I rate it as a fact based biography?

Or do I rate it as a gossipy, conspiracy theory filled rag?

If I rated it as a biography, it would get 1 Star.

But if I rated it as a gossipy rag, it would get 2.5 Stars.

So I went with rag, because I had fun reading it.

Joe McGinnis wrote this book with an agenda. The agenda being to write a trashy biography that would get lots of media attention and make lots of money. I respect him for that, because I'm sure that when this book was published back in 1993 it made quite the splash. I don't mind reading books with an agenda as long as its made clear upfront what the agenda is, and in The Last Brother he made it clear from the first page of the book.

The Last Brother is about Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy's life and career. Of course since it was published in 1993 it ends on a rather down beat note, with the author wondering why Ted Kennedy even continues to live when he'll never be great like his brothers.

I get it the 70's & 80's were rough times for Senator Kennedy but damn this book was harsh. I'm not a Ted Kennedy apologist either, I mean he did kill Mary Jo Kopechne and get away with it. And had the author stuck to facts I would have rated this book much higher.

But he didn't.

Joe McGinnis wrote about every piece of gossip and every conspiracy theory he had ever heard. And while I enjoyed reading those, he stated them as facts. At one point in this book he states as a fact Joe Kennedy ( Ted's father) molested his daughter Rosemary.

What evidence did he provide?

Answer: None

He says that Joe Kennedy just seems like the type.

Huh?

He also states as a fact that:

1) The Mafia killed both Jack & Bobby Kennedy

And

2) J. Edgar Hoover had Martin Luther King murdered

I'm not saying these things aren't true but they are still considered conspiracy theories.

Overall The Last Brother wasn't awful, it just wasn't 100% based in fact. If you are like me and enjoy juicy gossip that is most likely not true but still super fun, then give this book a read.

[Washington Post · Rating 1 out of 5]

Our 1993 review of "The Last Brother" may be the most vicious book review The Post ever published. Here's what Jonathan Yardley thought of it:

Not merely is “The Last Brother” a textbook example of shoddy journalistic and publishing ethics; it is also a genuinely, unrelievedly rotten book, one without a single redeeming virtue, an embarrassment that should bring nothing except shame to everyone associated with it.

“The Last Brother” is slimy, meretricious and cynical. It is, by a wide margin, the worst book I have reviewed in nearly three decades; quite simply, there is not an honest page in it.

Read his full review here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...

[Lisa Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't have to read very far into this book to realize how gloriously the Kennedy clan thought of themselves. Joe Kennedy spent much of his married life cheating on his wife, Rose and taking care of his son's misdeeds. This book focuses on Teddy who was born much later in the line of children.
He never was the favorite. It is surprising how much he lacked in self-confidence especially since he carried the Senate seat in Mass. for so many years.
Teddy was also afraid of his father which makes for interesting reading as this family was about not expressing any real emotion. The image of the Kennedys has some sort of royalty was only a fairytale image and it's shocking to what lengths Joe Kennedy went to make his world perfect; even subjecting his vulnerable daughter to a forced life of isolation, confusion and no memory of who her family really was. The image of Camelot is forever stained and family tragedy has done more to unhinge this family than anything else.

[Mary Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Dad was right when he said this guy writes entertaining bullshit.

[B. Cheng · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good quick read if you're looking for the basics of the youngest Kennedy's life story up to Chappaquidick, but even in this book focused on Teddy, he takes a back seat to his brothers. At the same time, ending things in 1969 (especially considering the book came out in 1993), seems to tell only half the story, ending things on Kennedy's fall and not the slow rise that saw him turn into the elder statesman of the Senate.

[k'ar'th'ik' · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

[Cleo Baker-Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a friend & I must admit I hesitated buying it because I thought it would be just another "Oh, the wonderful Kennedy family" tale.
After reading this very well-written account of the family, from very early beginnings to recent years, I now realize I did my father an injustice when he used to speak disparagingly about the Kennedy's. He was particularly hard the patriarch, Joseph Sr.
Now I realize he was speaking from the perspective of someone who grew up at the same time the family began to pursue Joe, Sr's obsession regarding the Presidency of the United States. Though no longer available to him, father Joe was determined one of his sons would occupy the office!

Here's my recommendation: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK if you're hellbent on keeping an untarnished "Kennedy Camelot" image in your own mind/memory because Joe McGinnis doesn't hold punches when bringing the darkest family secrets to light (often his own first person accounts) ~ nor does he hold back when showing some empathy for various family members, particularly "The Last Brother"!
At times while reading of this family, I found myself experiencing a variety of emotions: anger, sympathy, happiness, relief, empathy & I also shook my head in disbelief at the situations various Kennedys found themselves in ~ most often the results of their own making!
One thing for sure: I doubt you'll ever look at the Kennedys in the same light as you may have before reading this book.
Well-written & almost a page-turner!

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a bit of a Kennedyophile myself, I have seen the good and bad in my apparent mission to review all books about the Kennedys. For a while, I had thought that the worst book that I've ever read about them was RFK Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream.

Oh, how wrong I was.

For a book that proclaims to document the rise and fall of Ted Kennedy, it sure doesn't do a lot of the word "rise" - it's almost as if what the author really wants Ted to do is just scuttle off into a corner and die. Every single sentence almost feels like it's dripping with contempt for the Kennedys, every single good deed twisted to make it seem as if they were abject failures. Everything that Ted did is considered an abject failure in the eyes of the author - even, for some reason, his decision to not run in 1968. Like what, were you hoping for a mental breakdown in the middle of the presidency?

The worst part of all? Ted's life post-Chappaquiddick is barely covered. Considering the stuff which happened afterward, you'd almost expect the author to lap it up. Yet he doesn't.

And that, I believe, is a sign that even in his intentions, he has failed.

[Rose M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right from the start I was interested- beginning with the murder of Jack Kennedy and then Bobby. The book covered the political scene and Kennedy family environment which Ted was born into . There is some salacious speculation on many theories surrounding this powerful family - all a part of Kennedy mystic . I didn’t read the book thinking it was a biography so I wasn’t disappointed. Rather I enjoyed it -

[Debora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book, provided lots of new information. It started with Ted Kennedy’s early life, reviewing family life, sibling deaths, Chappaquidick incident & his early political career. I would say it only got a little repetitive towards the very end. Overall easy, informative read!

[John Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed read, which bogged the book down at times. However, "The Last Brother" was a very informative and fascinating look into Ted Kennedy's life, as well as the Kennedy family.

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joseph P Kennedy, father of brothers Joseph, John, Robert, and Edward believed: "It's not what you are that counts, but only what people think you are."

That sums up what the myths surrounding the Kennedy family are all about. Created by the Kennedys and furthered by an adoring media, Americans came to elevate the Kennedys to the status of royalty for over 3 decades. It is from this point of view that Joe McGinniss has written The Last Brother: The Rise and Fall of Teddy Kennedy. McGinniss states in his Author's Note at the end of his book that he wanted to write an account that took into consideration what it felt like to be Edward Kennedy; or to have some understanding and empathy for what it was like to deal with the pressure of being the fat little brother who wasn't up to competing with his older, more accomplished siblings. For the most part, I think McGinniss did what he set out to do in that regard; but, there were times when McGinniss came dangerously close to suggesting we have sympathy for Edward Kennedy.

McGinniss begins his book with the assassination of President John F Kennedy. He illustrates from this grim example how little Teddy Kennedy knew of his family's plans for the future and what exactly those plans entailed. The father of the Kennedy clan, Joseph P Kennedy, was the mastermind behind a plan to bring the Kennedy name to power in the US as a dynasty unto themselves. Through his fortune he was able to manipulate or outright buy any outcome he wanted in any given situation. Joseph Jr, Jack, and Bobby each understood and were primed for their specific roles in the plan. Having come along almost as an afterthought to the family, Teddy was given no specific outline of his role, and from childhood on he more or less flew by the seat of his pants. When his brother Jack was assassinated, he had no idea what to do, where to be, nor any idea how to perform. He was unprepared to serve his family in any capacity at all much less become an example to his country of how royalty behaves under fire.

The material presented as fact in McGinniss' book is a matter of public reacord, and the bibliography McGinniss lists at the end of the book is extensive. He did his research. What gets somewhat murky is assuming McGinniss knows what Ted Kennedy thought which motivated him to behave as he did through the many crises in his life. And it is within some of those passages that it seemed to me there was occasionally too much of a plea for sympathy to Kennedy. Empathy I may be able to grasp, but sympathy? Not in any lifetime.

The picture that emerges of Teddy Kennedy as viewed through the facts, in my opinion, remains one of an irresponsible, cowardly, indecisive, dissipated, philandering boy/man who came far too close to becoming President of the United States based on the myth surrounding his family name rather than the facts of his life. For that reason, I'd recommend reading this book just to see the process by which something like this can happen. One would hope the lesson learned would be to never allow a man like Ted Kennedy or a family like his to so invade the national interests of our country again because there are no messiahs in the political spectrum or any other spectrum for that matter. Unfortunately, it appears that lesson was not learned and it continues to happen all over again.

[Tim Barchak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many books on the Kennedys over the years. This biography of Teddy Kennedy by Joe McGinniss is a special one. Perhaps more than any other book on this amazing family, it describes what an unpleasant, indeed tragic, fate it was to be born into this family.

For those growing up Catholic in the 1960s, the Kennedys were held up as an example of what could be achieved with a competitive spirit, family loyalty, and faith. As one grew older and more facts slowly came out (about Jack in particular)the glamour of the Kennedys and Camelot faded. This book puts it all together with great story telling. What emerges in the end is the fact that the uncompromising obsession of Joe and Rose Kennedy to raise up a family of Irish-American Catholic royalty, led to the tragic destruction of many lives including, Teddy, the title character.

[Charissfour]

McGinniss's biography of Edward M. Kennedy is a salacious read containing the things that make a bestseller: sex, incest, money, politics, power, compelling personalities. The problem, though, is, can you believe McGinniss? Although the bibliography lists 73 titles, there is not one footnote. There are juicy tidbits about members of the family. Joseph Kennedy progresses from a WW I draft dodger to U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James. He beds innumerable women, manipulates the stock market, becomes a Nazi sympathizer and anti-Semite. Rose is portrayed as the ultimate holder of Irish grudges: when her husband had his stroke she delayed calling a doctor while she played golf. A devout Catholic, she was actually happy about Joe's affairs because then she didn't have to sleep with him.

[Nitsina]

This excellent book describes how Joe Kennedy caused the good, and bad,things which happened to his family. There are stunning stories of his decision to have brain surgury on his retarded daughter (perhaps because he had molested her and did not want her to tell) and of his promise to the mafia to get Cuba, and its gambling profits back for the mafia in exchange for getting JKF elected (they did their part, he didn't, and MAYBE that's why JFK was killed.

[Carol Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good God, what a story. After reading this riveting book by Joe McGinniss, I will never decide someone is a spoiled alcohol dependent blowhard until I hear the entire story. Ted's parents, Joe Sr. and Rose, were ruthless. They drove their children relentlessly and arrogance was the by-product. If your parents are alive, telephone them and tell them you love them.

[Dusty Fontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a diehard Kennedy family fan, you will probably not like this book. Not that it shows them in a negative light, just that it tells many of the details of their personal lives. I usually tackle thinner books than this since I get bored fairly easy when reading larger ones. However, this book held my interest from beginning to end. Well done and highly recommended.

[Kevin Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

...almost done...such a sense of naivety regarding my former heros...the Kennedys...ugh!

T. Kennedy responds a week after the Chappaquiddick accident on national T.V. with little more than an mention of "the loss of a good friend" (video can be found on YouTube)

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teddy Kennedy was the brother of assassinated President John Kennedy and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy. A long time member of the US Senate, Teddy was a liberal alcoholic and womanizer who traded on the disasters of his brothers' assassinations.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read. Its just amazing what you could get away with back before 24 hour news channels. Funny how the old man paid such a high price to have his family in the lime light and his boys running for the highest office in the land.

[Kathisbooks1219 · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting with great political history. I highly recomend to anyone thats a Kennedy or history buff.
Really made me think long after it was done

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Older book, but one of the best books I ever read.

[revathir+purchase · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice

[Hey mee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book...Gives a totally different and new perspective as a whole!!! Really appreciate the author!!!

[rajes babu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice