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Ted Kennedy: The Dream That Never Died
In the most inspiring speech of his career, Ted Kennedy once "For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Unlike his martyred brothers, John and Robert, whose lives were cut off before the promise of a better future could be realized, Ted lived long enough to make many promises come true. During a career that spanned an astonishing half-century, he put his imprint on every major piece of progressive legislation–from health care and education to civil rights.
There were times during that career–such as after the incident in Chappaquiddick–when Ted seemed to have surrendered to his demons. But there were other times–after one of his inspiring speeches on the floor of the Senate, for example–when he was compared to Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John Calhoun, and other great lawmakers of the past.
Indeed, for most of his life, Ted Kennedy played a kaleidoscope of roles–from destructive thrill seeker to constructive lawmaker; from straying husband to devoted father and uncle. In Ted The Dream That Never Died, celebrated Kennedy biographer Edward Klein at last reconciles these contradictions, painting a stunningly original, up-to-the-moment portrait of Ted Kennedy and his remarkable late-in-life redemption.
Drawing on a vast store of original research and unprecedented access to Ted Kennedy’s political associates, friends, and family, Klein takes the reader behind the scenes to reveal many secrets. Among
• Why Caroline Kennedy, at Ted’s urging, aspired to fill the New York Senate vacancy but then suddenly and unexpectedly withdrew her candidacy.
• How Ted ended his longest-lasting romantic relationship to marry Victoria Reggie, and the unexpected effect that union had on his personal and political redemption.
• What transpired between the parents of Mary Jo Kopechne and Ted Kennedy during two private meetings at Ted’s home.
• Which feuds are likely to erupt within the Kennedy family in the wake of Ted’s demise, and what will become of Ted’s fortune and political legacy.
Ted The Dream That Never Died does not shrink from portraying the erratic side of Ted Kennedy and his former wife, Joan. But both in spirit and tone, it is a compassionate celebration of a complex man who, in the winter of his life, summoned the best in himself to come to the aid of his troubled nation.
Unlike his martyred brothers, John and Robert, whose lives were cut off before the promise of a better future could be realized, Ted lived long enough to make many promises come true. During a career that spanned an astonishing half-century, he put his imprint on every major piece of progressive legislation–from health care and education to civil rights.
There were times during that career–such as after the incident in Chappaquiddick–when Ted seemed to have surrendered to his demons. But there were other times–after one of his inspiring speeches on the floor of the Senate, for example–when he was compared to Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John Calhoun, and other great lawmakers of the past.
Indeed, for most of his life, Ted Kennedy played a kaleidoscope of roles–from destructive thrill seeker to constructive lawmaker; from straying husband to devoted father and uncle. In Ted The Dream That Never Died, celebrated Kennedy biographer Edward Klein at last reconciles these contradictions, painting a stunningly original, up-to-the-moment portrait of Ted Kennedy and his remarkable late-in-life redemption.
Drawing on a vast store of original research and unprecedented access to Ted Kennedy’s political associates, friends, and family, Klein takes the reader behind the scenes to reveal many secrets. Among
• Why Caroline Kennedy, at Ted’s urging, aspired to fill the New York Senate vacancy but then suddenly and unexpectedly withdrew her candidacy.
• How Ted ended his longest-lasting romantic relationship to marry Victoria Reggie, and the unexpected effect that union had on his personal and political redemption.
• What transpired between the parents of Mary Jo Kopechne and Ted Kennedy during two private meetings at Ted’s home.
• Which feuds are likely to erupt within the Kennedy family in the wake of Ted’s demise, and what will become of Ted’s fortune and political legacy.
Ted The Dream That Never Died does not shrink from portraying the erratic side of Ted Kennedy and his former wife, Joan. But both in spirit and tone, it is a compassionate celebration of a complex man who, in the winter of his life, summoned the best in himself to come to the aid of his troubled nation.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
18 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Edward Klein
36 books59 followersEdward J. Klein (born 1937) is an American author, tabloid writer and gossip columnist who is a former foreign editor of Newsweek, and former editor-in-chief of The New York Times Magazine (1977-1987). He has written about the Kennedys, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Donald Trump.
Klein is the former foreign editor of Newsweek and served as the editor-in-chief of The New York Times Magazine from 1977 to 1987. He frequently contributes to Vanity Fair and Parade and writes a weekly celebrity gossip column in Parade called "Personality Parade" under the pseudonym "Walter Scott." (The Walter Scott pseudonym had originally been used by Lloyd Shearer, who wrote the column from 1958 to 1991.[3]) He also writes books, many of which have been on the New York Times Bestseller list.
Edward Klein
Klein is the former foreign editor of Newsweek and served as the editor-in-chief of The New York Times Magazine from 1977 to 1987. He frequently contributes to Vanity Fair and Parade and writes a weekly celebrity gossip column in Parade called "Personality Parade" under the pseudonym "Walter Scott." (The Walter Scott pseudonym had originally been used by Lloyd Shearer, who wrote the column from 1958 to 1991.[3]) He also writes books, many of which have been on the New York Times Bestseller list.
Edward Klein
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 27, 2017
His story made me recall the nursery rhyme:
There was a little girl Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good She was very very good
And when she was bad, she was HORRID.
That summarizes Ted Kennedy's life as much as the book. He was a paradox, a man who let a young woman with whom he was having a casual "affair" suffocate slowly for 4 hours in a submerged car while he swam away to protect his political future, a man to whom faithfulness in marriage was not a consideration, a man who demeaned and mistreated women, a man who was an alcoholic and bad example to his sons and nephews, a man whose family connections made him (and his family) above the law and its consequences (not attempting to stop a rape on his property that he admitted being aware of), a man whose political connections also made him above his Church (unless you can honestly justify a marriage annulment for a man who has lived with a woman for 24 years and had 3 children with her), a man whose recklessness and selfishness caused the death of his pilot in a plane crash, a man who eventually married a woman 22 years his junior without a prenup, effectively disinheriting his children... I could go on and on.
But this man who seemed to have no values in his personal life reached out to the needy and neglected and abused through the laws he was instrumental in passing from a broad range of civil rights legislation to medical and health legislation.
It is difficult to understand how such a disconnect could exist in a person. But Edward Klein does better than other authors I have read at explaining how factors such as a controlling father, overbearing mother, supercompetitive siblings, great wealth, military experience, tragic political history and the Kennedy curse all combined to explain his irrational behavior.
Edward Klein does not seem to be biased in his presentation. He presents the good and the bad ... the failed political aspirations and the weaknesses of this man. (I am not a US citizen but tend toward Republicans on most issues... so I would notice any political bias in the book.)
Ted Kennedy was a statesman. He was dedicated to politics and public service. I would like to judge him for his alcoholic behavior, his recklessness, his selfish personal behavior (the irony of a man dedicated to making laws, yet breaking them and using his connections to avoid the consequences)... but I have not endured the personal tragedy that this man did. If I lost 2 brothers in political assassinations, 2 other siblings in other tragic circumstances (and 1 damaged permanently by a lobotomy and removed from the family), had 2 of my children get cancer and suffered the constant pain of his unusual back problem... well, maybe I would have drunk more and accomplished less than he did.
I often wondered, when I saw Ted Kennedy on the news, if his drive to accomplish things politically to right some of the wrongs in society was actually an attempt to make up for the mistakes in his life that he could never fix. The book never deals with any feelings of guilt from Ted Kennedy; in fact, it was rather disgusting that, when one of the Kennedy wives phoned the Kopechnes about the death of Mary Jo, she said that God had decided to take her... somehow I don't think God can be blamed for Ted Kennedy's drunken, selfish, reckless, unfaithful behavior. It never seemed to me that there was any open remorse for his part in her death.
However, a review of his autobiography "True Compass" seems to think that: "A broader theme of the book is, in the words of The New York Times's Michiko Kakutani, 'that persistence, perseverance and patience in pursuit of a cause or atonement for one’s failures can lead to achievement and the possibility of redemption.'[6]". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Com...
It would give me a totally different feeling about Ted Kennedy if there was ever any indication from him of remorse, whether private or public. That is the measure of a man. To accept blame and responsibility, not to put blame on others and expect (and receive) a cover up.
Does the good of Ted Kennedy's life outweigh the bad? Not for the Kopechnes. Or for Joan Kennedy. And who knows how many other untold stories there are like these?
But maybe for millions of people affected by the legislation of Ted Kennedy, a man who said he could serve his country better in the Senate than as President.
A complex man and a complex life.
There was a little girl Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good She was very very good
And when she was bad, she was HORRID.
That summarizes Ted Kennedy's life as much as the book. He was a paradox, a man who let a young woman with whom he was having a casual "affair" suffocate slowly for 4 hours in a submerged car while he swam away to protect his political future, a man to whom faithfulness in marriage was not a consideration, a man who demeaned and mistreated women, a man who was an alcoholic and bad example to his sons and nephews, a man whose family connections made him (and his family) above the law and its consequences (not attempting to stop a rape on his property that he admitted being aware of), a man whose political connections also made him above his Church (unless you can honestly justify a marriage annulment for a man who has lived with a woman for 24 years and had 3 children with her), a man whose recklessness and selfishness caused the death of his pilot in a plane crash, a man who eventually married a woman 22 years his junior without a prenup, effectively disinheriting his children... I could go on and on.
But this man who seemed to have no values in his personal life reached out to the needy and neglected and abused through the laws he was instrumental in passing from a broad range of civil rights legislation to medical and health legislation.
It is difficult to understand how such a disconnect could exist in a person. But Edward Klein does better than other authors I have read at explaining how factors such as a controlling father, overbearing mother, supercompetitive siblings, great wealth, military experience, tragic political history and the Kennedy curse all combined to explain his irrational behavior.
Edward Klein does not seem to be biased in his presentation. He presents the good and the bad ... the failed political aspirations and the weaknesses of this man. (I am not a US citizen but tend toward Republicans on most issues... so I would notice any political bias in the book.)
Ted Kennedy was a statesman. He was dedicated to politics and public service. I would like to judge him for his alcoholic behavior, his recklessness, his selfish personal behavior (the irony of a man dedicated to making laws, yet breaking them and using his connections to avoid the consequences)... but I have not endured the personal tragedy that this man did. If I lost 2 brothers in political assassinations, 2 other siblings in other tragic circumstances (and 1 damaged permanently by a lobotomy and removed from the family), had 2 of my children get cancer and suffered the constant pain of his unusual back problem... well, maybe I would have drunk more and accomplished less than he did.
I often wondered, when I saw Ted Kennedy on the news, if his drive to accomplish things politically to right some of the wrongs in society was actually an attempt to make up for the mistakes in his life that he could never fix. The book never deals with any feelings of guilt from Ted Kennedy; in fact, it was rather disgusting that, when one of the Kennedy wives phoned the Kopechnes about the death of Mary Jo, she said that God had decided to take her... somehow I don't think God can be blamed for Ted Kennedy's drunken, selfish, reckless, unfaithful behavior. It never seemed to me that there was any open remorse for his part in her death.
However, a review of his autobiography "True Compass" seems to think that: "A broader theme of the book is, in the words of The New York Times's Michiko Kakutani, 'that persistence, perseverance and patience in pursuit of a cause or atonement for one’s failures can lead to achievement and the possibility of redemption.'[6]". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Com...
It would give me a totally different feeling about Ted Kennedy if there was ever any indication from him of remorse, whether private or public. That is the measure of a man. To accept blame and responsibility, not to put blame on others and expect (and receive) a cover up.
Does the good of Ted Kennedy's life outweigh the bad? Not for the Kopechnes. Or for Joan Kennedy. And who knows how many other untold stories there are like these?
But maybe for millions of people affected by the legislation of Ted Kennedy, a man who said he could serve his country better in the Senate than as President.
A complex man and a complex life.
February 22, 2019
Excellent read . Klein shows us different sides of The Lion of the Senate, warts and all. I was very impressed with the growth Ted went through over the years. He could have been a lightweight, another rich playbook, but he grew into one of the greatest senators of all time, and a champion of the every day guy.
February 3, 2025
Like most of my book reviews - the timing of when a book is read and current happenings influence much of my thoughts. I read this book with RFK Jr in the press a lot and realizing I don't know much about the Kennedys. Too young for the assassinations of JFK and RFK -- just entering political knowledge at the tail end of Ted's rule of the Senate. I hoped this book would help me learn more about the family and how they became the way they were/are. It certainly started off accomplishing that goal - talking about Joe and Rose, the numerous family tragedies and how it shaped Ted (as the ninth child.) Ted's political success was constantly contrasted with his personal struggles.
"In actual practice, virtue has always been in short supply among the world's leaders." This line is resounding today. The Ted Kennedy painted in the book was very flawed but consistent. He couldn't run from some of his ways, but he succeed in-spite (or using) them. There was another line how journalists didn't write about the private lives of public figures so... are those today much worse than once upon a time or just outed more. Food for thought.
I also wanted to learn about the family more, which was large partially due to the Catholic faith. The rivalries, keeping up legacy reminded me a little of Succession. The challenges that come from not being able to control the narrative of your life, and to be judged by the success of your predecessors/successors. On the other hand, it is hard to feel bad for those who grew up in such luxury and wealth. The healthcare that Ted got at the end of his life is something of privilege. But when Ted was at MGH for his care, his family turned the hospital room into a Superbowl party. This is a good reminder that life isn't fair. The Kennedys don't need to be reminded about that.
"Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about, be kind always" is the only way I can reconcile this.
"In actual practice, virtue has always been in short supply among the world's leaders." This line is resounding today. The Ted Kennedy painted in the book was very flawed but consistent. He couldn't run from some of his ways, but he succeed in-spite (or using) them. There was another line how journalists didn't write about the private lives of public figures so... are those today much worse than once upon a time or just outed more. Food for thought.
I also wanted to learn about the family more, which was large partially due to the Catholic faith. The rivalries, keeping up legacy reminded me a little of Succession. The challenges that come from not being able to control the narrative of your life, and to be judged by the success of your predecessors/successors. On the other hand, it is hard to feel bad for those who grew up in such luxury and wealth. The healthcare that Ted got at the end of his life is something of privilege. But when Ted was at MGH for his care, his family turned the hospital room into a Superbowl party. This is a good reminder that life isn't fair. The Kennedys don't need to be reminded about that.
"Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about, be kind always" is the only way I can reconcile this.
November 25, 2020
I read this for National Novel Writing Month research for a story largely focused around Massachusetts politics. It was readable and gossipy, and had both some good nuggets and a disproportionate focus on the most salacious aspects of Kennedy’s career. That said, as someone who was not of a generation who felt the need to focus on Chappaquiddick, the details of that horrific episode make it hard for me to celebrate Ted Kennedy the way the author tries to in the end. I left the book wishing I knew more about how the legislative accomplishments happened and wishing the author wasn’t quite so obsessed with his ex-wife’s alcoholism.
April 17, 2020
There are few persons in modern American history who has had a more profound impact on America in the Senate than Ted Kennedy. Edward Klein has written what might best be thought of as an attempt at an insiders view of Ted warts and all. Especially the warts. While he lauds him as the last of the Kennedy boys and enshrines him as the most accomplished of them and on an equal plane with Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, he spent a great deal of the book telling us about the foibles of Kennedy. One does get a sense of the grief Ted felt with the killings of his brothers, inside views of the scenes, especially of Bobby, the book is a sad portrait of his life. One gets a strong sense of his closeness and respect for his father and love for his mother, and one gets a sense of his care for his son who was impacted by cancer at an early age, the book really seems to focus on the dysfunctional side of Ted. The subtitle is The Dream That Never Died. I'm not sure I felt that for sure. Klein deals very openly, hopefully truthfully, with the circumstances of Kennedy's fifty years in the public eye as a career politician and member of the most powerful modern family in politics. While the book is a good read, I couldn't help but to feel saddened by how he was covered. Much of the things that I thought would be highlighted in his Senate career were just touched on fleetingly. It is almost as though Mr. Klein, author of The Kennedy Curse, seemed to take delight in showing us Ted Kennedy in a light that most of us don't really care to see. I know that is unrealistic, but it appears to me Klein wrote this book with a desire to tarnish Kennedy.
December 14, 2020
Great read - a nice foundation piece. This was the first full book I have read about Ted Kennedy and I now feel better prepared to go back and continue reading the Chappaquiddick book. One thing the current book makes clear is that individuals are complicated: in learning about the highs and lows of this man's personal life and career, it's difficult to typecast him as either hero or villain. Despite all of his indiscretions, I can't help but feel I would have liked him had I known him in real life.
July 16, 2019
Ted is not too smart, and is often too drunk. Not news, but for those who grew up with the Kennedys even more prominent than the Kardashians, if you ca imagine such a thing, the stories never get old,
March 23, 2023
I'm torn about this book. It's a short book, but covers most of Ted Kennedy's life from childbirth to his recently diagnosed brain tumour. If you want an easy to read book about Kennedy's life, you could do worse than this book.
My problem is that I found it somewhat unrealistic in its' expectations of Kennedy. As an example, Kennedy comes across as not terribly able. If there were ever a leading Democrat less able than George W. Bush, it's Kennedy.
In addition, he seems to like the chumminess of the Senate rather than the needs of the Presidency. After reading this book I doubt he could make the decisive actions needed to be President.
Thirdly, he is presented as someone who had a realistic shot at the Presidency, even after Chappaquiddick. Did anyone really believe that might happen after the death of Mary Jo Kopechne? I wouldn't have voted for him and I'm a Kennedy Democrat.
Finally I'm inclined to believe that he turned the political expediency of JFK and his support for liberalism into an inflexible talismanic belief in that ideology. I can understand why he did it, but as we've learned from Bush, it's not to wise to have "not terribly able man" with rigid views in charge.
The other thing that bothers me about this book is the fact that part of me wonders if this is a hatchet job by the American Right. It's cleverly writen, but given that Klein put the boot into Hillary Clinton, you have to wonder how "fair and balanced" Klein is. It's worth baring that in mind when you consider buying this book.
My problem is that I found it somewhat unrealistic in its' expectations of Kennedy. As an example, Kennedy comes across as not terribly able. If there were ever a leading Democrat less able than George W. Bush, it's Kennedy.
In addition, he seems to like the chumminess of the Senate rather than the needs of the Presidency. After reading this book I doubt he could make the decisive actions needed to be President.
Thirdly, he is presented as someone who had a realistic shot at the Presidency, even after Chappaquiddick. Did anyone really believe that might happen after the death of Mary Jo Kopechne? I wouldn't have voted for him and I'm a Kennedy Democrat.
Finally I'm inclined to believe that he turned the political expediency of JFK and his support for liberalism into an inflexible talismanic belief in that ideology. I can understand why he did it, but as we've learned from Bush, it's not to wise to have "not terribly able man" with rigid views in charge.
The other thing that bothers me about this book is the fact that part of me wonders if this is a hatchet job by the American Right. It's cleverly writen, but given that Klein put the boot into Hillary Clinton, you have to wonder how "fair and balanced" Klein is. It's worth baring that in mind when you consider buying this book.
June 27, 2009
The author no doubt made no friends within the Kennedy clan detailing Ted Kennedy's chronic boozing, womanizing and boorish tendencies. The book also discusses Kennedy's vast amounts of successful legislation and his ability to reach across the political aisle. He gives a fairly decent summary of Chappaquiddick scandal, which basically prevented him from ever being President. Very readable book, not sure that there was anything new here.
September 13, 2009
Klein is a damn good writer, and the information in the book and the way it is presented is captivating. But Klein's style does more harm than good as most of the information is repeated ad infinitum. The book is more an analysis of Kennedy's character than it is a biography. That's what hurt the text the most. Klein can't seem to decide what he thinks about Kennedy's character. You can tell that it was written in a hurry.
May 21, 2014
When I read the introduction, Klein mentioned that he and Ted Kennedy had mutual friends ... I thought this biography would be a biased account by the author.
How wrong I was! This is an interesting objective look at Ted Kennedy and I highly recommend it to anyone who has even a passing interest in the Kennedy mystique.
How wrong I was! This is an interesting objective look at Ted Kennedy and I highly recommend it to anyone who has even a passing interest in the Kennedy mystique.
March 14, 2012
A biography that starts out seeming to be objective but quickly turns into conjecture and a focus on negative salaciousness. The author, a former reporter, has an obvious disdain for the Kennedys and dismisses the entire contribution of the three youngest brothers to nothing more than a cult of personality.
October 27, 2009
I enjoyed this book very much! I've always admired the Kennedys and all they've done to help other people. This book gave a lot of insight into the triumphs and tragedies of Senator Kennedy's life, and how he tried to atone for mistakes of his past.
December 14, 2009
A little fluffy but a good read for someone why doesn't know a lot about Kennedy legacy. Ted Kennedy was a very complicated person- this book makes a case for a gradual metamorphosis that made him an empathetic and effective Senate leader.
July 13, 2013
A decent overview of the Senator's life. Easy to read. Mostly a clip job though, with most footnotes sourced to other books. So not a lot new to anyone who has even vaguely followed Ted Kennedy over the years.
August 18, 2009
Brief but balanced. I think Ted Kennedy my state's senator accurately reflected my politics and the explanation of why was answered in this book. I found the answer very interesting.
September 16, 2009
Klein is a good Kennedy writer and this is not your standard love / hate author. I miss Ted already!
March 1, 2011
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. Very interesting!
May 19, 2011
I acquired more respect for Ted Kennedy
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November 6, 2011quick read - interesting...
August 12, 2012
Inspiring!!! Great read!!!
March 8, 2014
I've read a lot of the Kennedy books, but didn't know much about Ted. This book really delved into his life and leadership and brought to light a man who "served". Very good read.
October 12, 2014
Read this because it mentioned my neighbor, the nanny, and I wanted to talk with her about her experiences.
January 27, 2015
A very interesting life.
May 22, 2015
Enjoyable reading. Ed Klein has a great way with words.
June 18, 2012
Another successful author who employs the ignoramus use of "begs the question."
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews