Synopsis Dismissed as a spent force in politics by the time he reached middle age, Ted Kennedy became the most powerful senator of the last half century and the nation's keeper of traditional liberalism. Perceptive and carefully reported, drawing heavily from candid interviews with the Kennedy family and inner circle, "Last Lion" captures magnificently his life and historic achievements, as well as the personal redemption that he found.
This collection of articles and essays from the annals of the Boston Globe documents the roller-coaster career of Ted Kennedy, including Chappaquiddick and his later-in-life battle with cancer. The young Kennedy is depicted as a drunken failure who was (temporarily) expelled from Harvard for cheating on exams, and whose excesses led to a divorce from his first wife. Ironically, the authors seem to depict the tragedy of Chappaquiddick as a positive turning point for Kennedy, relieving him of presidential expectations and allowing him to forge his own path through the Senate. There can be little question that Kennedy has been one of the most powerful politicians in the nation over the last 25 years, known for his ability to cross party lines in order to enact his preferred policies and reforms. As Kennedy's long and productive senatorial career winds down, this study provides a valuable reminder of the struggles and criticism that have marked much of his life.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2009-02-17 |
| Size | | Length: | 464 pages | | Height: | 9.8 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 24.6 oz |
Industry Reviews "LAST LION is a fine biography, a graceful summing up of an extraordinary life that is not yet over...With its anecdotes and political tales, it captures the wit, humor, and grace of Ted Kennedy." (02/22/2009)
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