Martin (Henry and Clare, 1991, etc.) adds to his portrait gallery of the rich and powerful with this stolid yet psychologically acute study of the Irish-American chieftain and his doomed clan. Previous Kennedy chroniclers like Nigel Hamilton and Thomas Reeves failed to explain how, if Joe Sr. was merely the bigoted, philandering, political puppeteer they depicted, his children could be so genuinely devoted to him. While not uncovering much new material, Martinan observer of the family since his 1960 campaign study, Front Runner, Dark Horse (with Ed Plaut)offers a more coherent explanation: For all the fear Joe inspired, he also supplied the physical affection the children did not receive from mother Rose. With his own presidential hopes dashed, he devoted his life to the careers of sons Joe Jr., Jack, Bobby, and Tedand they in turn learned to be tough (``Kennedys never cry'' was their sometimes sardonic motto) and loyal. More dangerously, in vying for Joe Sr.'s approval, the Kennedy brothers exhibited envy that, according to Martin, ``merged with their competitiveness. It spurred them on. And, finally, it killed them.'' Joe Jr., jealous of Jack's PT-109 heroics, volunteered for the risky air mission that proved fatal. Martin is less illuminating about the usual Kennedy gossip, such as Joe Sr.'s alleged Mafia contacts or Jack and Bobby's rumored affairs with Marilyn Monroe, than he is about how the brothers and their father interacted. While so politically attuned that they could complete each other's sentences, charming Jack and shy Bobby seldom socialized; and Bobby, while seeking to curb Ted's night-owl instincts (``he is a rascal''), also leaned on him for his optimism and sound advice on how to get along in the Senate. Neither vivid nor graceful, but at least nonjudgmental and understanding about this complex band of brothers and their father. (32 b&w photos, not seen)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-399-14061-1
Page Count: 704
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
