Best Book on RFK in over 30 years

[Jim DiEugenio]

I usually do not post something in JFK forums which is not intrinsically about President Kennedy.

But John Bohrer's book The Revolution of Robert Kennedy is so exceptional that I have to. Bohrer's intent was to show how, under the stress of what he saw Johnson doing to President Kennedy's legacy, Bobby Kennedy felt forced into making explicit the differences between the two. In that sense, the book is really about JFK.

Three things we should all note. First, like many others i had been brainwashed into thinking that RFK did not come out against the war until 1967. Complete and utter BS. Bobby Kennedy was telling Johnson in 1964 that he should not be militarizing the situation in Indochina. In 1965 he urged LBJ to call a bombing halt and when it ended he predicted a catastrophe in the making. In 1966, he called for a coalition government which included the communists, and was savagely attacked by people in his own party, like HHH. (BTW, when I asked Bobby Kennedy Jr. about this, he said, "Oh yeah Jim, he was fully aware of what my uncle was doing in Vietnam.")

Second, RFK was appalled at what LBJ and Thomas Mann did to JFK's Alliance for Progress program in Latin America. The things he said and did on his journey there were so incendiary, literally inciting to rebellion, that the American papers would not report it. That chapter is worth the price of the book.

Third, the visit to South Africa in 1966 was a something like a work of art. The speech he made at the University of Cape Town is an unknown classic since the government put a press boycott on his visit.

If you read no other biography of RFK, read this one. As said, it shows us how a good man became a great man.

https://kennedysandking.com/robert-f-ken...rt-kennedy

[Paz Marverde]

I usually do not post something in JFK forums which is not intrinsically about President Kennedy.

But John Bohrer's book The Revolution of Robert Kennedy is so exceptional that I have to. Bohrer's intent was to show how, under the stress of what he saw Johnson doing to President Kennedy's legacy, Bobby Kennedy felt forced into making explicit the differences between the two. In that sense, the book is really about JFK.

Three things we should all note. First, like many others i had been brainwashed into thinking that RFK did not come out against the war until 1967. Complete and utter BS. Bobby Kennedy was telling Johnson in 1964 that he should not be militarizing the situation in Indochina. In 1965 he urged LBJ to call a bombing halt and when it ended he predicted a catastrophe in the making. In 1966, he called for a coalition government which included the communists, and was savagely attacked by people in his own party, like HHH. (BTW, when I asked Bobby Kennedy Jr. about this, he said, "Oh yeah Jim, he was fully aware of what my uncle was doing in Vietnam.")

Second, RFK was appalled at what LBJ and Thomas Mann did to JFK's Alliance for Progress program in Latin America. The things he said and did on his journey there were so incendiary, literally inciting to rebellion, that the American papers would not report it. That chapter is worth the price of the book.

Third, the visit to South Africa in 1966 was a something like a work of art. The speech he made at the University of Cape Town is an unknown classic since the government put a press boycott on his visit.

If you read no other biography of RFK, read this one. As said, it shows us how a good man became a great man.

https://kennedysandking.com/robert-f-ken...rt-kennedy

Thanks

[Jim DiEugenio]

Welcome Paz.

[Joseph McBride]

Welcome Paz.

Sounds good. I ordered this on your advice, Jim.

[Jim DiEugenio]

I hope many others do also.

Good gift for younger people for Xmas to show them what American politicians used to be like not that long ago.

[Nathaniel Heidenheimer]

Jim, have you read Joseph Palermo's book focussing on the 1968 campaign. It's called In His Own Right.

IMO its one of the 5 most important books on 20th century US political history.

Its really that good.

One of the reasons is, in a way it solves the manufactured dichotomy between Social History and Political History and does this so well, that one grows properly suspicious about why and when Academia bifurcated these.

It this new book is ten per cent as good, its amazing. Palermo's book, IMO is absolutely essential and readers will find virtually no overlap with other RFK books.

Reading it, one feels as if one is Inside The Hinge, at the turning point in the American Century. Understanding the last time US politics changed directions is essential. That's why so much effort has gone into obfuscating the class dynamics of the 1968 primaries.

[Jim DiEugenio]

Its really funny you should bring that up Nathaniel.

About a week or so ago, when Lisa Pease and I watched Jeff Morley's talk at Chevalier's books, she told me about the Palermo book and said it sounds similar to the Bohrer book.

So I will have to look out for that one and get it soon.

Meanwhile, spread the word about Bohrer.

[Alan Ford]

I usually do not post something in JFK forums which is not intrinsically about President Kennedy.

But John Bohrer's book The Revolution of Robert Kennedy is so exceptional that I have to. Bohrer's intent was to show how, under the stress of what he saw Johnson doing to President Kennedy's legacy, Bobby Kennedy felt forced into making explicit the differences between the two. In that sense, the book is really about JFK.

Three things we should all note. First, like many others i had been brainwashed into thinking that RFK did not come out against the war until 1967. Complete and utter BS. Bobby Kennedy was telling Johnson in 1964 that he should not be militarizing the situation in Indochina. In 1965 he urged LBJ to call a bombing halt and when it ended he predicted a catastrophe in the making. In 1966, he called for a coalition government which included the communists, and was savagely attacked by people in his own party, like HHH. (BTW, when I asked Bobby Kennedy Jr. about this, he said, "Oh yeah Jim, he was fully aware of what my uncle was doing in Vietnam.")

Second, RFK was appalled at what LBJ and Thomas Mann did to JFK's Alliance for Progress program in Latin America. The things he said and did on his journey there were so incendiary, literally inciting to rebellion, that the American papers would not report it. That chapter is worth the price of the book.

Third, the visit to South Africa in 1966 was a something like a work of art. The speech he made at the University of Cape Town is an unknown classic since the government put a press boycott on his visit.

If you read no other biography of RFK, read this one. As said, it shows us how a good man became a great man.

https://kennedysandking.com/robert-f-ken...rt-kennedy

Thanks for sharing this gem, Mr. DiEugenio,

should our electronic paths not cross again until sometime next year, all the best to you & yours for a safe & happy holiday season right into the coming new year. All the same for everyone else here too. Cheers!

Soooo happy ::dancing guy:: RFK is emerging out of his big brother's loooong shadow as a great man in his own right. Rose and Joseph P., Sr. struck gold twice. RFK! RFK! RFK!

[Jim DiEugenio]

Thanks Alan.

Same to you. Spread the word about the book.

[Nathaniel Heidenheimer]

heel of US media history.

Not only is there the new Hanks Streep Christmas slotted auto-blockbuster because Christmas-slotted...

but apparently there is ALSO a new HBO series called The Newspapermen or something like that.. that also celebrates the the CIA WaPost nexus at this most Achilles of Heel moment in US media history.

WHAT A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY!! JIM D. if you put together all your great articles on Ben Bradlee , Grahams etc they could be posted onto all the media hype about the HBO shows and new Hanks CIA vehicle. Potentially this is a great op to get more people to go to Kennedys and King, here and Black Op Radio.

The thing it is it takes being proactive. Links MUST BE LEADING NOVICES AND YOUNG who don't know very much about this history. Once they start reading they're hooked but CIA's strategy is to allow us to publish stuff, so long as it never reachers critical mass so long as it never reaches critical mass, so long as it never reaches critical mass.. (echoing Surroundsound)

Now by lumping these links to Kennedys and King formerly CTKA articles on not only Wa Post but also the related CIA disinfo on Cold Warriors like David Halberst. and also the excellent articles on CBS aiding the JFK Cover Up at Consortium and the Davey article reprint on NBC Garrison Shoot him Down it would get ...


A MULTIPLIER EFFECT GOING bc those initially clicking on via the Hanks connection would actually be connecting to a packaged of articles all thematically related under the rubric of CIA MSM CONNECTIONS TO THE LAST TIME AMERICAN POLITICS CHANGED DIRECTIONS.

There is no reason that Kennedys and King and BOR should not be getting millions of viewers. But it takes being a little proactive. Jim if you or someone at Kennedys and King can put all this together under a common like I think I know someone who will spread it everywhere on Twitter. Again the trick is writing the entry ramps for wider audiences, illuminating how these media-intel links really ..

explain our right-now better than the outdated checks and balances model of power that everyone suspects at this point but still remains our only common language for political discourse; it remains our Bistille Franca if you will pardon extremely belabored pun.