Ted Kennedy: The Dream that Never Died does not sugar coat Senator Kennedy’s life. It also is not a hatchet job. Edward Klein does write with a dramatic flair when he describes certain incidences. For instance, he paints a very dramatic scene when Ted Kennedy had his first seizure on the beach that led to his diagnosis of brain cancer.
Through interviews and references to other biographies, Klein briefly summarizes the life and times of Teddy Kennedy. This book is both critical and respectful. It takes a harsh look at the circumstances surrounding the Chappaquiddick incident and the facts that are still a mystery.
Dissent within the Kennedy Family
Klein paints a rather unflattering picture of the Kennedy family at times like when the senator was initially hospitalized and the family was gathering around him, all with the idea to see who would take the helm and carry the Kennedy torch. According to Klein, not only was the family in a challenge to see who would ultimately lead them and perhaps try for the senate seat that was about to be vacated by Ted Kennedy’s death, but according to the author, there are some jealousies within the family when it comes to the finances.
According to the book, Ted Kennedy’s children were against his marriage to Victoria Reggie because they did not want their inheritance to be taken away. They were also not pleased with the fact that she had two children who would almost certainly be getting some of what they felt was ultimately theirs.
Another person who brings out some jealousy within the family is Caroline Kennedy who, by accounts in the book, is the wealthiest member of the Kennedy cousins, however the author does not go into the finances of the Schwarzenegger’s. Maria Shriver Schwarzenegger is one of the cousins. Caroline inherited not only the money from her grandfather, father, and mother, but also from her brother John.
According to the book, Ted Kennedy was about to groom John Kennedy, Jr. to take the Kennedy torch, but his life was cut short when he died in a plane crash. This sent Senator Kennedy looking in the direction of Caroline Kennedy. They became very close, but she could not handle to pressure of politics when she began her quest for the senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton.
The Metamorphosis of Ted Kennedy
The book goes into Kennedy’s metamorphosis from a hard-drinking, partying, womanizing man to a calmer, settled, family man of the senate who set his sights on working hard and making a difference as a senator. Chappaquiddick did nothing to change his ways, but the incident in Florida with his son and nephew who went to trial for rape was the start of his changing lifestyle, which is credited to his relationship and ultimate marriage to Vicki Reggie.
While he praises Vicki for her strength in bringing about the change in the senator, the author also shows her as overbearing and controlling, to the point of not letting some of Ted Kennedy’s closest friends and some members of his family speak with him on the phone during the final months of his life.
Some of the incidents that are described in the book are well-known by Kennedy supporters, but there is a lot to learn from this book, even though it is a sketchy glimpse at the family and Ted Kennedy. In the last analysis, it is a book that does not over-praise and glorify the Kennedy family, but it brings out some harsh realities. It shows the man and his family as human beings. After all, they are flesh and blood. Camelot was a myth, but the goals of President Kennedy, Bobby, and Ted, to make the world a better place for everyone, still live. Their goals were their dreams, and they are still very much alive.
- Hardcover: 272 pages
- Publisher: Crown (May 19, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 0307451038
- ISBN-13: 978-0307451033
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