The Patriarch

The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy

By: David Nasaw

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 30 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Celebrated historian David Nasaw brings to life the story of Joseph Patrick Kennedy, in this, the first and only biography based on unrestricted and exclusive access to the Joseph P. Kennedy papers.

Joseph Patrick Kennedy - whose life spanned the First World War, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the Cold War - was the patriarch of America’s greatest political dynasty. The father of President John F. Kennedy and Senators Robert and Edward Kennedy, 'Joe' Kennedy was an indomitable and elusive figure whose dreams of advancement for his nine children were matched only by his extraordinary personal ambition and shrewd financial skills. Trained as a banker, Kennedy was also a Hollywood mogul, a stock-exchange savant, a shipyard manager, the founding chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and ambassador to London during the Battle of Britain. Though his incredible life encompasses the very heart of the American century, Joseph Kennedy has remained shrouded in rumor and prejudice for decades.

Drawing on never-before-published material from archives on three continents, David Nasaw - the renowned biographer of Andrew Carnegie and William Randolph Hearst - unearths a man far more complicated than the popular portrait. Was Kennedy an appeaser and isolationist, an anti-Semite and Nazi sympathizer, a stock swindler, a bootlegger, and a colleague of mobsters? Did he push his second son into politics and then buy his elections for him? Why did he have his daughter Rosemary lobotomized? Why did he oppose the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the Korean War, and American assistance to the French in Vietnam? What was his relationship to J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI? How did he influence his son’s politics and policies in the White House?

In this groundbreaking biography, Nasaw ignores the tired old answers surrounding Kennedy, starting from scratch to discover the truth behind this misunderstood man.

Though far from a saint, Joseph Kennedy in many ways exemplifies the best in American political, economic, and social life. His rags-to-riches story is one of exclusion and quiet discrimination overcome by entrepreneurship, ingenuity, and unshakable endurance. Kennedy’s story deserves to be told in full, with no holds barred, and Nasaw’s magnificent The Patriarch is the first book to do so.

©2012 David Nasaw (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of the New York Times' Ten Best Books of the Year

One of Kirkus' Best Nonfiction Books of the Year

"Riveting.... The Patriarch is a book hard to put down.... As his son indelibly put it some months before his father was struck down: 'Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your county.' One wonders what was going through the mind of the patriarch, sitting a few feet away listening to that soaring sentiment as a fourth-generation Kennedy became president of the United States. After coming to know him over the course of this brilliant, compelling book, the reader might suspect that he was thinking he had done more than enough for his country. But the gods would demand even more." (New York Times Book Review)

Outstanding

Despite the length it was riveting. Reads like a novel, I have found it useful in many conversations about 20th century economic policy, politics and cultural history

The man behind the myth

If you could sum up The Patriarch in three words, what would they be?

great story of a man with great highs and lows in his life

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Patriarch?

The death of Joe Jr

Which character – as performed by Malcolm Hillgartner – was your favorite?

The subject

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Man behind the myth

Any additional comments?

The reader was excellenT

Excellent

The narrator is so easy to listen to. I am going to search for other books he has narrated. Excellent biography, also.

Superb narration!

This was an amazing and well-written bio that is more than well-served by its narration. Really enjoyable listen.

Wonderfully entertaining and engaging

Would you consider the audio edition of The Patriarch to be better than the print version?

Yes, the narration was a plus to the story.

What other book might you compare The Patriarch to and why?

It's hard to say as it was somewhat contemporary, thus one feels like you were around at the time. On the other hand we got wonderful insights on a man who functioned in this world we think we know. You can't compare it to a biography of say Churchill; more like Howard Hughes. (Who was that, Irving?0

Have you listened to any of Malcolm Hillgartner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Don't recall, but this was great.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

What moved me? It's not that sort of narrative. You feel like you are getting an inside look at a very complicated man and his relationships with his family, friends and his own conscious. I could not wait to get back to it.

Any additional comments?

Nassau did a lot of homework and it shows. He is an excellent writer. The subtlety used to draw out very difficult topics and subjects gives it credibility. You find yourself impatiently waiting to get to the next stage of his life.
The narrator did a masterful job and added to the enjoyment of this book.

AN UNEQUAL LIFE

“The Patriarch” is a revealing fact-filled account by David Nasaw of the father of the 35th President of the United States. Nasaw plays no favorites in reporting historical facts and political movements of early and mid-20th century America. Nasaw’s research invades Kennedy’s privacy to document public and private correspondence with history makers of his time. Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. praises, and abrades the greatest men, and some of the most beautiful women, of the mid-20th century. Joseph P. Kennedy lives an unequal life in a land of equal opportunity.

Joseph Kennedy grows to believe there is a Jewish cabal maneuvering to takeover the media to influence government because he reasons that all consequences have precisely definable causes. When his son, Jack Kennedy campaigned for President, Joseph Kennedy felt the Catholic Church organized to defeat his son without thought that there were many reasons individual Catholics would not vote for his son. When a precise cause cannot be identified, the human mind tends to manufacture conspiratorial causes. Joseph Kennedy uses a narrow focus of attention that makes sense in the business world but misses nuances of cause and effect in a political world.

Politics have an important role in life because they deal with means; not just ends. Life is not only a business decision; i.e. ends are more than profit and financial security. Proof of the need for a broad vision of life is offered in David Nasaw’s history of Joseph P. Kennedy’s life; i.e. a life filled with good and bad behavior, joy and tragedy; in unequal measure. Joseph P. Kennedy outlived four of his nine children–Joseph Jr. (killed in WWII),Kathleen (died in a plane crash),John F. (assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald), and Robert Kennedy (assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan).

Unvarnished Biography and a Peek into Our History

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because this book tells a compelling story. The truth about Joseph P. Kennedy may not be as scandalous as the myths that abound, but this honest appraisal of the man is even more engaging because we learn not only of this one person but also share his views and insights into the world of the early and middle 20th century.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Patriarch?

The section dealing with Kennedy's venture into motion pictures. i would venture that very few people today appreciate Kennedy's importance as a movie mogul and how his influence was the catalyst that turned Hollywood into a modern motion picture industry.

What about Malcolm Hillgartner’s performance did you like?

He reads well and keeps the attention of the listener. He is excellent at changing his accent to approximate the voice of the speaker when reading quotations.

The must read book to understand the Kennedys

Several biographies on Jack and Ted led me to want to know more about their father Joe, which brought me to Nasaw's biography, an extraordinary biography of a fascinating man whose influence on his children can not be understated. Kudos to Nasaw whose extensive research allows him to present both a deep dive into this historically important man, but also an unusually unbiased discussion. So whilst I came away with strong view that this was an evil man, I was equally struck with immense respect for his deeply felt principles, his unflinching dedication to them, his extraordinary accomplishments, and the tragedies he endured.

But most of all was the insights into this family that helped me to understand his children in ways that multiple biographies on each of them failed to convey. Joe was more than a force. He was an industrialist success story to rival Carnegie. He was as involved in his family as he was in his business, with tactics in each that inspire and revolt. His devotion and dysfunction in his marriage is extraordinary, perhaps an exageration of his era that is hard to comprehend today. That he had so many children develop such extraordinary lives and be such a force for this country is a reflection of this aptly titled book--the remarkable life and turbulent times of Joe Kennedy.

Excellent- though without granularity.

Quite interesting - if you love historical figures, this is a must listen. Well done on all counts.

Very informative and overall very entertaining.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Patriarch to be better than the print version?

Yes, I enjoyed it very much.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Joseph P Kennedy. He was full of life and wasn't afraid to speak his mind. A strong presence that commanded respect. Infatuated with his family, but especially his children.

Have you listened to any of Malcolm Hillgartner’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The end of the book was particularly sad. Such a spectacular human being ending up in such a physical condition. Having to endure the death of his two boys entombed in his own body, unable to express the rage he must have felt. It almost seemed as if he was paying for some unimaginable sin. What he cared for the most was stripped away at the weakest period in his life.