The Kennedy Heirs, J. Randy Taraborrelli
The Kennedy Heirs, J. Randy Taraborrelli
4 Rating(s)
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The Kennedy Heirs
John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Tragedy and Triumph

Author: J. Randy Taraborrelli

Narrator: Robert Petkoff

Unabridged: 18 hr 27 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/11/2019

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli comes The Kennedy Heirs, his most revealing Kennedy audiobook yet.

A unique burden was inherited by the children of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his celebrated siblings, Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy. Raised in a world of enormous privilege against the backdrop of American history, this third generation of Kennedys often veered between towering accomplishment and devastating defeat. In his revelatory new audiobook, acclaimed Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli draws back the curtain on the next generation of America’s most famous family.

John Kennedy, Jr.’s life in the public eye is explored, following the Kennedy scion as he faced the challenges posed by marrying his great love, Carolyn Bessette. Riveting new details are shared about the couple’s tragic demise—and why Ethel Kennedy advised Carolyn not to take the trip that would ultimately end her life. John’s sister, Caroline Kennedy, had her own complicated relationships, including a marriage to Ed Schlossberg that surprised her mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and an unexpected bond with her mother-in-law, Mae Schlossberg.

Additional stories, many shared here for the first time, illuminate the rest of the Kennedy dynasty: Kara Kennedy, Ted’s daughter, and her valiant battle against lung cancer; how Ted’s wife, Vicki, introduced a new era of feminism to the Kennedy family; the lifelong struggles with addiction faced by Bobby Kennedy Jr. and Patrick Kennedy; the unexpected way pop star Taylor Swift helped Conor Kennedy heal after the death of his mother, Bobby’s wife Mary; and Congressman Joe Kennedy III’s rise to prominence. At the center of it all is the family’s indomitable matriarch, Ethel Kennedy—a formidable presence with her maddening eccentricities and inspiring courage.

Based on hundreds of exclusive first-hand interviews and cultivated over twenty years of research—including numerous Oral Histories from the JFK Library and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute—The Kennedy Heirs is an epic drama of ambition, scandal, pride and power.

About J. Randy Taraborrelli

J. Randy Taraborrelli is the author of over 20 biographies, most of which have become New York Times bestsellers, including: Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot; After Camelot: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family 1968 to the Present, which was adapted as a mini-series for Reelz; and Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill, presently being adapted for television by Taraborrelli. His most recent book, Jackie: Public, Private, Secret, debuted at number three on the New York Times bestseller list.

About Robert Petkoff

Robert Petkoff has won multiple AudioFile Earphones awards for his acclaimed narrations. He was named Best Voice of Fiction & Classics for his reading of The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore by Benjamin Hale. His other narration credits include Oath of Office by Michael Palmer, Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman, and books by David Foster Wallace.Petkoff has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in theaters across America and Europe.  He has worked in television and film. His theater credits include Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in the Broadway production of Anything Goes, Perchik as part of the Tony-nomianted cast of Fiddler on the Roof, and Hubert Humphrey in the Tony award-winning play All the Way. He has also had numerous roles in television on shows such as Law and Order and Married with Children.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Michelle on July 11, 2019

Added to my "I'll read anything about the Kennedys" shelf. Like Taraborrelli's other books, this is well-researched (it not at times a little TOO generous to the subjects, but I get it, when you to interview them). Other reviewers have noted that it would've been super helpful to have a family tree......more

Goodreads review by Jill on June 14, 2019

Randy Taraborelli is a good, not a great writer. He's no Leo Tolstoy, but then he's writing about a uniquely unhappy family, the Kennedys. His newest book, "Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy", has a too long-title but is actually an entertaining......more

Goodreads review by Kyle on October 03, 2019

This is a fascinating look at the Kennedy family since 1963 with a surprise guest appearance by Taylor Swift?! In some ways, it reads like a cautionary tale for generational wealth. The clear message: the 2nd and 3rd generations of the Kennedy family have had more than their share of misogyny, drugs,......more

Goodreads review by Denise on April 25, 2020

I too am fascinated with everything Kennedy. This book did not disappoint.......more

Goodreads review by Ellie on March 30, 2024

The only copy of this that my library had was in large print, so this turned into 913 pages of Kennedy history. From this visual alone, I now personally feel like a Kennedy scholar myself......more