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Loading... Victura: The Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Seaby James W. Graham
   None No current Talk conversations about this book.  Teritree001971 | Jul 28, 2014 |   This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.I enjoyed learning about some of the speeches made by various Kennedys in which they referenced the sea, tales from the sea, or particular poets. Additionally, I knew they were a sailing family, but I didn’t really know the extent of it as a family tradition and how important racing was. As a learning tool sailing taught them about leadership, competing, discipline and teamwork. But it’s the fact that they drew such strength from the sea, from the stars, from its peacefulness that most impressed me and how they found mental sustenance from it during difficult times. It’s no wonder that anyone growing up surrounded by the sea would have an attachment to it; this is especially true of Cape Codders. In Victura the author, James W. Graham, a sailor himself, dives deeper to demonstrate that sea water actually runs in the Kennedys’ blood. I can highly recommend it. (  ) curlylocks | Jul 15, 2014 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.When I first started reading this book, I found it to be very boring. It talked a lot about boats, which I don't know much about. But once it got to part 2, it got more interesting. It talked more about the Kennedys and how sailing impacted their lives. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Kennedys. (  ) oddandbookish | Jul 14, 2014 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. ) jlafleur | Jul 10, 2014 | This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.The Kennedy's were a remarkable family and this is a great story. The author had extensive access to family members, so there is a very personal tone to the story. ( ) LoisB | Jul 9, 2014 | no reviews | add a review
Winner of the Chicago Book Review's Best Books of the Year (2014) To truly understand the dynamics and magic of the Kennedy family, one must understand their passion for sailing and the sea. Many families sail together, but the Kennedys' relationship with Victura, the 25-foot sloop purchased in 1932, stands apart. Throughout their brief lives, Joe Jr., Jack, and Bobby spent many hours racing Victura. Lack of effort in a race by one of his sons could infuriate Joseph P. Kennedy, and Joe Jr. and Jack ranked among the best collegiate sailors in New England. Likewise, Eunice emerged as a gifted sailor and fierce competitor, the equal of any of her brothers. The Kennedys believed that Jack's experience sailing Victura helped him survive the sinking of his PT boat during World War II. In the 1950s, glossy Life magazine photos of Jack and Jackie on Victura's bow helped define the winning Kennedy brand. Jack doodled sketches of Victura during Oval Office meetings, and it's probable that his love of seafaring played a role in his 1961 decision to put a man on the moon, an enterprise he referred to as "spacefaring." Ted loved Victura as much as any of his siblings did and, with his own children and the children of his lost brothers as crew, he sailed into his old age: past the shoals of an ebbing career, and into his eventual role as the "Lion of the Senate." In Victura, James W. Graham charts the progress of America's signature twentieth-century family dynasty in a narrative both stunningly original and deeply gripping. This true tale of one small sailboat is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the great story of the Kennedys. No library descriptions found. |
LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumJames W. Graham's book Victura was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.  Popular covers
 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)973.9220922History and Geography North America United States 1901- Eisenhower Through Clinton Administrations J.F. Kennedy BiographyLC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.75)
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Although the story purports the moral values the family learned, such as loyalty to each other, those values from my reading, only extended to the Kennedy core clan and less to those of their spouses and the world around them. The story also tells how the Kennedy's were raised with a sense of serving others and the contributions they have made to this world because of lessons learned from Victura. To me, I had problems, because although the book tells of the moral values and good the Kennedy's accomplished, it tends to ignore their moral failings, unless they were well publicized. Upon finishing this book, I found myself wondering whether or not the Kennedy sense of servitude was merely a tool to keep them in good standing with the public. (