The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years

Although the title of this his book implies that there is some malevolent force acting on the affairs of the Kennedy's, which also implies that they can be absolved from any complicity for the misfortunes that befell them, the contents of the book make no such claim.

Rather than a curse what the book strongly suggests is that the Kennedy's seem to have a propensity for "high risk behaviors" many of which are chronicled. It seems evident that their various misadventures strongly suggest, first, that they really do not understand the nature of risk, and secondly, that they have no sense of the nature of their behaviors and their impulsivity in approaching risk that seems to underlie them.

Is "cluless" a more appropriate descriptor than say, show more hubris, or vainglory, or just plain stupidity? In reviewing John Jr's poor decision making and subsequent demise it would certainly seem so. Anyone who has any experience with flying can readily see that what he was attempting to do was virtually suicidal, especially so, with respect to his limited training, or lack of, and experience with, for him, a high performance aircraft.

Putting political orientations aside, if that is possible, it would seem this family characteristic of hubris, or vainglory, or "undue and self destructive risk taking" or however you choose to characterize it, would automatically disqualify any of these people for the responsibilities of high level political offices they spent so much time seeking, and in some cases attaining.

The issues associated with a dynamic, ever changing world require far more circumspecction and other leadership characteristics than the profiles presented here suggest that these people could ever provide. show less

I had seen reviews elsewhere that stated the history was rich in the novel and not much to the 'curse' that is so talked about. I did find this to be the case. While I wouldn't recommend to someone wanting a history read. It was okay.

The title draws you in, but the endless tragedies of the famous family ropes you in like a Shakespearean tale. A good book to read by a fireplace and hot cocoa.

An excellent and well put together autobiography. I usually don't like to read non-fiction because I like to lose myself in a good story, well this one 'real' story I can.