The Sins of the Father: Joseph P. Kennedy and the Dynasty He Founded

Most of my generation takes for granted that Joe Kennedy Sr. built his empire in nefarious ways, but the depth and breadth of his corruption, exposed in "Sins of the Father," will leave you gasping for breadth. Only a serious journalist like Kessler could expose so much that was rotten about Kennedy and still do it with fairness and a surprisingly even hand. He interviewed everyone with any knowledge who would talk to him and dug deep for the paper trails. It isn't just Kennedy's bottomless greed that astounds, but his astonishing need for power and more power - over everyone including, of course, his sons who did what they were told. He was, frankly, a dangerous man and even though he's dead, it's a lesson for all of us what kind of people the glow of power will attract.

The old man had a sick, insatiable, apetite for sex. It included bedding or approaching his sons girlfriends and/dates. It was usual for them to share women. Typical example Marylin Monroe first with Jack and then transferred for Robert Kennedy use. Among all the smoke of the Kennedy mythology raises the tale of Rosemary lobotomy. The gossip among the Kennedy's intimates was that the old man first raped and frequently bedded his own retarded daughter while the mother was praying 24 hours a day. At some time the girl, a retarded creature, started to talk openly and among guests about the things that daddy was doing to her. It was then that old Joe decided to lobotomize her. To silence her.

SINS OF THE fATHER IS AN EXCELLENT ACCOUNTING OF TNE LIFE OF JOSEPH P KENNEDY. iT IS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND VERY UNDERSTANDABLE.

Kessler's major contribution is documenting Rosemary's depression; she was a very bright but depressed person, and it was more expedient to lobotomize her and label her retarded, than to deal with the mental illness. JPK comes away here a very sick, perverted man. What Kessler doesn't answer for us is: what drove him to become this way? Kessler also exposes his 9-year affair with his secretary, Janet DeRosiers. I admire him for accomplishing so much, yet I'm saddened by his perversity.

An excellent historical look at one of the most evil and manipulative men the country has ever known. From his many extramarital affairs to the manner in which he used and abused people. While growing up in Massachusetts, I've always suspected that this family were a bunch of "scumbags" and now Ronald Kessler fills in the final piece of the puzzle for me. The father rates right up there as one of history's all time "land sharks". His inexcusable behavior has manifested itself in his son's approach to life [Mariln Monroe, Eunice Pringle, Mary Jo Kopecne, and others, etc.] and how they deal with potential problems. As Old man Joe avoided WWI, Ted "ran away" at Chappaquidick. One can only hope that Massachusetts will wake up and see this family for what it is -- a fraud, a shell with no core values!! This book gives us an excellent start -- Should be required reading for all Massachusetts voters.