Starred review from March 31, 2008
Signature
Reviewed by
Michael Beschloss
In this modest, elegant, appealing and introspective autobiography, Ted Sorensen writes about his service to John Kennedy as senator and president with a candor that, he confesses, would have been inconceivable while writing his glowing 1965 reminiscence, Kennedy,
or while Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was alive. The Nebraska-born Sorensen describes himself as a moralist not unlike his Unitarian father, C.A. Sorensen, a onetime state attorney general (and a Republican). He reproaches himself for still feeling “shame and stigma” about the emotional illnesses of his Russian-Jewish mother, Annis Chaikin Sorensen, and for his two divorces, which will make him feel “embarrassed until my dying day.”
Sorensen does not spare the man who remains his old hero. He declines to “defend or rationalize” JFK’s “carefree misconduct and broken marriage vows,” writing, “It was wrong, and he knew it was wrong.” He criticizes Kennedy’s failure while a senator in 1954 to help censure the Wisconsin demagogue Joseph McCarthy. Unlike some of Kennedy’s most extreme defenders, he does not insist that JFK would have withdrawn American troops from Vietnam after reelection in 1964. Excluded from Kennedy’s glittering social life, Sorensen recalls the president’s “cool crowd” regarded him with “thinly veiled patronizing.” New sidelights include Jackie’s later private observation that her husband was “truly frightened” that Lyndon Johnson might someday become president.
Sorensen knows that history will view him mainly as architect of much of Kennedy’s enduring rhetoric—and the collaborator (at least) on JFK’s famous 1956 book, Profiles in Courage
. Such prominence unsettled the Kennedys, who wanted JFK’s speeches and writings to be taken as his own. Sorensen reveals that after the commercial success of Profiles
, Kennedy privately gave him a large share of the book’s substantial royalties, and Sorensen wrote his boss a letter pledging not to push for “recognition of my participation” in its writing. The faithful Sorensen felt “crushed” in 1987 when Jackie Onassis wrote him an angry letter implying (unfairly) that Sorensen might be ambitious to seize credit for her husband’s speeches.
Sorensen says he never knew how much his old frostiness and protectiveness of his relationship with JFK estranged some colleagues. Blessed with a happy third marriage, he has clearly mellowed. But for Sorensen, as this book demonstrates, the 45 years since JFK’s assassination—including an important New York legal career, a role advising Robert Kennedy during his presidential race, efforts to win the late Bobby’s Senate seat and an aborted nomination to head Jimmy Carter’s CIA—have been epilogue. As Sorensen painfully observes, when the Kennedy brothers died, it “robbed me of my future.” 16 pages of b&w photos. (May)
Michael Beschloss is the author, most recently, of
Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789–1989, just published by Simon & Schuster in paperback.
Starred review from July 28, 2008
Sorensen begins this audio sounding like a tired old man, with a gravelly voice and narrow vocal range; but as he becomes livelier and more engaged in his own narrative, listeners do too. A legislative assistant to Senator John F. Kennedy, Sorensen became JFK's speechwriter and closest advisor throughout the Kennedy presidency. Sorensen is most animated describing what he sees as the three major legacies of the Kennedy years: avoiding nuclear war through his handling of the Cuban missile crisis, supporting the civil rights movement, and competing with the Soviets in space. He deplores the Bush administration and ends with the fervent hope for new Democratic leadership to restore America's moral authority in the world and aspirations for a better, more equal life at home. This is a piece of history told by a passionate participant who is a fine writer and most engaging reader. A HarperCollins hardcover.
Starred review from April 28, 2008
SignatureReviewed by Michael BeschlossIn this modest, elegant, appealing and introspective autobiography, Ted Sorensen writes about his service to John Kennedy as senator and president with a candor that, he confesses, would have been inconceivable while writing his glowing 1965 reminiscence, Kennedy, or while Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was alive. The Nebraska-born Sorensen describes himself as a moralist not unlike his Unitarian father, C.A. Sorensen, a onetime state attorney general (and a Republican). He reproaches himself for still feeling \x93shame and stigma\x94 about the emotional illnesses of his Russian-Jewish mother, Annis Chaikin Sorensen, and for his two divorces, which will make him feel \x93embarrassed until my dying day.\x94Sorensen does not spare the man who remains his old hero. He declines to \x93defend or rationalize\x94 JFK\x92s \x93carefree misconduct and broken marriage vows,\x94 writing, \x93It was wrong, and he knew it was wrong.\x94 He criticizes Kennedy\x92s failure while a senator in 1954 to help censure the Wisconsin demagogue Joseph McCarthy. Unlike some of Kennedy\x92s most extreme defenders, he does not insist that JFK would have withdrawn American troops from Vietnam after reelection in 1964. Excluded from Kennedy\x92s glittering social life, Sorensen recalls the president\x92s \x93cool crowd\x94 regarded him with \x93thinly veiled patronizing.\x94 New sidelights include Jackie\x92s later private observation that her husband was \x93truly frightened\x94 that Lyndon Johnson might someday become president. Sorensen knows that history will view him mainly as architect of much of Kennedy\x92s enduring rhetoric\x97and the collaborator (at least) on JFK\x92s famous 1956 book, Profiles in Courage. Such prominence unsettled the Kennedys, who wanted JFK\x92s speeches and writings to be taken as his own. Sorensen reveals that after the commercial success of Profiles, Kennedy privately gave him a large share of the book\x92s substantial royalties, and Sorensen wrote his boss a letter pledging not to push for \x93recognition of my participation\x94 in its writing. The faithful Sorensen felt \x93crushed\x94 in 1987 when Jackie Onassis wrote him an angry letter implying (unfairly) that Sorensen might be ambitious to seize credit for her husband\x92s speeches. Sorensen says he never knew how much his old frostiness and protectiveness of his relationship with JFK estranged some colleagues. Blessed with a happy third marriage, he has clearly mellowed. But for Sorensen, as this book demonstrates, the 45 years since JFK\x92s assassination\x97including an important New York legal career, a role advising Robert Kennedy during his presidential race, efforts to win the late Bobby\x92s Senate seat and an aborted nomination to head Jimmy Carter\x92s CIA\x97have been epilogue. As Sorensen painfully observes, when the Kennedy brothers died, it \x93robbed me of my future.\x94 16 pages of b&w photos. (May)Michael Beschloss is the author, most recently, of Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789\x961989, just published by Simon & Schuster in paperback.