Bobby truly wrestled with issues, not in some abstract academic fashion, but in a practical, real world sense. He was forward-looking, and he was impatient with those who couldn’t keep up. Kennedy seemed to perpetually be in motion throughout his life. In short, Tye’s book is a rich narrative about a dynamic individual. But I concluded the book with a much greater appreciation for the man and his story. My impression coming into the book was that Robert Kennedy largely lived in the shadow of his brother, President John Kennedy, and tragically lost his life in the same way-by an assassin’s bullet. I originally bought Larry Tye’s narrative Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon to learn about this historic figure from my parents’ generation. He is a complex figure-much more so than his brothers-whose leadership could have led to a political environment that looks far different than the one we’ve become accustomed to today. Had the late Senator from New York lived to take residence in the White House, I’m convinced, after reading a recent biography about him, he would have propelled our nation forward in meaningful ways. “Bobby” died 50 years ago on June 6, 1968. That may especially be the case as it relates to Robert Francis Kennedy. There is no doubt that for a large segment of the American populace, the Kennedy family name conjures up feelings of nostalgia.
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