Sons of Camelot: The Fate of an American Dynasty

by Laurence Leamer and Lawrence leamer

Book Overview

From renowned biographer and New York Times bestselling author of The Kennedy Women and The Kennedy Men comes THE SONS OF CAMELOT, the second volume in a multi-generational history bound to be... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006620965X
• ISBN13: 9780066209654
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Length: 656 Pages
• Weight: 2.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.8" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

a good read

This is a comprehensive, non sensationalized account of the lives of the younger Kennedys. The book manages to be interesting without becoming tabloidish in tone (as some of the other books have). The author appears to have made an effort to be thorough and fair in his reporting of events.

Sons of Camelot Even Better than The Kennedy Women

One would think that by getting to this "Sons of Camelot" bunch of Kennedys after what, 10 years of Kennedy writing, that the only thing left for Lawrence Leamer to write about would be the shell-shocked surviving generation. But the read was not like that, although he did not skirt the sad and sometimes ridiculous issues. It was tremendously well balanced and rang of a deep truth; makes you want to know Leamer just so you could learn his take on you.It was not only up to his usual historian-level standards, but exceeded it in that there was so much more for the reader in this third book in what has become Leamer's cottage industry of Kennedy family writing. So Leamer's third trip to the Kennedy well still yielded a bucket of the finest wine.His access to Kennedy friends and associates, especially those of John Jr., appear unprecedented. It's as if all these people knew, either intrinsically or from his other two books, that Leamer was the one who would get it all down correctly. I apprecaited the fact that there were only a couple of "anonymous" interviews, that most of the people were known, so that added to the keen veracity of this book.Leamer has never been afraid to point out the scuffs in the Kennedy facade. In The Kennedy Men, I recall, I had never in my life seen such honesty, even when the Kennedys did not come off well, such as when Rosemary was given the shock treatments and the shame of that procedure, ordered by patriarch Joseph Kennedy, appears to haunt this family to this day and the shame is included in this book, too, through the eyes of this present generation.In Sons of Camelot, Leamer again comes through with the essentials. But he at the same time, ever so carefully, he also documents their accomplishments -- and who would have thought there were so many?What I particularly like about Leamer is that he isn't afraid to take on the dark side, which is all that is shown in some of the poseur books of recent genre -- such as the recent book with the fellow who claims to have had the on-going affair with Carolyn Bissette Kennedy. (Side note: that recent bio on A & E with the underwear model was a horribly mismanaged bait-and switch event and it reached an all-time low in cheesy television viewing, even though I must admit I watched it, but only as one views a car wreck after having sat in a traffic jam for a long time.)Leamer's enormous access to these Kennedy family sources was a magnificent achievement in itself. And the only way he could have had these multitude of interviews was that he was riding on the same train of truth from his other two books and the subjects knew it.The anecdotal material, even, on actor Tom Hanks was obviously puerile but Leamer doesn't shy away from his subjects' antics, even if they do not come off well. Leamer isn't afraid of anyone, it seems, but especially, and most importantly, he is not afraid to tell the truth.And the fact that he ends the book with a personal interview with Ted Kennedy is ver

On target again

As per usual, Mr. Leamer produces an excellent volume of research on one of America's best known families. He is fair and empathetic.For myself ,speaking as one who has read many of his other books,Mr.Leamer is trustworthy with regard to his research sources.

The most insightful book on this family yet

With this book, Mr. Leamer may have outdone himself. His previous efforts have established his rare combination of talents for both investigation and literary eloquence. But I believe with The Sons of Camelot he has reached the top of his game. How many other Kennedy biographies can one think of written by someone outside the inner circle that the family itself has cooperated with. The answer is none. This speaks to Leamer's acknowledged reputation for fairness and his talent for the great "get." And the number of Kennedys who trusted him is even more astounding. The result is a rich and nuanced portrait of this complex brood. I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the true, and perhaps most valuable, legacy of Old Joe Kennedy.

The best book I have read on this subject

In his third volume of his trilogy on the Kennedys, Leamer trace the journey of the family after the death of President Kennedy. The pages are full of revelations and deep insight. I finished Sons of Camelots thinking I knew personally every member of the family. The author had unprecedented access to the Kennedys and their friends, and it shows. Leamer held nothing back, good and bad.