Book Review: Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon by Larry Tye

Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon by Larry Tye
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

During his life he was seen as the ruthless politico that guided his brother to the White House after his death he was viewed as the man who could have changed America in 1968. Bobby Kennedy: Making of a Liberal Icon by Larry Tye looks at the complicated life of the hardnosed campaign manager, young Attorney General, Senator, and slain Presidential aspirant.

Using a variety of historical resources and first-hand interviews, Tye brings the real Bobby Kennedy into focus from his cold warrior conservative days working for Joe McCarthy to his 1968 Presidential campaign that made him an icon to liberals only after his death. Given the numerous roles in government and politics Kennedy filled in almost two decades and the issues in the 1950s and 60s, Tye wrote a hybrid chronological-topical biography so during Kennedy’s time as Attorney General three different chapters were dedicated to being Attorney General, Civil Rights, and then essentially being his brother’s deputy president. Tye doesn’t shy away from exposing Kennedy’s flaws, long-held grudges, and major fibs—the Cuban Missile Crisis—but also give credit to Kennedy for changing his views and attitudes. Kennedy’s place within his family from runt of the litter third son to becoming the patriarch after his father’s stroke even with his brother still alive is an interesting dynamic that the reader see’s take shape through Tye’s writing.

Bobby Kennedy is an engagingly written biography that shows the full range of the life led by the third son of Joe and Rose Kennedy.

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Book Review: Celtic Empire by Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler

Celtic Empire by Clive Cussler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Pharaonic princess flees a plague-filled Egypt with the disease’s cure, a genetically modified version of the plague appears across the globe in the 21st century and the cure appears to be in Ireland. Celtic Empire is the twenty-fifth of the Dirk Pitt series, the eighth co-written by Dirk Cussler and the last by creator Clive Cussler.

In their last collaboration the Cussler’s once again brought together a fun narrative, but the quality especially the antagonists was a bit lacking representing step down from the previous installment. The main antagonist’s execution of deploying her gendercide plan was sound, however how she was able to get the genetically modified virus in the first place with all the males in the laboratory where it was created and how she hid her plan from her own daughter that she sent on missions to further it were problematic. The hint of the Biblical Exodus in the prologue and connecting it with the various versions of Irish/Scottish legends of Queen Scota was interesting, but that ancient subplot was a tad underwhelming compared to previous books. A final annoyance was Dirk Jr. continual “borrowing” of vehicles that he essentially destroys when in chases.

Celtic Empire is the typically average Dirk Pitt book, which given this was Clive Cussler’s last seems about right.

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Book Review: Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The novelization of the second prequel film Attack of the Clones hit shelves a few weeks before the film hit theaters, written by noted fantasy-science fiction author R.A. Salvatore based off the script of the film.

From a script to page perspective, Salvatore does a wonderful job in adaptation especially with action scenes and doing his best in lessening the cringe factor in some of the romantic dialogue between Anakin and Padme. The decision by Salvatore to create subplots for the Lars family and Jango & Boba Fett to not only give context to what happens on screen but create more rounded characters. The addition of Padme’s family—which was cut from the film—and adding internal monologues for her made the romantic subplot a whole lot better than on screen, though overall the subplot still had issues which due to the script Salvatore couldn’t overcome.

Attack of the Clones is definitely a novelization that is better than it’s film source material, which is a testament to R.A. Salvatore’s talent.

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Book Review: William Pitt the Younger by William Hague

William Pitt the Younger by William Hague
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The youngest man to ever hold the position of what is called today Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, came to power as result of the political turmoil following the loss in America and died in office facing off against the greatest general to stride across Europe. William Hague’s William Pitt the Younger is the definitive biography of one of the most important men to lead Britain.

Hague’s detailed recounting of the younger Pitt’s life and times gives the reader an understanding not only of the man but the political dynamics of late 18th-Century Britain. While Pitt’s quick rise to power and the extraordinary crisis he had to manage—the Regency debate, the various wars with Revolutionary and Napoleonic France, etc.—are handled in a well written narrative style of twists and turns, Hague’s analysis of Pitt as a person is where this biography goes from great to excellent. The most important personal issue addressed about the lifelong bachelor was his sexuality, it was something Hague did not handle flippantly but analyzed over some pages drawing on all facets of Pitt’s life to give his conclusion.

William Pitt the Younger gives a full account of the life of Britain’s youngest Prime Minister and the times he lived in that influenced his time in office. William Hague’s biographical and historical narratives are written lively keeping the reader’s attention throughout.

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