The Fitzgeralds And The Kennedys: An American Saga

On Feb. 23, 2002, the New York Times reported in an article headlined "Historian Says Borrowing Was Wider Than Known":
"[Ms. Goodwin] said that in the same book she failed to acknowledge scores of quotations or close paraphrases from other authors."
and
"She told her research team to stop working on her next book, a biography of Lincoln, and begin combing over 'The Fitzgeralds' for other derivative passages. Yesterday, Ms. Goodwin said she planned to correct as many as 50 borrowed phrases from [Lynne] McTaggart's book ['Kathleen Kennedy: Her Life and Times']. She said her researchers had turned up additional repetitions from several new books as well. She declined to specify how many or which books because the researchers were still examining her book.

"After learning of the additional problems, she said, she offered... to pay the costs of DESTROYING Simon & Schuster's existing stock of the paperbacks and PUBLISHING A REVISED EDITION. 'I could not bear to have this book out there the way it was,' Ms. Goodwin said." Emphasis added.

She seems to be bearing up rather well under the circumstances, since she went ahead with the Lincoln book, published in 2005, without ever revising The Fitzgeralds. With the 10th anniversary of the revelations approaching, how much longer must we wait?

UPDATE:
Example 1: Page 738 of Goodwin, page 235 of McTaggart: "The pilot and the co-pilot stuffed handkerchiefs into their mouths, a standard procedure in a crash landing to avoid biting through the tongue. For about ten seconds Peter and Kathleen..."

2nd UPDATE:
Example 2: Page 666 of Goodwin, page 136 of McTaggart: "The photograph was ['promptly' deleted from Goodwin's copy] snapped up by The Boston Globe and reproduced in papers across the country as an apt symbol of the all-American girl coming to the aid of the boys abroad." The phrase "snapped up" is used three times in McTaggart's book, but only this once in Goodwin's.

Here we are, more than 12 years on, and no revised edition. Doris is now 71. As Nixon taught us, "the coverup is worse than the crime."

This book is so great on so many levels. It is an immigrant story, a fabulous history of the famine plauged Irish coming to America. The story begins here of a Fitzgerald coming to America for a better life. It traces the family history of birth, life and death before arriving at the life of John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, mayor of Boston. It then becomes a book discussing Boston at the turn of the century, before becoming a poltical history of Irish Boston politics. Fitzgerald besides being a famous Boston mayor, is also the father of Rose Fitzgerald. After Fitz's demise the book turns to Rose, her life and her relationship with the son of an Irish ward boss and pub owner Joseph P Kennedy. Of course the book turns the Kennedys and their family. A family full of ultimate success and complete tragedy. It covers the family for slightly more than 100 years starting with a babtism of a young Fitzgerald to the inaugoration of the first Irish Catholic President of the United States John F. Kennedy. An amazing book and a must read for any Kennedy historian. 5 stars

As one would expect with Doris Kearns Goodwin, this is a well researched, well written book that is a wonderful read. I would normally give such a book five stars. However, the pace of the book prevents me from giving it all five stars. Certain sections of the book, especially the beginning sections on the Fitzgeralds and Joe Kennedy's Hollywood ventures, are covered in excruciating detail, and this additional attention adds little to the overall experience of the book. Such an examination would be tolerable if the sections on the Kennedy's family life were not short changed. This book does a wonderful job of covering Jack's campaigns, but the rest of the family is hardly mentioned during this period. A few paragraphs on the younger children are thrown in once in a while, but the reader is not provided with the same detail that accompanied previous sections. This is likely the unfortunate result of ending the book on the inauguration of JFK.

Overall, the book gives a relatively fair treatment to the family. Joe Kennedy might be given the benefit of the doubt in a few instances where he does not deserve it, but this does not detract from the book considering the rest of the family's relatively sound morality. Considering the scope of the book, I would highly recommend this work as an introduction to another book focusing more on the Kennedy administration or other family members. One would hope that with the death of Ted Kennedy, Ms. Goodwin might revisit this work and update it to include the totality of the accomplishments of the Kennedy family through that generation.

I am learning so much about history, families and individuals from The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys. And, I am enjoying it so much. Normally, I don't tackle a book over 400 pages but this one reads like a novel. I WANT to read it. It gives me tremendous perspective on our current world for history does indeed repeat itself! One of my literary friends told me that she believes that it is the BEST book she has ever read. I agree. Doris Kearnes Goodwin has done her research - as the footnotes indicate. Yet, she writes with incredible insights. This book will continue living in my memory for decades.

I'm not going to deal with how well researched this book may or may not be; how can most of us judge that anyway? What I will say is there are 2 reasons I found this book to be a stellar read. First, I find most biographies to be nothing more than a boring recitation of facts which I give reading long before the end. This book reads more like a novel, a really good novel. Second, Doris made the wise decison of ending the book on the day of Kennedy's presidental inauguaration. This is not a biography of John Kennedy, but rather of his parents and maternal grandparents, starting I believe in 1863. It not only describes the personal lives of these families, but also gives a fascinating historical, 100-year view of both U.S. business and politics. (Oh, how things do not change. When will we ever learn?) The enormous length of this book has 2 drawbacks: It's terribly heavy, making it hard to hold and read in bed, and it costs a lot. I suggest getting it from the library as I did mine. On the other hand, I never wanted it to end. How often do you say that about a book? Probably the best biography I've ever read.

The description of the terrible living conditions of the Irish immigrants was shocking and explains in part this family's drive to achieve. The story also shows how, despite his many flaws, the strong father figure that Joseph P. Kennedy provided was a vital ingredient in the family's strength. A fascinating story.

This is a great book, which I read years ago when it first came out. I don't mind paying $35 for a book, but this seller took advantage by charging so much for a paperback in rather compromised condition. As it is a gift I am embarrassed to give it. I'm not happy at all with the seller.

I read this book about 20 yrs. ago, lent it to someone, and never got it back! Lesson learned! I wanted to read it again so I bought it again! It seemed a little more lengthy this time and less about the personal accounts of the family than I remembered. It was still good but since I had just read No Ordinary Time by the same author about FDR I kept comparing the two. The FDR book was much more concise and I really enjoyed it.

I bought this book years ago. It is still in great condition. I am the only one to have read this book. It is very interesting. It explains a lot of misunderstandings about Joe Kennedy Sr. It also explains a lot about politics in the beginning of the 20th century. Looks like politics has always been corrupt, but we just hear about it all of the time because of the 24 hour news cycle. Many think Joe Kennedy was a crook, but in fact he didn't break any laws. He was brilliant the way he handled prohibition. May not have been morally right but still brilliant. I have always been interested in the Kennedy's from the Joe and Rose era, until President Kennedy and his family. I admired the President, Jacquelyn, John Jr and Caroline. I did like Bobby, but none of the rest of the family. I especially don't like Ethel. She is a real piece of work. Some of the other siblings were great but their children are all self centered. This book is really worth reading if you are a fan of the older Kennedy's. I wonder why the price of the book is now so expensive. I didn't pay that much for it about 20 years ago.

A biography of two families that, with the marriage of Joseph Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald, became one. That's the best way I can describe this long, fascinating, and thoroughly satisfying book. It begins with the tenement birth of John Francis Fitzgerald, and ends with the presidential inauguration of his grandson and namesake, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. That is the appropriate place for it to end, because at that point the story of his family's rise from immigrant poverty to the White House is finished.

It's a colorful story, made so by both its times and its characters. It reads easily and, for the most part, moves at a comfortable pace. Sometimes the author's commentary on her subjects' behavior gets in the way, when she might better have left readers to form their own conclusions; but that is my only real criticism. A monumental task well executed!