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John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography By The Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best Paperback – April 1, 2004
The outlines of John Kerry's life are familiar: A decorated Vietnam veteran who became an influential, if unlikely, anti-war protester. A lanky 60-year-old who quenches his thirst for danger with high-speed kiteboarding, windsurfing, piloting, motorcycling, and, in some cases, driving. A senator with a reputation as an investigator and foreign policy expert. A man married to one of the richest women in America. But beyond this broad picture, Kerry is something of a mystery to the public, largely because of a complex yet riveting personal and professional history outlined in this book.
John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography, the first full and in-depth book about the candidate's life, is based on a highly regarded series on Kerry published in theBoston Globe, plus years of additional reporting. It will explore his background, his service in the military (including significant experiences omitted from Douglas Brinkley's bestsellingTour of Duty), his early legal and political career, his legislative record and the remarkable turnaround in his political fortunes during the 2004 election cycle. This incisive, frank look at Kerry's life, and at his strengths and liabilities, is important reading for anyone interested in the presidential campaign.
- Print length480 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPublicAffairs
- Publication dateApril 1, 2004
- Dimensions6 x 1.5 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-101586482734
- ISBN-13978-1586482732
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Kerry campaign... is portrayed in this book for the inquisitive voter or political junkie." --Campaigns & Elections, Oct/Nov. Issue
"The conscientious research in this book reveals that [these] reporters ... were out to get the facts." --Washington Post, June 16, 2004
"The final result is the 448-page John F. Kerry, whose subtitle stands as a fair example of gauntlet-throwing" --The New York Observer, July 28, 2004
"[One] wish[es] that there were as thorough, up-to-date and probing a biography of George W. Bush available before the election." --New York Times, May 4, 2004
"a ready guide to the Democratic nominee." --National Review, May 31, 2004
"an extensive, well-documented overview" --Louisville Courier-Journal, July 18, 2004
"excellent and thoroughly researched... likely to become one of the most authoritative sources on the candidate." --Library Journal, June 1, 2004
"exhaustive, textured ... to know who ... Kerry is and what kind of president he might be, this is the book" --Newhouse News Service, May 30, 2004
"quick read ... gives a ... three-dimensional character... [the authors] have left enough new in there to keep you turning the page." --ABCNews.com, April 27, 2004
About the Author
Brian C. Mooney has been a reporter for newspapers in and around Boston for the past thirty-one years, the last sixteen atThe Boston Globe. Prior to that, he wrote forThe Boston Herald, The Sun of Lowell, andThe Medford Daily Mercury. At theGlobe, he has been city hall bureau chief, a member of the newspaper's award-winning Spotlight Team, and a political columnist. A graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, he resides with his wife, Rosemary Lappin, a local television news producer, in Andover, Mass., with their daughter.
Nina J. Easton, deputy chief of theBoston Globe's Washington bureau, is author of the critically acclaimedGang of Five: Leaders at the Center of the Conservative Ascendancy, which chronicles the rise to power of today's conservative movement. TheWashington Post praised the book for telling the story of post-Reagan conservatism "more inventively, exhaustively, and entertainingly than anyone else." Easton's career also includes a decade at theLos Angeles Times, where her Sunday Magazine stories on issues ranging from poverty to politics earned a number of national awards. In addition, she is co-author of the 1982 best-selling bookReagan's Ruling Class: Portraits of the President's Top 100 Officials.
Product details
- Publisher : PublicAffairs
- Publication date : April 1, 2004
- Edition : First Edition
- Language : English
- Print length : 480 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1586482734
- ISBN-13 : 978-1586482732
- Item Weight : 1.2 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 1.5 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #8,975,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,456 inU.S.Congresses, Senates & Legislative
- #4,274 inElections
- #15,156 inPolitical Leader Biographies
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Michael Kranish is an investigative political reporter for The Washington Post. He is the author of The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Sports Hero. He is the co-author of Trump Revealed for the Washington Post, and co-author of biographies of John Kerry and Mitt Romney for The Boston Globe. He received the Society of Professional Journalists award for Washington Correspondence in 2016. He is the author of of Flight from Monticello: Thomas Jefferson at War, a narrative of the invasion of Virginia by the traitor Benedict Arnold, and other British forces, during Jefferson's governorship.
For more information, visit: www.michaelkranish.com
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2004Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseMost well-read Americans are familiar with John Kerry, given his history as war hero, antiwar activist and two decades in the US Senate. However, this book fills in many gaps. I had heard Brinkley's book was a puff piece and thought this would be more balanced or even critical. Indeed, after reading an exchange between former Kerry campaign manager Jim Jordan and the authors, I was expecting a hachet job, but that isn't what I got.
On the whole the book left me with a favorable impression of Kerry. He has the negative attributes we associate with politicians, but what candidate doesn't? He also comes across as bright, patriotic and driven. I'm more comfortable with the thought of him as President after reading this book. - Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2006Format: PaperbackAs with other readers at Amazon.com I wanted a quick introduction to Kerry. I knew essentially nothing about him other than what is in the news. So I bought the Douglas Brinkley book "Tour of Duty" about Kerry in Vietnam and the present book. When I got the two books, it seemed that the current book is a little less biased and shorter 400 pages versus 500 pages for the Vietnam book, so I read it first. I have still not read the other book as of today. I just read "Tony Blair' by Philip Stephens and in many ways that is quite a different story and unusual story. Kerry has had a stronger relationship with the military because of his experiences in Vietnam and later working in the US Senate. Few politicians can claim live fire combat as can Kerry. That seems to have set a certain tone in his life.
In any case this is definitely a well researched and written biography by three reporters from his home state - reporters from the Boston Globe. They claim to have double and triple checker their sources. According to the preface, the story started off as a series of seven installments in the Globe in the summer of 2003. The paper, being located in Kerry's home state, wanted to publish a comprehensive series of stories on Kerry. According to Martin Baron, the Editor of the Boston Globe who has written the preface, the stories were immediately attacked by the Kerry Campaign. Later the campaign acknowledged that it was largely an accurate portrayal. That series has been expanded by the three writers into this present book. All three had covered Kerry (Mooney since 1977) and had previously written detailed stories on the candidate even back to the time when he was an assistant DA in Middlesex County. So by any reasonable standard the authors are well qualified and it shows in the book. Kerry did not help with the writing of the book and declined recent interviews. Overall I would call the book neutral in tone - just good reporting and writing. In addition to the roughly 400 pages of text there are 30 pages of notes.
As a book I found it to be engrossing and I was able to quickly run through the 400 pages. My attention was continually held. It is a page turner but not strongly so.
Kerry comes from an interesting background where his father's side of the family is second generation from Austria while his mother is related to the Forbes and Winthrops, the latter having a history dating back to almost the start of the Massachusetts colony (John Forbes Kerry). There is a family tree in the book going back three generations. His father was in the foreign service and has in fact acted as a sort of consultant to John Kerry; he did not pass away until 2000. Because of various foreign service postings such as Berlin, Norway, etc. by his father, Kerry traveled around Europe as a child and attended a school in Switzerland. There he was exposed to more European languages and culture than the average young American boy. But other than that he seemed to live a relatively normal youth including playing in a rock band. He did not inherit large amounts of money or a large trust. In fact one relative paid for his tuition at St.Paul's prep school near Boston.
The book covers his youth, education at Yale, his marriages (not much time spent on his personal life), the swift boats in Vietnam, his medals in Vietnam, and then his career back in the US after Vietnam. From there we follow his race for Lieutenant Governor, Senator, his fight for re-election against Governor Weld in 1996. The latter was a very difficult campaign that Kerry managed to win only by 7% riding on the coattails of Bill Clinton, but he did win against a very tough opponent.
Without trying to show bias one way or the other, Kerry comes across as a strong individual that has faced death many times serving his country with honor in Vietnam, a war that killed some of his friends. In politics he made many strong political alliances in the past to win elections - such as with Mayor Flynn of Boston. In the senate he took on unpopular issues such as Nicaragua and was partially responsible for directing investigators to look into the illegal activities of Ollie North and others. For that he was vilified as being somehow weak or soft on communism in the press, but eventually he was proven to be correct. Kerry does not come across in the book as an elitist or someone with a personality problem. He is ambitious and has been interested in politics since his youth - but I think that would be expected from a US Senator. In any case this book gives a lot of information on Kerry in an entertaining and a compelling read. You will not be disappointed.
Excellent book that is well researched and written. Five stars. - Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2004Format: PaperbackThis book isn't written in flowing prose and it doesn't seem to have any political ax to grind. They just want to present the facts about John Kerry's life for the eventual judgement of the reader.
They present both sides of the controversies Kerry's been involved in (his desire for a negotiated settlement with the Sandinistas, his peace activities after getting back from Vietnam, his first Purple Heart, etc.). However, the authors have a great deal more respect for what is part of the documented historical record and try to compare that to what Kerry or his critics say.
With that said, I liked the guy I read about. I felt that the resume the book ended up presenting was impressive- Kerry volunteered for Officer Training, commanded two swiftboats and won five medals in Vietnam with only his First Purple Heart having any question about it(Kerry got hit by shrapnel and was a little to aggressive in getting a Purple Heart for it). He came back, traveled all over the Eastern U.S. talking to Vietnam Vets and presenting their stories to Congress and anyone else who would listen. He tried unsuccessfully to run for the House, then attended law school, and worked for the DA's office of Middlesex County where he racked up an impressive conviction rate and left because he started vying for the DA's job. He then established his own successful law practice, then ran for and won a Senate seat in 1984. He's spent the last 19-20 years doing mostly investigative work for the Senate, from Iran-Contra to Latin American Drug Smuggling to the BCCI banking scandal and then investigated claims that POW's were still in Vietnam (his work on this gained the respect of John McCain). There are a lot of government scandals we know about because he took the initiative to investigate them, even if it exposed fellow Democrats (BCCI). During Clinton's terms, he helped Clinton get a major crime bill putting more cops on our streets, and also helped get the assault weapons ban thru Congress.
The book is just under 400 pages but is an easy read, in that no-nonsense prose you usually find in newspapers. It's a good introduction to the guy who will hopefully be our next President. - Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2004Amazon CustomerFormat: Hardcover"Severely wounded" in combat? Was this when he claimed the actions of another PCF commander, and wasn't even on the boat? Or was this when he aimed an M-79 into the rocks and got a thornbush wound which was denied by his commander when Kerry put in for a Purple Heart; but got it later when he gamed the system and ran it through a different commander? Or was it when he and Rassmann threw grenades into a rice cache, got hit in the rear by flying rice? Or was it when he claimed his boat was hit by a mine when in fact it was a different boat? You know, the time when he claimed all the other boats left, but in fact his was the only boat to flee? Or was it when he ran the gauntlet of VC lined up for 5000 meters?
Top reviews from other countries
- Stig AnderssonReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2016
4.0 out of 5 stars... shows a complicated man who would have been a great President.
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseThe book shows a complicated man who would have been a great President.
