Robert Kennedy and His TimesRobert Kennedy and His Times
Score Classic
What it's about
Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a historian and aide to the Kennedys, tells the life of Robert Kennedy: the ruthless young political operative, his brother's attorney general fighting organized crime and dealing with civil rights and the Cuban missile crisis, his grief after Dallas, and his transformation into a champion of the poor before his assassination in 1968.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award. It's a sympathetic portrait by someone who knew him well.
You'll love it if you liked
An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963
The Best and the Brightest
Profiles in CourageGood to know
It's very long and admiring.
By the numbers
- Readers90 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics72 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it doesn't have enough readers yet for us to rank it alongside the Must-Read 50 pool. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
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Quick answers
Is Robert Kennedy and His Times worth reading?
It won the National Book Award. Its Must-Read Score is 82.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Robert Kennedy and His Times about?
Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a historian and aide to the Kennedys, tells the life of Robert Kennedy: the ruthless young political operative, his brother's attorney general fighting organized crime and dealing with civil rights and the Cuban missile crisis, his grief after Dallas, and his transformation into a champion of the poor before his assassination in 1968.
How long does it take to read Robert Kennedy and His Times?
About 27 hours (1077 pages), or about 8 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Robert Kennedy and His Times?
If you liked it, try An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963 by Robert Dallek, The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam or Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy.