RFK audiobook

This book does an excellent job of encapsulating Kennedy’s beliefs and ideals. Some of the content in the book was dry and left me wanting. If it weren’t for one or two sections, I would’ve been mightily tempted to give it five stars. In contrast to the drier portions of the book, there were times when I felt like RFK was either speaking directly to me personally, or the country as a whole. I truly loved his remarks on there needing to be a change in the way we view public service and politics in this country. The negative connotation surrounding politics today and in his day does nothing to improve the condition of the people. He presented the case for greater citizen engagement very eloquently and compellingly. After I finished reading his remarks at the conclusion of the 1968 California Primary prior to his assassination, I realized how much I had come to admire his approach to politics. He genuinely tried to understand the plights of others. In addition to this, the book emphasizes his willingness to engage in substantive ways with those who held contrary positions to his own. It was in this way that he was able to build a rather unlikely coalition that spanned many very different demographics. Overall, it is a very worthwhile read that carries within it many valuable lessons in how we must approach government and realizing the ideals of the American Dream in this country.

I always followed RFK when I was a little girl. Listening to him speak on television, led me to believe he was ahead of his time. After reading this collection of his speeches. that belief has solidified my feelings 50 years after his assassination. I think of what his family lost that early June 6th morning in 1968 as well as our country and the world. He saw the big picture: racism, racketeering, war and the need to take care of the poor. When I look at what we, as a country, are facing now in 2017, the same problems are confronting us. Without the rational, insightful leader to guide us, we seem like a ship with no captain. Robert F. Kennedy was a wise man sent to earth to right wrongs and I pray for such a leader to guide us now! Every student of life should read his words and see his actions because they show what an intelligent man he was and what we lost.

Amid the riots of the past week or so, as well as the anniversary of his assassination (which happened only about ten minutes ago as I write this), I decided that reading this book again would be a worthy venture. And it absolutely was.This is by no means a biography, but rather a collection of just about every major speech that Kennedy gave during his life. From his days as a “ruthless” prosecutor working for Joe McCarthy to the spring of 1968 on his campaign for president when he broke bread with Caesar Chavez, any RFK quote you have ever heard is guaranteed to be in this book. Of course, just reading the speech out of the blue with no context can be quite confusing, but the author provides adequate context for each speech, not too much to make this a textbook, but just enough, maybe a paragraph or two, which sets the scene and really adds to the understanding of what Bobby was trying to say. Along with context, there are also a few anecdotes that are put throughout the book that help to understand what kind of person Kennedy was, but again, not too much where it turns into a biography, just little tidbits. A book like this allows insight into a person beyond what a typical biography would give, for it paints the picture the same way that it was painted to the people who would have voted for him, and seeing him in that light is a truly enriching experience, especially for anyone who has the slightest interest is American history or politics.Very simply, this book is a collection of his speeches, therefore there is not much to screw up, but also not much to do well. It is what it is. Nevertheless, this is perhaps the only nonfiction book that I have ever read where my view of the book goes beyond simply recommending it to people, but rather by requesting that people read it. Bobby Kennedy was a politician, and most politicians are slime, there’s not much getting around that. But something about RFK, to me at least, is different. He seemed to truly care, especially after his brother’s assassination. He brought a level of compassion to government that had never been seen before or since, and I believe that it is beneficial for anyone to see that it is possible for leaders to not be the heartless robots that seem to be the only option today. After reading this book, I have found that I hold every politician to the standard that Bobby Kennedy set, and while I have been massively disappointed, it’s still a standard that I believe will help our world if we hold our leaders to that standard. On top of that, his words are simply inspirational. Of all the things I have ever heard on my life, none have had as profound an impact on me as his Day of Affirmation speech, which I first discovered when I read this for the first time. And, of course, with the riots of the past week as I’m writing this, his speech announcing the death of Martin Luther King as well as his Mindless Menace of Violence speech the next day are reminders that leaders can have an impact and make things better with mere words. It is speeches like those that will frankly change any readers life for the better, and in turn they will make the world better. That’s what I believe, at least. Anyway, I seem to be rambling a bit, but, not only will I recommend this book, but I will ask, no, beg you to read this. It is truly a worthwhile read that of more people read, I believe that the world will be a better place.

This is an outstanding book; I encourage everyone to read it. The editors have authored fine introductions to support these speeches and essays. You can almost feel what it must have been like to participate in Senator Kennedy's run for the White House. He presented with sincerity, openness, and above all, integrity as he addressed matters of great debate. He was willing to state his beliefs and challenge his own by confronting those who thought differently and could support their views. He was willing to challenge people in their thoughts rather than conform to what the voters might have been thinking. One must suspect he was killed because of his great skill and potential to lead. It is sad we can never know how the United States and possibly the world might have changed had be been elected President. The world needs leaders, not conformists or hypocrites. Senator Kennedy was a great leader with a once substantial following. We can only hope another like him will one day brave the electorate and commit to serving our Nation.

A must read for anyone on any political spectrum. The world needs more Bobby Kennedy’s right about now.

Robert F. Kennedy has long been a personal hero of mine, and I can remember coming across the 1993 edition of this book probably not long after it came out, though I didn't get too far into it at the time. Having recently checked it out from the local library again (I'd done so on at least two previous occasions, again without getting too far into it), I've finally read it and enjoyed it immensely. I've also found myself wishing we had more leaders of RFK's caliber in America today. "RFK: His Words for Our Times" is a collection of some of Bobby Kennedy's most powerful and substantive speeches from his long career in politics. Beginning with a lecture he presented following a 1955 tour of Soviet Asia, the book goes through the career of Kennedy as he worked for his brother Jack's successful presidential bid, as JFK's attorney general, as a senator from New York in the wake of JFK's assassination, and during his own presidential bid which was cut short by his death from a gunman's bullet in June 1968. You really get to see RFK's evolution as a human being, his deepening awareness that the privileges granted to him by virtue of his family's wealth versus the obvious disadvantages to being born poor, Black, Hispanic, or otherwise neglected in America. Kennedy had an active hand in his speeches, never letting them go by from his speechwriters without significant input when time permitted. Though the product of collaboration, each speech feels like it bears the stamp of Bobby Kennedy's own hand, because each speech feels like something he would say if he were speaking off the cuff instead of from prepared statements. The two speeches that feel the most timeless are the "Ripples of Hope" speech that he gave in 1966, on a trip to South Africa, and his extemporaneous remarks on the night that Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down, during a scheduled event at Indianapolis. Each speech is prefaced by context written by the two editors, Edwin Guthman (a former aide of Kennedy's), and C. Richard Allen. The speeches are sometimes edited for clarity or to reduce redundancies, but many still carry the power of what it must have felt like to hear them live. Bobby Kennedy, had he lived, might have made for one of our greatest presidents, or he might have been unable to bring us together as a country after the tragic involvement in Vietnam and the tumult of the Sixties, but he would've at least tried. In these speeches, we get a glimpse of what we lost when he stepped away from the stage one June night in 1968, victorious in the California primary.

With all of the craziness going on in this country over the last couple of years, it was really refreshing to read something about when politics were also pretty turbulent and one man tried to make a difference. It is easy to bemoan how badly we need all of the qualities that Bobby represented now more than ever and that is partly because this book does a great job of showing his growth and evolution as a person and politician. I think the book did a nice job of giving just enough biographical and background information on the speeches so they were pretty easy to understand as well. While I think some might find reading this many of his speeches dry (and the speeches really do take up most of the book), I found it engaging and inspirational. It is easy to remember all of Bobby's strengths and forget about the hard work he put in to realize them. If you have an interest at all in Bobby or his politics, I would think you'd enjoy reading this book. I would recommend watching some of his speeches as well to see how well he delivered them too.

Powerful. This book brought back many memories, good and bad, but all worthy of remembrance. I enjoyed the inside stories of Bobby's life. It's a great book for a study of RFK. I was thoroughly captured by what I was learning. It's a wonderful read. Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for a copy of RFK: His Words for Our Times.

This is a fantastic book for any lover of history or politics. It follows Robert's career from start to finish not in story form but with his many speeches. No spin, just his words. I rec'd a free copy of the book for this review.

“We will not abolish the substance of freedom in order to save its shadow.”