Schwarz, Ted. Joseph P. Kennedy: The Mogul, the Mob, the Statesman, and the Making of an American Myth. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2003. 472 pages.

Ted Schwarz is the author or coauthor of more than 100 books, including "The Peter Lawford Story," "The Kennedys: The Third Generation," and "Rose Kennedy and Her Family." This biography, in other words, probably includes most of the juicy details that can possibly be found about the exploits of Joseph P. Kennedy. For example, the extent to which he and Rose aggressively ran JFK's political campaigns causes one to entertain second thoughts about the Camelot years. Was JFK as independent and high-minded as we assume?

Joe Kennedy was a bank president, he helped run a shipyard, he was appointed to the Maritime Commission, he was the first commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and he was ambassador to England from 1938-1940. He also did business with the mob, had an affair with actress Gloria Swanson, made big money as a Hollywood insider and stock manipulator, occasionally laundered money and evaded taxes, and helped Rose raise nine children in an atmosphere of privilege and luxury, as well as strict discipline, high-pressure expectations, and competitiveness. Joe's wealth was acquired with a self-serving eye toward power and influence, and he had no interest in philanthropy. He suffered a stroke in 1961 and died in 1969.
ISBN 0-471-17681-8

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