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The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,049 listener ratings
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With new research and previously unavailable interviews, The Last Campaign provides an intimate and absorbing historical narrative that goes right to the heart of America's deepest despairs—and most fiercely held dreams—and tells us more than we had understood before about this complicated man and the heightened dramas of his times. After John F. Kennedy's assassination, Robert Kennedy looked past his own pain to that of this country, and he sought to offer it hope. And when he announced that he was running for president, the country united in hope behind him. Over the action-packed eighty-two days of his campaign, Americans were inspired by Kennedy's promise to lead them toward a better time—until an assassin's bullet stopped this last great stirring public figure of the 1960s.
Clarke's The Last Campaign is the definitive account of Robert Kennedy's exhilarating and tragic 1968 campaign for president—and a revelatory history that is especially resonant now.
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"This is the best biography I have read in a long time, I only wish the ending had been different. While Mr. Kennedy was still a politician, I think he was very sincere and determined to change the direction in which he felt our country was heading--away from morality and toward greed and consumerism. He was saddened by the plight of the poor and by the oppression of Native Americans and African Americans. This book details the 82 days of RFK's presidential campaign and gives an inside view from the press corps that accompanied him. The book paints an intimate portrait of a man who had an adoration for children, for his nation, and for equality for all. I truly believe that had Mr. Kennedy lived, he would have not only been elected president but he would have been one of the best presidents to command our nation. Sadly, I feel that when Mr. Kennedy died, so, too, did his vision."
— Keri (5 out of 5 stars)
The Last Campaign Listener Reviews
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" great stuff.... love the serving nature of the Kennedy Family and Bobby especially! Bobby is a new hero of mine, but the author idolizes him, which makes me curious about other perspectives as well :) I do recommend it. "
— Christopher, 2/14/2014 -
" This year being the 40 anniversary of Kennedy's death and an historic time in our own history of Presidential elections, I find this book inspirational as well as a time to reflect on the history of my youth...and what might have been had Kennedy lived. I am truly enjoying this book. "
— J., 2/9/2014 -
" this left me with a very strong feeling of wistfulness for what might have been. he was so visceral and deeply human in addition to being an excellent politician. "
— Sheri, 2/8/2014 -
" RFK goes into the category of "they don't make 'em like that anymore." Inspirational, quirky, lovable, visionary, and lover of mankind. Tragic ending snuffed out a lot of "what coulda beens." "
— Paul, 1/23/2014 -
" My respect for Bobby Kennedy soared after reading this book. He campaigned in places (Indian reservations, Mississippi rural areas, barrios) where even Obama does not tread. Bobby cared about poor people and wanted to end poverty in America. For a rich Ivy League boy the way he connected to minority people and the down-and-out was phenomenal. I liked the book but found it repetitive in places and there is sometimes more details than I think the average reader would want. But what you learn from reading this is really insightful. "
— David, 1/22/2014 -
" This was a very engaging book, but it didn't really offer anything new. It's clear that RFK's presidential campaign was something momentous and it's sad that his platform would still resonate today - poverty never ceased to be an issue - but this hagiography got a little old after a while. "
— Kendra, 1/21/2014 -
" The writing give a feeling of being there to the events it describes. It tells about RFKs death in a way that celebrates his life. I love this book, with the caveat that it doesn't (and isn't meant to) to provide an objective, critical evaluation of him. "
— James, 1/21/2014 -
" Great subject but very very dull. "
— Robert, 1/13/2014 -
" Clarke did an amazing job of recreating scenes, most of which happened decades ago. I'll use excerpts in my nonfiction classes at JHU. Also, I was intrigued by how RFK refused to tell voters what they wanted, or thought they wanted, to hear. So different from today's political game. "
— Tim, 1/12/2014 -
" Very interesting insights. "
— Jim, 12/16/2013 -
" My life's inspiration. Yep, this book impacted me that much "
— Taylor, 12/12/2013 -
" Amazing book. Couldn't put it down. Gave a glimpse of what might have been. Life without Watergate, imagine that. "
— Bob, 8/14/2013 -
" A really in-depth look at the 82 days of RFK's1968 Presidential campaign. Full of heartening and beart-breaking anecdotes. All the more heartbreaking because you know how it will all end... "
— Mscout, 5/15/2013 -
" Excellent read! Very inspiring story of RFK's campaign and the state of the nation in 1968. "
— Jess, 1/20/2013 -
" This is the reason it's so scary to love Barack Obama. "
— Doug, 1/5/2013 -
" For those people who felt Robert Kennedy (when we were not able to imagine yet a man who would write DREAMS FROM MY FATHER) was the last best hope for a compassionate America, this is an unforgettable and heartbreaking book. "
— John, 11/29/2012 -
" Incredible. By turns inspiring and deeply, deeply depressing. The writer focuses on the campaign, devoting only a few pages to the assassination itself. "
— Mary, 2/29/2012 -
" Pretty amazing that he was killed a few months after Martin Luther King...and that there seemed to be a foreboding that it was going to happen too. He's a pretty inspired and authentic cat, which is about the highest praise you can give a politician these days I suppose "
— Luke, 2/28/2012 -
" Robert Kennedy after JFK. Brings him down to human level. Great man. Really gave me a new appreciation of this life cut short "
— Nicko, 8/6/2011 -
" I was 14 when Robert Kennedy ran for president and was assinated. I was totally enamored with him and devastated when he died. This book helped me to understand what was going on in America at the time. It was hard to revisit, but I'm glad I did. It's an excellent book. "
— Jenny, 7/1/2011 -
" This is a good time to read this book. Sadly inspiring and makes me wish I was there then rather than here now. "
— Mary, 4/24/2011 -
" Great topic, interesting factoids (although some incorrect...) but waaaaaaay too preachy. Would have liked it better with just the story...let me make my own analysis. "
— Judy, 4/14/2011 -
" This was really good. I wished Robert F Kennedy had lived and seen what he could have done. <br/><br/>I would recommend this for others to read. "
— Mary, 1/24/2011 -
" Fascinating story, a view from inside the RFK campaign. Another portrait of a complicated man who couldn't abide cookie-cutter campaigning. "
— Thom, 8/20/2010 -
" Amazing book. Couldn't put it down. Gave a glimpse of what might have been. Life without Watergate, imagine that. "
— Bob, 4/26/2010
About Thurston Clarke
Thurston Clarke has written eleven widely acclaimed works of fiction and nonfiction, including three New York Times Notable Books. His Pearl Harbor Ghosts was the basis of a CBS documentary and his bestselling Lost Hero, a biography of Raoul Wallenberg, was made into an award-winning NBC miniseries. His articles have appeared in Vanity Fair, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and many other publications. A recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, among other awards, he lives with his wife and three daughters in upstate New York.
About Pete Larkin
Pete Larkin has narrated dozens of audiobook titles, won five Earphones Awards, and been a finalist in 2012 for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has been praised for his expert ability to speak in multiple accents. He is also an on-camera host and accomplished voice-over artist for hundreds of commercials and promos for a variety of companies, corporations, and governmental agencies. He was the public address announcer for the New York Mets and has worked as a radio jockey in New York, Baltimore, and Washington, DC.