A Common Good: The Friendship Of Robert F. Kennedy And Kenneth P. O'donnell [Hardcover]

Helen O'donnell (Author), David Groff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 1998

Kenneth O''Donnell was JFK''s chief-of-staff a nd in this intimate, revealing memoir of his long friendship with Bobby Kennedy, his daughter, Helen, honours his wish t hat RFK be remembered as the man Ken O''Donnell knew him to b e. '

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In A Common Good: The Friendship of Robert F. Kennedy and Kenneth P. O'Donnell, Helen O'Donnell pays tribute to her father Kenneth and his lifelong friend Bobby Kennedy. Kenneth O'Donnell met Bobby Kennedy at Harvard right after World War II, and the men remained fast friends for the rest of their lives, playing football together, working side by side on political campaigns, and striving to change the world. O'Donnell was a masterful organizer and a forthright political operator, skills that came in handy on many a campaign trail. He helped John F. Kennedy through several elections and finally served as his gatekeeper in the White House, the man who decided who got access to the president and when they got it. He came to be called "the Cobra" in the White House because of the fierce way he guarded the president's time. O'Donnell writes that her father was also involved in many policy decisions, and that despite their different socioeconomic backgrounds, the Kennedy and O'Donnell families were close. Because of O'Donnell's family connections and her access to the normally closed Kennedy archives, this book contains lots of behind-the-scenes information about the Kennedy campaigns and the intersecting lives of the two families. The untimely deaths of John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy shattered Kenneth O'Donnell. He took to drinking, staged two unsuccessful campaigns for governor of Massachusetts, and died young. At its heart, this is a very sad book about a man who lost his best friend and then didn't know what to do with himself. --Jill Marquis

From Publishers Weekly

Kenneth (Kenny) O'Donnell often appears in the background of Oval Office photographs taken during the Kennedy administration: an unsmiling figure whose nicknameAhis daughter writes in her biography of her fatherAwas "The Cobra." O'Donnell, friends with Bobby Kennedy from their days on the Harvard football team back in 1946, was so defined by his relationship with the Kennedy family, according to his daughter, that after Bobby's assassination, both he and his wife fell into alcoholism and early death in the late 1970s. The author recalls that Bobby was her father's best friend and that after the assassination his presence hung over their house "like a ghost." In 1951 O'Donnell, who was born in 1924, went to work on Congressman John Kennedy's Senate campaign and was involved in every election after that. The author was six when Bobby was shot and 15 when her father died; her stories here were related to her by JFK's "Irish Mafia," surviving Kennedys and tape recordings her father had made. She recreates his life totally in reference to the careers of John and Robert Kennedy, suggesting that her father had no life of his own. The main body of the bookAtold in the third personAis serviceable and heartfelt. What makes this account so emotionally involving are the first-person introduction and epilogue that detail the disintegration of the O'Donnell family. Photos not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (May 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688148611
• ISBN-13: 978-0688148614
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #958,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( K ) > Kennedy, Robert

More About the Author

Helen O'Donnell is the daughter of Kenneth P. O'Donnell, who was President John F. Kennedy's Political Chief of Staff and friend. He was also a close friend to the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy. She is the author of A COMMON GOOD, THE FRIENDSHIP OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY & KENNETH P. O'DONNELL, which she wrote with Robert Kennedy's son Michael LeM. Kennedy. She is a writer and producer, she just completed working as a researcher for Chris Matthews of MSNBC's "HARDBALL" on his forthcoming book on Jack Kennedy. She is a freelance writer for various publications and is currently working on her next book about Frank Sinatra and THE RAT PACK. She is working with the BBC Radio4 on an hour long radio history programme based on her book A COMMON GOOD. She currently lives in Los Angeles and is developing a film based on her next book "FIVE O'CLOCK VEGAS BLUE."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars heartfelt, November 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Common Good: The Friendship Of Robert F. Kennedy And Kenneth P. O'donnell (Hardcover)

You can tell that the author (Ken O'Donnell's daughter) greatly admired and loved both subjects of her book (Bobby Kennedy and Ken O'Donnell). It's an inspiring tribute to a past era. Helen O'Donnell hardly knew Bobby Kennedy (she was 6 when he was killed). However, she grew up listening to stories about him. Her mother and father both loved Bobby Kennedy, for different reasons. They gave her a discriptive account of Bobby, the man, and RFK, the politician. With rumors that have become accepted and unsubstantiated truths, new books such as "RFK: A Candid Biography" that try to dirty his name, as well as a fading national memory of his contributions; this book is a refreshing change. Ms. O'Donnell mentions that Bobby was her father's hero, and as told by Jackie Kennedy herself, Bobby was Jackie's hero as well. It's nice to read something positive about Bobby Kennedy, my hero.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The well-oiled Kennedy machine, May 3, 2000

By 

Laura (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Common Good: The Friendship Of Robert F. Kennedy And Kenneth P. O'donnell (Hardcover)

A Common Good is an enjoyable, fast-paced read. It is a warm portrayl of Bobby, Jack and Kenny O'Donnel as people. There are laughs and poignant moments. It s a must for anyone interested in Robert Kennedy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful memories, July 24, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Common Good: The Friendship Of Robert F. Kennedy And Kenneth P. O'donnell (Hardcover)

I used to work with the author's uncle, Cleo, who also plays a large part in this book. Over lunch and sometimes drinks after work, he used to tell us some of the wonderful stories of his and his brother's friendship with the Kennedy brothers. When I saw this book, I had to get it and it is bringing back wonderful memories of 25 years ago in Boston. In fact, if I am not mistaken, the author herself may have helped out in the office once or twice during school vacations. In any case, if you are a Kennedy fan, this is a touching, well-written book full of warmth and good stories about the Kennedys' and O'Donnells' as real people, written by someone who knew them. Don't miss it.