A meticulously researched chronicle of five generations of the Kennedy dynasty explains how their Irish-Catholic roots informed their lives and political beliefs and reveals how the immigrant experience shaped both their remarkable success and many tragedies. Reprint. 40,000 first printing A portrait of the country's favorite political dynasty as the ultimate Irish Catholic family-and a revelatory look at how the American immigrant experience shaped both their stunning success and spectacular tragedies. Preface xv Part I: From Ireland to Irish-American 1. The Boys of Wexford 3(7) 2. Heirs of Brian Boru 10(8) 3. The Starvation 18(6) 4. American Wake 24(11) 5. Brahmins and Bigotry 35(16) 6. The Long Climb to Acceptance 51(16) 7. The Family Enterprise 67(11) 8. Hard Lessons 78(17) Part II: The Family Faith 9. Happy Warriors 95(18) 10. An Irishman in the Court of St. James 113(10) 11. The Vatican Go-Between 123(16) 12. Tortured Souls 139(21) 13. Hero Worship 160(13) 14. Blood Brothers 173(18) 15. A Lighter Shade of Green 191(23) 16. Eire 214(21) Part III: Rise to the Presidency 17. The Irish Brahmin 235(14) 18. A Child of Fate 249(17) 19. Articles of Faith 266(11) 20. A Nation of Immigrants 277(15) 21. Matters of Church and State 292(6) 22. A Friend in Rome 298(15) 23. Primary Lessons 313(13) 24. West Virginia 326(13) 25. The Fall, 1960 339(22) Part IV The Rites of Power 26. A Catholic in the White House 361(13) 27. Holy Wars 374(12) 28. Conversion and Subversion 386(8) 29. The Two Johns 394(15) 30. Doing the Right Thing 409(19) 31. In the Springtime 428(16) 32. The Ritual of Mourning 444(23) Part V The Emerald Thread 33. A Living Wound 467(18) 34. The Awful Grace of God 485(14) 35. The Politics of Outsiders 499(20) 36. The Ghosts of Camelot 519(16) 37. Last Hurrahs 535(15) 38. A Matter of Faith. 550(11) 39. Looking Backward and Forward 561(11) 40. Principles of Peace 572(17) 41. Legacies 589(14) A Note on Sources 603(34) Selected Bibliography 637(18) About the Author 655(2) Index 657