The ambassador : Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940 / Susan Ronald.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ronald, Susan, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kennedy, Joseph P. (Joseph Patrick), 1888-1969.

Kennedy, Joseph P.

Kennedy, Joseph P. (Joseph Patrick), 1888-1969--Political and social views.

Ambassadors--United States--Biography.

Ambassadors.

Political and social views.

United States.

World War, 1939-1945--Diplomatic history.

World War, 1939-1945.

Diplomatic history.

United States--Foreign relations--1933-1945.

International relations.

Great Britain--Foreign relations--1936-1945.

Great Britain.

United States--Foreign relations--Great Britain.

Great Britain--Foreign relations--United States.

Diplomatic relations.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xxi, 441 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, genealogical tables ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940

Place of Publication:

New York : St. Martin's Press, 2021.

Summary:

"Acclaimed biographer Susan Ronald reveals the truth about Joseph P. Kennedy's shockingly controversial tenure as Ambassador to Great Britain on the eve of World War II. On February 18, 1938, Joseph P. Kennedy was sworn in as US Ambassador to the Court of St. James. To say his appointment to the most prestigious and strategic diplomatic post in the world shocked the Establishment was an understatement: known for his profound Irish roots and staunch Catholicism, not to mention his "plain-spoken" opinions and womanizing, he was a curious choice as Europe hurtled toward war. Initially welcomed by the British, in less than two short years Kennedy was loathed by the White House, the State Department and the British Government. Believing firmly that Fascism was the inevitable wave of the future, he consistently misrepresented official US foreign policy internationally as well as direct instructions from FDR himself. The Americans were the first to disown him and the British and the Nazis used Kennedy to their own ends. Through meticulous research and many newly available sources, Ronald confirms in impressive detail what has long been believed by many: that Kennedy was a Fascist sympathizer and an anti-Semite whose only loyalty was to his family's advancement. She also reveals the ambitions of the Kennedy dynasty during this period abroad, as they sought to enter the world of high society London and establish themselves as America's first family. Thorough and utterly readable, The Ambassador explores a darker side of the Kennedy patriarch in an account sure to generate attention and controversy"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. I THE WINTERS OF OUR DISCONTENT

1. The President's Man

2. An Imperfect Family Portrait

3. The Presidential Envoy

4. The Importance Of Being Catholic

5. Project Kennedy

6. "The Loaded Pause"

7. The Movie Mogul And The Trade Deal

8. The Last Family Christmas

pt. II SUNSHINE AT THE COURT OF ST. JAMES'S

9. The Celebrity Ambassador

10. Hitting The Ground Running

11. "Spring Manoeuvres"

12. The Pilgrims

13. The English Swans

14. Trading Insults

15. The Emerald Isle And "Case Green"

16. To Be Or Not To Be

President

17. Return To Albion

18. A French Interlude

pt. III SUNSET AND "THE GATHERING STORM"

19. The "Faraway Country"

20. Trafalgar Day

21. The Ambassador And The Jews

22. A Welter Of Ruffled Feathers

23. A Coronation To Remember

24. "A Wave Of Perverse Optimism"

25. The Last Season

26. "This Country Is At War With Germany"

pt. IV INTO THE DARKNESS

27. Sinking The Ss Athenia

28. "Depressed Beyond Words"

29. "Beware The Bear"

30. Shadowing Welles

31. Kennedy And The "King's Weather"

32. A Treacherous Friend

33. "Jittery Joe"

34. Come Hell Or High Water

35. The Dragon Slayers.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 379-426) and index.

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Hagen fund bookplate.

ISBN:

9781250238726

1250238722

OCLC:

1184234168