Book Review: The Ambassador: Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940 by Susan Ronald

 

Title: The Ambassador: Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940

Author:  Susan Ronald

Stars: 4

Review:

A well researched, and presented, book into Joseph Kennedy's time as Ambassador to England. The reader must realize that this was a turbulent time immediately before and after the beginning of World War II. Kennedy was not a diplomat but a wealthy businessman who felt commerce should come first even if it meant appeasement to the Germans and Italians. However it suited Roosevelt's political purpose to keep him out of Washington and America and in the dark as to what was really going on behind the scenes.

The book can be a little dry and difficult to read but is well worth it in the end. Everything is footnoted and easily referenced for the reader.

I have rated it 4 stars and recommend it to everyone with a liking for historical background on recent current events.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Synopsis:

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. 

Expected publication: August 3rd 2021 by St. Martin's Press

About The Author:

Born and raised in the United States, Susan Ronald is a British-American author and biographer. Now living in England for over twenty-five years, she is the author of nine history books ranging across the ages. Her latest book to be published (August 3, 2020 ) is entitled THE AMBASSADOR: JOSEPH P. KENNEDY AT THE COURT OF ST. JAMES'S 1938-1940. She is also the author of CONDÉ NAST, A DANGEROUS WOMAN, HITLER'S ART THIEF, HERETIC QUEEN, SHAKESPEARE'S DAUGHTER (a novel), THE PIRATE QUEEN, THE SANCY BLOOD DIAMOND, AND FRANCE: THE CROSSROADS OF EUROPE. She has also appeared as herself in documentaries and has produced films and has written screenplays.

Susan is working on her tenth book (St. Martin's Press/Macmillan) entitled HITLER'S ARISTOCRATS about the powerful Nazis who charmed the elite in Britain and the United States.