Mutual Contempt

Rivalry has always fuelled American public life but the antagonism between Lyndon Johnson and Robert Kennedy was extraordinary; propelled by clashing personalities, contrasting views and an abiding animosity. Until 1963 the two men maintained and uneasy truce through their allegiance to John F. Kennedy but fate and personal ambition drove them apart, into bitterness so deep that civil conversation was often impossible. After the death of John Kennedy, they each fought for the spotlight, struggling to emerge from the other's shadows. Their arguments echoed across the nation, captivating the newly powerful media. Drawing on previously unexamined recordings and documents, as well as biographies and interviews, former Rhodes scholar Jeff Shesol weaves the threads of this story into a gripping and coherent narrative that reflects the profound impact of this relationship. Like a Greek tragedy, this 'exhaustive and fascinating history' (New York Reviews of Books) provides a prism through which to view two men, and the nature of power.