Kerry books - need some advise, please

[europegirl4jfk]

I'm just checking Amazon for Kerry-related books and would like to ask you Kerry experts ;-) which ones I should buy. I already have the Boston Globe book and I'm reading "Tour of Duty" right now. Should I buy Kerry's own books and which one is the most interesting? And I just saw that Kerry's first wife, Julia Thorne, has written a couple of books too. Are they interesting and in some way related to Kerry or not? Any help would be appreciated.

[LittleClarkie]

1. I hear that Paul Alexander's book

"The Candidate" is pretty good.

I have "A New War" and I'm finding it interesting in a wonkish sort of way, because it helps me understand where Kerry's coming from in what he knows about terrorism and international crime.

[europegirl4jfk]

2. Thanks, LittleClarkie!

I just bought both books on Amazon Marketplace. They had "The Candidate" for 1 Cent and "The New War" for $3.99. That was a really good deal. :-)

[ginnyinWI]

17. I liked The Candidate, too

Lots of Kerry catnip there! ;)

[PresidentObama]

6. The Candidate is excellent....

I really liked it. Very informative about the primaries, and Kerry's run for the President in 2004.

George Butler's portrait book is good too. A lot of good pictures from his early days before John Kerry became Senator. Mostly about his younger years. But if you have Going Upriver all the pictures are shown at the credits, at the end of the movie.

[LittleClarkie]

7. I like the one where he's sleeping with his cat

the cat looks so damn relaxed, ears all droopy, like it's totally out for the count.

Kids and animals seem to really like him.

[europegirl4jfk]

15. I bought The Candidate...

...and I'm looking forward to reading it. And I have the Going Upriver DVD and saw the pictures. There are some really cute ones with his kids etc.

[europegirl4jfk]

3. What's about "John Kerry: A Portrait" by George Butler?

If I understand it right it's essentially pictures. Does anyone of you has it and are these pictures we haven't already seen on the Internet?

[Island Blue]

4. A lot of the pictures in George Butler's book are familiar to most folks

George Butler also produced the documentary "Going Up River" which is a must have for any Kerry fan.

[LeftyLizzie]

5. It's all pictures

but there are several of him with his first wife and him with his daughters that I had never seen before - most of the pics aren't ones that I had seen online. I'd recommend the book, I think mine was well worth the purchase.

[DoBotherMe]

8. And there's that LEGS

pix :9 of him in glorious color on Cape Cod embracing Alex (from the 80s I think). That alone is worth the price. D ; )

[Island Blue]

13. Oh I agree,

I didn't mean that it wasn't worth owning. I'm very visually oriented so I love anything with photographs in it. It's interesting too because it's from the point of view of a friend (G. Butler).

[TayTay]

9. Ms. Thorne's book is painful

It's about her and her battle with Bi-polar disorder. She had several interviews with the Boston Globe about this (which were both open and closed interviews aptly enough.) It is a good book and her purpose is to help others with the disorder.

That said, I have a lot of trouble reading tell-alls, even when they are well-written and mean to do some good. I read the part where she was lying on her bed, gun in hand and redy to pull the trigger and was stopped by a phone call. I stopped reading (I mean holy f*cking sh*t, I don't know if I really want to know that. It's personal stuff. I mean jeez.) These kinds of things always make me so scqeamish, like I don't have a right to know some things about people who were, for a time, in the public eye. I don't know how some folks do it.

[europegirl4jfk]

14. That sounds really sad

If it's more about her struggle with depression and not about Kerry I think I won't buy it. It must have been a hard time for both of them and especially the kids.

[whometense]

10. Not strictly about Kerry,

but my favorite political book of the year was One Car Caravan by Walter Shapiro. He traveled around with several of the major democratic aspirants a year before the primaries, and came away with some wonderful portraits of them before the media glare got too hot. TayTay loved it as much as I did, I think. Wholeheartedly recommended.

The link goes to my favorite closeout online book seller - great prices. I bought the George Butler book of Kerry photographs from them as well, which is a book you MUST HAVE.

[fedupinBushcountry]

12. Thank you for the link

I just bought 5 books including shipping and handling the total was just $29.00. I think I am now up to date with John Kerry. Can't wait to start reading.

[JohnKleeb]

11. The three I own are

Tour of Duty- Its great for understanding Vietnam to him and you'll see why to me he not only is a political hero to me but like the guy on Iwo Jima who is my distant relative a heroic soldier as well.

The Candidate-Excellent understanding of the primaries and an understanding of why Kerry really won, and yes LLLs I know part of it is that he kicks ass but this book really explains the victory well.

The Boston Globe Biography-Gives you a great understanding of his political career.

Now you made me want to go on a biography buying spree.

[europegirl4jfk]

16. Thanks for your help guys!

Well, let's see. I bought both of Kerry's own books, The Candidate and I already have Tour of Duty and the Boston Globe bio. I'm still thinking of buying the George Butler book, and that's it, I suppose.

Now I have to figure out how to carry all these books and DVDs (along with my daughter's books and stuff from this school year) back to Europe. I don't even want to think about packing our bags in two weeks! :crazy:

[PresidentObama]

18. I have the audio version of Tour Of Duty

But I've yet to listen to it.