Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History

Long-standing five or six-star interest in the subject contrasted with a still very solid four-star rating mean that, for my taste, Sorensen too often used the attention he got from JFK's luster for less than noble purposes.<br /><br />Sorensen drew attention to how crucial he was in the Kennedy administration, going to the trouble of quoting other people to that effect. Tacky. The Bible says let others praise you and not you yourself. We would have gotten at least as good an impression of the author had he used this energy and ink to give credit to others at every critical juncture.<br /><br />He breaks the spell. He violates the fourth wall. He steps out of the story we came for, okay I came for, to issue figures in the George W. Bush administration who are not going to hit back at a 90 something-year-old man. I wonder if he might have been nicer had he known what was coming.

Added 7/19/13.<br /><br />I listened to the audio version of <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/2278003.Counselor_A_Life_at_the_Edge_of_History" title="Counselor A Life at the Edge of History by Theodore C. Sorensen" rel="noopener">Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History</a> (2008) by <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/1026551.Theodore_C__Sorensen" title="Theodore C. Sorensen" rel="noopener">Theodore C. Sorensen</a>. I love peeking behind the scenes in history. In this book, Sorensen looks back and tells about his personal experiences in politics and foreign affairs. Wiki says: "...Sorensen was an American presidential advisor, lawyer and writer, best known as President John F. Kennedy’s special counsel, adviser and legendary speechwriter."<br /><br />The book was published 4 years before he died. He died at the age of 82 in 2010. In the book, he often gives his frank opinion about many of the powerful people he dealt with. He quotes personal letters he received from the people he dealt with, including Jackie Kennedy.<br /><br />He explains the details behind historic events like the Cuban missile crisis and the Bay of Pigs fiasco. He describes all the vital decisions which had to be made at those times and the reasoning behind those decisions. We came so close to WW III.<br /><br />The man was so wise and so knowledgeable! Wonderful with words too. Of course, that's one of the reasons he was an advisor and a speechwriter.

This work, by trusted JFK aide Ted Sorenson, provides an interesting perspective of mid-century progressive thought. With fascinating recounts of the Cuban Missile Crisis, work in West Berlin, and the JFK White House, this memoir rarely flags. Yet, I thought that the best parts of this autobiography concerned the crafting of policy through language. The thought, care, humor, subtlety, and deftness that the president and his staff applied to JFK's speeches gives us a window into a better time for public service and rhetoric. Even with our current poor standards for service, this memoir presents a framework wherein we as a nation can do better and expect more from our leaders. It is in these moments that <i>Counselor</i> truly succeeds. <br /><br />The only criticism that I might provide concerns the ease with which the author excuses mistakes in judgment, especially regarding his early silence regarding the importance of civil rights. However, given the number of positive policy initiatives that sprang from the JFK White House, and Sorenson's pen, this remains a relatively minor annoyance.

Ted Sorensen really admired JFK. I mean <i>really</i>. Naturally a good chunk of this autobiography is devoted to Sorensen’s years counseling Kennedy in the latter’s presidency, but I found more interesting the time spent on JFK’s Senate years, Sorensen’s own, failed run for Senator, and his doomed 1977 nomination for Director of Central Intelligence.<br /><br />He didn’t think much of Jimmy Carter or Joe Biden, with Biden as U.S. Senator getting “the prize for political hypocrisy in a town noted for political hypocrisy.” That noted, had Sorensen lived, it would’ve killed him to see Trump in the White House.<br /><br />Overall, the writing is dry, efficient, and without humor, and his Nebraskan reticence - “limiting what I assert or disclose even in this book” - points to missed opportunities. Still, <i>Counselor</i> motivates me to explore other autobiographies dealing with the same times and circumstances.

It's funny, but I am learning that if I don't absolutely LOVE a book, I can eventually stop reading it! There are simply too manybooks to read and too little time. It used to be inconceivable to me to quit a book, but now I'm loving the decision! I ended this book after reading 75% of it. <br /><br />I started reading the book because I wanted to learn more about history, such as JFK's presidency, Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis. I was also intrigued by how decisions are made behind closed doors. I did learn from the book, but I was expecting more. <br /><br />I felt like the author was trying to "prove" himself to the American public, such as how important his role was in JFK's presidency and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although he FREQUENTLY has this back-and-forth argument about claiming he did not write the speeches by himself, it's a collaborative effort - he goes on about it so much that you sense it's more of false humility than actual humility (and it gets old!)...he is very much pointing out how great his role was in the Kennedy years. There is a lot of name dropping without a lot of substance. He loses his whole family in the quest of this powerful role, and I imagine he would do it all again if he had the choice. I believe his role was as powerful as he painted it, but it just became old to me after awhile. <br /><br />I was looking for a more personal account...the ups and downs of working in politics, how he felt personally in the role (the struggles of it, insecurities, what you have to give up). He mentions here and there how he lost his family due to the job, but he doesn't get into it in any sort of real way. <br /><br />What I did like was when he would talk about drafting speeches and letters, especially the one to Krushev to try and stop the prospect of nuclear war. That particular acoount was insightful, and opened my eyes to some of the wrangling that goes into political choices. I was also amazed that what helped him with the drafting of such an important letter was what he learned on his high school debate team! <br /><br />It was also intereesting to hear about the young Kennedy team and how they operated. Lastly, he gives some important speech-writing tips that I appreciated. I also loved reading about some of the morals of JFK. I know he was not a perfect president, but I learned some about him that inspired me. <br /><br />It's an okay book, but all of the name-dropping and proving himself just left me a bit cold in the end, and lead to the decision to not finish it. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

This book seemed a little disjointed, especially the section covering the post-JFK years. It seemed more like a mix of recollections with little connection between them. I wasn't sure why the author wrote it.<br /><br />However, near the end I realized the impetus for this book: Sorensen's stroke six years ago put an end to his legal career and most of his normal actitivites. This book provided a useful focus for him as part of his rehabilitation.<br /><br />There are some tidbits in this book that shed new light on various matters, such as:<br /><br />1. Sorensen had a greater degree of involvement in writing Profiles in Courage than previously admitted (no real surprise there).<br />2. Kenny O'Donnell seemed to bear a personal grudge against him, to the point that Sorensen claims O'Donnell provided the coup de grace that ended his chances of becoming head of the CIA under Carter.<br /><br />While well-written, this book is not riveting, perhaps because the author himself is so reserved. I would recommend over this another book by another of Kennedy's speechwriters, Dick Goodwin, "Remembering America." That does a better job of capturing the spirit of the times and the sense of loss. <br /><br />All in all, Sorensen's class, intelligence and commitment to public service shine throughout this book. It's the story of a brilliant man who made a major contribution to his country, and probably one of the last memoirs we'll see from those who were active members of the Kennedy Administration. Thank you, Ted.<br /><br />

"Democracy by definition is self correcting". What a Brilliant book by a very brilliant man, the first part of the book covers the author's childhood and family and the third part contains his life after jfk assassination. The second part of the book is just perfect Sorensen relationship with jfk was close, his relationship with Jackie( the letters he shared in the book of grieving Jackie moved me to tears) his loyalty to rfk and to the entire Kennedy family, all the humorous anecdotes he gave about jfk were very amusing and interesting to read. I say this is one of the finest memoir I've ever read.

A memoir is usually written to serve its author's interest; but this one by Ted Sorensen is different because a great bulk of it is about another man, his hero, his President, JFK.<br /><br />Ted Sorensen considered his eleven years with JFK his most fulfilling and most memorable. Their collaboration, effective and brought results.<br /><br />JFK's untimely death devastated him, but the former's memory inspired him to go on with life and pursue the ideals that they shared.<br /><br />In writing his book, despite a handicap caused by a stroke which cost him his vision, Ted Sorensen had fulfilled his last mission of sharing the "behind the scenes" of his life with JFK.<br /><br />A book that depicts a man's respect, love, and loyalty to his hero, the only human being that mattered most to him, the President whom he served well, JFK!<br /><br />A beautiful book indeed!

At over 500 pages this memoir was far too long by far and gave even a 60s democrat like me an opportunity to see Ted Sorensen, even tempered by age, as far too critical of anyone any everyone who was not John Kennedy. There's a mean-spirited undercurrent to much of what he writes here, though if you're looking for minuscule details that are probably not important to many others besides Sorensen, you'll find them here.

This is a warm book, a very human book. At turns it is amusing. It is frank. It seems important to say this because - decades gone by - JFK's "deputy president," TS,wrote,"Kennedy," which is factual and historically valuable but filled with two-dimensional characters (as with a host of histories and memoirs). I never have heard much talk of, "Counselor," but I can attest it is an enjoyable read and re-read. I know it will be a treasure for historians in times to come.