xxiv 868 pages, indexed, illustrated, annotated, bibliography. " Patriarch of one of the greatest political dynasties in the United States, Joseph Patrick Kennedy was an indomitable figure whose ferocious drive and ingenuity were matched only by his dreams of advancement for his nine children. With unrestricted access to archives on three continents, the author, a historian tells Kennedy's incredible life story in this book. Kennedy, whose life spanned the First World War, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the Cold War the father of President John F. Kennedy and senators Robert and Edward Kennedy. He was an indomitable and elusive figure whose dreams of advancement for his nine children were matched only by his extraordinary personal ambition and shrewd financial skills. Trained as a banker, Kennedy was also a Hollywood mogul, a stock exchange savant, a shipyard manager, the founding chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and ambassador to London during the Battle of Britain. Though his incredible life encompasses the very heart of the American century, he has remained shrouded in rumor and prejudice for decades. "Celebrated historian David Nasaw brings to life the story of Joseph Patrick Kennedy, in this, the first and only biography based on unrestricted and exclusive access to the Joseph P. Kennedy papers." (Publisher)