Neal Thompson- The First Kennedys

Speaking of Writers

Seventy-five years ago, John F. Kennedy won his first election—that one to represent his home state of Massachusetts in Congress. For many of us, the Kennedy legend began there, with JFK, or perhaps his father, family patriarch Joe Kennedy. But in truth, the Kennedy saga began a full two generations earlier, under a very different set of circumstances.

In The First Kennedys, journalist and author Neal Thompson introduces us to the Kennedy family that came to these shores fleeing the Irish potato famine in the 1840s. Ultimately, it was a poor, widowed grocer named Bridget who raised her four fatherless children in an East Boston tenement. Displaying traits that would later become Kennedy family hallmarks—tenacity, social acumen, the willingness to take a calculated risk, and a commitment to helping others—within a few generations the family evolved from loathsome invaders to one of the most powerful and beloved families in US history.

The first biographer granted access to PJ Kennedy’s (JFK’s grandfather) private papers, Thompson shares a part of the Kennedy story heretofore untold, yet vital for a fuller understanding of the family’s true legacy.

About Neal Thompson

Neal Thompson is a journalist and the author of six highly acclaimed books, including A Curious Man, Driving with the Devil, and Kickflip Boys. His latest, The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty, publishes 2/22/22.

A former newspaper reporter, Neal has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Esquire, Outside, Men’s Health, Vanity Fair, the Wall Street Journal, Backpacker, Sports Illustrated and more. Neal has appeared on NPR, PBS, The Daily Show, CNN, C-Span, Fox, TNT, The History Channel, and ESPN. Neal has taught creative non-fiction at the University of North Carolina’s Great Smokies Writing Program, and Hugo House, and served on the board of Seattle Arts & Lectures. Neal is a runner, reader, skier, stand-up paddleboarder, swimmer, yogi, and a naturalized Irish citizen.

Originally from New Jersey, he now lives in Seattle with his family.

www.NealThompson.com

Neal also publishes the Blood & Whiskey newsletter: crime fiction reviews, cocktails, and playlists.

bloodandwhiskey.substack.com