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    Victura: The Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Sea
    Victura: The Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Sea
    Victura: The Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Sea
    Ebook400 pages5 hours

    Victura: The Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Sea

    By James W. Graham

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    To truly understand the dynamics and magic of the Kennedy family, one must understand their passion for sailing and the sea. Many families sail together, but the Kennedys’ relationship with Victura, the 25-foot sloop purchased in 1932, stands apart. Throughout their brief lives, Joe Jr., Jack, and Bobby spent many hours racing Victura. Lack of effort in a race by one of his sons could infuriate Joseph P. Kennedy, and Joe Jr. and Jack ranked among the best collegiate sailors in New England. Likewise, Eunice emerged as a gifted sailor and fierce competitor, the equal of any of her brothers. The Kennedys believed that Jack’s experience sailing Victura helped him survive the sinking of his PT boat during World War II. In the 1950s, glossy Life magazine photos of Jack and Jackie on Victura’s bow helped define the winning Kennedy brand. Jack doodled sketches of Victura during Oval Office meetings, and it’s probable that his love of seafaring played a role in his 1961 decision to put a man on the moon, an enterprise he referred to as “spacefaring.” Ted loved Victura as much as any of his siblings did and, with his own children and the children of his lost brothers as crew, he sailed into his old age: past the shoals of an ebbing career, and into his eventual role as the “Lion of the Senate.” In Victura, James W. Graham charts the progress of America’s signature twentieth-century family dynasty in a narrative both stunningly original and deeply gripping. This true tale of one small sailboat is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the great story of the Kennedys.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherForeEdge
    Release dateApr 1, 2014
    ISBN9781611685992
    Victura: The Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Sea

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    Reviews for Victura

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      I have read many books about the Kennedys over the years. This one is by far the best that I have had the pleasure to read. The author tells of the lives of the Kennedy siblings and of their love of sailing and how they learned so many of life's lessons through these experiences. Sailing helped them to build character individually and through team work as they relied on each other. The book spans the years from Jack's youth through Ted's death. The author tells of the early years with Jack, Joe Jr.'s and Kick. He tells of the relationship of these, the three oldest of the Kennedy children. The mentions the competitiveness and the closeness of all of the children. All three of the oldest experienced WWII close up. Jack was the PT 109 hero who saved his men. Joe Jr., a pilot volunteering for a risky mission that he did not return from. And Kick who married a titled, protestant, Englishman who was killed in the war. Jack's run for the Presidency and Bobby's assistance and his job as Attorney General is discussed all the while the men continued their sailing, quite often conducting business while enjoying the sport. Other family members are mentioned and woven into the author's retelling of the story. And, of course, Jackie and the children and their involvement with the sailing. The author presented the material as though speaking of friends, with respect and affection. He touched on scandals but didn't allow them to distract the reader from the positive lessons that this family can teach us. It was easy to read, but very difficult to put down. I savored the book rather than trying to rush through it as I didn't want to miss anything. I thoroughly loved the book.**Library Thing Win
    • 3/5
      This is really a collection of anecdotes about the Kennedy family, rather than an original story. The tales are largely interesting ones, if, at times, somewhat oddly organized. Sailing terms are frequently not explained, which makes reading somewhat lackluster for non-sailors. Recommended for those interested in the Kennedy family and their legacy.
    • 4/5
      Having read many books about the Kennedy family, I was unsure this book could hold my interest or add any new insights. However, placing the small sloop Victura as the center of the Kennedy family's traditions and strength over many generations made for a poignant and unique story. Recommended for anyone seeking to understand the Kennedy dynasty better.
    • 4/5
      "Sailing is a metaphor for life". These words, attributed to Ted Kennedy by the author, constitute the theme for Victura, an in-depth look at the childhood of John F. Kennedy and his siblings. Their father's passion and drive to succeed influenced them from a very young age. They were taught to sail, to race, and to win. Second-place was not acceptable! The Kennedy's were a remarkable family and this is a great story. The author had extensive access to family members, so there is a very personal tone to the story.
    • 3/5
      If the Camelot Kennedy lore doesn't appeal to you, chances are you will not like VICTURA. Although much is told of RFK, JFK and Teddy, very little is mentioned of Jackie O and their spousal relationships within the Kennedy core family. I would have liked to see these relationships included, as I consider their wives and how they are treated within the family relevant. Although the story purports the moral values the family learned, such as loyalty to each other, those values from my reading, only extended to the Kennedy core clan and less to those of their spouses and the world around them. The story also tells how the Kennedy's were raised with a sense of serving others and the contributions they have made to this world because of lessons learned from Victura. To me, I had problems, because although the book tells of the moral values and good the Kennedy's accomplished, it tends to ignore their moral failings, unless they were well publicized. Upon finishing this book, I found myself wondering whether or not the Kennedy sense of servitude was merely a tool to keep them in good standing with the public.
    • 4/5
      I received this book for free through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers. When I first started reading this book, I found it to be very boring. It talked a lot about boats, which I don't know much about. But once it got to part 2, it got more interesting. It talked more about the Kennedys and how sailing impacted their lives. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Kennedys.
    • 4/5
      James W. Graham, a sailor himself, tells the story of the influence of sailing and the sea on the Kennedys. The sailboat, Victura, is centrally featured in this account; it was the Kennedys' first sailboat, and the one many family members from JFK's older brother, Joe, through Teddy sailed and raced on. However, the Kennedys had other sailboats which are also mentioned in the account. The first part of the book contains information about sailing including a detailed description of maintaining a sailboat. It also provides a history of the Kennedy family including all Jack's siblings. Both Joe Jr.'s and Jack's World War II experiences are discussed along with the deaths of Joe and sister Kathleen.The second section of the book goes into more detail about the lives and sailing adventur4es of the Kennedy members who were the most noted sailors including Jack, Bob and particularly Ethel, Eunice, and Ted. Much of the information about the lives and political careers of the Kennedy brothers has been written about elsewhere. However, the account emphasizes the influence of the sea on their careers; how all three brothers would go to the sea near Hyannis Port during times of trouble in their lives to spend some quiet time walking on the beach or sailing. This was particularly true of Bobby and then Teddy after the deaths of Jack and Bobby. Jack and Teddy would also use sea images in their speeches.The book occasionally gets repetitious. For example, the relationship of Rosemary and Eunice, and how Rosemary's condition resulted in Eunice's efforts on behalf of the mentally handicapped is told twice. Also, the first and fourth paragraphs on page 180 are nearly identical; they provide the same information.The book includes bibliographical notes and an index. However, a separate bibliography, a glossary of sailing terms, and a map of the sailing region around Hyannis Port where so much of the action occurs would have been helpful.
    • 4/5
      I received this book for free through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers. When I first started reading this book, I found it to be very boring. It talked a lot about boats, which I don't know much about. But once it got to part 2, it got more interesting. It talked more about the Kennedys and how sailing impacted their lives. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Kennedys.
    • 4/5
      If you are a sailor you will definitely like this book. If you are a student of American politics or have an interest in the life of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States and scion of the Kennedy family dynasty of Massachusetts, you will probably enjoy it as well. The focal point of Graham’s well-researched text is the Victura, a twenty-five foot, gaff rigged, Wianno Senior class, wooden sailboat built by the Crosby Yacht Building and Storage Company of Osterville MA. The boat, purchased in 1932, was the favorite of many owned by the Kennedy family. They kept it the longest, almost fifty years, and sailed it the most. After the original Victura was given to a museum, they bought a new Wianno Senior and called it Victura as well. They continue to sail it to this day.Graham makes the case that sailing was a major influence in how the Kennedys, and John F. Kennedy in particular, thought and acted in both his private and public life. He called space the “new ocean” and as President, embraced “spacefaring”, calling for America to be the first country to land a human on the moon. Sailing also influenced how he competed, the content of his public speeches and the relationship with his family. The author suggests that sailing, and very much the Victura specifically, drew the Kennedy family together during the best of times and the worst of times that they experienced. The boat was a touchstone in their lives.A great deal has been written about the Kennedys in the past, some of which Graham has woven into this book, but he also manages to unearth some material not covered before. He pulls no punches, portraying the family with all its warts, but conveys its human side with great feeling and an understanding that foibles and flaws are common to all humanity, regardless of background, upbringing or privilege. As President, John F. Kennedy often drew sailboats during White House meetings, or while he was on the telephone. The day he was assassinated, the house-cleaning staff at the hotel he and the first lady had stayed in the night before found a doodle he had left in the room. It was a simple pencil drawing of a little sailboat beating through the waves.

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    Victura - James W. Graham

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