“True Compass”

Sen. Ted Kennedy gained his sense of direction from his family and his political ideals. “True Compass: A Memoir” is a posthumously-published account from a man who knew he was dying. The book paints an insider’s portrait of America’s political dynasty. Family was everything to him. As the youngest of the Kennedy clan, he was devoted to his brothers John and Robert, as well as his father, Joe. In a life marred with extreme loss and tragedy, Kennedy had trouble dealing with his grief. In the book, he acknowledges his flaws, but does not dwell on them. Despite Kennedy’s honest demeanor, he was careful to not stray far from a staid, politics-as-usual tone. As The Washington Post notes, the book “is an engaging and at times moving book, but like virtually all political autobiographies these days, it has the air of having been written by committee.” Nonetheless, Kennedy lived life to the fullest, and his absence will be noticed in the United States political world. As seen in an excerpt from the Los Angeles Times, Kennedy writes, “[My grandfather’s] simple bequest to me has been more precious than any fortune. Love life, and believe in it.”