Well, this could be REALLY interesting. The last surviving brother of the famed Kennedy clan is writing his memoirs. While the amount paid is unknown, some speculate that Ted’s price is comparable to that of Hillary Rodham Clinton for her “Living History” ($8 million) and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for his upcoming memoirs ($9 million).
Kennedy said he decided to write the book because “I’ve been fortunate in my life to grow up in an extraordinary family and to have a front row seat at many key events in our nation’s history.” Yeah, I guess he could say that. His older brother John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States. Another older brother, Robert F. Kennedy was a senator and potential presidential candidate before his assassination. Add to that the fact that his own son is a congressman (Patrick), that his sister was the founder of the Special Olympics (Eunice), that another sister was a U.S. ambassador to Ireland (Jean Ann), that he has a niece who is a respected newscaster (Maria Shriver), and a sister-in-law who was a fashion icon (Jackie Onassis) and how can these memoirs not be exciting?
I would imagine there are a few things that might not be covered in the book. Ted’s life has not been without scandal, most notably the death of Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969. She had been riding with Ted when the car he was driving ran off a bridge in Chappaquiddick. Ted was intoxicated, but managed to swim to safety. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a crime, but in the bigger picture, it may have cost him a shot at the White House.
However, through the years, Ted Kennedy has become an accomplished and respected legislator. Nine publishers were fighting for the rights, but the writings were acquired by Hachette Book Group USA. The book is slated to come out in 2010.