Rory o'Donnell and the Kennedys

Rory O'Donnell and the Kennedys, sequel to The O'Donnells of Philadelphia, covers from 1946 to 1968, from the year Jack Kennedy became a congressman, to the year Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. Rory and Jeannie McAllister, his next-door neighbor, attempt to cope with the changes wrought by Liam O'Donnell's death, and the ending of WWII. Societal changes at home and wars for independence abroad are set against the worrisome background of capitalism vs. communism and the fear of nuclear...
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Rory O'Donnell and the Kennedys, sequel to The O'Donnells of Philadelphia, covers from 1946 to 1968, from the year Jack Kennedy became a congressman, to the year Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. Rory and Jeannie McAllister, his next-door neighbor, attempt to cope with the changes wrought by Liam O'Donnell's death, and the ending of WWII. Societal changes at home and wars for independence abroad are set against the worrisome background of capitalism vs. communism and the fear of nuclear annihilation. To set their own course, Rory and Jeannie give a wide berth to their overbearing parents, the criminal activities of Jeannie's brother, and the dominance of the Catholic Church. Their domestic problems include how to rescue their son from a pedophile priest, and how to prevent their daughter's involvement in the drug culture of the '60s.In 1946, Americans would've preferred the role of an isolated, peaceful nation, with a significantly smaller military. However, this would not be the case. With the threat of a retaliatory Atomic attack as its only weapon against Russia's domination of Europe ... America terminated the Soviet advance with the Marshall Plan, financial aid to Greece and Turkey, and the Berlin Airlift. Sadly, this successful show of resolve was followed by the loss of China to communism, forcing America to turn her attention to the Far East. To add to the mix, the industrial Western World's increasing thirst for Middle East oil clashed with her unwavering support of Israel. After a brief introduction of some characters, the story opens with a neighborhood chum signing up with the Haganah, and off to fight for Israel. Bobby Kennedy's accidental acquaintance, correspondence with an English Lord, and the paternal advice from his mentor, Suds Malloy an editor from the Philadelphia Bulletin, enabled the hard-of-hearing Rory to succeed as a columnist. Unknown to either Rory or the Kennedys, a secret organization, placed in positions of power by ultra-ultra conservatives, direct America's foreign and domestic policies.Relatives and friends fight in the Korean War, with his buddy Nick Larkin losing his life. Rory and Jeannie's son, BJ O'Donnell, served during the Vietnamese War. Rory's biracial, Oklahoma-born cousin, Sean O'Donnell, involves him in the Civil Rights struggle.Unknown to either Rory or the Kennedys, a secret organization placed in positions of power by ultra-ultra conservatives, directed America's foreign and domestic policies.It was this strategic placing of characters where the action would occur that enabled the author to tell this gripping and provocative tale of an era that ended with the murder of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy, a United States Senator.This powerful book, exposing decades of turbulence that followed WWII, should be a must read for all who wish to discover how our foreign involvement went astray.Comparative review of O'Reilly's and McLaren's books have been included in "A Tale of Two Books."