Patriarch of one of the greatest political dynasties in the United States, Joseph Patrick Kennedy was an indomitable figure whose ferocious drive and ingenuity were matched only by his dreams of advancement for his nine children. With unrestricted access to archives on three continents, celebrated historian David Nasaw tells Kennedy’s incredible life story in his new book, The Patriarch. Nasaw’s other books include Andrew Carnegie, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst, winner of the Bancroft Prize in History. “A meticulous researcher and a cool analyst,” (New York Times Book Review), Nasaw is the Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Watch David Nasaw’s presentation