The Kennedys—inside the infamous political dynasty and their summertime secrets

The Kennedys are often described as the closest thing the United States has to a royal family, with fiercely competitive and divisive figures taking up space in American political and public life for generations. 

Even now, the influence of the Kennedy family continues to persist with RFK Junior, who is serving as the U.S. secretary of health and human services.

There have been Kennedys who thrived with fame and power, and those who struggled greatly with that burden, with tragic consequences.

The sunniest images of this famous family come from when they gathered at their rambling seaside compound in Cape Cod in the summers.

One particular summer, in 1944, changed everything for the Kennedy clan, according to historian Leigh Straw, who is an internationally recognised expert on the Kennedy family and their legacy.

It was the final year of World War Two—Jack, the future president, had become a war hero but his health was ailing; his brothers Bobby and Teddy were there, but their eldest brother Joe Junior was in England, preparing to embark on his final wartime mission. Their sister Rosemary was out of the picture altogether, hidden away from public and never spoken of.

This was the year, Leigh says, when personal tragedies and public heroics began to shape the Kennedy legacy.

Further information

The Kennedys at Cape Cod, 1944: The Summer That Changed Everything is published by Bloomsbury.

Political Movements, World Politics, Political Leadership, Family, Grief, World War II, History