At the heart of The Shadow President is a controversial idea - that, more than his brothers, Ted Kennedy has come to be the most influential political figure of this generation. Jack and Bobby may have the stronger grip on the American psyche, but Burton Hersh makes clear that it is Ted who has done the hard work of writing laws and fighting on the issues.

Despite decades of tabloid headlines sparked by Kennedy's often chaotic personal life, Hersh argues that much more relevant in judging the man is his career-long defense of the core values of the Democratic Party.

Respected on both sides of the aisle in the Senate, where he has served since 1963, Kennedy has been a steadfast champion of health care, the interests of working people, racial justice, the environment, and the integrity of the social welfare system. His challenge to Jimmy Carter in the 1980 primaries, his bitter rearguard defense of social programs during the Reagan-Bush years, and the many upheavals in his personal life are all fully treated here.

But in this vivid account of Kennedy's professional career, clearest expression is given to Hersh's central argument - that it is Ted, of all of the Kennedy brothers, who will finally leave the deepest impression on twentieth century American politics.