A NEWPORT author has published a new book about the Kennedy family.

Writer Les Williams said: "Based on my own research, ‘The Kennedy Curse: Shattered’ unravels the history, secrets and tragedies of the epic Kennedy family in a new way. The book aims to show that the long-time notion of the ‘Kennedy Curse’ is really nothing more than a myth and that these tragic events were the direct result of Joe Kennedy’s obsessive quest for wealth and power.

"This new book has been released to coincide with the centenary of the birth of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, who was born on May 29, 1917. Considered by many to be one of the greatest Presidents in the history of the United States, JFK was a product of his time and his tragic death in November 1963 shocked the nation and the world - but his was not the only tragic and unexplained death in the family. "His brother, Bobby was murdered in 1968 and his older sister, Kathleen was killed in a plane crash. His brother, Ted had his career ruined at a place called Chappaquiddick and his son, JFK Junior would himself die in mysterious circumstances in 1999."

The amateur historian said it "is no surprise that the ‘Kennedy Curse’ has become a fixture of Americana and history". "It is a brutal juxtaposition between one of the nation’s most wealthy and powerful families and their tragic and often unexplained deaths," he said. "However, I believe there was no curse at all."

In his new book, Mr Williams says the Kennedy family has suffered so much tragedy and grief because of their obsessive pursuit of wealth and power, along with an "unshakable" belief in their own superiority.

“My over-riding goal is to show that there was no such a thing as a Kennedy Curse, but rather a series of unfortunate and tragic events borne out of the actions of an overbearing father and a total disregard for danger or consequence,” explains the author. “Joseph Kennedy was a ruthless and ambitious man with an obsessive craving for wealth a power and he was determined that his family would achieve it. "He had a burning desire to become President of the United States and when that dream faded for him, he passed the burden of this ambition onto his sons, with tragic results for all.”

Mr Williams said he is not a writer by profession or a journalist. "I am simply someone with a love of reading and of history and I have read enough to know a good book when I see one," he said. "I have always been fascinated by the traumatic events of the 1960’s and, in particular, in the tragic story of the Kennedy family. I have read many books on the subject and I realised that a book that covers all of the Kennedy tragedies in one volume is a rare thing. I saw a gap in the market for such a book and decided to research and write it myself. "

He said he knew a lot of people would be interested in these stories if told in a "simple but interesting" way and that he saw a need for a book that would be both "informative and enjoyable".

He added: "The book is structured in such a way that it tells a fascinating and absorbing story in its entirety, but each chapter can be read in isolation or out of context if the reader so wishes.

"I wanted to create a good and interesting book that the reader might find hard to put down, and I think I have succeeded in achieving that aim."