As the fourth son of his famous clan, Ted Kennedy was the runt of the litter. Expelled from Harvard for cheating, he was a fun-loving playboy who nevertheless found a role, serving his brothers John and Robert loyally. It was easy to take him lightly. No one expected he would ever lead his family or his party. But when he was elected to the U.S. Senate at the age of 30 to fill his brother John’s seat, something unexpected happened: he found his home and his calling. Over time, he would build what was arguably the most significant senatorial career in American history. He did so in a life buffeted by heartbreak: the violent death of his three older brothers, his own near-fatal plane crash, his children’s bouts with cancer, the hideous self-inflicted wounds of Chappaquiddick and the stretches of drinking and womanizing that caused irreparable damage to his marriage. These wounds scarred him deeply, tested his resilience and tempered his character. Over time, reaching across the aisle in a partisan era to forge compromises with even the most conservative Republicans, he changed America for the better.