Joseph P. Kennedy courts Rose Fitzgerald in the early 1900s; Joe is swept into the glitter of Hollywood and becomes involved with screen legend Gloria Swanson.
Roosevelt appoints Joe ambassador to England; Joe Jr. is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention; Kathleen is a popular debutante in England; Jack publishes "While England Slept."
A lobotomy leaves Rosemary severely brain-damaged; Kathleen's marriage to a British Protestant enrages Rose; Jack becomes a war hero, then pursues a political career.
