James Neff

James Neff's new book is Vendetta: Bobby Kennedy Versus Jimmy Hoffa.

From his interview with NPR's Robert Siegel:

SIEGEL: Is it fair to say that after immersing yourself in the story of Hoffa and Robert Kennedy that you came out thinking a little less ill of Hoffa and a little more ill of Robert Kennedy than you did at the beginning?

NEFF: I think that's a fair assessment of my change of assessment. Hoffa was - you know, he was quite an excellent labor leader in terms of knowing the economics of trucking and transportation. He was able to push things and get contracts that didn't put the trucking companies out of business but got what he could for his workers. He was very much a health nut, actually. He wasn't smoking and drinking, and so he was able to get a lot of work done. But he was, you know, clearly corrupt. And Kennedy - he pushed the limits on some of these tactics. He crossed the line. He did things that...[read on or listen to the interview]

--Marshal Zeringue