It's a gossipy-feeling account but is also well footed and seems to have been thoroughly researched. Lawford came from an unstable, if well connected home: mum married well but cheated on his step dad with a distinguished soldier (she hated sex but wanted to upscale) resulting in a scandalous divorce case; mum was going to kill herself during labour it was so painful; mum and dad jet-setted around the world in the 1930s on inherited money; beautiful young boy Peter was molested by men and women from a young age. He did some early acting work sporadically as a child, including in Lord Jeff, but only got really serious about it when the family was stuck in the USA during World War Two; Lawford attracted the attention of agent Sue Carol (better remembered today as Alan Ladd's wife), and picked up various bit parts - a notable one in A Yank at Eton - before getting a contract with MGM.
Hollywood was lacking in leading men because of the war and Lawford was 4F because of an arm injury (he cut it badly in a childhood accident); he had a high pitched voice and wasn't much of an actor but he was handsome and had a healthy physique (honed from much mucking around on the beach). He leapt to kind-of stardom in The White Cliffs of Dover and found a niche for himself supporting bigger names on the MGM lot - Lassie, June Allyson, Fred Asatire, Esther Williams, Kathryn Grayson, Elizabeth Taylor. MGM rarely entrusted Lawford with a flat out lead role - and they were completely right because when they did the results underwhelmed eg Kangaroo (shot in Australia for 20th Century Fox), The Hour of 13, Rogue's March. Lawford's career was hit with a double whammy - the decline in movie attendance, the replacement of Louise B Mayer with Dore Schary at MGM - and was let go by the studio. He went into TV and had two decent-ish runs with Dear Phoebe and The Thin Man but what really saved him was marrying Pat Kennedy. This kept him in the nation's eye, especially after JFK was elected, and helped him become best mates with Frank Sinatra and part of the Rat Pack.
Lawford did offer JFK some genuine help in terms of media training and Hollywood connections. But when the Kennedys distanced themselves from Sinatra in 1962 Lawford was kicked out of the Rat Pack (only Sammy Davis Jnr remained loyal) and when he divorced Pat a few years later the family kicked him to the curb as well.
The last decade and a bit of Lawford's life is depressing reading - alcoholism, drug addiction (particularly cocaine), financial troubles (he spent money hand over fist), marital troubles. He remained handsome and charming and had no trouble getting female attention right up to the end of his life - although the relationships didn't last, mainly due to his drug addiction and taste for kinky sex (he preferred oral, would like a bit of S & M and a girl to join in, and was probably bisexual too - Spada doesn't hide anything!).
People interviewed in the book frequently refer to Lawford's charm and likeability, and he must have had something to have friends to were loyal for a long time, who managed to charm the Kennedys and executives for many years. But to be honest he was a bit of a drip - a poor actor who had some good moments and was obviously professional but who never pushed himself; a bit of a dimwit; a poor financial manager, and a worse career manager; a crybaby on the topic of the Kennedys; a poor husband and father.
Quite a few things I didn't know. His mum had a relationship with a much younger lover/friend/something which was reportedly the inspiration for Harold and Maude. He had a production company which made The Patty Duke Show. He was supposedly considered for James Bond (another one!).
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