Book Description

Book Description

At seventeen, Kiki Feroudi Moutsatsos began a job at Olympic Airways that would change her life. She worked in the office of the most renowned man in Greece, and within a year she was Aristotle Onassis's personal secretary.For the next nine years, the last of his life, Moutsatsos was a key player in Onassis's professional and private worlds. She spent her days in his office, assisting him with important business matters, and her evenings at his sister Artemis's villa, mingling with his family and their world-famous guests. She was witness to his personal relationships with the most significant people in his life. She worked side by side with his children, Alexander and Christina, planned his travels with mistress Maria Callas, and even managed the details of his wedding to Jacqueline Kennedy in 1968. The Onassis Women is Moutsatsos's privileged insider's account of this larger-than-life figure and the grand objects of his love.Moutsatsos greatly admired Jackie, and the two women developed a close relationship, extending beyond their ties to the Onassis family. Moutsatsos visited Jackie in New York, staying in her Fifth Avenue apartment, and kept in touch with her throughout her life, even in the weeks before her death.Moutsatsos also became an intimate friend to Aristotle's daughter, Christina. Though often rebellious, Christina was always desperate for her father's love. Moutsatsos observed their volatile relationship as well as the push-pull element between Onassis and the women in his life. With the possible exception of Jackie, all these women--his mistress, his sisters, and his daughter--needed Aristotle's approval and suffered to gain it at almost any cost. It is through understanding the importance of these relationships, and their interconnectedness, that we begin to truly perceive the charmed and haunted lives of Jackie, Maria, Christina, and Aristotle Onassis. Index. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Jackie and Aristo, from the other side of the pond
It's about time we got a view of the whole Jackie/Aristo (not Ari, it turns out) thing from the other side of the Atlantic. This book is breezy and gossipy and so sycophantic I have to wonder how much of it it true. Kiki justifies and sugar-coats as much as she can (is she still getting Onassis money???? One has to wonder...), yet you can't help but see that the Onassis clan were an abusive, debauched, and addictive bunch. She rationalize EVERYTHING--physical and emotional abuse, drunkeness, profligate spending, ruthlessness, cheating...but after all, Aristio was really a very CHARISMATIC and RICH man who'd made it up from poverty. Other sources dispute many of Kiki's facts. If she gets even the most basic details wrong, what else is suspect (i.e., Jackie's governess/cook Marta Sgubin is ITALIAN, not Spanish, and her name is Marta, not Martha)? Everything. Does that make Onassis behavior any less reprehensible? It shouldn't. I have to say that this book makes me think the Onassis family did themselves in, no matter how much Kiki spins it.

Pleasant
I've read almost all the Jackie books on the market, and what I most appreciate about Moutasatsos's book is the way she acknowledges the rumors and innuendos of other authors while putting forth her perspective as exactly that -- nothing more. While her memory is generous, she also strikes me as honest; she really loved her employers, so she saw them as noble, honorably-intentioned people with understandable flaws. I would recommend this book to anyone who's tired of the unceasing merry-go-round of Onassis-related rumors who wants to hear about this family from someone near it but not of it. Also, Moutsatsos, with co-writer Phyllis Karas, tells her story in lyrical English I can only guess was translated from the native Greek... resulting in a particularly musical and poetic narrative, quite an exception for a translation.

This book got four stars from me, not five, merely because there IS a bit of fairy tale stardust sprinkled through it... Moutsatsos does come across as a bit of the Onassis groupie, her only failing.

Nothing new. Too much author's self-importance!
Although Kiki admired and grew to love her employers, I think she sugar coated many of her observations. She also made quite a few mistakes, so I wonder how much is true. The anecdotes she narrates are mostly known, she could have made up the whole thing. In all, a good account of a family who despite their wealth -or maybe on account of it- had many failures. But she does present them as human beings, with their good and bad qualities. Easy reading, but not much content.

A moving account of lives touched by tragedy
Kiki Mousatsos has told a moving account of of lives that seemed to be like fairytales, but sadly ended in nightmares. It is so rare to be able to read chapter after chapter graced with such love, insite and devotion to these mysterious and real people that the author so obviously carries with her to this day. The fact that she knew and loved these people like family and was given permission to write this moving story gives this book a rare quality. Grab some tissues and enjoy your read.

Compassionate view by author
I found this book provided a compassionate and insightful view about the lives of the Onassis family. Kiki, the author, was closely involved in the family's affairs and business matters, so her perception is close enough to dispell some of the gossip and rumors often associated with their tragedies. The descriptions of the Greek lifestyle and traditions are beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book while on vacation in the Greek isles portrayed by the author. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

This Could Have Been Better
I enjoy reading books about the Kennedys and Jackie Onassis, but this book, which was supposed to give a chronicle of sorts of the last 10-11 years of Jackie's life, did not do a very good job of that. It was a cut-and-paste biography from previous books and interviews. I didn't learn anything new from this book, and that's the biggest disappointment. It will be a nice addition to my extensive library, but it won't be the first one I pull off the shelf for anyone who wants a good narrative of her life and on who Jackie really was. This is an "okay to read if you're lonely" kind of book.

Truely Enchanting
I think that this book was a well writen portrail of Jackie's final days, with a moderate vocabulary it well conveys the beliefs of the author

"Farewell" not soon enough
Edward Klein needs to find a new family to write recycled books about. After peddling such ghastly books as "The Kennedy Curse" and "Just Jackie," Klein engages in literary graverobbing with the putrid "Farewell Jackie: A Portrait of Her Final Days."

His primary focus is the final illness and death of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, of non-lymphoma cancer that seemed easily treatable. By this time, Ms. Onassis had transcended her tabloid-speckled former lives and had a good job, a man she loved, and grandchildren she adored. But when her cancer spread, Onassis tried to die with the illusion of dignity she had maintained in her life.

Reading "Farewell Jackie" is a bit like watching someone break open a grave to frisk the bones of the dead. Padding the story of Jackie's illness and death are stories of her earlier life -- primarily her second marriage, and various love affairs she had (one of which has been denied by the man involved). Dirt-dishing, anyone?

Jackie Kennedy Onassis is portrayed as downright saintly in this book; Klein glosses over the hypocrises and flaws in her personality, such as being "religious" yet ignoring tenets of that religion. Even the volatile nature of her relationship with her second husband. Oddly enough, this adoration doesn't extend far enough, especially at the end. Any semblance of dignity is shredded when Klein goes into grotesque detail about Onassis's final mental and physical deterioration.

What's more, Klein's writing is deplorable. He transcribes private conversations and moments when Onassis was alone -- all obviously faked. Not to mention that Klein is in desperate need of an editor for this book's many errors. On one page, Klein informs us, "Jackie a wreck." Verbs? We don't need no stinkin' verbs.

Farewell, Jackie. Too bad Klein had to write this book and peddle it as a memorial volume for you. "Farewell Jackie," thankfully, is clearly destined to sink into the mire of obsequious, poorly-written Kennedy books.

I can't believe I sprung for this in hardcover!
I agree with the other reviewers who say there is nothing new here. Not only is this all rehash,it's not even good rehash.
Save your money, but if you must own it...buy it used...I am sure you'll have no trouble finding them.

Not much that's new
This slim volume left me very ambivalent. I enjoyed reading how JBKO met her death head on, and how she turned to her spirituality for strength and comfort. However, the parts of the story that are credible are things that I've read elsewhere -- sometimes even by Mr. Klein. And many other observations seemed intrusive -- if they are even true. (And considering how private some of these recollections are, it's impossible to know if they happened the way they are recounted here.) So while in some ways I'm not sorry I read it, I did feel as though as I trampling on Mrs. Onassis' privacy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Letitia Baldrige's dedication reads, "For all those who have heard about the grace and charm of the Kennedy White House and wondered, was it really that extraordinary? The answer is 'Yes.'" The vibrant couple who moved into the White House in January 1961 were unlike anything that venerable home had ever seen.They were young, attractive, and cosmopolitan, and they were intent on putting their own indelible stamp on American culture. During the next three years, John and Jacqueline Kennedy wrote an entirely new chapter in the annals of presidential entertaining. Baldrige, Jackie's social secretary, and René Verdon, the White House chef, worked with them behind the scenes to bring off state dinners that are still talked about today (like the famous "Nobel Laureate Dinner").Alas, the Kennedy days are over, but Baldrige and Verdon bring back the memories in this marvelous book, which pairs Baldrige's fun, gossipy recollections of each star-studded social occasion with Verdon's sophisticated pre-nouvelle cuisine menus (including recipes simple enough for today's home cook).It's the photographs of the glittering guests, Jackie's ravishing gowns and perfect collarbone, and Kennedy--tan and handsome in black tie--that invoke the most wistfulness for that "one brief shining moment" that for some represented the pinnacle of American cultural history. After all the dirt, this book is like a long drink of cool water.END ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A truely beautiful look at Camelot - and a great cookbook!
I already own Rene Verdon's White House cookbook which is an enjoyable read as well as a great reference. Many of his great, classic recipes from that collection re-appear in this wonderful, picture-filled book that recreates the magic of Jackie's style that made Camelot. Rene Verdon and Letitia Baldridge show that they have not lost their touch and guide us through a host of beautiful occasions. My personal highlight is the famous state dinner at Mount Vernon. We find out many intriguing details about entertaining at the highest level and are able to take a little of the glamour to our own table. Rene Verdon's recipes are great classics that are meant to be enjoyed over and over again. They can be reproduced by the capable home cook with highly satisfying results.

Kennedy Magic Transforms The White House
The Kennedy administration was before my time--but just barely, and I grew up interested in Jackie and her kids, but never really understood the mystique until I read this book. Tish Baldrige's book lays out the effort to update The White House for two young, modern parents who inhabited it. She also makes a case for the art of entertaining--a dying or even lost art--and makes me want to throw a dinner party. The Kennedy's lived like royality, it's true. I don't know if The White House would ever get away with the extravagance and glamour today (now that we spend all our money on defense and security), but the more innocent time of the Kennedy administration was ripe for the kind of magic a handsome rancouteur and his well-bred wife could generate. Every page of this book is fascinating, and it's the most delicious slice of history I've ever read. And with the recipes, you too can throw the same luncheon the Kennedys served Prince Ranier and Princess Grace!

When USA was close to royalty!
Letitia Baldridge's book is unquestionably "un coup de maitre". We are most grateful to her for allowing us to take a peek into that atmosphere of class, sophistication, grace and good taste that once was the Kennedy White House. Reading this fascinating book is like going back into this elegant and refined world created by Jacqueline Kennedy where culture, arts and good conversation were a main priority. I so enjoyed reading that book!!

magical
whatever your political affiliation, you can't help but be amazed at the graciousness the kennedy family brought to the white house during his term of office. down to minute details, jackie emerges as the quintessential first lady. i especialy enjoyed the personal comments and special moments shared with the first couple. this makes a wonderful gift

A thorough pleasure!
In this small book there is a surprising amount of information on Jackie and Letitia's entertaining style, in stories, beautiful photographs, recipes and anecdotes. I especially like how she includes descriptions of the table settings (tablecloths etc) and menu choices, with short explanations of why they were chosen, and how they parted with tradition in many cases. It also provides a peak at the highly talented guests outside of politics whom they entertained, and how they entertained them! As other reviewers said, the recipes are mainly classics. Some I wouldn't dare serve today but it's nice to know what to do if I ever wish to! ... Read more

Book Description

An intimate photo essay of John and Jacqueline Kennedy's first year of marriage in their Georgetown home.

"I have just seen McCall's and so has Jack and we are so happy . . . They are the only pictures I've ever seen of me where I don't look like something out of a horror movie. If I'd realized what a wonderful photographer you were . . . I never would have been the jittery subject I was. Poor Orlando! Remember I wouldn't even eat a Good Humor.I was so lens-shy."—Jacqueline Kennedy, in a letter to Orlando Suero

In January 1954, the handsome junior senator from Massachusetts and his glamorous wife moved into a three-story townhouse at 3321 Dent Place in Georgetown.Although they would live here for only five months, the house was their first home after their wedding— the society event of the decade—and a place from which they could begin to prepare for the next step in their lives, one that would take John and Jacqueline Kennedy to the White House.In May of that year, Orlando Suero, a photographer with the Three Lions Picture Agency on his first major assignment, spent five days with the Kennedys.He enjoyed their full cooperation and the intimate access that would later, as Jacqueline became more anxious about her family's privacy, be denied to all but a few.

In more than twenty photo sessions, Suero documented a typical week in the young couple's life: Jack at his Senate office, catching up on work at home, and painting in the back garden; Jackie attending classes at Georgetown, gardening, and preparing for an evening of dinner and dancing; and the couple reading the morning papers around the breakfast table, looking through their wedding photos, hosting both casual and formal dinner parties, and tossing the football around with neighbors Bobby and Ethel Kennedy.

Suero's photographs capture the idyllic quality of the young couple's lives during their months in Georgetown.Not yet hounded by the media, John and Jacqueline in these images seem happier and more at ease than they would ever be again.Surprisingly, no magazine ever published Suero's complete photo essay.McCall's ran a few of his photographs that fall, but most of them have not been seen until now.In 1989, Three Lions Picture Agency owner Max Lowenherz donated the photographs to the Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Institute.For Camelot at Dawn, the Peabody Institute's Anne Garside has selected nearly one hundred of the most evocative and affecting pictures Suero took during his week in Georgetown.This remarkable document of John and Jacqueline Kennedy's first year of marriage recalls the romance and the promise embodied by their life together in America's last age of innocence. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Photographs that today are stunning in their meaning
As someone who grew up in the Kennedy era, these images had a profound effect on me. They are images that shortly after they were made, could never have been made again. Can you imagine seeing Jack and Jackie Kennedy strolling alone down the streets of Georgetown (in DC), her wearing shorts and him wearing sneakers and a plain t-shirt? Or playing football in a public park with absolutely NO gawkers hanging around? The great impact of these pictures comes from their innocence and irony, because of what came after and what we now know. If you remember the Kennedy era, you might stare at some of the images in this book for many minutes in wonder, about the people in the picture, about yourself, and about how we were then and are now. I gave this book to my brother-in-law--a recognized expert on the Kennedy assination--and he said he almost cried. It's that good.

in the crowd of Kennedy books published, this is a STANDOUT!
Can the Kennedys ever have a bad photograph taken of them? It is appears not, as this book illustrates. CAMELOT AT DAWN is kind of an artsy photojournalism feast for the eyes, and although at first glance the text will seem to have general information that we all know about, it too is a treat.

Orlando Suero had his first big assignment taking pictures of Jacqueline Kennedy for McCall's magazine for an article. It would turn out that most of his shots would not be used because the press felt that the Kennedys had been overexposed in the media due to their wedding--so it is only now in this book that most of the pictures taken for that assignment have been published.
Suero says that JFK manages to sneek himself into most pictures, and so the final result became as much as about him as Jackie...but we also see the Bobby Kennedys as well as the former President Trumans.

Some of these pictures have been published in other books, so not all of them are seen here for the first time, but seeing them within the context that they were shot makes the photos that have been seen before all the more interesting. However, it is only a few--most of these are just being seen for the first time.

As for the text, some of it is "well duh" text because it is known by everybody:"Jackie was a silver-and-Sevres kind of girl, whereas Jack was a milkshake-and-hamburger kind of guy." (I am not cutting on Anne Garside's writing--because the book is actually quite good, I am just trying to point out that some of the information that she writes everyone knows in their sleep...as that is how famous Jack and Jackie have become.) Now don't take this sentence of Garside's alone--you have to read the whole book before you dare judge her writing, and in my estimation she has succeded in the overall scheme in making two well known sujects seem like new again. How does she do this?
For example, there is information about the renting of Dent Place--where these photographs are taken as well the Kennedys first home--which is interesting because we get to see excerpts from Jackie's letters to the Childs (the people who the Kennedys were renting the house from.)
Also information about Evelyn Lincoln's calender is given as to what the Kennedy's were doing the week the photos were taken, as well as little details spread out throughout the text that make the book an interesting read.

I believe that this is a standout book published on the Kennedys. It is informative and orginal in text, and the pictures easily give Lowe, Avedon, and Shaw a run for their money. You can and will enjoy this book if you give it a chance--don't get stuck on the information about the JFKs that we all know or the pictures that we have all seen--read the entire book and appreciate the entire book! ... Read more

Book Description

She was the definition of White House style for too brief a time. And as a private citizen, we couldn't seem to get enough of her. Here is the inside, outside, upside and downside of our own American princess. Tragic, heroic, private: the image of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis remains the image of an American icon that will never lose its ability to charm and fascinate.
... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not as good as you may have heard
When Jackie Oh! came out it shot Kitty Kelley to fame. It was considered vicious trash by the critics but the public ate it up. Reading it almost 30 years later I'm struck with the feeling that the hype was more than the book. There have been allegations that Kelly relied on backstairs gossip and a lot of what's in here can't be proven. Then there is the fact that Jackie was alive when the book was published. Kelly's decision to write about Jackie's treatment for depression (The woman lost a son and a husband within months. Who wouldn't be depressed?) seemed simply cruel for the sport of it.

Reading Jackie Oh is kind of like finding your old high school year book and being embarrased by the clothes, the hobbies and the sentiments written therein. You look at it and are chagrined at how important such sillines seemed at the time.

Reads Like Harold Robbins
Trashy, gossipy biography written by an author known for digging up the dirt. I laughed at some of the situations that were described because I couldn't believe all of them. Good for an afternoon's read while lying on the beach or taking a long bath.

A REAL TREASURE
Great tidbits on Jackie. A book that you cannot possibly put down. Very entertaining. FOR QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ON JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok
This is readable stuff. I did read that Kelly made some of it up, so....But the big revelations are that John F. Kennedy smoked pot in the White House, and that Jackie had electric shock treatment to treat depression. I thought Kelly's biography of Frank Sinatra much better. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (13)

A suprising and thoughtful look at two icons.
I thought that this book might be a normal sort of celebrity biography, you know, a little (GARBAGE), a little flash, but DIANA AND JACKIE is much more, and much better than that. It's really a look at the lives of these two influential woman and how they impacted both the English and American cultures. There are a lot of thought provoking questions here...was Diana being a good mother when she aired her grievences regarding her marraige to the entire world? Was that a selfish act? Or a selfless one, in that millions of other women could identify with her, and feel less ashamed about themselves.

Jackie Kennedy comes across as a very sympathetic person, one who tried (successfully) to raise her children as close to normally as possible within the Kennedy whirlwind.

The parallels between their two lives are extraordinary and very telling. It's really amazing to see how these two branches of a very strong tree grew in completely different directions.

I really liked this book and would recommend it without reservation.

Two extraordinary Everywomen
Mulvaney has taken two of the most famous women of the last century and compared and contrasted them in the roles all woman are cast in (Maidens, Mothers, Myths). It's a fabulous idea and makes for very entertaining reading. While there is little new in this book about the lives of either of these well-documented ladies, the parallells Mulvaney draws between them gives the familiar information a fresh spin. (In particular, I'd never considered how similar their relationships to their formidable mothers-in-law were!) The cultural comments are interesting, too. Jackie maintained her (stereotypically English) "stiff upper lip" to the very end, while Diana took the more typically American, open approach to her life and her problems. And that's why I believe these women continue to fascinate. As much as we read about Jackie, we'll never feel we knew her -- she's an enigma we keep trying to solve. And it was Diana's very openness and accessibility that made her so appealing.

Show some respect!
Dear Publishing Industry,

I have not read the book nor do I intend to. I came across it recently through one of your book clubs(to which I belong). It seems that every month you make a point of investing a great deal of time and money into marketing a book about overrated celebrities by star-struck authors.

In this time of soaring unemployment, downsizing and corporate fraud that befall the majority of the population, you choose to release a book which praises two individuals who had never experienced the above injustices but whose families instigated them and themselves contributed nothing to the progress of humanity.

Both Diana and Jackie were born into privilege. Both had the fortune of living in the best neighbourhoods, attending the best schools, socializing with the rich and famous, and not working at all to survive. Both passed on the same experiences to their children.

Paparazzi, constitutional obligations and in-laws who bestow multimillion dollar trust funds on their grandchildren are thankfully not the misfortunes that many single mothers deal with. They are blessed. For they deal with gang leaders who harass kids in low income areas, dumb-downed education system, dead-end jobs to pay for food and apartments smaller than Diana and Jackie's bathtubs, apathetic fathers, humiliation and gender discrimination. Certainly such trivial worries do not merit hundrends of books.

It seems that many talented struggling writers from all cultures, fields and walks of life also do not merit to be published to educate the semi-illiterate public about the many accomplishments of the world. Why not publish books every year about such groundbreaking women as Marie Curie, Susan B. Anthony, Golda Meir, Sofia Kovalevskaya, Billie Jean King, Evita Peron, Simone de Beauvoir, Oriana Fallaci ... (unfortunately the space provided does not allow for all of them to be listed)?

It is also unfortunate that there is not enough space for them in your budget.

Straining to be scholarly
There are dozens of vapid biographies of both Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis and Princess Diana out there, but this book manages to do the work of two: It has vapid info on both of them! What a thrill! Jay Mulvaney strains to produce some sort of substantial comparison and contrast, but the result is less than satisfying. (Considering that his only other books are about Kennedys and clothing, I wasn't expecting anything too earth-shattering)

Using the trio of "naiden, mother, myth" (instead of "maiden, mother, crone"), he examines the lives of both Di and Jackie -- their childhoods, their marriages, the two children each of them had, their husbands, and their lives after their husbands (in Di's case, post-divorce; in both of Jackie's cases, in widowhood).

One of the biggest problems with this book is the superficiality. The book makes a great deal out of similarities that just don't mean much -- divorced parents, philandering husbands, overbearing in-laws, out-of-control weddings, and so on. But the fact is that though there are some similarities (both of them became irrational focuses for the masses), there isn't a lot of similarity under the surface.

Yes, both of them had divorced parents, but WHY they divorced is drastically different. Yes, both of their husbands cheated on them, but they had drastically different personas. Those husbands were a shy, spoiled aristocrat and an outgoing, charismatic elected leader; one actually NEEDED a wife to uphold his image in order to get his position, while the other just wanted one. Despite what Mulvaney says, Diana was not close to Jackie's level intellectually (by her own admission, no less). And their own personalities were at different ends of the scale -- outgoing and sensitive, versus private and almost snobby. The superficiality of things like divorced parents, pretty clothes, crazy weddings and obnoxious in-laws are clearly shown.

Moreover, Mulvaney seems to be one of those biographers who dreads speaking ill of anyone. He claims it would be "harsh" to refer to Rose Kennedy or Queen Elizabeth II as a bad mom. Well, Charles and Jack were quite harsh, then. Bad personality traits are watered down, obnoxious tendencies are diminished. The worst thing he says about Rose is that her memoirs are full of "half truths and evasions." (Mulvaney has an evasion of his own: Rose disliked Jackie)

In short, this book can be summarized as: "Jackie and Di had some similarities." It doesn't even provide interesting pictures or any new information whatsoever; everything in this book is gleaned from previous material. All the "intertwining" that Mulvaney can manage is to start many of the paragraphs with, "Like Diana..." or "Like Jackie..."

Basically, this book feels like an attempt to draw in Di and Jackie enthusiasts all at once. It could just as easily have been about Diana and Grace Kelly, or Jackie and Hillary Clinton. A quick'n'dirty, very generic read about the Windsors and Kennedys, and there ain't nothing new here.

Two very amazing women
These two women proved to the world that you don't need a royal title to be able to get people to listen and help get things done. They also showed a kind, soft side to themselves. Trying to protect their children from the press and all the terrible tabloid printing. Diana wanted nothing more than to be queen of peoples hearts and she has done that. Charles didn't know what he lost when he lost her. Their children were first in their lives and they made that clear. ... Read more

Book Description

This Boston Bruins master, who played just nine seasons in the NHL, revolutionized the game with his two-way mobility, freewheeling puck movement, and end-to-end (or side-to-side) rushes. He twice led the NHL in scoring — an unprecedented feat for his position. He was voted the NHL's MVP three years in a row, and best defenseman eight years in a row. Dozens of vintage photographs and complete stats complete this tribute to an amazing superstar from hockey's golden era. ... Read more

Book Description

Drawing from recently declassified top-secret material, as well as revelatory eyewitness accounts, Secret Service records, and Jacqueline Kennedy's personal letters, bestselling biographer Barbara Leaming answers the question: what was it like to be Mrs. John F. Kennedy during the dramatic thousand days of the Kennedy presidency? Brilliantly researched, Leaming's poignant and powerful chronicle illuminates the tumultuous day-to-day life of a woman who entered the White House at age thirty-one, seven years into a complex and troubled marriage, and left at thirty-four after her husband's assassination. Revealing the full story of the interplay of sex and politics in Washington, Mrs. Kennedy will indelibly challenge our vision of this fascinating woman, and bring a new perspective to her crucial role in the Kennedy presidency. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

the fascination seems to remain
The American public seems to remain fascinated with the "Camelot" years of the Kennedys; no doubt this
continuing interest is part of the cult of celebrity that has arisen in recent years. Joe Kennedy, clan patriarch, was well acquainted with image-making and public relations. Unlike previous political administrations, the Kennedy presidency was a well-orchestrated exercise in this questionable enterprise.

Barbara Leaming has relied on Jackie Kennedy's extensive correspondence with former British P.M. Harold MacMillan to gain new material on the well-covered tale of Jackie's White House years. A sad picture emerges, of a lonely woman without even one intimate friend, and without the spiritual resources that consoled her mother-in-law Rose. Forced to endure the deaths of two newborns as well as several miscarriages, she had to deal with her husband's pathological sexual infidelities and the lack of privacy her role as First Lady entailed. She tried to fill her empty heart and empty days with trivial activities like constant interior decorating and re-decorating, and shopping for outrageously expensive wardrobes. Does this sound like a rosy life in Camelot, the dream world where all is smiling perfection? A deeper question after forty years is, why do we continue to purchase books about these people?

Mrs. Kennedy a Great Lady
I gave 5 stars to the former Mrs. Kennedy as a person. After
you read this book, you will recognize Jackie's contribution to peace during the Cold War.Jackie was more than a fashion setter, she was a highly educated speech writer and researched
her topics diligently before meeting them at carefully planned dinner parties.History, will long remember her for raising
two beautiful children, and for her skill in making all people feel at ease in her presence.She improved the White House, she wanted all Americans to be proud when they came to visit, and
see the Great History of their nation. Time will reveal how
important this role of First Lady.

Disappointed, Rude-Awakening, and Yes Suprised
I think that my title about says it all. I was in my teens when JFK was shot. I believed in all of the hype up and into my late adulthood. Now, I am extremely disappointed in finding out in greater detail of JFK's sexual problems. Not happy with Jackie in how she dealt with his sexual problems but given the times in which she lived I guess that this is what she had to do to stay with the man that she loved and father of her children. After about 3/4'a into the book I just about threw it down. The sexual over tones is so much that it is disgusting but I am hard believer in finishing a book once started. The extremely long
repeated parts of the 'Cuba 1' and 'Cuba 2' should have been shortened...we are not dumb we get it. My rating is based on the repeated sentences over and over and in part due to the depressing information that I have experienced in reading this book. The passage of this information is now in the hands of the ages.

An ugly, ugly book.
I saw a documentary about Jackie on the "E" channel and picked this up in a bargain bin cause I thought it might be interesting. What it really was, was ugly. The author refers to Jackies' father as "a failure and drunken fool," she refers to JFK's friend/girlfriend Mary Meyer as "a failure" and to Mary Meyer's first husband who wanted to be a writer but wound up a C.I.A. agent as (you guessed it) "a failure."

She's like that. The book is like that. I'll never forget a scene she portrays as kennedy, ten months into his presidency, sits around with a lot of hung-over party guests and they all role up their sleeves (allegedly) and get shot with speed by "dr. feelgood." The author then goes on to say something like, this is the perfect example of kennedy's "arrogance" blah-blah-blah.

Speaking of hangover--this BOOK gave me one. Pretty yucky stuff.

Wash Your Hands Afterward!
I received this book as a gift; I'm not particularly interested in the Kennedy saga, other than the political side.

There is no doubt that Ms. Leaming is a very talented writer, researcher and biographer. In so many ways, though, this book reads as a tragedy quite separate from the events in Nov. '63. I must admit I became rather bored with the constant accounts of Mr. Kennedy's sexual addiction and his liaisons, and Mrs. Kennedy's method of distancing herself from them. Too much like bad soap opera. As one who lived through his administration, this book will read as revelation to those of a younger generation. It truly was a different world then, journalistically.

This still reads as a rather sad sexual accounting of this period in our history. Not a book I'd purchase for myself. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Best Boston Hockey Moment-Best Hockey Player...ever!!!
"The Goal" is a great book that brings back the memories and magic that culminated in one of hockey's greatest moments. Some would argue that this is the greatest moment ever in the sport. Orr's miracle season created a new era in hockey. Bobby Orr ran the defense and the offense for the Boston Bruins. Harry Sinden recalls some wonderful inside details in this polaroid style flashback. What makes this book special are all the quotes by other players who were in awe of Orr. Bobby not only made for one of the greatest pictures in sports, he also electrified and transformed a city. Orr dominated both ends of the ice, and he could body check, fight and get very emotional. Gretzky was a great stat accumulator and an excellent passer and puck handler. I would say that Bobby Orr could pass, skate and check equal to or better than Wayne Gretzky. Orr's slapshot was harder. His body took a pounding, whereas nobody laid a finger on the great one. Bobby would often block shots (sans helmet) and then break up ice to either set goals up or score them himself. Gretzky was rarely found playing any kind of defense. Winner, Orr. This book will further solidify the legend, and make the memories, stories and smiles all as fresh as when it all happened. Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the greatest goal in hockey. It's safe to say it won't happen like that ever again.

Very cool
A must have for any Bobby Orr or Boston Bruins fan. The greatest goal by the greatest hockey player ever.
Anyone saying "what's his name" is a better hockey player is too young to have seen Orr play. Statistics aren't everything - they are secondary to actual on the ice ability. Yeah, the G man was great. But Orr was in a league of his own. I guarantee you if there were two teams, one made up of six Bobby's and one made up of six Gretsky's, Gretsky would never touch the puck.
Never again will you see a player that good. Never. ... Read more

Book Description

Discover the books Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis loved to read during her White House years, and as a book editor. In the PBS film Jackie Behind the Myth the true story of Jacqueline Onassis and John F. Kennedy's love of arts and letters is eloquently explored. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Jackie at Johnson Library
Has anyone ever wondered why so few journalist explore Jacqueline Kennedy's testimony at The Johnson Library to discover the truth about the murder of her husband. At least this author mentions that Mrs. Kennedy stated in 1974 that "they gave messages to Adlai Steveson" and others warning President Kennedy not to go to Dallas. I thought this was one of the most thoughtful and well-researched books on Jacqueline Kennedy.

Not the Best Jackie Book I've Read
The thing that irritated me most about this book is the fact that the author does not know how to punctuate sentences or use correct verbage. It seemed to me like a fifth-grader wrote it and forgot to use the spell check. Also, the author gets bogged down in details that really had nothing to do with Jackie Kennedy Onassis (the Bossa Nova section almost put me to sleep).

I suggest you save your money and buy the video instead.

Takes Guts To Write This Book
I happened to know how difficult it is to reveal the religious beliefs of celebrities in post-modern America, and salute this author for capturing a complete understanding of all the books Onassis read, including the Bible.

Not the best bio of Jackie....
I found that this book was poorly written-- some of the information might be useful, but it really isn't a good resource if you're looking for a general biography of Jackie. I think Sarah Bradford's biography, America's Queen, is a thousand times better than this book!

Poorly Written But Contains Valuable Information
This book is poorly written and riddled with inaccuracies (though harmless ones, such as that JFK taught Caroline the poem "Fig" when she herself has stated that her mother taught it to her to recite to her father); however, it contains valuable information about Jackie's years as an editor. It is too bad that this book did not have a decent editor. The author wanders far far afield repeatedly wasting pages on too much detail about such things as Viet Nam and the bossa nova...when a few paragraphs would have sufficed (the book is about Jackie, remember?). I was truly surprised that other readers were not more critical. Actually one might do better to skip the book and view the video of the same name. ... Read more

Book Description

In a mere one thousand days, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy created an entrancing public persona that has remained intact for nearly forty years. Even now, a decade after her death, she remains a figure of enduring-and endearing-interest. Yet, while innumerable books have focused on the legends and gossip surrounding this charismatic figure, Barbara Perry's is the first to focus largely on Kennedy's White House years, portraying a First Lady far more complex and enigmatic than previously perceived.

Noting how Jackie's celebrity and devotion to privacy have for years precluded a more serious treatment, Perry's engaging and well-crafted story illuminates Kennedy's immeasurable impact on the institution of the First Lady. Perry vividly illustrates the complexities of Jacqueline Bouvier's marriage to John F. Kennedy, and shows how she transformed herself from a reluctant political wife to an effective, confident presidential partner. Perry is especially illuminating in tracing the First Lady's mastery of political symbolism and imagery, along with her use of television and state entertainment to disseminate her work to a global audience.

By offering the White House as a stage for the arts, Jackie also bolstered the president's Cold War efforts to portray the United States as the epitome of a free society. From redecorating the White House to championing Lafayette Square's preservation to lending her name to fund-raising for the National Cultural Center, she had a profound impact on the nation's psyche and cultural life. Meanwhile, her fashionable clothes and glamorous hairdos stood in stark contrast to the dowdiness of her predecessors and the drab appearances of Communist leaders' spouses.

Never before or since has a First Lady (and her husband) sparkled with so much hope and vigor on the stage of American public life. Perry's deft narrative captures all of that and more, even as it also insightfully depicts Jackie's struggles to preserve her own identity amid the pressures of an institution she changed forever.

Grounded on the author's painstaking research into previously overlooked or unavailable archives, at the Kennedy Library and elsewhere, as well as interviews with Jacqueline Kennedy's close associates, Perry's work expands and enriches our understanding of a remarkable American woman.

This book is part of the Modern First Ladies series. ... Read more

Download Description

Spend some time with Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and her granddaughter as they explore Washington D.C. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Great Book for Girls
Even in this day and age, young girls need to know that any door can be opened with a bit of pushing. This book not only brings to life a great role model, it shows that she is a real person. Ms. McElroy's simple, spare prose never condescends, but clearly sketches both the professional and family persona of her subject. It is a book that will be treasured by the owner and her (or even his) parents. If this is the beginning of a series, I look forward to the next one -- the author has found a valuable place on our bookshelves and in our hearts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A lot of pictures
Remembering Jackie is one of Jackie Kennedy's best book.
The biography is complete, you never get bored.
There are a lot of pictures too!
I suggest it to all Kennedy 's fans or for people who want to know about Jackie's life.

Awesome book
This book really shows the details of Jacqueline's life: pictures, quotes, not-well-known facts, everithing! ... Read more

Book Description

An unprecedented collection of very special photographs, Young Jackie reveals Jacqueline Bouvier in childhood and young adulthood as she began to make public appearances in New York high society, but before the media onslaught that would mark her later life.

Bert Morgan started his career when Jackie was a year old and began taking her picture when she was three. This stunning collection chronicles the events of Jackie's first twenty years of life-weddings, holiday festivities, horse-riding competitions, dog shows, events big and small. Here we see Jackie alone, with her family, with her dogs, with her favorite horse, Danceuse, in riding habit and party clothes.

Capturing the beauty and poise of the woman who later would beguile the world, these photographs offer a new perspective on the life of one of the most respected and loved women of the twentieth century.

Introduction and chronology by Olivia Harrison. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most popular series ever published for young Americans, these classics have been praised alike by parents, teachers, and librarians. With these lively, inspiring, fictionalized biographies -- easily read by children of eight and up -- today's youngster is swept right into history. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Christopher Andersen's biography Jackie After Jack: Portrait of the Lady is one steamy read. Andersen claims that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis had affairs with Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, William Holden, Warren Beatty, Bobby Kennedy, and JFK's former deputy secretary of defense. He writes that she battled anorexia, was both cheap and greedy, wore big sunglasses partly to cover up bruises inflicted by Aristotle Onassis, tried to sign Princess Diana to a book contract, offered Camilla Parker Bowles $2 million to tell all, and dropped Michael Jackson, whose book she edited, when he stood accused of pederasty. Andersen suggests that the cancer that killed Jackie may have been related to her habits: 40 to 60 cigarettes a day, four decades of carcinogenic black hair dye, and countless amphetamine and carcinogenic steroid injections in the 1960s. Many of the juiciest stories come from anonymous sources, and, according to Newsweek, Brando's biographer claims the alleged Jackie tryst never happened. Some readers may feel that Andersen's breezy assertion that Castro murdered JFK may not fully settle the question. But many will want to check out what ex-People magazine writer Andersen has to say. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (16)

I now understand the previous generation's Kennedy fixation
This book is a page turner from the beginning. I have never read Christopher Andersen before, and now am reading another novel of his, "An Affair to Remember" detailing the love story between Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. As someone who was not alive when JFK was shot, I never really understood this country's fascination with the Kennedy family. After reading this book, I now have a hunger to learn more about our "royal family." This is an easy, entertaining, poignant read.

Disappointing :poorly written and shabbily researched.
Being very interested in the Kennedy family I am usually a sucker for new titles. This was no exception.As soon as I saw it in the bookshop yesterday I bought it and sat down to read. I found it a very disappointing experience. There really wasn't very much in the book that is new - some of the more sensational bits were little short of irritating. I am getting sick of writers who put in such information as the so-called affair with Onassis before marriage, and with Brando etc. later, with either no back-up evidence at all OR ON THE UNSUBSTANTIATED EVIDENCE OF A SINGLE PERSON. These things are presented as fact simply because IT HAS BEEN SAID! (One on the evidence of Mrs. Lincoln who seems to have had a bone to pick anyway as aluded to in this book). Easy to make these statements about people who are dead isn't it! Some of the information was fairly interesting but I had to wade through so much old hat stuff to get there. And this writer is trotted out as an expert on Jackie! He had enough here to write a pamphlet and he's stretched it as far as he could. He obviously belongs to the Andrew Morton school of writers - milk a topic for every possible cent. Also writes in the gosh, golly, wow style that I find so irritating in the magazines. His first book wasn't so bad but this is a real pot-boiler.

A More Human Approach to an Icon
My favorite part about this book is the fact that it gave such a refreshing look at someone who could, so easily, be idealized. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was human & possessed all the failings of a human being. I don't think she saw herself as anything else, & reportedly, could be very self-deprecating among her friends. The Kennedys & all of their family will forever fascinate our imaginations, but this book was a look at a very real woman, who withstood many challenges. She was able to present herself to the world as almost superhuman, which may have been her greatest failing. As they say, everyone is fascinated by power & strength, but too often rejoice in seeing those who possess those qualities topple from grace.

Jackie After Jack: Book Review
This is a very good book, the author seems to bring Jackie O to life right before you. You see all sides of the most famous First Lady in America's history. You see the person behind the famous smile and sunglasses, her grief and depression after JFK's murder, her restless traveling and fascinating and ultimately unsatisfactory marriage to Ari Onassis, her rediscovering herself after Ari's death and her final years with the true love of her life, Maurice Templesman. The author makes you realize that this was a real life person, not some Goddess from Mt. Olympus. She was a flawed human being, but then again, aren't we all? I highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn about this fascinating lady.

No drama? Get real!
This book is full of drama. I'm sure a person my age shouldn't read it considering all the cussing, sexual senerios, etc. But I was intrigued by the Kennedys and decided to read the 400+ page book. It was a time consuming book but it is well worth the time. The only thing is, the books comes in with a pop and sort of leaves you hanging at the end. It starts with JFKs murder and then leaves with a bunch of stupid stuff. I recommend it to people who can remember the assasination, unlike myself. ... Read more