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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

Reviews (20)

Different view of Jackie
I have read everything written about Jackie K., and it tends to be either gushing or vicious. This book deals with the influences that led to her becoming the type of person she was. Being born in 1929, she was a Depression baby, and she had the same desire for security that most people from that time have had.
The attributes most admired by the world were the ones her mother instilled in her [speaking French, riding ability, fashion sense] and Jackie probably had mixed feelings about this.
The book made me see Jackie as a more vulnerable paerson and I have nothing but admiration for her mother.

Enjoyable Reading
I loved this book.One thing I learned from reading
this book was the name of Jacqueline's 1st daughter which she miscarried.I have made many trips to D.C., especially making a point of visiting President Kennedy's gravesite where the bodies of Jacqueline and her two children are also buried.The name of her daughter on the gravsite is indicated as "unnamed".I am wondering why her name was never identified.If you are wondering what the name is, read the book.

Mothers and daughters
Jackie Kennedy Onassis is undisputedly one of the most written about women of our time. Surprisingly, there is very little written about her mother Janet Auchincloss. There is no doubt that Jackie was hugely influenced by Janet. Friends and family often remark on Janet's "demands" on both her daughters. Their dress, schooling, deportment were all noted and remarked upon.Jackie was more openly rebellious than her sister.Her parent's's divorce was difficult for a young girl who adored her father. Janet, no doubt stung by the public humilation, strove to protect her and her daughters' privacy and aura. Jackie was to go through life trying to reconcile those parts of her personality, the adventurous part(her father) and the socially correct side(Janet).
"Janet and Jackie" chronicles a mother/daughter relationship strained bydivorce,remarriage,unspoken and unmet expectations, changes in society, wealth and fame. It is a portrait of the huge changes in "society" life. Jan Pottker describes a family of women restrained by society and their inability to communicate. "Janet and Jackie" provides a peek into the life of two fascinating women and the times that helped shape them.

Somewhat Interesting, Not Much New Information
This is a somewhat interesting book about Jackie Onassis and her mother, Janet Lee Auchincloss.The first part of the book concentrates on family lineage and heritage.It mentions that Jackie was only 1/8 French, and half Irish.The author states that Jackie's Irish ancestry was hidden by a French name and a love of all things French.Underneath all that, she says that Jackie was authentically Irish.Jackie never corrected the media when they incorrectly assumed she was entirely French, and Rose Kennedy encouraged Jackie to play up the Bouvier side, thinking it made the family sound more like high society.Janet was a social climber who denied her Irish heritage and tried to pass herself off as English.The book explores the marriage to Jack Bouvier, which produced two daughters, Jackie and Lee.Drinking, gambling and womanizing on Bouvier's part caused a divorce.Janet later married Hugh Auchincloss, which provided financial security for herself and her children.Although I found Janet's obsession with money and status annoying, she also was there for Jackie.She confronted Jack Kennedy after Jackie lost their baby, and she was there for Jackie after the assassination.The book is an interesting read, although I don't think there is a whole lot of new information in it.

Nonsense!!!
This book sets out to tell that it was Jackie Kennedy's mother that instilled strength in her daughter. What she acctually did was instill a self-hatred. There is a great book called "Mrs. Kennedy: The Missing History of the Kennedy Years" by Barbara Leaming. In that book the author states repeatedly that her mother treated her older daughter horribly. Onassis's mother would tell her daughter that her hair was too kinky and she had big feet her eyes were too big, her hands were too big and that no man would marry her because she was so unattractive in every way. Her mother may have been saying these things to make sure her daughter would act wisely so she could land a man, but it is obvious that these taunts had a neg. effect on her daughter. Onassis thought that her marriage to JKF was a faliure because she believed his cheating was the result of all the neg. things she thought she was, all those neg. things her mother said she was. Jackie thought that she had to stick out the marrage because she was lucky to have found a man that could look past her "ugly" looks. Hopefully the readers of this book will not be suckered into believing that this woman, Janet A. was a great woman. She was cruel to many people. The only good thing I can say about the subject is that she is a prime example of how far woman have come in this society. From being raised as Janet A. was to "land a man" to finding fullfilment within and not through wealth and marraige. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

FUN FACTS!!!!!!!
This is a simple little book with fascinating tidbits on our favorite First Lady. A nice addition to anyone's library. FOR QUETIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ON JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Very in-depth
I bought this at Arlington Cemetary on trip to Washington,D.C. and read and finished the book before the trip was over.It told a great story and was well researched.

Jackie: Woman of Focus
Jackie, a Legend Defined, gives us the most salient features of the life of a woman whose influence upon Americans will endure. Anyone whose awareness of the Jackie phenomenon dates back to the sixties will find this cursory examination of her life adequate, perhaps. For the younger student, there is a rather good bibliography referencing both periodicals and books. Somehow, her sophistication spoke to a people who could now travel to Europe and the rest of the world by jet, while at the same time be terrorized by the threat of global nuclear war. Jackie, poised and focussed equestrian, seemed to embody the cool which we needed to live our lives in the shadow of threat. She knew the lessons good breeding was supposed to teach, but her own childhood had been somewhat chaotic. She made up for it with her intensity, composed of the Latin virtue of a sanguine disposition and the ability to focus her energies on the pursuit of excellence. Never mind that being First Lady could only be at most an eight-year reign. She set a course for the rest of us, in that she drew into the White House the artists who have been welcomed there ever since. She raised an historical consciousness with her restoration there, and went on in later life to fight for preservation in New York City. The battles she chose were few, but crucial. Her editorship at Viking and then at Doubleday gave scope to her discernment and to her ability to connect with people in the arts. Somehow, she once again embodied an age - that of the independent professional woman, who is a survivor. In the beginning, her mother and father had been part of an America which imitated Europe (especially England) in its faith in blood-lines and privilege. The "Lee's of Maryland", no relation to those of Virginia, were not planters but supplanters. The Bouvier's had been peasants in France. But here, their descendant Jacqueline, had redefined class. It is something revolutionary, and it is there for anyone with the nerve, the brains and the grace to have it. No wonder that to so many aspiring African-Americans Jackie was, as Tina Turner put it, the reigning Queen. No wonder, as the book spells out, the American public went mad for her relics. But relics or no, to understand her as a whole, as this book attempts, is an important step in the education of taste. In the end, her stay was too brief, like a career of a great diva. She bowed off the stage even before her Victorian-era mother-in-law, who at 103 watched her funeral on television. She left just enough clues for us to feel that we knew her. She seemed to define herself in characteristically bold, telling strokes. She is the persona of the latter half of the twentieth century in America. ... Read more

Book Description

An intimate look into the world of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis -- from the people who knew her best

In As We Remember Her, Carl Sferrazza Anthony, a historian of first ladies, paints the most personal, revealing portrait of Jackie to date -- one that shows her not in the shadow of her famous husbands or frozen in the light of flashbulbs but as she viewed herself over the years and as she was known by those closest to her.

To understand Jackie on her own terms, Anthony conducted exhaustive interviews with an impressive collection of Jackie's friends, family members, and colleagues -- many of whom speak here about her publicly for the first time -- and drew upon rarely published but quite revealing autobiographical accounts. Those interviewed include Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Ted Kennedy, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Joan Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, former senator John Glenn, Pamela Harriman, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Gloria Steinem, Yusha Auchincloss, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., John Kenneth Galbraith, Robert McNamara, Ted Sorenson, Pierre Salinger, Rose Styron, former senator Claiborne Pell, and George Plimpton. And from previously sealed oral histories housed in the Kennedy Library, we hear from Jackie's mother, Janet Auchincloss, and lifetime confidante, Nancy Tuckerman, among others.

With never-before-seen family photographs and letters throughout, Carl Sferrazza Anthony has created a beautiful tribute to the private woman who forever captured the world's attention.

Reviews (6)

Not faultless, but very interesting and revealing biography
I am interested in anything Jackie O, so when I saw this book, I thought it sounded interesting. It definitely doesn't fall short! There are lots of quotes, from many people who knew Jackie, and they reveal a lot of things about her--or, at least, not so much famous things about her--that you wouldn't find in a "traditionally" written biography. I like that the author shows Jackie's many contraditions, and subtleness of her personality. It is not an in depth, objective biography--the author even says in the introduction that is written in "affection" because it is more of a tribute book to her. However, the author included many essays and things written by Jackie that are not normally published in other biographies, and so it definitely makes up for the lack of critical analysis of her decisions, the way she led her life, etc. I especially liked that the author included parts of her Prix de Paris Vogue essays, which are never published in other biographies on her. I would have given this book a five star rating, but I am somewhat prickly to the fact, that the quotes constantly have to tell me how very smart and very enlightened Jackie O was. A couple of quotes about her intelligence are one thing, but on practically every page we are told how Jackie was an expert on this subject, how she knew so much about this or that, and how much more enlightened she was than the rest of Americans. Enough all ready!!!! I am in awe of Jackie's intelligence, but one can only take so much. (Although these were her friends and family talking so of course they are going to paint her in a worshipful way, even it if means demeaning average Americans.) But aside from that, it is an excellent book, and many great photographs and insights are revealed. I especially liked that the author made more of an attempt to highlight her editing career. (Even devoting a whole chapter to it!!!) And her last year is covered more comprehensively. I would recommend that any Jackie fan read this, as there is so much to it that would help one to understand Jackie's taste, her environments and different things she did thoughout her life.

A WONDERFUL TRIBUTE!!!!
This book will take you on a ride through Jackie Kennedy Onassis's extrodinary life. A perfect book to read on a quiet afternoon alone. A handsome addition to anyone's library. FOR QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ON JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!

Amazing...
This book has captured the essence of Jackie's life, not only during her JFK years, but in her post-political life as well. It portrays her as an adventurous, spirited woman vaulted to an American icon by her adoring public. Spectacularly written, I was highly impressed.

I smiled, laughed, and cried as I read about her life.
At first I did not want to read a book full of quotes, but I totally lost myself in the book. I spent the whole day reading it. When I got to the end when Jackie died, I found myself crying. She was an inspiration and role model for all of us.

This book canonizes Jackie Kennedy.
After having read Doris Goodwin's book, The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, I was very disappointed in the lack of objectivity in As We Remember Her. I hope Jackie was not as insipid as this book presents her. Most fiction books do a better job in character development. ... Read more

Amazon.com

What a great idea for a deep-dish tell-all! JFK's lonely, classy wife, Bobby's athletic, competitive wife, and Ted's meek, alcoholic wife, together at last between covers, soothing each other when not fighting like fishwives. Taraborrelli's breathless prose makes you a fly on the wall when formidable mother-in-law Rose Kennedy walks in on Joan commiserating with Ethel about their honeymoons: "I think Bobby was finished before I got into the room!" said Ethel. "Now what are you ladies talking about?" asked Rose. Jackie, who was present, cooed, "Oh, we were just saying how well Bobby sleeps at night." "He gets that from me," said Rose.

Ethel should never have been so catty when gentle, simple Joan joined the clan: "Goodbye wine and cheese," hissed Ethel. "Hello macaroni and cheese." And she shouldn't have mocked Jackie for being unable to compete in touch football--with the Kennedys, it was more like "claw, scratch and bite" football. And what about when she rubbed it in that she and Bobby were closer than Jackie and Jack? After all, when Lee Remick phoned Ethel to say "You're on the way out," and Ethel replied that Bobby was home in bed, Bobby was in fact (says Taraborrelli) in bed with Lee Remick.

You may have heard that JFK's dad, Joe Kennedy, offered Jackie $1 million not to divorce JFK, but did you hear Jackie's alleged reply? "The price goes up to $20 million if Jack brings home any venereal diseases." Did Ethel betray Jackie's discontent to Joe--and then go ballistic when Joe only gave Ethel $500,000? You'd think Joan would be the clinker in the group, like Zeppo Marx. She was a bit dim, but should Ted have put her down as dumb? He's the one who showed up soused with a prostitute for dinner with the king and queen of Belgium, whose priceless antique couch Ted's date ruined by wetting it.

Who knows how historians will judge this book, but it sure does a great job of making history into a Jackie Collins novel. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (95)

A Kinder Camelot Than We've Seen Before
This is the first book I have read by J. Randy Taraborrelli, and I was impressed. I am distantly related to the Kennedys -- a distant cousin -- so I like to think I know a little bit (probably not much) more than the "normal" reader. But even I didn't know this material. Taraborrelli approached his women of Camelot with such grace and evenhandedness, he makes other biographers of the women seem like samari warriors. I most enjoyed reading about the differences in the Kennedy women's background prior to their marrying into the powerful family. These are three very different people --- Jackie, Ethel and Joan -- and in reading about them you wonder if they ever would have known each other or spent a second with one another had they not married into the family. (Though I do think, from reading this book, that Jackie and Joan may have been friends, anyway ... though I don't know how they would have met.) Taraborrelli writes about the rumors having to do with Jackie and Bobby (not true, he says) and Marilyn and Bobby (again, not true, he says) and Marilyn and JFK (very true, and much to Jackie's ongoing unhappiness.) Plus there's lots of political suspense in the book, too -- though we all know how it works out in the end. I enjoyed this book tremendously and would recommend it to anyone. You don't even have to like the Kennedys to enjoy this, it's such a good read. A-Plus effort, and thank you Amazon for giving me a chance to voice my opinion.

A Fun Political Wives Insight
This book about the wives of Kennedy rogues Jack, Bobby and Ted reads like Valley of the Dolls goes to Washington. Booze, pills, bitchy rivalries -- it's all here in this bloated but fun read by celebrity biographer Taraborrelli.

Based on interviews (though not with the wives) and previously published material on the Kennedys, the author -- dishy tone aside -- provides surprisingly three-dimensional portraits of queenly Jackie, sharp-tongued Ethel, sensitive alcoholic Joan and their complex relationships with one another. (Ethel's jealous sniping at Jackie is a hoot.)

While the book upholds old rumors, such as Ethel's affair with singer Andy Williams, it leaves a question mark surrounding alleged flings between Jackie and Bobby and Bobby and Marilyn Monroe. (The book was completed, of course, well before a family imbroglio -- the Jan. 19 arrest of Ethel's nephew Michael Skakel, 39, who is charged with the 1975 murder of his 15-year-old Greenwich, Conn., neighbor Martha Moxley.)

Though none of the cheating Kennedy men was any bargain as a husband, it's Joan -- if the long list of Teddy's cruelties here is to be believed -- who got the rawest deal. After she campaigned for his Senate re-election in 1964 as he recuperated from a plane crash, Teddy's way of saying thanks was to head directly from the hospital into the arms of a mistress.

Ah, politicians and their wives, do indeed make for strange bedfellows and fun dishy reading.

DELICIOUS DISH DELICIOUSLY READ
Just when we thought we knew all there was to know about the Kennedy clan Taraborrelli proves we didn't. Of course, much of what we now discover reads like a tabloid tell-all.

These women had nothing in common save for their last name - soignee Jackie wasn't about to get on a touch football field with athletic Ethel. Shy, later alcoholic Joan, was sandwiched between the two of them.

History? No. Tawdry tattled tales? Yes. If gossip is your meat, it doesn't get any juicier than this - deliciously read by Beth Fowler.

Jackie Ethel Joan
This is a great book especialy if you are interested in history or the Kennedys. Even if you aren't it is still a great book. It keeps your intrest and does not bore you with things you don't want to read about. I strongly recommend reading it.

READ THIS BOOK!!!
I just loved this. How could you not? It's warm and lovely and really paints such a memorable picture. I totally got it, in terms of understanding not only the women, but the author. He sincerely cared about these women. I've read all the millions of Jackie books and Kennedy books, and this is the one I will always go back to because it's such a heartwarming work. I also saw the movie, and loved it -- but not as much as the book. Isn't that always the case? I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Jackie, and to anyone who may want to know a lot more about Joan and Ethel. I've also read this author's book about Princess Grace called Once Upon a Time and it, too, really made me think. This author writes the best books, if you ask me. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Extremely Well-Written
This book is what it is...an extremely well-written coffee table book with beautiful photographs of an intriguing, talented, influential woman--Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The overview of her life is beautifully crafted--this book is a wonderful, moving tribute to Jackie Kennedy Onassis' life.

A WINNER
A wonderful tribute to the woman who dazzled us as first lady. Lovely pictures. The perfect coffee table book. Highly recommended. FOR QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!

A disappointing book
For one of the most photograhed woman of the twentieth century it is amazing that with each new book that is published that the photo's used to illustrate it are generally one's that have been used often in the past...this book is no exception...very few unseen or different photo's here..and as usual the content is sadly unbalanced..the book is 120 pages long...86 of those pages refer to the years up until 1963..the last 30 years of her life...which wre just as interesting are dismissed with a scant 34 pages.Aristotle Onassis makes one appearance and Maurice Templeman who shared more of her life than any other man doesn't get a look in...all in all a very disappointing pictorial look at this facinating woman's life.

Beautiful Picture Book
Nothing new in the written content - just a basic description of her life. But features beautiful (and often big) black and white photographs of Jackie as a child, wife, First Lady, and beyond. Some photo's are of events and functions I had seen before, but taken from a different angle. Other's are more rare. Lovely book, but only for a true collector. ... Read more

Book Description

Critical Acclaim for Jacqueline Bouvier John Davis’s intimate memoir of his beloved first cousin "Readers longing for a dignified and elegant approach to Jackie’s early years will enjoy this biographical gem by John H. Davis." —Boston Herald "Goes a long way to highlight the formative influence of her privileged back-ground and her warm relationship with her father, the philandering Jack (Black Jack) Bouvier." —Los Angeles Times "Re-creates a colorful, fast-fading slice of American life as it flourished in the shadows of toll hedges and long lineages." —The Miami Herald "The most charming and reliable in the batch [of Jackie books] is Davis’s memoir." —The Atlanta Journal and Constitution "Entertaining, a guilty pleasure." —The Associated Press "This tender memoir of Jackie’s early years sheds much light on the future woman we all wanted to know but never could." —The Star-Ledger (Newark) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

an ok book
This book was good, but it only talked about her childhood. There was nothing about Onassis and her life after she married JFK. It didn't even mention her kids. John H. Davis also needs to learn to stick to the subject, he would often wonder off into stories about himself. If I cared about him I would have gotten a book about John H. Davis, but I didn't, I got a book on Jacqueline Bouvier. No one really cares what she did day by day of her childhood. We just really need the basic stuff. My final words are that it was a good book about her childhood and thats it, so i believe this book doesn't deserve more than two stars because there was more to Jacqueline's life than just her childhood and it doesn't even talk about her White House expirence or how she died.

Excellent book about Jackie's childhood
This was one of the first books I read about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and though I've read many since, I still consider this one of the best. It is filled with reminisces of events experienced by the author, a cousin of Jackie's who kept in touch with her throughout her life. The author has done extensive research into both the Bouviers and the Kennedys in his other writings - this book is an interesting and informative combination of that research and his personal memories of Jackie as a child and young woman. Highly recommended to all who wish to learn more about the less documented part of Jackie's life.

CAPTIVATING
A new insight into Jackie's childhood and teen years. A fresh change from other biographies on Jackie O. Highly recommended. FOR QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ON JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!!

An excellent look at Jackie's early childhood.
If one is interested in learning about Jackie Kennedy's early childhood and teen years, this is the perfect book to examine. The author, a cousin of the late First Lady, shared many of her early experiences and thus provides excellent primary source material. Also noteworthy are photographs from Jackie's childhood and teen years ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderful book!
This was a wonderful biography and I LOVED it to death.I'm surpised no one has reviewed it yet!It was amazing! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Jackie, Quick Overview of Her Life
This book is excellent for a quick overview of Jacqueline (Bouvier) Kennedy Onassis, her life, her family and the world around her. While an enormous amount of research seems to have been done, the book remains a quick read but packed with facts and details. You gain an understanding of how Jackie responded to the world's need to think of her and treat her as royalty. While the book is short, Ellen Ladowsky provides enough detail for you to feel like you now know a little more about her and the many people (children, husbands, friends, presidents and many others) that were involved in her life. I recommend the book to anyone wanting to get a brief look at Jackie and/or the first step to studying her life in detail.

A REAL TREASURE
A captivating biography about Jackie Kennedy Onassis. New revalations. Fascinating photographs. FOR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS ON JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HPOE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

This is such a wonderful book!
I really loved this book! It's an amazing tribute to Jackie, and the pictures are incredible. I've never seen most of them, and so many of the ones with JFK and John Jr and Caroline are so touching. Most picture books have a smattering of photos, but this one seems to cover just about every month of Jackie's life! It's really something to see her as a lovely little girl, maturing into a young woman, and then going through all that she did. The captions are very interesting too, and well-written. If you remember Jackie fondly like I do, you will want to get this book!

A remarkable and reverent look at a very human icon.
I really adored this book - it is so much more than yet another reprinting of the famous pictures of Jackie. The photos chosen by Spada are remarkable in their ability to portray both the remarkable strength possessed by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, as well as her frailties that we can all relate to. While many people have seen the countless photos that have been published of Mrs. Onassis from her birth to death, Mr. Spada managed to select mostly photos that are little-seen, as well as photos that needed no text to give the reader a better sense of the people portrayed in the book. The text that does accompany the photos is well written and restrained. Purchasing "Jackie: Her Life in Pictures" will be money well spent.

a lot of rare photos!!
The texts are good but particularity the photos, there are a lot buy it!!!The photos chosen by Spada are remarkable in their ability to portray both the remarkable strength possessed by Jacqueline Kennedy .
Jackie: Her Life in Pictures" will be money well spent

One of the BEST
This book had pictures that I have never seen before and I thought I had seen them all. Worth every penny

A before unseen view of Jackie
I was captivated by this book. James Spada has compiled several well-known photographs with many photos I had never seen. He does not try to analyse or to delve into the behind the scenes. He presents the photos with a paragraph or two, and lets us glimpse into Jackie Kennedy Onassis's life. I was entranced by the pictures of her youth and the pure beauty and joy in several ungarded moments. A beautiful tribute. ... Read more