Jackie Ethel Joan: Women of Camelot Abridged

Rating:
Summary: Nothing new here....
Review: I haven't read many books on the Kennedys, but there was little new and enlightening in this one. Aside from a few tidbits, much of this stuff has been rehashed in previous magazines, articles and books. This book was at its worst when the author tried to recreate conversations between the women and pass it off as actual truth. Some of the "supposed" conversations were almost laughable in their simplicity. A second-grader could have done a better job with the dialogue. Anyway, how does this author claim to know what happened during a private conversation between two people without any witnesses? Don't buy this book - if you really must read it, take it out of the library or borrow it from someone. It's much ado about nothing.

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Summary: Jackie, Ethel, Joan -- What Survival Instincts!
Review: What struck me most about this subject matter was how strong these three women were, and how resilient they were. This book tells an amazing story, and I think it's a shame for some skeptical readers to get bogged down in the silliness of how it is presented ("How does the author know who said what to whom?" Read the Source Notes! ) The message behind this book is so important: families should find a way to work through their problems. This is the story of three strong women who went through a lot and came out the other side winners, and historical figures. I loved the way Taraborrelli wrote this book and brought me into the story. I hate that some people are so cyncial these days that they jump all over well-intentioned writers who are trying to convey a good message. This is not a hatchet job, like a C. David Heymann or Kitty Kelley book. I read it cover-to-cover, my mother did, my sister did, and we can't wait to pass it on...

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Summary: Bitchy Just Like These Reviews!
Review: I love the fact that some of these reviews are as bitchy as Ethel was to Jackie when Jackie wanted to marry Onassis, at least according to this great book. Rehash? Maybe, but only if you spend your whole life reading books about the Kennedys, which I haven't done, and know every little thing about them, which I don't. This is my first Kennedy related book, and I loved every word of it. I had a whole new respect for these women when I read this book, especially for Jackie. Some of these Amazon reviewers don't get it: books like this are for entertainment. You want boring history? Go to the library and read Profiles in Courage by JFK. (Or maybe read a snoring-book by that Donald Spato guy. Yawn.) You want fun and an entertaining read with tons of foot notes and source notes to validate it all, then buy this book, "Jackie, Ethel, Joan" ... or, as Ethel would say, 'shut your trap.' LOL

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Summary: Rehashed From What?
Review: I don't understand how anyone can call this book a complete re-hash when the subject of the three wives and their relationship to each other has never before been written about. Re-hashed from what? Everything in this book was new to me, and I have read at least 50 Kennedy books. I enjoyed the author's take on this subject and the way he presented each woman with such great affection. Joan is the real star of this book. When have you ever read anything about Joan Kennedy? I believe there was a book written by her secretary maybe ten years ago, but Jackie, Ethel, Joan really tells the story of how she overcame a bad marriage and alcohol problem to become the strong and amazing woman she is today. Rehash? If it is, then I must have missed all of the other books about the Kennedy wives. I only know of one related subject, the Kennedy Women, and that book was about all of the Kennedy women throughout history and devoted maybe three pages to Joan. So, I highly recommend this book, Jackie, Ethel, Joan, to anyone who wants an informative and fair read about these three powerful ladies.

Rating:
Summary: Same old, same old
Review: This book is a complete rehash. So what if the author quotes a lot of sources? The number of pages devoted to sources doesn't matter if the sources he used were lame sources, and a lot of them were. My favorite: the discredited secret service agents. How could the author presume to know the precise dialog spoken in a private conversation between Jackie and Bobby? Rather than reading this fanciful compilation of other books, your time would be better spent reading the other books,especially those by John Davis, a relative of Jackie's.

Rating:
Summary: A Terrific Book!
Review: Read every word of this book, and usually I skim through these kinds of things. But this one really captured me. The author brought these three Kennedy wives into clear focus in a way that is so vivid, you can't put the book down! Five stars, definitely.

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Summary: Compelling, informative, candid biography of Kennedy clan.
Review: Three different women who rose to public fame and were challenged by marriage are detailed here: Jacqueline Bouvier, Ethel Sakakel and Joan Bennett. Their associations with the Kennedy clan would change their lives and the world around them, and Tarraborrelli's biography of offers new details and revelations on their lives in this compelling sketch linked by the Kennedy name.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Here's a book about the Kenendys that does something no other book about them has ever done ... it's kept me interested. Loved reading this thing, and can't praise the author enough for bringing new life to what I thought was a dead subject.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I found this book to be a fun, fast and informative read. I thought it was very factual; how many pages of sources notes do you need at the end of a book to be convinced? This author did a lot of homework. I gave this book as a gift to my mom for her birthday --- she read it in three days, non-stop reading. Loved it, too.

Rating:
Summary: Fun, yes. But factual?
Review: I enjoyed this book and applaud the author for discovering a fresh approach to a much (MUCH) studied topic. Reading it was breezy fun. But a lot of this book is picked up from other books. The author himself is very honest about this in the attributions listed in the back. Since so much that's been printed about this controversial family is in dispute, I think the reader should be wary about taking every word as gospel. Still, the author clearly admires his subjects and the style in which he brought them all together was terrific.