Jackie Ethel Joan: Women of Camelot Abridged

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Summary: more cheap bunk about the Kennedys.
Review: This book is a waste of time and money. The money I spent to buy it and the time wasted in reading this rehash of old stories and new made up episodes in the life of the Kennedys. Kitty Kelly does it better and kitty litter is all this one is good for.

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Summary: So Sad!
Review: I have read a lot about this book, and thought I knew what it was about --- basically, I did. But what I didn't know was that it was so very sad. I cried many times along the way: when JFK died, when Bobby died, Joan's miscarriage, Jackie's still-birth, Ethel's grief and on and on ... Such tragic lives these three had. Yet, at the end I was not the least bit depressed, but rather sort of uplifted by the whole experience, this journey the author took me on. It was wonderful to read the way these women survived it all, and the author brought it all home with just the last few lines of the book (which I won't give away here.) Love them or hate them, you have to respect the Kennedys. Love these kinds of historical/biography/show biz books, or hate them ... you won't be able to put this one down.

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Summary: Over-rated and Overpriced
Review: I have read any number of biographies about the Kennedys'and I found that this book simply rehashes information already written about them. I also found many inaccuracies. Having read the author's biography of Diana Ross, which I enjoyed very much, I was quite disappointed with this book. A better read on the topic of the Kennedy women is Laurence Leamer's The Kennedy Women." Wait for the paperback version if you really must read it.

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Summary: My Two Cents
Review: First of all, I have to say that if I see this author on TV one more time, I will SCREAM. Though he may be handsome and disarming, why is it that publishers these days feel compelled to shove books down our throats by throwing their authors on every TV show known to man in the Western hemisphere? I almost didn't read this book because I was so OVER the author, hearing him drone on and on saying the same things over and over and over on every show from Larry King to the Today Show. But, I guess that's the business, and it can't be easy for him either. On his last few appearances, I swear, he looked dazed, as if he didn't know his Kennedy from his Johnson. Poor chap. Can you spell B-U-R-N-O-U-T? That said, I'm glad I finally relented and bought this book. It really is an entertaining read, and I learned more from actually reading it than I thought I would. Taraborelli did his research, that's for sure. I think the chapters on Marilyn could have been edited down, and all of the business at the end having to do with Joan and the 1980 presidential election I could have done without. But the rest is sheer perfection. I particuarly enjoyed reading about Ethel and her terrible grieving process after Bobby was murdered, and her affair -- or lack thereof -- with Andy Williams. Loved the book. But please, Mr. Taraborelli (or your publisher), no more TV! We get the point. WE GET THE POINT!

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Summary: So refreshing
Review: I'm a big fan of the Kennedys, and here's a look at them that surprised me, and really intrigued me, too. What a great book, full of life lessons and full of revelations. I would recommend "Jackie, Ethel, Joan" if only to get three different views of how one might consider handling her unfaithful husband. Jackie made sure that the President knew she was aware of what was going on with him and his girlfriends. But Ethel never went up against Bobby when it came to his affairs; her way was to look the other way. Then there was Joan. Poor Joan, who tried to confront Ted but who didn't have the resiliancy of Jackie, and she let it get to her and turned to drinking. (But she cleans up her act at the end of the book, and good for her, too.) This was a refreshing book...

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Summary: One of The Better Kennedy Books
Review: I am a Kennedy junkie and collect books, magazines, photos, and everything else I can get my hands on relating to the famous family, probably the most famous of American families, ever. So I have seen it all. Or so I thought. This book shed light on so many Kennedy mysteries. I was enthralled by it, and I believed every word of it just based on the fifty-plus pages of Source Notes. Only a real Sour Puss would not be moved by this book. The way this author wrote about Jackie's devastation after her husband was murdered, in cold blood right in front of her, brought tears to my eyes. This is one of the better Kennedy books. In the Top 5, I think... My thanks to the author for so many hours of enjoyment.

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Summary: Wonderful!
Review: How could you not love this book? A real page-turner. Mr. Taraborrelli is a wonderful biographer. I think Jackie would be happy with this, and probably Ethel and Joan as well. I received it as a birthday gift and read the whole thing in two days. Couldn't put it down.

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Summary: Glad I Read It
Review: The biggest criticism about this book seems to be the dialogue between the characters. But anyone who reads modern day biography knows that this is a technique employed by writers these days, to have people conversing rather than have them just quoted as having said what one person said to another. I'm fine with it. I think it creates an intimacy that is interesting. I respect this author's research, and his history of books. So I think to dismiss this book is a mistake. I read it with an open mind and loved it. It's all so emotional and real. I couldn't believe what these women went through, and was so happy that they overcame it. The book was well-researched and thorough. I'm glad I read it, and I know I'll read the paperback edition just to have the experience once again.

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Summary: Loved This Book
Review: There wasn't one moment when I was bored with this book. Anyone who thinks the author made up dialogue doesn't read very carefully. It's all clear to me where it came from. Try reading the Source Notes. Why does a book -- like the new David Geffen bio -- have to trash someone in order to be appreciated. The author here has given three respectful views of three wonderful women. How is that gossip? I would like to read more books like this one about people, books that are fair and honest and also interesting.

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Summary: Jackie Kennedy? HA, more like Jackie Collins or Susann.
Review: What a load of garbage this book is...reshashed gossip, unsubstantiated rumors, ficticious dialogue, etc. The author has literally made up dialogue that he could never have found sources for and passed it of as what...history? biography? pyscological insight? Fooey! It's like the worst type of bad fiction imaginable. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.