Rating: 
Summary: Well done!
Review: ... This recent effort, Barbara Leaming's "Mrs. Kennedy: The Missing History of the Kennedy Years" must have been so elusive that even its author couldn't locate it! This book is a prime example of precisely what is wrong with so-called "Modern Biography and History" promising much while delivering NOTHING. Indeed, when I received this book, I was surprised at once by its brevity, given what I thought would be its scope and thouroughness. Ms. Leaming's premise(s), while "interesting" are in the final analysis, completely and utterly of her own mind and making, lacking ANY substantiation for which she should be ashamed and deeply apologetic. Her constant attempts to read Mrs. Onassis' mind and infer this and that at any given period, was particularly laughable, until one realizes that this is yet another "History" being added to the already largely incomplete and bogus study of Mrs. Onassis' life and times.Ms. Leaming merely refers to the sources for her book, such as Mrs. Onassis' Secret Service Agent, Clint Hill and his Testimony before The Warren Commission, not to mention the correspondence between Mrs. Onassis and British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan, which is really where I take great issue with her. Why, Ms. Leaming could you not publish said documents and allow the reader to gain a window into Mrs. Onassis, that you yourself stated was of particular importance... A dismal and insulting book (very similar to all those others, such as: Kiity Kelly's "Jackie Oh!"; C. David Heyman's "A Woman Named Jackie" and Sarah Bradford's "America's Queen") folks, not worth a penny. My suggestion, write a book about Mrs. Onassis, yourself, I'm certain we could ALL do better.
Rating: 
Summary: A Few Errors, But Still Brilliant
Review: Barbara Leaming's brilliance as a biographer is to discern, from painstaking reconstruction of contributory events, the motivations behind her subjects' history-making deeds. However, many reviewers have scolded Leaming for presuming to know what her latest subject, Jacqueline Kennedy, was thinking. Indeed, Leaming is guilty as charged. But if a reviewer asks if Leaming's suppositions as to what Jackie was thinking are the product of research, logic, and common sense, the answer would have to be yes. Her chief theories -- that JFK viewed Jackie as a replacement for his deceased sister Kathleen, and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan as a replacement for his disabled father -- would surely be denied vehemently by each of the principals, but that doesn't make those theories wrong. Although Leaming did not intend "Mrs. Kennedy" as a hatchet job, she ably demonstrates why JFK's sexual exploits really did endanger national security. Her book explodes the myths of Camelot and JFK as Devoted Family Man even more thoroughly than Seymour Hersh's "Dark Side of Camelot." Now the bad news: in at least one instance, flawed research has resulted in Leaming's ascribing motivations that were impossible. She claims (on pages 149-150) that Jackie was seething at Frank Sinatra during a Sept. 21, 1961, White House luncheon because Sinatra had humiliated her the previous weekend while sailing with the Kennedys at Hyannis Port. Unfortunately, Leaming has mixed up her weekends. Sinatra's infamous stint at Hyannis Port occurred after that luncheon, so Jackie, unless amazingly clairvoyant, could not have been angry about it. (See the Washington Star, Sept. 24, 1961, page A-5; many major newspapers reported that same day on Sinatra's Cape Cod cruise with the Kennedys.) There are instances in which Leaming does seem to go too far in her mind-reading. When she asserts that JFK, who sobbed uncontrollably when his infant son Patrick died, was also sobbing for a previously stillborn daughter and for having caused Jackie so much pain, she doesn't give any documentation for knowing so intimately the magnitude of his grief. However, as with her previous books, Leaming is frequently astute in digging up the likely causes of her subjects' behavior, whether saintly or bizarre.
Rating:
Summary: What really went on behind the scenes
Review: Having recently read several other of the newer Kennedy books, I was not shocked this time to find out about "Dr. Feelgood" who routinely attended both Jack and Jackie in times of stress. During those more innocent times of the 60's, I don't really think that they totally understood the ramifications of being shot up with drugs so regularly. That side of their personality aside, I found this book quite fascinating as to how they could have such a messed up marriage and still carry off a stunning political reign. They were a team, bizarre as Jack Kennedy's sexual behavior was, these two were a highly energized dynamic duo, each feeding off the success of the other. Jack loved nothing more than to show off his brilliant wife and Jackie thrived in the spotlight whenever she had demonstrated one of her amazing coups of winning the hearts of many recalcitrant world leaders. They were magical, both of them. However, away from the glitter of White House social life, Jack continued his depraved sexual life, leaving a dismayed Jackie to turn the other way, always wondering what she lacked. She did not like the White House and spent more weeks away from it than we knew before. It was she that loved the Virginia hunt life and the house they built there together. For her it was an escape from having to come face to face with a long line of young girls brought in to perform sexual favors with the President. But in the end, behind it all, after the death of Patrick and in the months leading up to the assasination, there was a change. A deep and loving devotion grew between the two of them. An abiding respect developed and Jack Kennedy for the first time realized what he has been doing to his wife. Had he lived, I think that he would have changed. He was already on the brink. Jackie, though had to live with the uncertainly. Never knowing what would have been ahead for them. This book gives some great behind the scenes information about what life was like during the missle crisis, just what happened in the ER in Dallas, and describes in detail the terrible sadness that the president felt when Patrick died. We are shown two diverse personalities who in their own odd way, teamed up and lit up the world for three short years. We see two devoted parents as well. In short, the end of the book says it best. That after the assasination, Jackie's resolve was to show that world how she would bring out the best in her children. To make them everything that their father would have wanted. This became her mission. While not mentioned in this book, one of her famous quotes is "If you bungle bringing up your children, nothing else that you do much matters." A mantra that many people today would well follow.
Rating:
Summary: Mrs. Kennedy a Great Lady
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed, Rude-Awakening, and Yes Suprised
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: An ugly, ugly book.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed, Rude-Awakening, and Yes Suprised
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and Frightening
Review: I was 8 years old when JFK was elected president, just old enough to remember it all, from the campaign to the assasination.
Being Irish Catholic, my family idolized them. After four decades of tell-all books, movies and television programs, I thought I knew everything about JFK and Jackie. This book had my jaw dropping.
I knew all about the women (including Judith Exner, Mary Meyer and Marilyn), Dr. Feel-Good, the court jesters (Lem Billings, Dave Powers and Co.), and more. But, I had no idea how omnipresent they all were throughout JFK's thousand days.
Jack's total disregard for Jackie's feelings where his sex drive was concerned is beyond appalling. Should I say depraved? Absolutely unbelievable. His total disregard for caution or discretion put this country in far more danger than I ever imagined. Thank God for Harold Macmillan (then Prime Minister of England.) Without his friendship and influence (and Papa Joe's timely stroke), I hate to imagine how the Cuban Missle Crisis might have turned out, or anything else for that matter. Leaming's research paints a sad picture of JFK's advisors...no wonder Macmillan referred to them as "the rats". I also had no idea how little time Jackie really spent in The White House. Who could blame her? Jack's cavorting aside, one sees how life in that place must be suffocating for anyone.
Highly entertaining, insightful and frightening.
Rating:
Summary: Boring
Review: If I wanted to read a blow by blow of JFK's most notable presidential descisions, then I would read a book strictly about his presidency. The book is entitled "Mrs. Kennedy..." yet she takes the backburner. I also do not grasp how a book which was supposed to focus less on this particular era in Jackie's life ("America's Queen: The Life of Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis" by Sarah Bradford) gave the most important details. In short, the title of this book is false advertising at its worst and the author might have done well to spend less time trying to read minds. The most repeated themes of this book are contridictory and the writer's voice is projected too loudly.
Rating:
Summary: the fascination seems to remain
Review: 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?
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