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In 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy recorded seven historic interviews about her life with John F. Kennedy. Now, for the first time, they can be heard and read in this deluxe, illustrated book and 8-CD set.
Shortly after President John F. Kennedy's assassination, with a nation deep in mourning and the world looking on in stunned disbelief, Jacqueline Kennedy found the strength to set aside her own personal grief for the sake of posterity and begin the task of documenting and preserving her husband's legacy. In January of 1964, she and Robert F. Kennedy approved a planned oral-history project that would capture their first-hand accounts of the late President as well as the recollections of those closest to him throughout his extraordinary political career. For the rest of her life, the famously private Jacqueline Kennedy steadfastly refused to discuss her memories of those years, but beginning that March, she fulfilled her obligation to future generations of Americans by sitting down with historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and recording an astonishingly detailed and unvarnished account of her experiences and impressions as the wife and confidante of John F. Kennedy. The tapes of those sessions were then sealed and later deposited in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum upon its completion, in accordance with Mrs. Kennedy's wishes.
The resulting eight and a half hours of material comprises a unique and compelling record of a tumultuous era, providing fresh insights on the many significant people and events that shaped JFK's presidency but also shedding new light on the man behind the momentous decisions. Here are JFK's unscripted opinions on a host of revealing subjects, including his thoughts and feelings about his brothers Robert and Ted, and his take on world leaders past and present, giving us perhaps the most informed, genuine, and immediate portrait of John Fitzgerald Kennedy we shall ever have. Mrs. Kennedy's urbane perspective, her candor, and her flashes of wit also give us our clearest glimpse into the active mind of a remarkable First Lady.
In conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy's Inauguration, Caroline Kennedy and the Kennedy family are now releasing these beautifully restored recordings on CDs with accompanying transcripts. Introduced and annotated by renowned presidential historian Michael Beschloss, these interviews will add an exciting new dimension to our understanding and appreciation of President Kennedy and his time and make the past come alive through the words and voice of an eloquent eyewitness to history.
In September 1964, less than a year after her husband's assassination, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy recorded seven historic interviews about her life with John F. Kennedy. Now, for the first time, these eight and a half hours of candid memories and reflections can be read in this deluxe, illustrated book, accompanied by a set of eight audio CDs. An astonishingly detailed, unvarnished account of life with a
— Sallye Leventha
In 1964, as part of an oral history project on the life and career of John F. Kennedy, my mother sat down with Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., to share her memories and insights. Recorded less than four months after the death of her husband, they represent a gift to history and a labor of love on her part. In order to treat them with the appropriate respect, my children and I took very seriously the decision to publish them now, in connection with the fiftieth anniversary of my father's presidency. The moment seems right—enough time has passed so that they can be appreciated for their unique insight, yet the Kennedy presidency is still within living memory for many who will find her observations illuminating. I hope too that younger generations who are just learning about the 1960s will find these reminiscences a useful introduction to how history is made, and will be inspired to give back to this country that has given us all so much.
Given the important role Jacqueline Kennedy played in the presidency of John F. Kennedy and its aftermath, it seemed a disservice to let her perspective remain absent from the public and scholarly debate that would accompany the fiftieth anniversary of the Kennedy administration. Fifty years seems a sufficient time for passions to have cooled, yet recent enough that the world described still has much to teach us. The sense of time passing was made more acute by the loss of my uncle Teddy and my aunt Eunice in 2009, by Ted Sorensen in 2010, and my uncle Sarge in January 2011.
But, before making the final decision, I asked my children to read the transcripts and tell me what they thought. Their reactions were not so different from my own. They found the conversations dated in many ways—but fascinating in many more. They loved the stories about their grandfather, and how insightful yet irreverent their grandmother was. They were puzzled by some of Arthur Schlesinger's questions—personal rivalries he pursued and particular issues that have not stood the test of time. They wished that he had asked more questions about her.
But they came away with the same conclusions that I had reached—there was no significant reason to put off publication and no one speaks better for my mother than she does herself.
Excerpted from the Hyperion book, JACQUELINE KENNEDY: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy. Copyright © 2011 Caroline Kennedy, John Schlossberg, Rose Schlossberg and Tatiana Schlossberg. All rights reserved. Available wherever books are sold.
BarbaraRichards
Posted September 14, 2011
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Much has been said about the life of Jacqueline Kennedy, but never has the words been this revealing and this intimate. For the last couple of days, I have found myself totally absorbed into this book fascinated by Mrs. Kennedy and in turn, I feel like I have learned so much more about her, husband President John F. Kennedy and the world, including the people around them.
While I won't spoil some of the surprises for you, my mouth fell open when I read what she wrote about Martin Luther King Jr. Her words during the Cuban Missile Crisis were amazing. But, what shocked me even more was how people around her felt about Lyndon Johnson.
I applaud Caroline Kennedy for being brave enough to share such personal and intimate details about her family. If you ever wanted an intimate look at the world of Camelot, then look no further. This is it and I highly recommend it.
As an avid reader, I love all genres, but there is another book that I'd like to recommend worth reading, it's called "When God Stopped Keeping Score" and it's on sale here on BN. It's a great book and proceeds from its sale goes to support women and children based charities, like the National Breast Cancer Research Center, Women Against Abuse and the Make A Wish Foundation.
49 out of 52 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.NancyMz
Posted September 16, 2011
I bought this book on Wednesday for $32.00 and it downloaded overnight. It freezes up everytime I try to play a video. I drove all the way down to a Barnes and Noble store, about 27 miles away today to get help with it from the instore tech. She couldn't make it work either so she tried to d/l to the store nook but it took too long and she suggested I call 1 800 the book. I did that and was online with a guy for 30 minutes and he was trying to download the book. He told me to call back in 4 hours and he would leave a note in my account for the next shift person to help me. Well, I did call back and have been on hold for so long that I depleted the battery in 3 cordless phones! I am really pissed now and the book still will not work!
36 out of 47 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.tickedSA
Posted September 16, 2011
OMG,do not purchase the nook book. Video works, but audio options are minimal. You can pause but it will not resume where you left off. And if you try to forward it, it starts over at the beginning. Don't sit down to listen to it unless you know you won't have to pause it. It also randomly stops at times, which means you have to start over AGAIN. Nook CS is ridiculous. I am demanding a refund.
29 out of 36 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 21, 2011
For everyone who can't get this nook book to work, it only works on the Nook Color! If you look where it says: Read exclusively on these devices & apps: NOOK Color. That means you can't read it on the iPad, iPad 2, NOOK, etc......
27 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really wished this would work on the Nook. Why is it for sale if it doesn't work as advertised? I'l be seeking a refund and hoping the customer service is better than the marketing.
23 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.2656308
Posted September 17, 2011
I ordered this book the first day it was released and it would be great, if only I could watch the video and listen to the audio! This needs to be fixed!
20 out of 24 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.mmOK
Posted September 17, 2011
Neither video nor audio work. Last night, Customer Service told me this is their FIRST complaint. He's "reporting the problem to the publisher." Had me archive the book and said to "check back in 10 business days." Don't think so.
20 out of 25 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.6409950
Posted September 16, 2011
Audio does not work!
17 out of 20 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.5203508
Posted September 16, 2011
I can't get it to allow me to listen and read along. Kim
17 out of 24 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 18, 2011
If you purchase this ebook and get the videos and audio to run, you need to be aware that you cannot read the transcript as you listen to the audio. You can do one or the other but not both at the same time. That really bites!
15 out of 20 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.2559449
Posted September 16, 2011
Format: Nookbook! Bought this nookbook last night and still haven't been able to download it on to my ebook. Your better off buying the book!
14 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.lilac_spring
Posted September 19, 2011
This Enhanced Edition is my favorite NOOK Book so far - an absolute joy to read, watch, and listen to! Many thanks to Caroline and the rest of the Kennedy family for giving us such an intimate glimpse into the life of this incredibly fascinating woman. For those who are having trouble playing the video/audio in the book, try following these steps to correct the problem: 1. Turn off your NOOK Color completely by pressing and holding down the power button for about 3-5 seconds. 2. Tap Power Off. 3. After one minute, turn your NOOK Color on. 4. On the Home Page, go to Library and tap the sync button located in the lower left corner of the screen.
13 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.842470
Posted September 16, 2011
Apparently im not the only one who thinks its rediculous that it wont play the audio or video! Looked forward to this for some time now. Now im just irritated. Customer service isnt much help either. Their answer was to refund my money. Well how about the book just works like it should. If u make it and market it for audio and video then it should work!
11 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.you have to turn on your animated page turns in order for the video to work. Lets read all of the directions, ppl. I got mine to work after a few minutes. but that is becuz i read the directions. nicely done BnN
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.6685121
Posted September 15, 2011
Looked forward to this book and extras...do I need special app to make it work?
9 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 14, 2011
Takes forever to download
8 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.4279575
Posted September 24, 2011
I am enjoying it on my Nook color. Whoever decided on the price was a genious. In my opinion all digital books should never be more than $9.99. I think this is a smart marketing move...publishers & authors would sell more books in the long run.
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 21, 2011
This should have been kept sealed. Silly opinions by someone totally uninterested and uninformed about politics. Makes both JFK and herself look ridiculous. Could anyone be less of a feminist. . . Even in the 60's?
6 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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Posted September 15, 2011
Just yesterday the price was $32.00 now its over $45.00 Plz give us a break so we can get it........
5 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KennyDee
Posted September 28, 2011
The video and sound are a window into a magical time. The only let down is the inability to read the transcript and listen to the interview at the same time, but to be honest, the overview states listen to, or read the interview so this is nothing I didn't know. Other purchasers of this book listed problems like the nook freezing, and sound and video not playing. I've not suffered from any of these.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
In 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy recorded seven historic interviews about her life with John F. Kennedy. Now, for the first time, they can be heard and read in this deluxe, illustrated book and 8-CD set.
Shortly after President John F. Kennedy's assassination, with a nation deep in mourning and the world looking on in stunned disbelief, Jacqueline Kennedy found the strength to set aside her own personal grief for the sake of posterity and begin the task of documenting and preserving ...