The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines

by Margaret Reed, Joan Lownds, Clint Hill (Foreword by)

Overview

Before that tragic day on November 22, 1963, the Kennedy years were filled with hope and promise. As the White House gardener put it, they were also filled with children and dogs. The Dogs of Camelot illuminates the inside story of the Kennedys’ lifelong love of dogs and the unparalleled canine corps they brought to the White House. The American public only saw glimpses of the many Kennedy pets because of the zealous way Jackie Kennedy guarded her family’s privacy. Through cooperation with the Kennedy Library, the authors have access to rare and previously unpublished photos and stories that present a fascinating angle about the Kennedys that is deeply revealing about their character and compassion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493031610
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	05/15/2018
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	645,478
Product dimensions:	5.79(w) x 7.78(h) x 0.66(d)

About the Author

Dr. Margaret Reed, a nationally acclaimed animal training professional, met President Kennedy and his dogs when she was a little girl on vacation in Hyannis Port. She also sits on the board of Cornell University’s James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health and is a member of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum President’s Council. Joan Lownds is the author of Man Overboard: Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder. She has been an award-winning writer and reporter for several Connecticut newspapers and magazines, including The Waterbury Republican-American, The New Haven Advocate, and Fairfield Magazine.

Table of Contents

Foreword Clint Hill xi

Introduction Margaret Reed, PhD xix

Chapter 1 For the Love of Dogs 1

Chapter 2 President Kennedy's Most Beloved Dog 19

Chapter 3 The Dog Who Liked to "Eat" Reporters 37

Chapter 4 The Soviet Space Dog and a Cold War Romance 63

Chapter 5 The White House Menagerie 87

Chapter 6 A Cherished Gift from Ireland 99

Chapter 7 Bright Voice of the Mountains 111

Afterword Margaret Reed, PhD 129

Acknowledgments 133

Sources 137

Index 145

Editorial Reviews

04/09/2018
Animal trainer Reed and coauthor Lownds (Man Overboard) explore a lighter side of Camelot in this charming, photo-filled account of the pets that occupied the Kennedy White House. During that brief time, the first family hosted an assortment of pets that included “nine dogs at one time, a cat, parakeets, hamsters, rabbits, deer, and seven horses.” The family’s fondness for dogs even played a role in foreign diplomacy: in 1961, the Kennedys received a puppy named Pushinka (which in Russian means “little bit of fluff”) as a gift from Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev. Pushinka, whose mother was one of the dogs sent into space as part of the Russian space program, proved wildly popular in the United States, and her celebrity provided a brief respite from Cold War tensions in the months leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Later, Pushinka had a litter sired by Charlie, the Kennedys’ Welsh terrier. The book offers a glimpse into the family’s quieter moments with snapshots of a young Caroline playing with Pushinka’s offspring; Jackie Kennedy running with Clipper, the German Shepherd, on the White House lawn; and John Jr. with Shannon, the cocker spaniel, in the Oval Office. This lighthearted book finds an irresistible mix of two popular subjects—the Kennedys and dogs. Photos. (May)

Publishers Weekly

The Dogs of Camelot is a miraculous book, providing an unlikely yet endearing portrait of an almost mythic family whose humanity might be best shown through their profound connections with their beloved animals.

Tommy Hays

You don't need to be a dog lover or a history aficionado to enjoy The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines. But be warned.  Reading this charming, well-researched, and fascinating book by Dr. Margaret Reed and Joan Lownds might transform you into both.  The accessible text combines the public and domestic lives of the late President John F. Kennedy and his family.  Page by page, the reader become acutely aware that canines provided the President and his family a bit of joy and normalcy amid the many hardships, sorrows, and unexpected crises that characterize any presidency. Well worth the read, this sure-to-be popular tome offers a portrait of the Kennedy family we have not yet viewed in full.  Five stars!

Mary Sharnick

an interesting treasury of anecdotal stories that will captivate the reader.

Nancy Tuckerman

The profound research and lively writing style of Dr. Margaret Reed and Joan Lownds produces an entertaining and enlightening revelation of the importance of pets of all kinds in the Kennedy White House. The authors' appreciation for the boundless enthusiasm and unselfish love that dogs —-no matter their personality or pedigree —-can provide to a family —- no matter its station in life —-is captured in this historic compilation of tender stories of the several animals that befriended John Kennedy and his family during his presidency and of the deep affection the pets were given in return.

Senator Paul G. Kirk

05/01/2018
One of the most delightful domestic aspects of John F. Kennedy's presidency was the first family's love of dogs. Reed, a Kennedy family friend, and journalist Lownds follow the family's White House arrival in 1961 with one dog to the president's untimely death in 1963, when they had acquired a pack of nine. Charlie, a Welsh terrier, was a gift to daughter Caroline and considered the favorite, providing a calming effect during the Cuban Missile crisis. Clipper, a German shepherd, was beloved by Jackie Kennedy and traveled to Hyannis Port on family vacations. A gift from Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, Pushinka, was an offspring of Strelka, a dog sent into space in a Soviet rocket. Eventually, a romance between Charlie and Pushinka resulted in four "pupniks." After an enthusiastic welcome to Ireland, Kennedy was given Shannon, an English cocker spaniel, and several months later, Wolf, an Irish wolfhound. VERDICT Along with charming previously unpublished photos of the first family relaxing with their canines, these stories offer a snapshot of happy family life in Camelot.—Eva Lautemann, Gwinnett Cty. P.L., GA

Library Journal