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A review by thatokiebird
Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy [With 8 CD's] by
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy is the recorded interviews Jacqueline gave just four months after her husband's assassination. And it once again showcases what an incredible human she is. She speaks openly and honestly, sharing her memories and details as best she can to the questions she is asked. I listened to the audiobook, and always delight in hearing her elegant and light and airy voice as she shares. This is an amazing historical record of the time they spent in the White House, and filled with plenty of hot gossip if you kept up closely on politics at that time in history. She didn't shy away from sharing how she actually felt.
Historian Arthur Schlesinger asked all sorts of questions, plenty of duds, but some that are of interest too. And Jacqueline always answered in as interesting a way as she was able to, even when they were duds. There was a lot of - what did Jack think of this person, and what do you remember about this event, and did you have any problems with this person? Questions about very specific staff members and ambassadors that I think haven't aged well. Yet when she shares personal moments about their family and highlights and events like the missile crisis or MLK, it is so fascinating, and you can really get a feel for what it was like for them during their time in the White House.
The audio quality isn't fantastic, I could hear it best in headphones. But it was interesting to hear the clink of ice in glasses, or when Jacqueline would (somehow elegantly) blow out her cigarette smoke before answering a question, or planes flying overhead or interruptions from an extremely young and active John-John. (I still can't believe Arthur Schlesinger's first words on the audio to John were "What happened to your father?" and John's answer of "He's in heaven." Like seriously? This kid who is 3 walks in and his first instinct is to remind him his dad is dead?)
The conversations definitely wander and is sometimes boring and sometimes have no idea what they're talking about, but Jacqueline makes up for it with her openness and honesty. She probably would be mortified that they're unedited, but it makes sense why they are. This is definitely not a book in the traditional sense, it is an important historic interview in all its messiness.
Historian Arthur Schlesinger asked all sorts of questions, plenty of duds, but some that are of interest too. And Jacqueline always answered in as interesting a way as she was able to, even when they were duds. There was a lot of - what did Jack think of this person, and what do you remember about this event, and did you have any problems with this person? Questions about very specific staff members and ambassadors that I think haven't aged well. Yet when she shares personal moments about their family and highlights and events like the missile crisis or MLK, it is so fascinating, and you can really get a feel for what it was like for them during their time in the White House.
The audio quality isn't fantastic, I could hear it best in headphones. But it was interesting to hear the clink of ice in glasses, or when Jacqueline would (somehow elegantly) blow out her cigarette smoke before answering a question, or planes flying overhead or interruptions from an extremely young and active John-John. (I still can't believe Arthur Schlesinger's first words on the audio to John were "What happened to your father?" and John's answer of "He's in heaven." Like seriously? This kid who is 3 walks in and his first instinct is to remind him his dad is dead?)
The conversations definitely wander and is sometimes boring and sometimes have no idea what they're talking about, but Jacqueline makes up for it with her openness and honesty. She probably would be mortified that they're unedited, but it makes sense why they are. This is definitely not a book in the traditional sense, it is an important historic interview in all its messiness.