Synopses & Reviews
November 22, 1963. A policeman’s wife was fetching their sick child from school. A young shoe store manager had no idea what lay in wait for him that day. A future president was tending to his farm. A future vice president was standing on the steps of his college library. A Georgetown student was looking forward to playing the piano for the president when he returned to Washington, DC, that evening. A future movie star was attending his second-grade art class.
Then the news rang out across airwaves, through telephone lines, and by word of mouth, plunging the country into shock and sorrow. It’s hard to imagine how the last fifty years would have unfolded if President John F. Kennedy had lived. Would Vietnam have dragged on until 1974? Would Nixon have come into power? It’s difficult to say—but, combining evocative archival images with the unique, first-person stories of those who lived through it, Where Were You? says what the history books can’t and offers a fresh look at what was, what is, and what might have been since that fateful day.
In the two-hour NBC documentary event that this volume accompanies, special correspondent Tom Brokaw interviewed people close to the tragedy as well as former heads of state, politicians, authors, journalists, performers, musicians, and more. He asked them five simple questions, starting with: Where were you? Together, their words paint a rich and moving picture of a hopeful nation torn asunder by grief. It will remind those who lived it of a pivotal moment in American history, and it bears witness for all who follow.
Review
"These intense episodes of remembrance make for a gripping collection that most people with an interest in JFK will want to read."
—Library Journal, starred review
Review
"These intense episodes of remembrance make for a gripping collection that most people with an interest in JFK will want to read."
—Library Journal, starred review
"Moving and powerful ... The themes of remembrance and appreciation remain constant throughout these pieces—all relevant and compiled with care. An engrossing, politically charged accompaniment."
—Kirkus Reviews
Review
An American Profile Editor's Pick"A living time capsule ... Where Were You? tackles the Kennedy saga as a human interest story. ... The most compelling contributions are by little known players in the drama such as Buell Frazier, the unlucky co-worker of the alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Marie Tippit, widow of the policeman whom Oswald also murdered that day."
—Costco Connection
"The compelling mix of voices paints a vivid portrait."
—American History magazine
"These intense episodes of remembrance make for a gripping collection that most people with an interest in JFK will want to read."
—Library Journal, starred review
"Moving and powerful ... The themes of remembrance and appreciation remain constant throughout these pieces—all relevant and compiled with care. An engrossing, politically charged accompaniment."
—Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
The news rang out across airwaves, through telephone lines, and by word of mouth, plunging the country into shock and sorrow. It’s hard to imagine how the last fifty years would have unfolded if the Kennedy assassination hadn’t happened. Would Vietnam have dragged on until 1974? Would Nixon have come to power? It’s difficult to say—but, combining evocative archival footage with the unique, first-person stories of those who lived through that terrible moment, Where Were You? says what the history books can’t, offering a fresh look at what was, what is, and what might have been since that fateful day in November 1963. In the two-hour NBC documentary event that this book accompanies, NBC Special Correspondent Tom Brokaw asked heads of state, politicians, authors, journalists, performers, musicians, and everyday people five simple questions: Where were you? What was your initial reaction? Did it change your view of America? Do you still hold that view? What would be different if Kennedy had lived? Participants include Joe Biden, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Don DeLillo, Robert DeNiro, Bob Dylan, Jane Fonda, Jay Leno, Chris Matthews, Paul McCartney, Dan Rather, Mort Sahl, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Rose Styron, Brian Wilson, Pete Yarrow, and more. Brokaw also spoke with those involved in the event itself: Clint Hill, a Secret Service agent in the limo with JFK; Robert Oswald, Lee’s brother; and Marie Tippit, widow of the Dallas police officer whom Oswald shot while fleeing and who has never spoken publically about what happened until now. Together, their answers paint a moving picture of a hopeful nation torn asunder by grief. It stands as a solemn remembrance of a harrowing time in American history for all those who lived it, and it bears witness for all those who follow.
About the Author
Gus Russo is the author of six books, including
Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the Castros, and the Politics of Murder, winner of the New York Book Festival’s History Prize. An investigative reporter for
ABC News Special Reports (“Dangerous World: The Kennedy Years”) and
CBS Reports, he served as lead reporter for
Frontline’s landmark “Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?” He has written for
American Heritage,
Baltimore Sun,
Book Forum,
Huffington Post,
The Nation, and
Washington Post. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
Harry Moses has written, directed, and produced numerous primetime specials for all major networks and cable channels, including nearly 100 stories for 60 Minutes. He has received Emmy, Peabody, and Directors Guild of America awards as well as a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He lives in New York City.