Synopses & Reviews
andlt;iandgt;From the moment of their births, John and Caroline Kennedy occupied a central position in what is generally regarded as the most famous family in the United States, if not the world. Even as young children growing up in the White House, their most subtle gestures and actions made headlines.... Yet until now they have not been the subject of a dual biography. In that sense, this volume represents a first.andlt;/iandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; In andlt;iandgt;American Legacy,andlt;/iandgt; #1 andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestselling author C. David Heymann draws upon a voluminous archive of personal interviews to present a telling portrait of John and Caroline Kennedy. A longtime biographer of various members of the Kennedy clan, including Jackie and Robert Kennedy, Heymann covers John's and Caroline's childhood in the White House, the dark aftermath of their father's assassination, their uneasy adolescence, and the many challenges they faced as adults, all under the glaring eye of the media. He reveals John's and Caroline's loving but at times trying relationship with their larger-than-life mother, as well as Jackie's own emotional struggles, romantic relationships, and financial concerns following JFK's death. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Other revelations brought to light for the first time in andlt;iandgt;American Legacyandlt;/iandgt; include the assassination attempt made on Jackie just before she gave birth to John; JFK Jr.'s romantic escapades prior to marrying Carolyn Bessette and accounts of the predominantly happy marriage they shared despite criticisms from questionable sources; the shocking report of the autopsy performed on John following the tragic plane crash that killed him, Carolyn, and her sister Lauren; Caroline's rise to become one of the wealthiest women in America and her life now as the sole keeper of her family's magnificently complex legacy. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Utterly compelling and full of new and fascinating details, andlt;iandgt;American Legacyandlt;/iandgt; overturns much of what we thought we knew about two of the most talked-about members of the Kennedy family.
Review
"Pulitzer-nominated biographer Heymann delivers a gawk-worthy beach read with this fascinating look at Jackie and the Kennedy clan in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination....Heymann's research is top notch, with plentiful attributions, making this train-wreck love story a substantial guilty pleasure and a sizzling reminder of how the rich are different." -- andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Full of gossipy tidbits.... This book is shocking, yearningly romantic and tons of fun." -- andlt;iandgt;Peopleandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Clear-eyed, often startling. . . . A wealth of intimate detail found in no other biography." and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt;
Review
and#8220;Like Marilyn, JFK, and Lincoln, Elizabeth Taylor seems destined for literary eternity.and#8221; and#8212;Liz Smith, andlt;iandgt;New York Postandlt;/iandgt;
Review
andlt;Iandgt;The Toronto Sunandlt;/Iandgt; An informative and entertaining book -- like the women it profiles.
Review
andlt;Iandgt;The Washington Postandlt;/Iandgt; Think andlt;Iandgt;Entertainment Tonightandlt;/Iandgt; does Georgetown.
Review
Liz Smith andlt;Iandgt;New York Postandlt;/Iandgt; One juicy story after another. Mr. Heymann doesn't hold back. I couldn't put this book down....Don't miss it!
About the Author
C. David Heymann is the internationally known author of such New York Times bestselling books as The Georgetown Ladies' Social Club; RFK: A Candid Biography of Robert F. Kennedy; Poor Little Rich Girl: The Life and Legend of Barbara Hutton; and A Woman Named Jackie: An Intimate Biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Three of his works have been made into award-winning NBC-TV miniseries. A three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, he lives and works in Manhattan.
Table of Contents
Contents
Author's Note
Part I Chapter 1: The Fall of Icarus (1)
Chapter 2: The Fall of Icarus (2)
Part II Chapter 3: "Good Morning, Mr. President"
Chapter 4: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Chapter 5: Camelot at Dusk
Part III Chapter 6: New York, 1964-1968
Chapter 7: Rich as Croesus
Chapter 8: Rites of Passage
Chapter 9: A Greek Tragedy
Part IV Chapter 10: First Love
Chapter 11: Brown
Chapter 12: Maurice and Ed
Chapter 13: Winners and Losers
Chapter 14: Babies, Books, Boys, and New Girlfriends
Part V Chapter 15: The Best and Worst of Times
Chapter 16: John and Daryl
Chapter 17: Death Be Not Proud
Part VI Chapter 18: Passing the Torch
Chapter 19: Love's Labour's Lost
Chapter 20: Wedding of the Decade
Chapter 21: Paradise Lost
Part VII Chapter 22: Keeper of the Flame
Acknowledgments
Chapter Notes
Bibliography Index