Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;HE CALLED HER MRS. KENNEDY. SHE CALLED HIM MR. HILL.andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;For four years, from the election of John Fitzgerald Kennedy in November 1960 until after the election of Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Clint Hill was the Secret Service agent assigned to guard the glamorous and intensely private Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. During those four years, he went from being a reluctant guardian to a fiercely loyal watchdog and, in many ways, her closest friend. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Now, looking back fifty years, Clint Hill tells his story for the first time, offering a tender, enthralling, and tragic portrayal of how a Secret Service agent who started life in a North Dakota orphanage became the most trusted man in the life of the First Lady who captivated first the nation and then the world. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;When he was initially assigned to the new First Lady, Agent Hill envisioned tea parties and gray-haired matrons. But as soon as he met her, he was swept up in the whirlwind of her beauty, her grace, her intelligence, her coy humor, her magnificent composure, and her extraordinary spirit. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;From the start, the job was like no other, and Clint was by her side through the early days of JFK's presidency; the birth of sons John and Patrick and Patrick's sudden death; Kennedy-family holidays in Hyannis Port and Palm Beach; Jackie's trips to Europe, Asia, and South America; Jackie's intriguing meetings with men like Aristotle Onassis, Gianni Agnelli, and Andrand#233; Malraux; the dark days of the year that followed the assassination to the farewell party she threw for Clint when he left her protective detail after four years. All she wanted was the one thing he could not give her: a private life for her and her children. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Filled with unforgettable details, startling revelations, and sparkling, intimate moments, this is the once-in-a-lifetime story of a man doing the most exciting job in the world, with a woman all the world loved, and the tragedy that ended it all too soonand#8212; a tragedy that haunted him for fifty years.
Review
"With clear and honest prose free of salaciousness and gossip, Hill (ably assisted by McCubbin) evokes not only a personality both beautiful and brilliant, but also a time when the White House was filled with youth and promise.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Of the many words written about Jacqueline Kennedy, these are among the best." --andlt;Iandgt;Kirkus andlt;/Iandgt;starred review
Review
andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt;andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;m:mathprandgt;andlt;m:mathfont m:val="Cambria Math"andgt;andlt;m:brkbin m:val="before"andgt;andlt;m:brkbinsub m:val="--"andgt;andlt;m:smallfrac m:val="off"andgt;andlt;m:dispdefandgt;andlt;m:lmargin m:val="0"andgt;andlt;m:rmargin m:val="0"andgt;andlt;m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"andgt;andlt;m:wrapindent m:val="1440"andgt;"[andlt;Iandgt;Mrs. Kennedy and Meandlt;/Iandgt;] conveys a sense of honesty and proves to be an insightful and lovingly penetrating portrait of the Jacqueline Kennedy that Hill came to know." --andlt;Iandgt;USA Todayandlt;/Iandgt; (3 1/2 stars)andlt;BRandgt; andlt;/m:wrapindentandgt;andlt;/m:defjcandgt;andlt;/m:rmarginandgt;andlt;/m:lmarginandgt;andlt;/m:dispdefandgt;andlt;/m:smallfracandgt;andlt;/m:brkbinsubandgt;andlt;/m:brkbinandgt;andlt;/m:mathfontandgt;andlt;/m:mathprandgt;andlt;/xmlandgt;
Review
"Talk about being unable to put a book down; I was enthralled with this memoir from start to finish." --Liz Smith
Synopsis
The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir by Clint Hill that Kirkus Reviews called "clear and honest prose free from salaciousness and gossip," Jackie Kennedy's personal Secret Service agent details his very close relationship with the First Lady during the four years leading up to and following President John F. Kennedy's tragic assassination.
In those four years, Hill was by Mrs. Kennedy's side for some of the happiest moments as well as the darkest. He was there for the birth of John, Jr. on November 25, 1960, as well as for the birth and sudden death of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy on August 8, 1963. Three and a half months later, the unthinkable happened.
Forty-seven years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the one vivid image that never leaves Clint Hill's mind is that of President Kennedy's head lying on Mrs. Kennedy's lap in the back seat of the limousine, his eyes fixed, blood splattered all over the back of the car, Mrs. Kennedy, and Hill as well. Sprawled on the trunk of the car as it sped away from Dealey Plaza, Hill clung to the sides of the car, his feet wedged in so his body was as high as possible.
Clint Hill jumped on the car too late to save the president, but all he knew after that first shot was that if more shots were coming, the bullets had to hit him instead of the First Lady.
Mrs. Kennedy's strength, class, and dignity over those tragic four days in November 1963 held the country together.
This is the story, told for the first time, of the man who perhaps held her together.
Synopsis
An intimate and fascinating memoir by Clint Hill, who spent four years as First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s Secret Service agent. Even today, decades after JFK’s presidency and Jackie’s death, the public continues to be fascinated with the former First Lady. Clint Hill will forever be remembered as the agent who jumped onto the car after President Kennedy was shot and clung to the sides of the car as it sped toward the hospital. Now, in Mrs. Kennedy and Me, he recounts those painful memories along with his fonder recollections of the First Lady’s strength, class, dignity, and beauty during the time he was assigned as her personal agent.
Hill was by Mrs. Kennedy’s side for some of the happiest moments in her life as well as the darkest. He was there for the birth of John, Jr. as well as for the birth and sudden death of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy on August 8, 1963. Hill was there for Jackie’s first meetings with men like Aristotle Onassis, Gianni Agnelli, and Andre Malraux; Jackie’s trips to Europe, Asia, and South America; Kennedy-family holidays in Hyannis Port; and the dark days following the assassination. They addressed each other as “Mrs. Kennedy” and “Mr. Hill,” even though they were often closer to each other than they were to their respective spouses—yet their relationship remained professional. An astonishing and intimate portrait, told for the first time, Mrs. Kennedy and Me is a remarkable and true story of heroism, heartbreak, and humanity.
Synopsis
The #1 andlt;Iandgt;New York Times andlt;/Iandgt;bestselling memoir by Clint Hill that andlt;Iandgt;Kirkus Reviewsandlt;/Iandgt; called and#8220;clear and honest prose free from salaciousness and gossip,and#8221; Jackie Kennedyand#8217;s personal Secret Service agent details his very close relationship with the First Lady during the four years leading up to and following President John F. Kennedyand#8217;s tragic assassination.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;In those four years, Hill was by Mrs. Kennedyand#8217;s side for some of the happiest moments as well as the darkest. He was there for the birth of John, Jr. on November 25, 1960, as well as for the birth and sudden death of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy on August 8, 1963. Three and a half months later, the unthinkable happened.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Forty-seven years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the one vivid image that never leaves Clint Hilland#8217;s mind is that of President Kennedyand#8217;s head lying on Mrs. Kennedyand#8217;s lap in the back seat of the limousine, his eyes fixed, blood splattered all over the back of the car, Mrs. Kennedy, and Hill as well. Sprawled on the trunk of the car as it sped away from Dealey Plaza, Hill clung to the sides of the car, his feet wedged in so his body was as high as possible.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Clint Hill jumped on the car too late to save the president, but all he knew after that first shot was that if more shots were coming, the bullets had to hit him instead of the First Lady.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Mrs. Kennedyand#8217;s strength, class, and dignity over those tragic four days in November 1963 held the country together.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; This is the story, told for the first time, of the man who perhaps held her together.
About the Author
Clint Hill is a former United States Secret Service agent who was in the presidential motorcade during the John F. Kennedy assassination. Hill remained assigned to Mrs. Kennedy and the children until after the 1964 presidential election. He then was assigned to President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House. In 1967, when Johnson was still in office, he became the Special Agent in Charge (SAIC) of Presidential protection. When Richard Nixon came into office, he moved over to SAIC of protection of Vice President Spiro Agnew. Finally, Hill was assigned to headquarters as the Assistant Director of the Secret Service for all protection. He retired in 1975.
Clint Hill is a former United States Secret Service agent who was in the presidential motorcade during the John F. Kennedy assassination. Hill remained assigned to Mrs. Kennedy and the children until after the 1964 presidential election. He then was assigned to President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House. In 1967, when Johnson was still in office, he became the Special Agent in Charge (SAIC) of Presidential protection. When Richard Nixon came into office, he moved over to SAIC of protection of Vice President Spiro Agnew. Finally, Hill was assigned to headquarters as the Assistant Director of the Secret Service for all protection. He retired in 1975.
Lisa McCubbin is an award-winning journalist. As the Live Reporter for both the CBS and ABC affiliates, she was adept at covering everything from education to sports to politics and was eventually chosen to host Bakersfield’s most watched morning news program, as co-anchor of NBC’s Sunrise, the two-hour show prior to Today with Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. During the 2000 election, she landed an exclusive one-on-one interview with then Governor George W. Bush, and covered the election through the Florida voting debacle. In the aftermath of the attacks on 9/11, McCubbin provided compelling reports to KGET-TV (NBC) as a foreign correspondent in Saudi Arabia. Later, as the Saudi government came under increasing Western media scrutiny, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Investment hired Lisa McCubbin as a media consultant to train leading business people and members of the Saudi government to deal with the Western press. She currently splits her time between the Middle East and Colorado with her husband and two teenaged sons.