This is one of probably many books published around the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, and it's the first of probably many that I'll read. The This is one of probably many books published around the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, and it's the first of probably many that I'll read. The author did a great job going into depth about all the main people pushing for the space program and how everything and everyone came together in order to make inventions happen and, ultimately, make the moon landing possible. While this was definitely a very detailed book, it was so well written that it made for easy reading.
This ended up being a different book than what I anticipated. I thought it was about how Kennedy helped the space race move forward, with the goal of landing a man on the moon, and that the book would continue to chronicle the work done toward this goal until it was reached. However, this was really just about Kennedy's role in this (which I suppose is highlighted in the book's subtitle); after his assassination, the main part of the book ends, although there is an epilogue briefly chronicling when man actually made it to the moon. I think I expected it to continue in the same kind of detail that the rest of the book had gone into!
That quibble aside, I did really enjoy reading this. It was interesting to learn about the different inventions and progress that came about because of the space program, and getting a behind the scenes look at the arguments over whether this program and goal was worth the money was fascinating. This isn't a full history of the race to the moon (as noted above in my comment about the epilogue), but it was certainly an in-depth look at the years leading up to it. ...more
It took me quite some time to read this book after it was first recommended to me, but I'm glad I finally did! Jake is a high school English teacher wIt took me quite some time to read this book after it was first recommended to me, but I'm glad I finally did! Jake is a high school English teacher who's told by the local diner owner that he's found some kind of rabbit hole that leads to 1958. The diner owner had been there many times and until he got sick, he was determined to stay in the past to prevent JFK's assassination in 1963. He's now trusted that responsibility to Jake, who isn't sure if he'll be able to succeed. The past is very resistant to change, and the bigger the change, the more there's resistance. But Jake goes into 1958, first testing his ability to change history by trying to change a former student's childhood, and then spending years in the past, waiting for 1963 to roll around and falling in love with a fellow teacher in 1958.
One thing I found interesting about this book is that it focused more on the human relationships than on the actual concept of time travel. There were, of course, rules that Jake figured out as he went along, and the thought of the past being resistant to change was always present, but the majority of the book dealt with regular interactions and human decisions. This was a hefty book - 850 pages! - and there were parts that I felt could have been cut without sacrificing the story, possibly even improving the tightness of it, but I did really enjoy the journey that this book took me on. I was constantly curious where the story would go.
All the characters in here were great! I loved the relationships that Jake developed with others, especially after he was trying to not get too personally invested in the past, but then he managed to both fall in love with a woman, Sadie, as well as with the past itself. The love story in here was on the weaker side - there wasn't any chemistry and it felt like an imagined romance instead of a real one - but I did enjoy the rest of the supporting cast and how Jake grew to care about what their futures would be like, should he fail at stopping the assassination and what would happen if/when Jake returns to the present/future.
A few parts in here seemed kinda convenient (such as amnesia that lasted long enough to be a plot point, nothing more), but the majority of the story flowed nicely and was quite clever. I didn't fully understand some of the explanations given about how the rabbit hole worked or its affects on others (I never fully grasped how it affected the Yellow-Card Man, for example), but that might just have been me. The story was entertaining enough to keep me hooked. The ending itself was solid and wrapped things up well, if a little strangely, considering that I didn't fully understand or buy the explanations for alternate realities.
Overall, I liked this book and thought the pages flew by. There was so much detail in here, but it didn't really drag and covered so much ground. It was well-researched too, making it interesting from a historical standpoint as well. ...more
I read some positive reviews of this book when it first came out and I was intrigued by the subject matter. This focuses on Robert Kennedy's quest to I read some positive reviews of this book when it first came out and I was intrigued by the subject matter. This focuses on Robert Kennedy's quest to bring down Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa, who somehow continued to elude successful prosecution but who Kennedy knew was corrupt. Beginning with Kennedy getting introduced to the cases that could be made against Hoffa and how he got interested in pursuing Hoffa for so may years, this book follows Kennedy's career as he continued to fight against Hoffa; in turn, Hoffa dedicated a number of years to trying to take down the Kennedys and their anti-Hoffa campaign.
Much material was covered in this book, and I definitely learned a lot while reading this. I wasn't aware of how much energy and focus Kennedy had put into taking Hoffa down, nor had I realized over how many years this whole "vendetta" played out. I found all the various moles especially interesting, with both Hoffa and Kennedy continually interested in having an inside guy to spy on the other. There was a long cast of characters and everything seemed so complicated. It was amazing to read about all the borderline illegal stuff that went on, yet it wasn't challenged due to laws at the time or for lack of evidence - wiretapping, for example - and all the methods employed by Kennedy trying to find something to get Hoffa and his associates on.
Although I was interested in the events this book covered, it wasn't always told in the most compelling way. The long cast of characters was occasionally confusing, understandable with so many people involved, but the bigger problem was that I never felt a strong compulsion to read on. For me, this lacked a quality that turned the story into something riveting and instead just gave a journalistic account of what happened during the Kennedy vs. Hoffa period; I'm sure this was due to the author being a reporter. I wanted to be more invested in the story than I actually was, but my mind wandered from time to time. Decent book overall and definitely an interesting subject, but it lacked that something extra that could have really drawn me in. As it was, the events were interesting but I didn't come away feeling like I understand the depth of emotions behind the Kennedy/Hoffa rivalry or why it was so personal....more
This was a completely engrossing book and - especially for the subject at hand - as non-partisan a book as there likely could be. Everything was meticThis was a completely engrossing book and - especially for the subject at hand - as non-partisan a book as there likely could be. Everything was meticulously referenced, explained, and conclusions weren't stated without noting evidence weighing on both sides. There were a few parts to this book: a brief review of JFK's presidency, his assassination and the subsequent investigation(s), and the ways in which JFK continues to influence politics on all sides of the political spectrum, despite his actual time in office being so short.
One of the things that sets this book apart from others is that the author didn't appear to have an underlying motive in writing this, no hidden agenda, except to examine how influential JFK was, even after his death and why we are still so fascinated by him. I suppose this fascination is what led me - and others - to pick up this book in the first place, despite not knowing exactly why we're intrigued. As the author noted, part of it is simply because of the different time that he seemed to live in, when the press was more deferential to leaders and the overall meaning of big events was not nit-picked apart to the point of being rendered ridiculous; as the author notes, Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" quote did not translate perfectly, but the press then overlooked this in favor of focusing on the bigger impact of the entire speech. I'm quite sure that the author's correct when he noted that such a mistake now would be great fodder for late-night comedians, as well as political opponents. There's a lesson to be learned here...
The chapters detailing the assassination, how it was (or might have been) pulled off, and the various claims of conspiracy were gripping. The author spent time examining all sorts of claims about what "really" happened that day and who was "really" involved; I loved the thoroughness. Claims weren't dismissed out of hand, but the author presented the evidence, or lack thereof, in support of various theories, making it interesting to think about why people are so eager to believe certain versions of the "truth". Some of the commentary was entertaining as well, such as when it was noted that if everyone who now claims to have been in Dallas that day actually had been there, they wouldn't have all fit.
The last third or so of the book was devoted to exploring the presidencies of JFK's successors and how they each invoked Kennedy's legacy for their own agendas, simply because of the weigh his memory lends. It was like a short history lesson on each president, with the focus being on the ways they were alike, and unlike, Kennedy - and, of course, the ways they strove to compare themselves to him. Seeing the number of times Kennedy was quoted by various presidents, compared to the number of times other "big name" presidents were mentioned, was fascinating. Somehow, despite all the subsequent revelations of Kennedy's less-than-stellar private life, he still appears untouchable. The author interviewed so many subjects for this book, including former presidents and their families, and the book seems so strong because of it. There are so many viewpoints and recollections in here, alongside reports, facts, and older interviews, that everything feels balanced.
This entire book was so readable. It made for an extremely accessible, yet also quite in-depth, look at Kennedy's seemingly eternal legacy. Well-researched and nicely put together, this did such an excellent job of making the events of a half-century ago seem completely fresh. Highly recommended for those interested in JFK or American political history in general. ...more
In 1961, Clarie is unhappy with her life but feels obliged to be the "perfect" wife and mother. She has an affair with a man in the neighborhood who sIn 1961, Clarie is unhappy with her life but feels obliged to be the "perfect" wife and mother. She has an affair with a man in the neighborhood who she feels like truly understands her and ends up pregnant with her second child, unsure of the father's identity and unsure what she wants out of the future because, as she's learned, "good" women don't leave their husbands no matter how unhappy they are. In a parallel storyline, Vivien is an obituary writer in 1919 with a talent for bringing the dead to life. She's sought after from afar for her beautiful words, and Vivien is happy with her job of comforting the grieving, but all she really wants out of life is to be reunited with the man she loves, who disappeared in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
This was a very quick read, one that I breezed through in a few hours. I was intrigued by the two main characters, and although their connection is drawn out over most of the book, it was easy to guess how their stories would intertwine. Actually, "intertwine" may not be the best word, since their stories never really impacted each other, preventing the story from being more powerful, but the two characters did have a common thread that was easy to predict in advance of the reveal.
The best part of the book was, by far, the depiction of the lives of ordinary women at these points in history. While some of it was rather heavy-handed (Claire's fascination with Jackie Kennedy was overdone and eventually simply became a page-filler), minor details were interesting. I loved the parts about Vivien going out to eat alone and having people wonder where a husband was, as well as the rather sad theme about Claire being so unhappy yet unable (or perhaps just unwilling, although it's understandable for the times) to do anything about it. There's a very telling scene later in the book where Claire is in the hospital and the doctor barely talks to her because she's "just" the woman, despite being the one about to give birth, and her husband dismisses her complaints. It's amazing to think that both these stories took place in a world less than a century ago, yet the roles of women have significantly changed since then. Quite fascinating.
Another nice theme throughout the book, albeit one that was underdeveloped, was that of grief and comfort. As an obituary writer, Vivien constantly dealt with grieving families, yet she went out of her way to avoid dealing with the possibility that her lover from 1906 had died in the earthquake. I enjoyed the parts about her bringing the lives of those lost to life by describing their lives in full and not simply rattling off the names and dates. However, I didn't think this was explored in enough detail to actually make much of an impact on the reader, nor was Vivien's perpetual hope and unwillingness to confront her own past truly dealt with. There were flashes of insight, but that was it.
What prevented this book from truly standing out was its lack of a strong plot and its predictibility. I felt like this was more of an unfinished character study than anything else, and it failed to leave much of an impact. Although parts were interesting and I enjoyed the historical settings, the story was not particularly memorable. I wish the two stories had intertwined more and that the lives of the two women had actually impacted each other, but it felt like two completely separate stories instead of one layered saga. Not a bad read but an unfortunately forgettable one that left me ambivalent when it ended....more
The author was the secret service agent tasked with protecting Mrs. Kennedy during her husband's presidency, and in this book he describes the years hThe author was the secret service agent tasked with protecting Mrs. Kennedy during her husband's presidency, and in this book he describes the years he spent working with her. It's far from a tell-all, and there are no scandalous family details mentioned here; instead, he describes the day-to-day experiences working with the family, the friendly relationship that developed between him and the first family, and describes memorable events from his point of view - from his initial assignment to guard the First Lady to the aftermath of President Kennedy's assassination.
Mr. Hill's perspective was fascinating. I really enjoyed seeing the political scene through his eyes, and I feel like I gained a deeper appreciation of the Secret Service because of this book. Clearly his own personal life was massively affected by his round-the-clock job, but he didn't focus on this and instead just accepted it as part of the job. He was obviously closer to the president and family than most of the country, and his stories brought the family to life in an inimitable way - they suddenly became a regular family instead of larger than life figures.
Some of the most memorable parts in the book were the stories from more casual events, the sort of things that the general public did not see. One chapter described a 50-mile hike that the author was spontaneously assigned to, tailing a pair of the president's friends who had basically been dared to complete it and needed a security detail along the way. Obviously, this was not in the regular job description, but it made for an engrossing story; I imagine that the actual experience, however, was less than pleasant.
My only complaint about the book is that some of the conversations, especially near the beginning, felt rather stilted, keeping me from becoming completely lost in the narration. The dialogue became better written as the book went on (or perhaps I was just more engrossed in the story), and it wasn't enough to keep me from really enjoying this book.
For anyone looking for a fascinating look at the Kennedy years in this White House, this is a book to pick up. It was interesting, not a sordid read, and gave a nice look at the relationship between the Secret Service and the First Family, as well as the relationships within the First Family. After reading this, I understand why it took the author 50 years to tell this story - some of the events are obviously ones he wishes never happened - but I'm glad he finally wrote it. ...more
I won an advanced copy of this memoir through the FirstReads program. The author, who grew up in New York with a circle of friends that included JFK JI won an advanced copy of this memoir through the FirstReads program. The author, who grew up in New York with a circle of friends that included JFK Jr., details her friendship, and later relationship, with him. She is a wonderful writer; her descriptions of people and places sucked me right into the tale. I could easily picture the settings ad the situations as they unfolded, and the details she provided brought people to life. The narrative flowed between the years with little warning; this is a story that moves across time fluidly, not a narrative arranged chronologically. Because the story moved so smoothly, I didn't mind, although I did notice.
It took me a little while to get into the story. This is a memoir about her time with JFK Jr., and the book opened with details about the author's family and childhood. I enjoyed these parts, as it allowed the reader to glimpse her while young, but because of the book's focus, there were occasional bits about her glimpsing JFK Jr.'s mom or something, just to show how their world were beginning to overlap; it sometimes felt like a reach, an attempt to make their stories even more intertwined. Some of the name dropping also got to be a bit much, as it seemed like the author knows many famous individuals, which definitely kept the story from having the feel of "this could happen to anyone".
I did find most of the book to be quite fascinating and a fairly light read. Clearly she has quite a unique viewpoint to share, and I definitely came away feeling like I knew much more about the author (who I'd never heard of before) and JFK Jr. (who I had of course heard of). The ending of the book is a bit odd, but as the main story is over, it works. I feel like this book will sell and a lot of readers will love it; I certainly enjoyed it!...more
I read that this is the definitive biography about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and whoa, is that ever true! The book is massive and crammed with detailI read that this is the definitive biography about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and whoa, is that ever true! The book is massive and crammed with details and quotes from interviews with those who knew her. Despite the book's size and depth, however, it is completely readable and engrossing. The beginning of the biography, giving Jackie's family history, is peppered with almost too many names, details, and relationships to keep straight, but after this part, it became much easier to follow and kept me captivated until the last page.
There is a LOT of detail that went into this book, and I loved how the research was so thorough. Jackie comes across as a woman with many facets to her personality, and all the different ways she coped with what life threw her amazed me. I never knew much about her, aside from seeing photos from the days of JFK's presidency and hearing small bits and pieces about her life relating to him, but this biography really shows that there was so much more to her than the role she played in the press. I found this biography to be very neutral in the way she was portrayed, showing both positive and negative aspects of her personality; overall, she comes across as a regular human being with flaws like the rest of us, not the princess that the news seems to have made her out to be. On a related note, this book also does a great job explaining how she became so adored by the public.
While this is definitely not a book for casual readers, it is one of the best researched and well prepared biographies, in general, that I have read. Transitions are flawless, the writing is smooth, and all sorts of details and events are covered. For anyone interested in Jackie's life, this is an excellent book to check out....more