Customer Reviews

American Son: A Portrait of John F. Kennedy, Jr.

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

If you're looking for a tell-all gossipy book about the Kennedy's, this is not the book for you. But! if you're looking for a book about the publishing industry, the history of George and life in New York, read "American Son".

It's written by a man who has no ax to grind and no secrets to tell. It remains an interesting account of George - a magazine that was certainly one of a kind.

And I think he sums up what we want to know about John F. Kennedy, Jr. with these words:

"He loved his wife, and he would have been a wonderful father.
He was not a perfect man, but he aimed to be a better one.
Even if he weren't famous, you would have liked to know him."

All in all, a good and fair book.

Finally a book that treats JFK Jr. or any Kennedy as a person, NOT as "American Royalty" or an icon. This book is honest and respectful. The author writes only what he knows. This is not a book filled with half-truths, innuendo & gossip. You can watch JFK Jr. grow along with his "George" magazine, as the author is one of the original editors/employees. If you are tired of the usual "Kennedy-worshipping" books, you'll relish this candid biography covering JFK Jr.'s four years with George.

After all the controversy, we finally get a chance to read the book which Blow has always had the right to publish, and it is engaging, insightful and honest. Blow never pretends to have been John Kennedy's best friend. He even admits that he often feared he'd be fired by his boss, whom he eventually comes to respect and admire. But as the reading public should know, "authorized" biographies by "approved" writers/friends are just as suspect as "unauthorized" quickies by writers who've never even spoken to their subject. Blow's book strikes a delicate balance between the two and offers readers the first genuine portrait of John Kennedy we've ever had access to.

Those of us who grew up during the Kennedy administration's years might be more prone to purchasing this book than those who didn't. Because of the "Camelot" era, JFK Jr. held a warm spot in our hearts.

I don't believe this book is exactly a 'portrait' of JFK Jr, and I don't think the author really had extensive knowledge of the subject's personal life. However, the book definitely gives us a glimpse of John's drive to make his magazine successful and gives us a glimpse of his workings with his employees and, somewhat, his relationship with his wife. It may be that Blow needed a catharsis to deal with his memories, but whatever his reasons for writing this book, I don't feel he did anything but pay tribute to a man he obviously admired.

I just finished reading some of the reviews and I have to wonder why people are so critical of Richard Blow. How else would one write a biography of a person with whom he worked such a short time. Someone said the Kennedy family should sue. For what? I thought he was gracious with his words about JFK, Jr. and it certainly was not just about Richard Blow; I got a little glimpse of what JFK, Jr. was like as an employer and friend. Someone else said he thought John was his secret love. Oh please. Can't men have loving relationships without it being a "gay" thing.

The book was well-written, interesting, a brief overview of the editor and his struggles with his magazine. End of story. It was about nothing else; yes, Richard Blow wrote some things about himself because how else can you write a book about someone you worked with if you don't talk a little about yourself.

Thank you Richard Blow for your insights.

This book is a wonderful insight not only into the person who was such an American icon, but also of the magazine world in which he was exploring his role for the future. I found it a page turner - I wanted to know what was going to happen next, I felt disappointed when John at times seemed to lose his way, I felt outraged at the way he was often treated by the press, and I was inexpressively sad when the promise of what he was trying to achieve was ended. The book is sympathetic without being syncophantic. Five stars.

I'm sure all the controversy helped sales of this book, but it definitely gave me a misleading impresson of both the book and its author. I didn't read American Son for a while after it came out because I was turned off by the controversy. But eventually I broke down and bought it and I'm glad I did. In retrospect, some of the people who trashed the book didn't even seem like they'd read it, but were just reacting to the hype about it, or had some personal ax to grind. (You can definitely tell that some of the reviews on Amazon were written by people with a hidden agenda.) Anyway, American Son is well-written and easy to read, and feels a lot more honest than most of the Kennedy books out there. You really get a sense of what JFK Jr. was like-funny, warm, likeable, but surpringly vulnerable and unsure about his future. Also, I enjoyed reading about what it was like to work at George magazine. I was a charter subscriber, and I always thought it was an underrated magazine. So the book's not just about JFK Jr., but about the magazine business, politics, and New York in the 1990s. I've read all the books about John Jr., and this is definitely the best.

I basically picked up this book because I was looking for something "non-fiction" to read, and I wanted to learn more about the life of JFK, Jr. I was also a fan (I majored in Political Science in college) of George Magazine, and could never really understand why the magazine didn't catch on with the public better than it did. I was somewhat hesitant to pick up this book because of the bad press that some critics had given it when it first came out. What I found, was a non-sensatinalized account of what it was like to work with JFK, Jr. and to know him as a high level employee. When the author talks about his own personal life, it adds context to the story of Mr. Kennedy, rather than getting in the way, or distorting his role in his life. He does not try to portray himself as a confidente or best friend, but only as an employee, who shared a work bond. This gives the book a great deal of credibility. The author gives a good insight on what Mr. Kennedy was like, and what it must be to live the life of a celebrity and an historical icon. I think those individuals who have criticized this book in professional book reviews were either jealous, or in some misguided way trying to preserve their version of the Kennedy legend. There is no "dirt" dished in this book, but it does give a well rounded picture of the subject from one point of view. If anything, it is less critical of the subject than I would have expected. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about the latter part of Mr. Kennedy's life or an insider's look at some of the politics within George Magazine.

This book is actually a very interesting and thoughtful take on the birth and evolution of George Magazine. While it does give some insights into John Kennedy's character, dreams and aspirations, it should not be dismissed as People Magazine fluff. The author genuinely liked and respected John and it shows. It is unfortunate that media critics have been so hard on Mr. Blow. The book is easy to read, informative and, at times, entertaining. While it isn't a great historial bio or a "Profiles In Courage," the book truly honors its' subject.

I was actually relieved that someone would come forward and speak up about what it was like to be around John Kennedy. Like many of us born in the late 1950's to early 1960's, I feel like I grew up with John and Caroline Kennedy. What I have never understood is the steel curtain of privacy that surrounds the Kennedy's. Unlike other wealthy families, the Kennedy's have somehow been elevated to a level of privilege and secrecy that defies all reasoning.
Whether you agree with Richard Blow and his decision to write about his former boss is up to you. I personally don't feel that it was a betrayal for Blow to write about John. This is just one persons attempt at telling his story about what it was like to work with and be around John. How can anyone find fault with that? John was human and by all accounts lived his life as normally as one can when one lives in a fish bowl.
Those who feel that John's memory should be reserved as the "son of Camelot" are missing the point. John was a humble man and would probably wonder what all the fuss was about.
Read this book. It is Richard Blow's perception of life with John, but I believe that it is an honest perception. Other books are sure to follow, but remember, this was the first one.