Customer Reviews

The Day John Died

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

This book does a great job of capturing not only who JFK Jr. was, but also the impact he had on our nation. Special focus is given to the events that led to the demise of him, his wife, and his wife's sister.

Solid writing and beautiful, relevant pictures help us to both remember and reflect on an individual who although left us too early, left a impact as a good man, son, brother, and husband.

If you have been one of the countless JFK Jr. fans who has already poured over the details of life in newspapers, tabloids, magazines, etc., you will probably not learn any staggering new information about this charismatic young man. The journey of this read, however, is enjoyable and is in some strange way soothing to the soul. Delving into this enigmatic profile is more a antidote than a cure--The ending is the same but the reality seems a little less harsh.

As has been stated in the other reviews, "The Day John Died" is not so much about the day JFK Jr. died, though there is a whole chapter dedicated to it, as it is about his entire life. However, half the book concerns his parents' lives more so than JFK Jr.'s. I realize that is is impossible to talk about JFK Jr. without talking about his father, the President, or his mother, the glamorous first lady, because that context is needed in order to understand John Jr.'s life. Yet this book somehow feels like a retread of Andersen's other book, "Jackie After Jack." Intimate details of Jackie's marriage to Onassis are inexplicably included in "The Day John Died" and do not help shed any light on what John Jr. was like.

When Andersen finally gets around to JFK Jr.'s story in the last third of the book, the portrait of a genial, sexy, if somewhat dim man emerges. Andersen shows that because JFK Jr. was unfazed by his celebrity and sought to be ordinary like those around him, these traits made him even more popular. There is the requisite list of all the women JFK Jr. dated, including Madonna, but there is only a sketchy description of the woman he finally settled down with, Carolyn Bessette. When Carolyn was alive, she was enigmatic and she remains so after reading this book. Andersen vaguely refers to Carolyn and JFK Jr. having problems, mainly concerning starting a family and the media's effect on their marriage. But no new information is given as to exactly how these two met, what kept them together, and ultimately, would JFK Jr. and Carolyn have stayed together.

This book was a bit of a letdown after Andersen's excellent "The Day Diana Died", which gave more insight and detail into its story. However, this book gives some insight into the private life of JFK Jr. as well, although it is nothing you could not have read in People magazine.

This book is not a detailed account of the plane crash that took JFK JR's life, the book is an attempt at a biography of his life. If you have looked at the book then you know that this is a bio that is going to fall more in the Kitty Kelly area then a deep historical work. I was looking for more of an account of the forces within his life pushing into politics and his thoughts that lead him away from politics. We did get a little of these types of details, but the main focus of the book was to get the more tabloid type facts to the front of the chapters - sell more books. The author does give us some of the highlights of the Kennedy family history, but he does not connect how the events may have affected JFK JR's thoughts on a public life.

I was interested in some of the insight on Jackie relationship with him. It did seem like she held a bit of power over his life, but that could have been the author tying to sell more books. There are also lots of details about how many incidents he got into growing up that could have been physically dangerous. As I said we do get a broad overview of the Kennedy family over the past 100 years but it almost came off as filler, like there may not have been enough on JFK JR. for the full book.

This is a light, gossipy book that touches the surface of his and his family's life. If that is what you are looking for then this book is a good one. The writing is good; easy to read and fast paced. Overall, I felt that this book was just too light.

The title of this book is a poor choice. Very little of the text deals with the actual day of the death. The reader finds himself instead quickly drawn back into years of Kennedy lore, much of it from as early as the 60's. Having purchased many books on the family, there was little new info here. However, for those readers who are too young to remember the 60's or the older members of the family, the book holds a wealth of information. It's a quick, easy read. The story follows the lives of the different Kennedy members, and how they interact with each other and John Jr. I was troubled by the fact that Mr. Anderson called Kathleen Kennedy by an incorrect nickname. Anyone having read even a few books on the family would know that her nickname was Kick. Had I paid full price for this book, I would have felt it money not well spent. Purchasing it for 50% off eased the pain of reading so much I had read about years ago. For those younger readers, take a chance on the book. You'll learn a lot about the family and how they touched Americans of all social levels for years. It may even be the only book you'll need to read on the Kennedy family as the information has been printed in countless other books, but why read twenty or thirty when one will give you the facts just as clearly.

This book is a terrific read. "The Day John Died" sheds new light on an American tragedy that touched all our lives. It clears up much of the tabloid claptrap about John's marriage and counters the gossip that ensued after the plane crashed. It's sad that JFK Jr. had to die before we learned that he wasn't a playboy, that he wasn't a lightweight. He was a person of substance. Another plus: The touching photos in the book of John as a child. If you liked "The Day Diana Died," or would enjoy knowing more about the Camelot mystique, you'll probably be happy with "The Day John Died." It's well-researched, elegantly written and beautifully illustrated.

If this were a perfect world, both JFK and JFK Jr. would still be alive and among us. But it isn't and they are not. I confess that I liked what I knew about JFK Jr., thought he was an admirable and worthwhile young man, and was indeed sad that he died so young last year. But enough is enough, folks. Why do we as a people feel we have the right to dwell so cravenly over the anniversary of his death? One cringes at the fact that this slick, sales-oriented book detailing the specifics of the weeks and hours leading up to the fatal plane crash is full of gossip, rumor, and glossy sexy photographs, and it is already on its way to becoming a best seller. I suppose that tells us volumes about the tastes of the American reading public. After reading through the book at a friend's house, I found myself repulsed by what I discovered inside. It is a shameless exploitation of JFK Jr. and his family.

H.L. Mencken once commented that no one ever lost a single dollar by underestimating the level of public taste, and based on that knowledge this will likely make the author millions. I hope it is worth it to the author and publisher to take such unfair advantage of the dead. The author is noted for his post-mortem take on dead celebrities, especially the Kennedys, so I suppose buying into his "People-Magazine" background helps us to understand why this book is so consciously oriented toward rummaging around in the detritus of the dearly departed like rumor-starved vultures picking at a lifeless carcass. Poor John (and his family) fought all his life to protect his personal privacy, and the posthumous publication of this tome represents a shocking deliberate betrayal of that spirit even more venal and vulgar than the "memorial trash heap" of flowers, teddy bears and other crap people felt entitled enough to leave outside his NYC apartment building as if this young man they did not in fact know was a personal friend, instead of just a celebrity they usually admired from afar.

Anyone who buys this book should be ashamed for stooping low enough to buy this kind of rumor-packed speculation regarding John's earlier romantic escapades, his youthful faults and his personal foibles as though we have some kind of sick voyeuristic right to wallow in the private and personal specifics now that the anniversary of his death last year has come. Give it up, friends. Let the dead have at least a modicum of dignity. Otherwise, all he really was to us was just another celebrity to feed our entertainment needs. If you really care about him and what he stood for, don't trash his memory by gloating over the trash inside the covers of this rag. By the way, I gave this one star because Amazon doesn't make any provision for negative number ratings.

I think the book was inappropriately named. We get a small section up front about the fatal flight and then it goes into John's childhood for awhile. I think we all know his childhood. I just feel the book could've been more fact than assumption. How does anyone know what was said or done by these people if it also says they were alone. It's kind of like the old saying...if a tree fell in the forest and no one was around would it make a sound? Some things we just don't know and shouldn't assume. The cover is nice as are the picture inserts. I don't think it will be a huge hit...people are losing interest in volumes written postmortem I think....too many assumptions and too much negativity! But we all have our opinions. Overall a good read, it's a keeper.

The new 384 page book, written by Christopher Anderson who authored "The Day Diana Died", makes for easy and interesting reading, but places emphasis on his whole life, not the day he died, as the book is titled. Most readers will have already read much of this in the press or have heard it on the air. In spite of this, I enjoyed looking at the 50 photos included, and found the text and writing-style pleasant and interesting. There are detailed accounts of his early days and later family life, with some particularly interesting insights into his family relationships. His romances and political aspirations are examined. The book tends to give the reader a closer look at the life of John. The very detailed picture of what could have occurred as he flew on the fatal flight does create some vivid images of what happened, but the details, of course, are only guesses. There are some clear views of what his last days were like, and his concerns about his "George Magazine" and its future. Not a lot of new information, but nicely and concisely packaged making it a desirable read.

I was very disappointed by this book. The title is misleading. It should have ben called JFK Jr.: His Life because that is what the book is. One chapter is devoted to the day/week he died. The rest of the book is information that has been printed hundreds of times. The author should have interviewed more people like coast guard etc. Also, Carolyn and the Bessettes were almost totally ignored. There was nothing about her childhood or any quotes from her family. This book contains too many assumptions about their marriage and last days together. I mean, how does the author know that John came home from the hotel and took a shower? He doesn't and neither do we, but books like this give a false reading of people lives. I do not believe this book. Maybe I would if the author had better sources.