Customer Reviews

Kennedy White House: Family Life and Pictures, 1961-1963 (Lisa Drew Books)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a total Kennedy Zealot, but I was looking at books this pm before a movie and this one caught my eye. What a great read. I actually missed the movie and have not put it down. I've never written one of these reviews, but thought that I should because I've never been this captivated by a book before. If you want to put yourself in the shoes of this family, this is the book. I felt like a real insider and the warmth of what it must have been like to live in Camelot was mine for the past few hours.

This one has it all. It has the best photos ever seen of the Kennedys. Lots of them are revealing and more personal than ever seen. There is a closeness that the pictures have that the same old ones somehow miss. Also it summarizes the story of this famous family compactly. The writing has depth and understanding.

What a classy book that one is! The White House as it was at the time of the Kennedys... and looking at some of those never seen before pictures, we can relive the elegance, charm and grace of that unique period. Two thumbs up Mr. Sferrazza!!

Carl Sferrazza Anthony's new book is a lovely one, with memories for all those who still cherish Camelot. He explores both people who made that White House so special, and that is impressive. Many books which look at the Kennedy Administration focus on the West Wing OR the Mansion, not seeing that it was a most collaborative effort by the President and the First Lady.
There are photos in the book which have never been seen before in print, such as photos of the interior of Wexford, the Virginia home they built in 1963. My only regret about the book is that Mr. Anthony, an incredible resource himself when it comes to First Ladies and especially Mrs. Kennedy, relies on other sources for much of the information. His own voice could be louder in the text. It is still a wonderful book, a perfect gift for someone who has nostaglia for that era of exquisite taste.

While the pictures are, for the most part, fantastic, the author does tend to make outlandish claims about some of them...The ONLY picture of JFK holding one of his kids, or the ONLY picture of him with Dr. Max Jacobson. Simply not the case! A little more care with details like that would have been nice!

And PS RED Fay did not serve aboard PT 100, as is claimed in the book.

Sferazza-Anthony has put together a book on the Kennedy White House that is like none of the other million Kennedy books out there. It includes many never-before-seen photographs such as the Wexford interiors (surprisingly ugly and unstylish!) an interior shot at Glen Ora, etc. The details of day-to-day life in the Kennedy White House can only be matched by JB West's "Upstairs at the White House" (out of print). A must-have for Kennedy buffs and admirers.

This book was a wonder to read and the pictures in it were amazing. Defentitly recomment it!

This book is primarily worth it for the mnay great photos of JFK and Jackie, especially of the White House rooms themselves. That said, the text is pretty good, as well. Two items of interest--that isn't J. Edgar Hoover behind Jackie on the front cover but lookalike Secret Service agent Stewart G. "Stu" Stout, Jr. Also, I like the picture of Marilyn Monroe with Secret Service agent Floyd M. Boring (wearing glasses) in front of her on the steps!
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Carl Sferrazza Anthony's new book is "top drawer!"
He has once again created a read that is both interesting and informative! If you are interested in some behind the scene photo's as well as some behind the scenes info.....buy it!

There is not much of anything new here either in photos or in the writing. Basically the author has taken pictures from the Kennedy's time in the White House and compiled them into this short memoir.

If you would like to read better histories about the life of Jack and Jackie Kennedy, then there are better ones out there that go into greater depth and also have the same photos.

The author was a friend of John F Kennedy, Jr. and seems to have traded on that friendship to compile this short pictorial.

If you like to look at the photographs of the Kennedy's during President Kennedy's short tenure in the White House, then this a good book for that. Not much insight into the family here and nothing here that you can't find in other books about the Kennedy's.