From Love Field [Hardcover]

Nellie Connally (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2003

Nellie Connally was in the car that morning with her husband, Texas governor John Connally. Jacqueline Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy sat behind her in the backseat. In fact, Nellie was talking to the president when the first shot rang out. Only hours before, Nellie, a graceful presence and consummate hostess, had arrived at Love Field, Dallas, ready to show off Texas to the young president and his dazzling wife. Instead, Nellie witnessed a seminal moment of American history and then faced a test of unimaginable resolve. Ten days after the assassination, Nellie wrote down notes so that her future grandchildren would know what happened to the Connallys on November 22, 1963. Inspired by these notes and dedicated to sharing the truth of that horrible day, Nellie has gone back in time and fleshed out the thoughts and feelings she had recorded and clung to so privately, almost secretly. She describes the two-day swing through San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, and Dallas; the joy and relief in seeing the people of Texas embrace the president and Jackie; the anticipation of the next successful stop; the visions of a future robust with the promise of great times coming. Then the minute-to-minute, hour-by-hour tragedy at Dealey Plaza.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Rugged Land Books; First edition (2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1413226493
• ISBN-13: 978-1413226492
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,151,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mrs. Connally Speaks Her Views, November 13, 2003

By 

C. W. Emblom "Bill Emblom" (Ishpeming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy (Hardcover)

As the last surviving member of the motorcar of two couples in which President John F. Kennedy was assassinated forty years ago, the wife of former Texas Governor John Connally provides us with her experiences of that ill-fated event. Mrs. Connally supports the belief of three shots being fired from behind. The first hit President Kennedy in the throat, the second hitting her husband behind the right shoulder, and the third shattering the skull of President Kennedy. She states that her husband sitting in the front seat had time to move from side to side after Kennedy had been hit in the throat. She states, "Even magic bullets don't hang in the air that long." Following this shot, Mrs. Connally states, her husband was hit behind the right shoulder, and then the President was hit in the head. She states her husband heard the first and third shots, the second one he did not. She has been told you do not hear a bullet that hits you, and John heard the first and third shots. She also describes her apprehension while her husband was in the emergency room, and wondering if he was getting the proper care (he was), or was everyone attending to the stricken president. John Connally researched every report prepared on the subject, and in 1983 he still held to the belief of Oswald's guilt stating, "Nobody in America can keep a secret that big for that long." In addition to Mrs. Connally, each of her three children provide their remembrances of this infamous day. The book concludes with the speeches President Kennedy was to deliver at the Dallas Trade Mart at noon, and his speech in Austin that evening. Forests have been felled with versions of this American tragedy, but it is special to hear it from one as close to the situation as she was. Thank you, Mrs. Connally, for sharing your experiences with us.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, November 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy (Hardcover)

History doesn't get much better than this. Here's a book written with passion and pathos from notes that Ms. Connally wrote shortly after the assasination of President Kennedy.

Connally has taken an event burned into the consciousness of the world and breathed new life into it. She puts us in the seat next to the President and First Lady and takes for a most moving ride.

This is a MUST HAVE book for anyone who cares about the past and the Kennedy legacy.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure From A Treasure, November 30, 2003

By 

J Keistler "[e-mail]" (Lake Jackson, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy (Hardcover)

As a Texan who remembers that November day, and as one who was delighted to have John Connally as our Governor, I looked forward to reading this book when it came out. Nellie Connally remains a Texas treasure in her eighties, dignified and still just plain pretty. She proves, in this book, that she can be articulate as well.

After watching an entire week of History Channel telecasts that refute the lame Warren Commission report, it is unfortunate that at this late date we will never know the complete truth behind the Kennedy tragedy. However, no matter which side of the fence on which a reader rests, this slim volume will remain a great resource. I found it particularly interesting not for her recollection of the murder, but for her account of the treatment of her husband after the event.

A book for all who are interested in that day.