The Day John Died [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by Christopher Andersen (Author) "Where were you the day John died?..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Secret Service, Hyannis Port (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
It's interesting that Jackie Kennedy had premonitions of JFK Jr.'s plane-crash death, that he almost hit an American Airlines jet, and that, to prevent those last shrieking 15 seconds when G-forces distorted his face prior to impact, all he had to do was punch two buttons and the Piper Saratoga would've landed safely on autopilot.

The Day John Died is a misleading title, because it's mostly about his life: his family dynamics, romances, dreams, and achievements. Christopher Andersen, a former Time and People editor, gives a surprisingly well rounded account of John's character--along with 73 eloquent photos and lots of the dishy details inquiring minds want to know. The book is both trashy and classy. Though some of the inside stuff is tough to know for sure (was Carolyn Bessette really a manic druggie who denied John sex for a year?), Andersen knows more than most, having spent years researching Jack and Jackie and Jackie After Jack. We feel Jackie's power over her unstudious, scatterbrained, yet rather smart son, and Andersen plausibly sketches her brilliant job of shielding him from the worst influences of the Kennedy clan, her withering effect on his acting career, her revulsion over his stint as Madonna's boy toy, and much more. Andersen's expertise about the family makes us less skeptical of, say, his account of Bessette's wily seduction technique (she used an expertly timed cold shoulder and a hunky model-actor from Baywatch to make John jealous), or their spat over Sharon Stone.

There's gobs of drama besides the finale: John the child saved from death in a fiery Hawaiian luau pit (by the same father-figure Secret Service man who saved his mom from drowning), John repeatedly risking death by flying his ultralight into the ocean and power lines, John twice saving pals from drowning, once while diving for a pirate ship. Andersen omits no dirt (yes, JFK Jr. snorted coke from a JFK ashtray in college), yet he's fair (JFK Jr. had no real drug problem, while his dad was a chronic speed-needle freak). All in all, John comes off as a hell of a nice guy--almost the opposite of his Machiavellian father. He was about one-thousandth as promiscuous as he could've been, and all his exes remained his friends, even Daryl Hannah (the only girl he could've married for her money), who went down on one knee to propose, but was opposed by Jackie and Caroline.

Mostly, it's a poignant book. When told that JFK had gone to heaven, JFK Jr. asked his nanny, "Did Daddy take his big plane with him?" The nanny said, "Yes." --Tim Appelo

Review
"A detail-packed tear-jerker." -- --Associated Press

"Compusively readable." -- --Chicago Sun-Times

"Fascinating.... Heartbreaking." -- --Newsweek

"We defy you to remain unmoved." -- --Arizona Republic --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (July 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688172032
• ISBN-13: 978-2702860892
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #906,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid review of JFK Jr. and his legacy, July 11, 2000

By	"griff44" (Wheaton, IL) - See all my reviews

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.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fluff and Gossip, May 11, 2002

By	John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Already Well-Known Life Examined, October 10, 2000

By	aero-diva (Edmond, OK United States) - See all my reviews

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.