My story (Paperback)

by Judith Exner (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 299 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; 1st edition (1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802101399
• ISBN-13: 978-0802101396
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #885,104 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A revealing story, but not what you'd expect, July 17, 2006

By	Marvin D. Pipher (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was written about a year after the Church Committee concluded its investigation of the CIA's involvement with organized crime in its effort to have Fidel Castro assassinated. At the time, President Kennedy's involvement it the plot was unknown and no attempt was made to investigate it. Judith Campbell (Exner), however, was called to testify at that hearing and, as a result, was later identified as President Kennedy's "close friend," although she was actually Kennedy's part-time lover and his go between with Chicago's syndicate boss, Sam Giancana. Since she was a somewhat mysterious figure, while President Kennedy was still viewed as Prince Charming and the myth of Camelot still persisted, she was cast by the liberal media as the villain of the piece, a prostitute, a party girl, etc. and felt the need to tell her side of the story; thus this book.

The book is essentially Judy's life story as told from a woman's perspective but seems to have been aimed at presenting JFK, Sam Giancana, and Judy, herself, in the best possible light. Disappointingly, it sheds no light on the criminal aspects of Kennedy's activities in promoting the assassination attempt and fails to address her activities in that regard in any meaningful way. As a consequence, although the book is extremely interesting from a prurient viewpoint, it tells little about what really went on between Kennedy and Sam Giancana's criminal outfit.

It should be kept in mind, however, that when this book was written most of the principals involved in the plot, President Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, John Roselli, and Sam Giancana had already been murdered (Giancana shortly before he was to testify); and Judy, as she said much later in life, was afraid to tell the whole story. So, although this book makes truly fascinating reading -- especially if you want to really see how the rich, famous, powerful, and ruthless live -- time and more recent revelations have passed it by.

For the complete story, I suggest you read "Joseph P. Kennedy: The Mogul, the Mob, the Statesman, and the Making of an American Myth" by Ted Schwarz and "The Dark Side of Camelot" by Seymour M. Hersh, but by all means read this one too. You'll really be amazed at how the other half lives.