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Barbara A. Perry

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Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier (Modern First Ladies) Hardcover – September 9, 2004

by Barbara A. Perry (Author)

4.6 26 ratings

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In a mere one thousand days, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy created an entrancing public persona that has remained intact for more than a half-century. Even now, long after her death in 1994, she remains a figure of enduring—and endearing—interest. Yet, while innumerable books have focused on the legends and gossip surrounding this charismatic figure, Barbara Perry’s is the first to focus largely on Kennedys’ White House years, portraying a First Lady far more complex and enigmatic than previously perceived.

Noting how Jackie’s celebrity and devotion to privacy have for years precluded a more serious treatment, Perry’s engaging and well-crafted story illuminates Kennedy’s immeasurable impact on the institution of the First Lady. Perry vividly illustrates the complexities of Jacqueline Bouvier’s marriage to John F. Kennedy, and shows how she transformed herself from a reluctant political wife to an effective, confident presidential partner. Perry is especially illuminating in tracing the First Lady’s mastery of political symbolism and imagery, along with her use of television and state entertainment to disseminate her work to a global audience.

By offering the White House as a stage for the arts, Jackie also bolstered the president’s Cold War efforts to portray the United States as the epitome of a free society. From redecorating the White House, to championing Lafayette Square’s preservation, to lending her name to fund-raising for the National Cultural Center, she had a profound impact on the nation’s psyche and cultural life. Meanwhile, her fashionable clothes and glamorous hairdos stood in stark contrast to the dowdiness of her predecessors and the drab appearances of Communist leaders’ spouses.

Never before or since have a First Lady (and her husband) sparkled with so much hope and vigor on the stage of American public life. Perry’s deft narrative captures all of that and more, even as it also insightfully depicts Jackie’s struggles to preserve her own identity amid the pressures of an institution she changed forever.

Grounded on the author’s painstaking research into previously overlooked or unavailable archives, at the Kennedy Library and elsewhere, as well as interviews with Jacqueline Kennedy’s close associates, Perry’s work expands and enriches our understanding of a remarkable American woman.

From Publishers Weekly

Written to assess "Jackie Kennedy's historical impact on the institution of the First Lady," this account by Perry, a professor of government, chronicles Kennedy's push to restore the White House, promote the arts and cultural institutions, and define her husband's legacy. Perry argues that Kennedy was significant, in part, because she was a transitional figure. She was, according to Perry, among the last of the "traditional First Ladies"—women who defined themselves as "supportive spouses/model wives"—but she also stepped out of that role. In fact, Kennedy "established a pattern that her successors could adopt and adapt to publicize their own less traditional policy agendas." However, Perry spends little time expanding this insight. Instead, her book chronicles Kennedy's work and decision making in minute detail, recounting the particulars of correspondence between the First Lady and her staff about White House decor or plans for redesigning Lafayette Square. Perry also portrays Kennedy as a woman who presented herself, her family and the White House as icons of American freedom designed to promote democracy and challenge the legitimacy of Soviet communism. But once again, this argument remains undeveloped. Perry's study provides few new analytic insights about Jacqueline's tenure in the White House or beyond. The book's strength lies in Perry's attention to detail. 16 photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"In her clear, engaging study, Perry . . . argues that Jackie exerted an impressive, enduring cultural influence on Washington and the White House, an influence unsurpassed by other first ladies. . . . Perry's book has a special focus that has been insufficiently developed in other studies. Although sympathetic to her subject, Perry identifies some of Jackie's less favorable traits and at times discusses her marriage when it relates to the book's focus. . . . General readers will find [this book] enjoyable, and scholars will appreciate its research base."--History: Reviews of New Books

"The book's strength lies in Perry's attention to detail."--Publishers Weekly

"Free from Camelot idolatry and untainted by revisionist sensationalism, Perry delivers a nuanced and insightful profile of Jacqueline Kennedy's fascinating life, from debutante to First Lady to custodian of her husband's legacy. More clearly than ever, we can now appreciate how much she changed the institution of First Lady and, also, how much it changed her."--Douglas Brinkley, author of Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War

"Perry has done a superb job, looking beyond the multitude of myths surrounding one of our most enigmatic First Ladies to reveal not just what she did but how her inner circle worked. . . . An important contribution."--Betty Boyd Caroli, author of First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Laura Bush

From the Back Cover

"Free from Camelot idolatry and untainted by revisionist sensationalism, Perry delivers a nuanced and insightful profile of Jacqueline Kennedy's fascinating life, from debutante to First Lady to custodian of her husband's legacy. More clearly than ever, we can now appreciate how much she changed the institution of First Lady and, also, how much it changed her."--Douglas Brinkley, author of Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War

"Perry has done a superb job, looking beyond the multitude of myths surrounding one of our most enigmatic First Ladies to reveal not just what she did but how her inner circle worked. . . . An important contribution."--Betty Boyd Caroli, author of First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Laura Bush

About the Author

Barbara A. Perry is Gerald L. Baliles Professor and Director of Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.

Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University Press of Kansas
Publication date

September 9, 2004
Dimensions

5.75 x 1 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

0700613439
ISBN-13

978-0700613434
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University Press of Kansas; 1st edition (September 9, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0700613439
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0700613434
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.21 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,153,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,661 in US Presidents
- #15,386 in Women's Studies (Books)
- #81,072 in United States History (Books)

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4.6 26 ratings

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Barbara A. Perry

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I used to tease my dear mother that she turned me into a political scientist at the tender age of four! In October 1960 she loaded me and my two older brothers into our '56 Chevy for a trip to downtown Louisville, Kentucky, to attend a presidential campaign rally and see her new political hero--Senator John F. Kennedy. We arrived early and stood right in front of the podium where the handsome candidate spoke and reached over to shake my brother's hand. I was hooked! From that point on, I adored politics and began a life-long fascination with the Kennedy clan. On family vacations, I would urge my parents to stop at all the historic sights and memorials dedicated to JFK and his family. From Boston, to Hyannis Port, to Palm Beach, to Georgetown, to Arlington Cemetery, we made the pilgrimage.

On a high school field trip to Washington, D.C., I sat outside the White House and vowed to my mother that someday I would come back to work in the nation's capital. I did--from internships to fellowships--in all three branches of government. With a master's degree from Oxford and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, I became a specialist on the presidency, the Supreme Court, and, of course, the Kennedys. In addition to serving as a Supreme Court Fellow, I have produced five books on the justices, appointments, and civil rights and liberties. My book on First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy continues to prompt media inquiries, especially comparing Mrs. Trump to "Jackie O." My biography of Rose Kennedy is based on her released papers at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston and a collection of her letters that I have acquired. Rose Kennedy: The Life and Times of a Political Matriarch has been recommended by the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, People, and Vanity Fair.

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Louis Olave

An excellent biography of Jacqueline Kennedy without the frills and style ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2015

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An excellent biography of Jacqueline Kennedy without the frills and style mania which so many other biographies lap up! This is a serious take on her tremendous work in the White House and how she restructured the role and office of First Lady of the United States and turned into a respected office of its own and laid the foundation for future First Ladies .

One person found this helpful

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williasm krystyniak

the first lady of the new frontier

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2014

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I enjoyed this book very much and I would recommened this to anyone who lovers the kennedy years and what mrs. kennedy did in the short time in the white house one 1000 days.

One person found this helpful

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Jane

It's Not About the Pillbox Hat

Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2013

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At last - a book on Jackie Kennedy that does NOT focus on her pillbox hats! Barbara Perry gives a balanced and highly readable account of Jackie's early life, her three years in the White House, and her post-White House efforts to preserve her husband's legacy. Dr. Perry's approach is scholarly and her research seems to me to be solid. She successfully avoids the sensationalism and myth-making that diminish so many other books about this First Lady. I was particularly glad to find an in-depth treatment of Mrs. Kennedy's contributions to her husband's presidency, including her unwavering promotion of American arts and culture, the White House restoration project, her preservation efforts on Lafayette Square, and the international trips she took with her husband. Much of this information has been available to the American public for many decades, but Dr. Perry goes beneath the surface to present fresh details from first-hand sources. The reason I didn't give it five stars is because of the pictures. They are black and white (except for the book jacket), and are very poor quality. They detract from the seriousness of the book; it would have been wiser to omit them completely.

2 people found this helpful

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Former FAC

Jacqueline Kennedy Through a Different Prism

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2005

As one of the most charismatic and intriguing women in modern American history, Jacqueline Kennedy has been the subject of numerous books, articles, and even made-for-television movies. Those attempts, however, focused almost exclusively on Mrs. Kennedy's aura of celebrity---until now. Enter Dr. Barbara Perry, the Carter Glass Professor of Government at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. In "Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier," Perry does an outstanding job of telling a familiar story from a scholar's perspective. She provides a highly readable, yet serious examination of Jacqueline Kennedy in the White House.

In researching the glamorous and sometimes enigmatic First Lady, Dr. Perry states that her mission "was to write the first scholarly treatment of her [Kennedy's] work as first lady and filter out the extremes of previous books that range from hagiographic tributes to mean-spirited or sensationalized accounts." That mission was a particularly daunting one in that Jacqueline Kennedy's personal papers and oral history, located in the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, remain closed. Not to be dissuaded, Dr. Perry apparently did exhaustive research into virtually every available primary source. The result is a fascinating, insightful look at a first lady who emerges as a surprisingly assertive, independent, and even bold actor on the White House stage. Jackie, of course, is best known as the driving force in the restoration of the White House, but she was equally influential in the creation of the White House Historical Society, the preservation of Lafayette Square, and support of the arts. Her personl correspondence on these projects is quite revealing, suggesting that she had a clear vision of how the White House, the presidency, and the first family should be presented to the public---and how she attempted to preserve and present her own identity. Professor Perry is especially effective in exploring this area, having previously authored a compelling analysis of the symbolism and imagery of the U.S. Supreme Court and how the court presents itself to the public (see "The Priestly Tribe: The Supreme Court's Image in the American Mind").

Barbara Perry's work is a much-appreciated scholarly addition to the body of literature on Jacqueline Kennedy. Until the Kennedy papers are opened to the public (in about 40 years), it will stand unchallenged as the definitive account for viewing and understanding an American icon inside the White House.

15 people found this helpful

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Carol S. Sedlak

First Lady of the New Frontier: Jackie Kennedy

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2013

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Book is ok in giving some inside information regarding her days in the White House but still tells a lot of the same stuff many other books on her say. A book on Jackie Kennedy that would tell things you never expected to hear would be a very rare book indeed. As the expression goes: same church - different pew.

4 people found this helpful

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Cindy Gerlach Mueller

A fascinating account of a fascinating woman

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2006

Unlike more gosspiy biographies, political scientist Barbara Perry approaches the life of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy as a scholar. She writes about the early influences in her life, her role as first lady and the passions and causes that she undertook in her official life. Perry touches on such issues as JFK's infidelity and deftlly handles the criticism leveled at Mrs. Kennedy for, among other things, her spending on her wardrobe and her "francophile" attachments. So while the book doesn't get bogged down in the tawdry details of their personal lives, neither does it ignore them. It's a well-written, well-documented account of a White House that was so different than any other in modern times -- much due, in part, to the youth and flair of Jacqueline Kennedy. For those who want an objective account, this is an excellent read.

7 people found this helpful

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1lablvr

Used Book Is An Old Library Book

Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2013

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I wish I'd been informed that this was a library book with a non removeable cover. It looks like I stole it from the Jefferson County Library.