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The Private Passion of Jackie Kennedy Onassis: Portrait of a Rider Hardcover – April 12, 2005

by Vicky Moon (Author)

30 customer reviews

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In The Private Passion of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Vicky Moon illuminates just how vital a role horses played throughout Jackie's often tumultuous life. Jackie's mother propped her up on a horse when she was just a year old, and throughout her childhood Jackie turned to her pony Buddy to distract her from the stress of her parents' precarious marriage. As a woman struggling under the intense pressures of her role as First Lady, riding a horse through the countryside was a much-needed tonic. And later in her life, as a mourning widow and then a reluctant celebrity, riding offered Jackie peace and privacy. Whether cantering up and down the emerald hills of Ireland, galloping through the woods in New Jersey, racing cross-country, or taking long, quiet rides with her children down the dirt trails of Virginia's hunt country, Jackie's lifelong passion for horses was a mainstay during difficult years, a refuge from a life in the limelight, and a constant source of joy.

Now, in addition to the elegant, stunning images from every stage of her life -- photographs taken while out riding to the hounds, at the steeplechase with Jack, with Caroline on her pony -- Jackie's story unfolds through Moon's fresh and engaging narrative, sprinkled with anecdotes and memories from those who knew Jackie not only as one of the most admired women in the world, but simply as a graceful and talented horsewoman.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It could be argued that every aspect of Jackie Kennedy Onassiss life has been examined ad nauseum, but Moon appears to have struck upon an overlooked treasure in this tribute to the former First Ladys lifelong love of horses. Moon, the author and founder, editor and publisher of The Middleburg Life (a newspaper for Virginia horse country), tells the story of Jackies passion for horses from age five through the end of her life. Jackie began riding very young and by the age of five participated in the East Hampton Horse Show. The photos of Jackie with her mother and father, Janet and Jack Bouvier, and on her beloved Chestnut mare, Danseuse, hint at the beauty and poise that would become her trademarks. Like her mother, Jackie grew into an accomplished equestrian. And Moon argues that riding brought the First Lady the solace and solitude that she craved; she would return to her horses again and again at moments of joy and sorrow. While her husband listened to Marilyn Monroe sing her breathy rendition of Happy Birthday at Madison Square Garden in New York, Jackie was at a horse show. After his assassination, horseback riding became "a significant part of her recuperative routine." Divided into short sections, the writing here is easy to read and conversational rather than historical, and the abundant photos speak volumes: Jackie riding with her children, Caroline and John; ponies on the White House Lawn with John F. Kennedy and the Secret Service; Jackie carefree in formal horse attire. Moon has constructed a must-have for horse lovers but also a touching tribute to Onassis; one of the few that the very private woman might have enjoyed herself.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Vicky Moon is the author of The Official Middleburg Life Cookbook; The Middleburg Mystique: A Peek Inside the Gates of Middleburg, Virginia; Best Dressed Southern Salads; and A Sunday Horse: Inside the Grand Prix Show Jumping Tour. She has also written for the Washington Post, People, Town and Country, and House and Garden. She lives in Middleburg, Virginia, with her husband, sportswriter Leonard Shapiro, and her son.

Hardcover: 214 pages
Publisher: Harper Design; 1st edition (April 12, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060524111
ISBN-13: 978-0060524111
Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 1.1 x 11.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
Average Customer Review: 30 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #299 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Pets & Animal Care > Horses > Riding
- #299 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Horses > Equestrian
- #4207 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Women

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D. Summerfield

Beautiful Photos of a Gracious Horsewoman

September 15, 2008

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

When John F. Kennedy was elected president, I was five years old. That was also the year I started taking horseback riding lessons at Potomac Horse Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland. By the year he was assassinated, I was in my first season at horse shows in Virginia and Maryland. We lived on a farm in Great Falls, Virginia, and I showed my pony every weekend, from March to September, eventually moving on to Hunters as I grew up. Jackie Kennedy, and eventually her daughter and her nieces and nephews (Robert Kennedy's children who lived just up the road in McLean) were just other nice people on the horse show circuit.

I saw Jackie Kennedy Onassis through the eyes of the horse-crazy kid I was in the sixties. She was beautiful, tragic and quite a talented rider -- always perfectly turned out, always on beautiful horses. She was also approachable in that familiar milieu. She had a conversation with my mother one day as I was competing in a Small Pony Hunter Under Saddle class at Upperville. I remember seeing her with a small group of women standing by the rail as the class was being judged. My mother bred Bassett hounds, and she told me later that the women were discussing dog breeding and bloodlines.

This book is a lovely tribute to the quiet passion of horsemanship which was infused in Jackie Kennedy. I share her passion, and I know that my love of horses has helped me through some terrible times in my own life. The book is also a retrospective of a dead era. The photographs are wonderful because they so beautifully depict a time which is sadly long gone. I still compete in horse shows today, but they are nothing like they used to be. Tradition has been replaced by corporate sponsorship, and for the most part the romance of the horse world is found not at the "A"-rated shows, but only in tiny corners of 4-H meetings and Pony Club rallies. The love of horses used to be a great leveler for interaction between riders, spectators and communities. Not so in this celebrity-mad era -- I miss it so.

I loved this book. I admired this woman. The text which accompanies the photographs is evocative and respectful. Perhaps Jackie Kennedy was not the best first lady. She was certainly not a canny politician in the vein of Rosalyn Carter or Nancy Reagan. But she was a lady, to the core, and an icon. And if you want to understand her better, and perhaps understand the last vestiges of early twentieth-century glamour which clung to her, and to the horse world she was a part of, buy this book.

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lovecoats

Wonderful book, just what I hoped for

June 21, 2011

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

After reading Vicky Moon's other book on equestrian style (checked out from library) I was thrilled to see that she'd written this book on Jackie Kennedy's equestrian life.

I'm a big fan of Jackie's style & anything JBK & have recently returned to riding, myself, after a 31 year hiatus. This book did not disappoint! Wonderful black & white photos & just enough text. I loved the photos of a very young Jackie with her horses. Photos of ponies at the White House were surprising & delightful.

I can't relate to the wealth & privilege Jackie grew up with, but certainly can understand her life long love of riding & horses. Her difficult family life when young also makes her a person you can feel for.

One thing I noted & that my riding instructor explained, was that most of the earlier photos show Jackie (& other riders) riding with their foot pushed all the way forward (home) in the stirrups. Much later photos show that she changed to the current, more modern foot position, with the stirrup on the ball of her foot.

This wasn't available at my local library, but I'm happy to add it to my book collection. Thanks, Vicky Moon!

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Jumpeight

a pleasure for the eyes and a pleasure of a read!

May 22, 2006

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

vicky's latest book is the culmination of a great deal of research and interviewing. that is clearly evident in the book.

i bought it as a beautiful coffee table book--and it most certainly IS that, but when i began reading it, i read it cover to cover non-stop. stories never told, intimate details of her love and relationship to horses--what a metaphor they were for her in her life (which i totally identify with). i immediately bought 10 books for christmas presents and everyone loved them.

this book is not written as to be one of the 100 greatest books ever written, so nonsense to the critiques of her writing style. she tells a story, untold for the most part, of a very private woman, who could achieve that privacy with her horses, and she told the story beautifully. the photography - most of it new is beautiful and tells its own story. if you are looking for the great books then go buy a tale of two cities.

great job vicky--it was well worth the wait!

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sporting road

Five Stars

January 30, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great insight into the private life and foxhunting world of Jackie O.

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Ronelle Ingram

the Private Passion of Jackie Kennedy Onassis: Portrait of a Rider

May 28, 2006

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Imaging sitting down with an old friend and slowly turning page after page of your equine scapebook. Photos that are catalysis for memories that make you stop and think about days gone by. This is not great literature, but it is a satisfying book. It captures memories of an Equine Camelot. I have been a Kennedy buff for over 50 years. I own more than 100 books on the Kennedy's. This book provided photos of Jackie I had never seen before. The photo on page 26 of a young rumpled Jackie sitting on a tack box is worth the price of the entire book. I enjoyed the book, cover to cover, in about 60 minutes. It was a magical trip down memory lane. The photos of American Royality are very similar to those in my own horsey scape book. My money and time were very well spent.

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Susan M. Riggs

Jackie Kennedy Onassis

November 30, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

this was a great book as thoroughly enjoyed it. what a woman of grace and charm....skilled rider. the pictures are absolutely wonderful. she was able to pass her skill and passion to her children. great coffee table book. i am so happy to be able to own this magnificent book.

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K. Gonzalez

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April 10, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is my coffee table book. I am such a fan of Jackie and the pictures are wonderful. What a beautiful soul and such a tragic life.

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Amazon Customer

Really enjoyed this book.

June 22, 2017