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Jackie: Public, Private, Secret
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
From the New York Times bestselling author of Jackie, Janet & Lee comes a fresh and often startling look at the life of the legendary former first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Based on hundreds of interviews with friends, family, and lovers over a thirty-year period—as well as previously unreleased material from the JFK Library—Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli paints an unforgettable new portrait of a woman whose flaws and contradictions only serve to make her even more iconic. “I have three lives,” Jackie told a former lover, “public, private and secret.” In this revealing biography, readers will become intimately familiar with all three.
New insights from the book
· Jackie’s cold feet before her wedding to Jack Kennedy and her secret plan to avoid moving into the White House with him.
· Jackie's plan to meet with the woman with whom her husband, Aristotle Onassis, was again having an affair, Maria Callas…and why, in the end, she decided against it.
· The truth about the nude photos of Jackie which scandalized her in the 1970s…and which family member had betrayed her by selling them.
· Her unusual relationship with Maurice Templesman, which was never what outsiders believed it to be.
· The never-before-reported, last-ditch efforts to save Jackie’s life with experimental cancer treatments, and the doctor who wouldn’t risk jail time in order to treat her.
Decades after her death and over sixty years after the assassination of President Kennedy, Jackie delivers the last word on one of the most famous women in the world.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Jackie, Janet & Lee comes a fresh and often startling look at the life of the legendary former first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Based on hundreds of interviews with friends, family, and lovers over a thirty-year period—as well as previously unreleased material from the JFK Library—Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli paints an unforgettable new portrait of a woman whose flaws and contradictions only serve to make her even more iconic. “I have three lives,” Jackie told a former lover, “public, private and secret.” In this revealing biography, readers will become intimately familiar with all three.
New insights from the book
· Jackie’s cold feet before her wedding to Jack Kennedy and her secret plan to avoid moving into the White House with him.
· Jackie's plan to meet with the woman with whom her husband, Aristotle Onassis, was again having an affair, Maria Callas…and why, in the end, she decided against it.
· The truth about the nude photos of Jackie which scandalized her in the 1970s…and which family member had betrayed her by selling them.
· Her unusual relationship with Maurice Templesman, which was never what outsiders believed it to be.
· The never-before-reported, last-ditch efforts to save Jackie’s life with experimental cancer treatments, and the doctor who wouldn’t risk jail time in order to treat her.
Decades after her death and over sixty years after the assassination of President Kennedy, Jackie delivers the last word on one of the most famous women in the world.
511 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2023
About the author
J. Randy Taraborrelli
32 books387 followersJ. Randy Taraborrelli is an author known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures. He is a featured writer in several entertainment magazines in Canada, England, and Australia. He also appears on television as an entertainment news reporter on shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, Today and CBS This Morning. Taraborrelli resides in Los Angeles, California.
Taraborrelli, who has written eighteen books (including updated and expanded editions), has had fourteen of them appear on the New York Times best seller list, the most recent of which was 2014's The Hiltons - The True Story of an American Dynasty. His first best seller was Call Her Miss Ross in 1989. His 2009 biography of Marilyn Monroe - The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe - made a re-appearance on the e-books best-seller list at number two in the summer of 2012.
In November of 2012, it was announced that Reelz cable channel had optioned Taraborrelli's New York Times best-selling book, After Camelot, as a miniseries. It will be his second television miniseries, the first airing on NBC in 2000 and based on his book, Jackie, Ethel, Joan.
Through his newly formed J. Randy Taraborrelli Productions, Taraborrelli is currently developing and producing a number of television projects.
Taraborrelli, who has written eighteen books (including updated and expanded editions), has had fourteen of them appear on the New York Times best seller list, the most recent of which was 2014's The Hiltons - The True Story of an American Dynasty. His first best seller was Call Her Miss Ross in 1989. His 2009 biography of Marilyn Monroe - The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe - made a re-appearance on the e-books best-seller list at number two in the summer of 2012.
In November of 2012, it was announced that Reelz cable channel had optioned Taraborrelli's New York Times best-selling book, After Camelot, as a miniseries. It will be his second television miniseries, the first airing on NBC in 2000 and based on his book, Jackie, Ethel, Joan.
Through his newly formed J. Randy Taraborrelli Productions, Taraborrelli is currently developing and producing a number of television projects.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
October 29, 2023
What's the point of biography if it doesn't reveal secrets?~Jackie Kennedy Onassis
I love all things Jackie and this new biography gives a comprehensive and at times controversial view of our beloved first lady. My parents had a book about Camelot and the Kennedy years. I would spend hours studying the photos. I also remember looking for stories in the ladies magazines of the 70's. Then there were those Seinfeld episodes when Elaine was aspiring to be like Jackie while working in publishing. For those like me I heartily recommend this new biography. You will more fully understand the woman who was put on a pedestal and struggled with her feet of clay. Her life was over too soon.
I love all things Jackie and this new biography gives a comprehensive and at times controversial view of our beloved first lady. My parents had a book about Camelot and the Kennedy years. I would spend hours studying the photos. I also remember looking for stories in the ladies magazines of the 70's. Then there were those Seinfeld episodes when Elaine was aspiring to be like Jackie while working in publishing. For those like me I heartily recommend this new biography. You will more fully understand the woman who was put on a pedestal and struggled with her feet of clay. Her life was over too soon.
September 14, 2023
I love J. Randy Taraborrelli biographies. I don't love all his books the same but I always find some enjoyment from his books. This is I think my 7th book of his and I do plan on reading all his books eventually (I'm hoping he writes a Kardashian or Taylor Swift biography one day).
This obviously isn't the first Kennedy biography he's written. I've really enjoyed his books last books that have dug deeper into the relationship between Jackie O and her sister Lee and mother Janet. Jackie's mom really fascinates me. She just seems like she was a tough lady...I wouldn't have wanted her to be my mom( my mom never hit me). And with this book I really kinda fell in love with Jackie's stepfather Hugh Auchincloss, he just came across as very genuine and very chill. I will say you shouldn't pick this book up if it's your first book about Jackie, because this book jumps around in time.
This book was much more gossipy than most books about Jackie. This book discusses her sex life. Jackie liked sex yall! After JFK's assassination she made up for all the years of bad sex in her marriage( every book I read says JFK had weak dick). I really enjoyed the exploration of Jackie's mental health. Jackie witnessed her husband's brains get blown out. She was covered in his blood and brains....for some reason people expected her to just move on...she never really did....would you? The people around her didn't understand why her behavior post assassination was at times erratic. This was the 1960's so mental healthcare wasn't the best and I wonder how much different her life would have been with more contemporary care.
I don't need to give a recommendation for a J. Randy Taraborelli biography so I won't, but I did really enjoy this....but it was a little long tho.
This obviously isn't the first Kennedy biography he's written. I've really enjoyed his books last books that have dug deeper into the relationship between Jackie O and her sister Lee and mother Janet. Jackie's mom really fascinates me. She just seems like she was a tough lady...I wouldn't have wanted her to be my mom( my mom never hit me). And with this book I really kinda fell in love with Jackie's stepfather Hugh Auchincloss, he just came across as very genuine and very chill. I will say you shouldn't pick this book up if it's your first book about Jackie, because this book jumps around in time.
This book was much more gossipy than most books about Jackie. This book discusses her sex life. Jackie liked sex yall! After JFK's assassination she made up for all the years of bad sex in her marriage( every book I read says JFK had weak dick). I really enjoyed the exploration of Jackie's mental health. Jackie witnessed her husband's brains get blown out. She was covered in his blood and brains....for some reason people expected her to just move on...she never really did....would you? The people around her didn't understand why her behavior post assassination was at times erratic. This was the 1960's so mental healthcare wasn't the best and I wonder how much different her life would have been with more contemporary care.
I don't need to give a recommendation for a J. Randy Taraborelli biography so I won't, but I did really enjoy this....but it was a little long tho.
July 22, 2023
If you’re a true Jackie Kennedy fan you’ll fall in love with her all over again. She’s my favorite First Lady of all time with good reason. By the end of the book you’ll realize she’s a flawed human like the rest of us but only better! I have collected books on her all my life. This is a good one. Short interesting chapters but full of gems to think on.
Elegant mysteriously private. Iconic and tragic. Beautiful intelligent aristocratic.
As we look back on her life we see the terrible events and we knew so little on PTSD then.
I really enjoyed this book.
Elegant mysteriously private. Iconic and tragic. Beautiful intelligent aristocratic.
As we look back on her life we see the terrible events and we knew so little on PTSD then.
I really enjoyed this book.
May 19, 2024
This biography of Jackie Kennedy Onassis is divided into seven different books. I found the first two books about Jackie’s childhood, marriage to JFK, births of their children, and his assassination to be very interesting and touching. The other five of this 500 Pg. tome were not as interesting, and I bogged down.
December 8, 2023
https://wp.me/p4dW55-1lp
The product of hundreds of interviews conducted over multiple decades, Taraborrelli's biography of Jackie Kennedy is surprisingly intimate and incredibly revealing. But it is a personal, behind-the-scenes dissection of her life, not a biography that reviews world events from her perspective, studies the Kennedy presidency from her time as first lady or describes the Kennedy assassination in any detail. In these areas the narrative has surprisingly little to say.
But what is revealed, while sometimes risque or even tabloidesque, paints an uncommonly full portrait of the otherwise elusive Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Her relationships with her parents, siblings, step-siblings, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and companions all seem to find a home in this 439-page narrative.
Taraborrelli provides robust introductions to the biography's most important supporting characters including Jackie's parents, Jack Warnecke (a long-time companion) and Aristotle and Artemis Onassis (her second husband and sister-in-law, respectively). And no one will fail to be engrossed by the ongoing commentary relating to Jackie's post-assassination breakdown and her subsequent relationship with Aristotle Onassis.
Also noteworthy are the author's observations relating to John Kennedy's numerous affairs (and Jackie's ability to cope with the philandering), her tumultuous relationship with her sister, personal accounts of the hours leading up to JFK's burial, and a riveting review of of William Manchester's quest to author the definitive account of the JFK assassination. By the book's end it seems as though there is little of Jackie's persona which has escaped the author's attention.
But Taraborrelli's biography of Jackie Kennedy Onassis is not without its share of hazards and shortcomings. Readers seeking a scholarly, intellectual biography of this compelling public figure may find the biography too gossipy and, at times, tawdry. Its failure to more deeply consider Jackie's views and perspectives on a variety of topics is also disappointing. The most jarring issue, however, may be its propensity, during the first one-third of the book, to bounce around the timeline.
Readers already acquainted with Jackie have little to fear. But those new to her story may find this frustrating and confusing. In one moment JFK is being inaugurated; just two pages later, the future president is being introduced. Two pages later, Jackie's mother and second husband are meeting her first fiancé (later dumped in favor of Kennedy). And so it goes - until JFK's burial when the narrative proceeds in a more conventional fashion...and becomes increasingly difficult to put down.
Overall, J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography of Jackie Kennedy Onassis is difficult to rate given its non-traditional nature. "Jackie" is excellent at exploring the "non-public" side of her life and innermost thoughts...but makes little effort to integrate her into the broader world around her. Deeply-researched and dramatically written, most readers will find it captivating to the end. But no one will walk away feeling they absorbed new, consequential history.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
The product of hundreds of interviews conducted over multiple decades, Taraborrelli's biography of Jackie Kennedy is surprisingly intimate and incredibly revealing. But it is a personal, behind-the-scenes dissection of her life, not a biography that reviews world events from her perspective, studies the Kennedy presidency from her time as first lady or describes the Kennedy assassination in any detail. In these areas the narrative has surprisingly little to say.
But what is revealed, while sometimes risque or even tabloidesque, paints an uncommonly full portrait of the otherwise elusive Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Her relationships with her parents, siblings, step-siblings, friends, colleagues, acquaintances and companions all seem to find a home in this 439-page narrative.
Taraborrelli provides robust introductions to the biography's most important supporting characters including Jackie's parents, Jack Warnecke (a long-time companion) and Aristotle and Artemis Onassis (her second husband and sister-in-law, respectively). And no one will fail to be engrossed by the ongoing commentary relating to Jackie's post-assassination breakdown and her subsequent relationship with Aristotle Onassis.
Also noteworthy are the author's observations relating to John Kennedy's numerous affairs (and Jackie's ability to cope with the philandering), her tumultuous relationship with her sister, personal accounts of the hours leading up to JFK's burial, and a riveting review of of William Manchester's quest to author the definitive account of the JFK assassination. By the book's end it seems as though there is little of Jackie's persona which has escaped the author's attention.
But Taraborrelli's biography of Jackie Kennedy Onassis is not without its share of hazards and shortcomings. Readers seeking a scholarly, intellectual biography of this compelling public figure may find the biography too gossipy and, at times, tawdry. Its failure to more deeply consider Jackie's views and perspectives on a variety of topics is also disappointing. The most jarring issue, however, may be its propensity, during the first one-third of the book, to bounce around the timeline.
Readers already acquainted with Jackie have little to fear. But those new to her story may find this frustrating and confusing. In one moment JFK is being inaugurated; just two pages later, the future president is being introduced. Two pages later, Jackie's mother and second husband are meeting her first fiancé (later dumped in favor of Kennedy). And so it goes - until JFK's burial when the narrative proceeds in a more conventional fashion...and becomes increasingly difficult to put down.
Overall, J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography of Jackie Kennedy Onassis is difficult to rate given its non-traditional nature. "Jackie" is excellent at exploring the "non-public" side of her life and innermost thoughts...but makes little effort to integrate her into the broader world around her. Deeply-researched and dramatically written, most readers will find it captivating to the end. But no one will walk away feeling they absorbed new, consequential history.
Overall rating: 3¾ stars
August 9, 2023
For this and all my other reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com
I’ve read a lot about the Kennedys, and it seems the most fascinating and enigmatic of them all was Jacqueline Kennedy. I distinctly remember being at my grandparent’s house when her funeral was being held, and I wanted to watch it, but my grandfather was a great channel surfer, so I only saw a few minutes here and there. It has been almost thirty years since she died, and in some ways, we know as little about her life after the assassination of her husband as we did before.
However, Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli has done a great job digging up new stories to tell about the former First Lady. I knew most of the pre-White House tidbits, but they’re told in a way that makes them seem fresh and new to me. Meanwhile, the new stories I heard weren’t salacious or bad in a way that puts Jacqueline in a bad light; rather, the author is fairly reverential in his treatment of the subject. For such a woman of mystery, Taraborelli has done a good job telling new stories for public consumption.
I’m glad to have added this book to my ever-growing Kennedy book collection. Highly recommend!
I’ve read a lot about the Kennedys, and it seems the most fascinating and enigmatic of them all was Jacqueline Kennedy. I distinctly remember being at my grandparent’s house when her funeral was being held, and I wanted to watch it, but my grandfather was a great channel surfer, so I only saw a few minutes here and there. It has been almost thirty years since she died, and in some ways, we know as little about her life after the assassination of her husband as we did before.
However, Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli has done a great job digging up new stories to tell about the former First Lady. I knew most of the pre-White House tidbits, but they’re told in a way that makes them seem fresh and new to me. Meanwhile, the new stories I heard weren’t salacious or bad in a way that puts Jacqueline in a bad light; rather, the author is fairly reverential in his treatment of the subject. For such a woman of mystery, Taraborelli has done a good job telling new stories for public consumption.
I’m glad to have added this book to my ever-growing Kennedy book collection. Highly recommend!
October 22, 2023
JACKIE: Public, Private, Secret is an extensive, engaging, comprehensive, and at times entertaining biography of one of the 20th century's most famous women, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
Reading this book helped to add to my understanding of an intriguing, perplexing, and extraordinary woman who helped to shape, with her first husband, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a short-lived renaissance in a decade (the 1960s) that would also be marked by conflict and tragedy. She was like the phoenix, who arose reborn from the ashes left in the wake of President Kennedy's assassination, and lived out the remainder of her life not far from the view of the public, as fully as possible.
This is an easily readable book that also explores the varied and complex relationships that Jackie Onassis had with her family, associates, and friends, which gives the reader the full measure of a woman who, despite being a unique, public figure, managed to live a life with its store of secrets.
J. Randy Taraborrelli should be complimented for the depth and quality of research he brought to Jackie. There is a section in the book that lists all the various sources he used in preparing this biography.
For anyone with a special interest in Jackie Onassis, I highly recommend this book. It shows, as Jackie's mother, Janet Auchincloss, once observed of her oldest child: "There's something about her that's so unique. No one I know looks like her, speaks like her, writes like her, or has a better idea of who she's expected to be in the world. She was much too young to be widowed when we lost Jack. It wasn't fair. But somehow, she goes ever forward despite a tragedy so great it would've destroyed most other women. Winston Churchill once said, 'It's the courage to continue that counts.' I believe that's true, and I have so much admiration for my daughter's courage."
Reading this book helped to add to my understanding of an intriguing, perplexing, and extraordinary woman who helped to shape, with her first husband, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a short-lived renaissance in a decade (the 1960s) that would also be marked by conflict and tragedy. She was like the phoenix, who arose reborn from the ashes left in the wake of President Kennedy's assassination, and lived out the remainder of her life not far from the view of the public, as fully as possible.
This is an easily readable book that also explores the varied and complex relationships that Jackie Onassis had with her family, associates, and friends, which gives the reader the full measure of a woman who, despite being a unique, public figure, managed to live a life with its store of secrets.
J. Randy Taraborrelli should be complimented for the depth and quality of research he brought to Jackie. There is a section in the book that lists all the various sources he used in preparing this biography.
For anyone with a special interest in Jackie Onassis, I highly recommend this book. It shows, as Jackie's mother, Janet Auchincloss, once observed of her oldest child: "There's something about her that's so unique. No one I know looks like her, speaks like her, writes like her, or has a better idea of who she's expected to be in the world. She was much too young to be widowed when we lost Jack. It wasn't fair. But somehow, she goes ever forward despite a tragedy so great it would've destroyed most other women. Winston Churchill once said, 'It's the courage to continue that counts.' I believe that's true, and I have so much admiration for my daughter's courage."
January 1, 2024
Jackie: Public, Private, Secret by J. Randy Taraborrelli (#51 in 2023)
"Jackie observed, 'I have three lives. Public, private, and secret.' ...To a certain extent, though, isn't that true of all of us? No one of us is an open book. We're all mysterious in our own ways with the same three lives-- public, private, and secret."
To say I'm blown away is an understatement. I thought I knew who Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was, but this book was so telling and revealed so much more about the strength and perseverance of a woman than I ever imagined I'd learn from a biography. The best part of this book was the proof that Jackie wasn't perfect- some may argue far from it- but she maintained a strong sense of self even amidst her own uncertainty. Readers are taken on a journey through her multiple relationships, both healthy and not, under the tragedy of her husband's assassination and her subsequent PTSD. We learn about the tumultuous family dynamics that plagued her and the financial trouble she experienced. But we also learn of Jackie's strength, perseverance, intelligence, beauty,
Jackie is, by far, one of the best books I read in 2023, perhaps one of the best biographies I've read ever. It's incredibly researched, heartfelt, emotional, and tragic. It was a pleasure to close out November learning more about this iconic female and the reminder I needed at this time that "it's the courage to continue that counts."
"After all, as the lady herself so aptly put it, 'What's the point of biography if it doesn't reveal secrets?'"
Thank you, thank you, thank you to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy.
#JackiePublicPrivateSecret
#JackieKennedy
#JRandyTaraborrelli
#SMPInfluencers
#StMartinsPress
"Jackie observed, 'I have three lives. Public, private, and secret.' ...To a certain extent, though, isn't that true of all of us? No one of us is an open book. We're all mysterious in our own ways with the same three lives-- public, private, and secret."
To say I'm blown away is an understatement. I thought I knew who Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was, but this book was so telling and revealed so much more about the strength and perseverance of a woman than I ever imagined I'd learn from a biography. The best part of this book was the proof that Jackie wasn't perfect- some may argue far from it- but she maintained a strong sense of self even amidst her own uncertainty. Readers are taken on a journey through her multiple relationships, both healthy and not, under the tragedy of her husband's assassination and her subsequent PTSD. We learn about the tumultuous family dynamics that plagued her and the financial trouble she experienced. But we also learn of Jackie's strength, perseverance, intelligence, beauty,
Jackie is, by far, one of the best books I read in 2023, perhaps one of the best biographies I've read ever. It's incredibly researched, heartfelt, emotional, and tragic. It was a pleasure to close out November learning more about this iconic female and the reminder I needed at this time that "it's the courage to continue that counts."
"After all, as the lady herself so aptly put it, 'What's the point of biography if it doesn't reveal secrets?'"
Thank you, thank you, thank you to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy.
#JackiePublicPrivateSecret
#JackieKennedy
#JRandyTaraborrelli
#SMPInfluencers
#StMartinsPress
September 28, 2023
I have always been captivated with Jackie & held her in high regards. Much of the book is history thst we all know but it delved deeper into personal things.
I still look at Jackie the same way & know that not everyone is perfect.
She had many trials in her life, childhood, marriage, death of her husband & babies & yet she was always classy.
At times some of the chapters skipped around but I was ok with that & I have never read anything by this author. Obviously much research went into this but everyone once in awhile there some, to me, snarky wordings.
Overall I really enjoyed this
I still look at Jackie the same way & know that not everyone is perfect.
She had many trials in her life, childhood, marriage, death of her husband & babies & yet she was always classy.
At times some of the chapters skipped around but I was ok with that & I have never read anything by this author. Obviously much research went into this but everyone once in awhile there some, to me, snarky wordings.
Overall I really enjoyed this
September 3, 2024
After Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis's death in 1994, many in her family and long time friends finally revealed the public, private and secret life of our country's most mysterious First Lady.
Mr. Taraborrelli's account, at times, comes across as more gossipy than historical fact. But the readers must distinguish between the difference.
No matter, though, for I found it quite a fascinating read.
Mr. Taraborrelli's account, at times, comes across as more gossipy than historical fact. But the readers must distinguish between the difference.
No matter, though, for I found it quite a fascinating read.
January 16, 2024
"𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽'𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓫𝓲𝓸𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓹𝓱𝔂 𝓲𝓯 𝓲𝓽 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼𝓷'𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓪𝓵 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓼?"
💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
I really only knew minimal basic information about Jackie Kennedy Onassis before this book. My bookclub chose to read this and honestly, I wasn’t super excited about it at first. But wow, I was swept in instantly. This read a lot like a gossip column which captivated me and kept me fully engaged while listening. I’m typically not great at doing audio, but it worked perfectly for this nonfiction read. This book showcases the strength and perseverance of Jackie, as well as her flawed characteristics. It provides new insights to Jackie’s life that I’m guessing most people wouldn’t know beforehand. I’m super excited for bookclub and can’t wait to discuss the life of Jackie O more. Her life was full of so much tragedy that it’s hard to comprehend how someone can suffer so much loss while also being such an important public figure. There is also so much good gossip in this book that really left me speechless 😶.
📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💫Powerful Biographical memoir 📝
💫Heartfelt and Emotional 😢
💫Tragic💔
💫Engaging and entertaining 🍿
💫Interesting and informative 🤔
💫Family drama 🎭
💫Secrets and truths 🤫
💫Well researched 💡
💫Spans 30+ years ⏳
📝𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾📝
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
💕Q U O T E: “𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒶 𝓁𝑜𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓈𝓊𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒶 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓁, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝓉𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝓂𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈, 𝒶𝓈 𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓁. 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒸𝓁𝓊𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 ��𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓉 𝓉𝑜𝑜 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒. 𝒲𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒶𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝓈 𝓌𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒸𝑒𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝒾𝓉. 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓂𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝒹𝒾𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝒹, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒿𝑜𝓎, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑒𝒹𝓎, 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓌𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓈𝒸𝓇𝒾𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒.”
💭 ⓂⓎ ⓉⒽⓄⓊⒼⒽⓉⓈ
I really only knew minimal basic information about Jackie Kennedy Onassis before this book. My bookclub chose to read this and honestly, I wasn’t super excited about it at first. But wow, I was swept in instantly. This read a lot like a gossip column which captivated me and kept me fully engaged while listening. I’m typically not great at doing audio, but it worked perfectly for this nonfiction read. This book showcases the strength and perseverance of Jackie, as well as her flawed characteristics. It provides new insights to Jackie’s life that I’m guessing most people wouldn’t know beforehand. I’m super excited for bookclub and can’t wait to discuss the life of Jackie O more. Her life was full of so much tragedy that it’s hard to comprehend how someone can suffer so much loss while also being such an important public figure. There is also so much good gossip in this book that really left me speechless 😶.
📚 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
💫Powerful Biographical memoir 📝
💫Heartfelt and Emotional 😢
💫Tragic💔
💫Engaging and entertaining 🍿
💫Interesting and informative 🤔
💫Family drama 🎭
💫Secrets and truths 🤫
💫Well researched 💡
💫Spans 30+ years ⏳
📝𝕄𝕐 ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾📝
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
💕Q U O T E: “𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝒶 𝓁𝑜𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓈𝓊𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝒶 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓁, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝓉𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝓂𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈, 𝒶𝓈 𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓁. 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒸𝓁𝓊𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 ��𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓉 𝓉𝑜𝑜 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒. 𝒲𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝑔𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝒶𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝓈 𝓌𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒸𝑒𝒾𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝒾𝓉. 𝐸𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓂𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝒹𝒾𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝒹, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓅, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒿𝑜𝓎, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑒𝒹𝓎, 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓌𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝒾𝓃𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓈𝒸𝓇𝒾𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑜𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒.”
September 9, 2023
When I read the reviews of J. Randy Taraborrelli’s newest work on our former first lady , I had high expectations. I was not disappointed, he offered me a new, often startling outlook on the legendary first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
From the start it is obvious that Tarborrelli put extensive research into this book. He drew from an abundance of interviews from friends, family and lovers that spans over three decades since the death of her first husband. I found this biography brought several new insights into the significant life moments of Jackie O. It ranged from her life prior to marrying Jack Kennedy to her marriage to Aristotle Onassis’ and his ongoing affair with Maria Callas. By showcasing the depth of this woman’s struggles, the author brought to his readers Jackie’s relationship with not only Maurice Templeman, Carl Wernecke, Rose Kennedy, and Lady Bird Johnson but with her extended family, especially her mother Janet, her sister Lee and her other half brothers and sister. He also shed the light on her final year as she fought cancer by unveiling the gripping story of the last-ditch efforts to save her life with experimental cancer treatments.
I came away with these two thoughts. . . having wished the author had paid a bit more attention to how he arranged this book chronologically, at times I found it a bit confusing for me. Also, since Jackie worked in the literary world for many years, why didn’t she make an attempt write her own memoir.
From the start it is obvious that Tarborrelli put extensive research into this book. He drew from an abundance of interviews from friends, family and lovers that spans over three decades since the death of her first husband. I found this biography brought several new insights into the significant life moments of Jackie O. It ranged from her life prior to marrying Jack Kennedy to her marriage to Aristotle Onassis’ and his ongoing affair with Maria Callas. By showcasing the depth of this woman’s struggles, the author brought to his readers Jackie’s relationship with not only Maurice Templeman, Carl Wernecke, Rose Kennedy, and Lady Bird Johnson but with her extended family, especially her mother Janet, her sister Lee and her other half brothers and sister. He also shed the light on her final year as she fought cancer by unveiling the gripping story of the last-ditch efforts to save her life with experimental cancer treatments.
I came away with these two thoughts. . . having wished the author had paid a bit more attention to how he arranged this book chronologically, at times I found it a bit confusing for me. Also, since Jackie worked in the literary world for many years, why didn’t she make an attempt write her own memoir.
August 18, 2023
Rating 3.5
I couldn't quite give this a 4 because the writing itself wasn't the greatest quality, and at times it was choppy. There were also moments I felt would have been best left private. (I'm sure if Jackie herself were still here, she'd be very upset about this book!) That said, it did shine a light on some of her family history I hadn't previously read. I finished this book with mixed emotions. I was sad for the life she was robbed of so many years ago, for the day in Dallas that would haunt her for the rest of her life. (As her sister points out, you never "get over" something like that. "You just don't.") This book does well in explaining how Jack and Bobby's deaths affected the trajectory of Jackie's life forever after.
I also must admit that I admired her courage in the face of so much loss. Did she make all the right decisions? Who's to say, but she did what she felt she had to in order to go on. Do any of us really make all the right decisions in life? I think in light of the times she was in and the way she was raised, she did the best she could. I respect that she decided to eventually pursue a career in publishing; it felt like a good fit for her and seems to have made her genuinely happy. If you're an admirer of Jackie, this will give you a deeper perspective on her life.
I couldn't quite give this a 4 because the writing itself wasn't the greatest quality, and at times it was choppy. There were also moments I felt would have been best left private. (I'm sure if Jackie herself were still here, she'd be very upset about this book!) That said, it did shine a light on some of her family history I hadn't previously read. I finished this book with mixed emotions. I was sad for the life she was robbed of so many years ago, for the day in Dallas that would haunt her for the rest of her life. (As her sister points out, you never "get over" something like that. "You just don't.") This book does well in explaining how Jack and Bobby's deaths affected the trajectory of Jackie's life forever after.
I also must admit that I admired her courage in the face of so much loss. Did she make all the right decisions? Who's to say, but she did what she felt she had to in order to go on. Do any of us really make all the right decisions in life? I think in light of the times she was in and the way she was raised, she did the best she could. I respect that she decided to eventually pursue a career in publishing; it felt like a good fit for her and seems to have made her genuinely happy. If you're an admirer of Jackie, this will give you a deeper perspective on her life.
July 10, 2024
This book was super interesting! It told so much history.
August 16, 2023
Jackie's Timeline
Doing extensive through interviews and written material, J. Randy Taraborrelli has compiled this information into this book complete with history of Jackie and her family from the Camelot Days to her marriage to Aristotle Onassis and beyond.
A good book for history buffs.
Doing extensive through interviews and written material, J. Randy Taraborrelli has compiled this information into this book complete with history of Jackie and her family from the Camelot Days to her marriage to Aristotle Onassis and beyond.
A good book for history buffs.
February 6, 2024
I don’t have much to compare this to since it’s my first biography but I really liked it! I think it was hard at times because it seemed “random” in events told. Also, had to have a family tree pulled up a lot but that’s cause there are a lot of people with similar names lol but I learned a lot and enjoyed it! Definitely took longer than usual for me to read but not a problem with that.
October 10, 2023
Jackie, public private and secret was a good idea for a book.I truly enjoyed reading this ebook. It explored the life of our former First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis. There was a lot of information about her life that I didn’t know about until now
December 19, 2023
Devoured this book! Absolutely loved it. So well written and vivid - you couldn’t help but kept swept in Jackie’s world while reading this. It has new interviews and perspectives from other Jackie biographies I’ve read. Highly recommend!
August 2, 2023
It was good. I can't say I learned anything exceptionally new but I was entertained.
August 14, 2023
Rating 3.9
October 1, 2023
Classic vignettes of Jackie O’s fascinating life.
January 20, 2024
What a beautiful and complicated woman.
September 15, 2024
The depth of Taraborelli’s research, interviewing, and citing is austounding. Having personally worked with Jackie in publishing another biography, he captured her unique perspective on what a biography should be: its duties to the subject and to the public.
I loved learning about the many aspects of Jackie’s life, from her blended family, socialite youth, term as First Lady, grief, romances, grudges, and more. The book encapsulates many phases of her life, much wisdom, intimate details, inside perspectives and was riveting. I will definitely return to this author’s work, as the style, tone, and authenticity are worth reading more: the sheer amount of passages I highlighted (55) is a testament to that.
I loved learning about the many aspects of Jackie’s life, from her blended family, socialite youth, term as First Lady, grief, romances, grudges, and more. The book encapsulates many phases of her life, much wisdom, intimate details, inside perspectives and was riveting. I will definitely return to this author’s work, as the style, tone, and authenticity are worth reading more: the sheer amount of passages I highlighted (55) is a testament to that.
August 10, 2024
This was a book club read for biography. We all found it interesting, well-researched, and well-written. I've never really followed her life as I missed the Camelot years. However, she was a complicated woman, to say the least. I found so many contradictions in how she lived. She (mostly) kept her Catholic faith but lived outside of it in many ways. She ate well and exercised regularly but continued to smoke like a chimney, leading to cancer and death at a young age. She was loyal to most of her family and friends but was also unforgiving. The desire for "power and money" directed her decisions throughout her life.
September 13, 2023
You would think there is nothing new left to say about Jackie Kennedy Onassis but somme how this book has some new information mostly surrounding her marriage to Onassis as well as confirmation of rumours surrounding her marriage to Kennedy or a confirmation of stuff rumoured to have happened but never did. And a bit about experimental treatment during heer cancer battle. Of course there's still some mysteries remain which is probably how Jackie would've liked it. It's been a while since I read any Kennedy book so it's hard to remember what else was new here and what wasn't. Such as Janet sharing a childhood favourite butterscotch pudding with her daughters at the height of the Cuban Missile crisis. That might've been written in Janet Jackie Lee by the same author since it seemed familiar. Overall Jackie came across as human. Stubborn, elitist, but also kind and caring and down to earth. She had a love hate relationship with her family and the Kennedys but she never lost touch with her former in laws. The end made me cry. She was so young when she died, the same year my own grandmother died also of cancer, (different type) also too young; but my aunt always talked about how she would never get to see her littlest grandchildren grow up as they were 1 and 2 when she died and Jackie also had young grandchildren that she was so excited to be a grandmother to. One thing I love about this author's books is the short chapters which are both a blessing and a curse when reading before bed, if too tired you don't end in the middle of a random page, but time also slips by fast and suddenly it's 1 AM and you have to get up at 6AM for work. I didn't like and I'm not sure if it's his usual writing style since it's been so long is that the book jumped around in the first section. One chapter it's the 60's the next Jackie's parents are meeting, or Jackie s traveling to Europe with her stepbrother. I like biographies that maybe start in the future and flashback or just start with the childhood of the subject and go from there. Once the first part is over it falls into a more chronological order. But this is a small thing in an otherwise enjoyable engaging read.
January 12, 2024
Jackie Kennedy Onassis has been covered countless times, but this extensive biography sheds some light on topics that haven't recently been covered due to Taraborrelli's extensive research for twenty-five years. The biography isn't told chronically, but instead, it feels like interconnected vignettes that form a beautiful picture once all the pieces of the puzzle come together. Taraborrelli covers Jackie's young adult life and provides some insight into her relationship with her father, Jack Bouvier, as well as her overbearing mother, Janet Bouvier Auchincloss. It also highlights her relationship with her stepfather, Hugh Auchincloss, and their special bond. The undercurrent of competition with her sister Lee is always there and highlighted throughout the biography. What readers would expect the author to cover, such as her marriage to John F. Kennedy, her relationship with the Kennedy clan, the assassination of JFK, and her marriage to Aristotle Onassis is all there. Taraborrelli fills in the blanks by providing details of her time between the marriages, such as her projects, her lovers, and her many issues with feeling safe and secure. What Taraborrelli covers very well in Jackie: Public, Private, Secret is the time after Aristotle Onanssis's death as I think many biographies gloss over this period. The author does a deep dive into how Jackie rebuilt her life, entered the publishing world, her editorial work, and her relationship with Maurice Templesman. Sadly, the story ends with her cancer diagnosis as well as upsetting events within her family, but once again Taraborrelli sheds some light on the experimental cancer treatment that Jackie wanted but never had the chance to try it. This was new information to me and utterly heartbreaking! Any fan of Jackie or the Kennedy family should definitely check out Jackie: Public, Private, Secret as it's one of my favorite biographies of such an important icon in history.
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
August 22, 2023
I do not consider myself a Jackie scholar, although I’m pretty well read on her life. I found this book entertaining though not edited well, and riddled with inconsistencies. One glaring one comes to mind when the author calls Nancy Tuckerman Mrs . Kennedy’s personal secretary and has her working at the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October’62. In fact, Nancy Tuckerman became the White House social secretary in 1963, after Tish Baldridge resigned. I got annoyed and returned this book to the library. I’m glad I didn’t buy it.
January 3, 2024
“What’s the point of a biography if it doesn’t reveal secrets?” - Jackie Kennedy Onassis
I am fascinated by the Kennedy’s and have read several books on Jackie, and just when you think there is nothing else to know, here comes a book like this that is so captivating and so revealing, showing so much more than we ever knew. It is a chonker at 528 pages, but listening via audio I did not and could not stop once I got started. This is an amazing read, I highly, highly recommend it.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the free copy to review.
I am fascinated by the Kennedy’s and have read several books on Jackie, and just when you think there is nothing else to know, here comes a book like this that is so captivating and so revealing, showing so much more than we ever knew. It is a chonker at 528 pages, but listening via audio I did not and could not stop once I got started. This is an amazing read, I highly, highly recommend it.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the free copy to review.
October 10, 2023
I gave this a 4 star.
There really wasn't anything new, that I had already read about before. I just didn't know that she brought up the assassination to everyone that was close to her. I know she was a strong person, but anyone that would have been through what she went through, would have had a nervous breakdown. Maybe she did, but back then it wasn't spoken of? You'll never find another first lady like Jackie, that's for sure.
There really wasn't anything new, that I had already read about before. I just didn't know that she brought up the assassination to everyone that was close to her. I know she was a strong person, but anyone that would have been through what she went through, would have had a nervous breakdown. Maybe she did, but back then it wasn't spoken of? You'll never find another first lady like Jackie, that's for sure.
October 17, 2023
DNF! Pretty amazing for me because I've read many books on Jackie!
I found the book to be very incongruous, jumping around between dates, forward, backward, just very helter skelter. I hung in for quite awhile before I said, enough.
I found the book to be very incongruous, jumping around between dates, forward, backward, just very helter skelter. I hung in for quite awhile before I said, enough.
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