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dkehoe's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a great read. While some parts of the book do drive me a little crazy, like the fact that they only really explored one conspiracy theory, and basically laughed at all of the others, the majority of the book was incredible.
This is a book that takes you into the lives of the men whose jobs were to protect the president of the United States. The men that have been living with immense guilt because of the fact that they felt like the "Failed" the President, by not being able to protect him. They did everything that they could that day, and nothing they could have done would have changed the outcome. As stated many times in the book "The shooter had every advantage that day".
It shows you how much the Secret Service men cared for JFK, and how much he cared about them. Each one o them would have given their lives in order to protect the President that day, and as a result, they all went all of this time without speaking a word about it to each other, at least until Blaine began writing this book.
This is a book that takes you into the lives of the men whose jobs were to protect the president of the United States. The men that have been living with immense guilt because of the fact that they felt like the "Failed" the President, by not being able to protect him. They did everything that they could that day, and nothing they could have done would have changed the outcome. As stated many times in the book "The shooter had every advantage that day".
It shows you how much the Secret Service men cared for JFK, and how much he cared about them. Each one o them would have given their lives in order to protect the President that day, and as a result, they all went all of this time without speaking a word about it to each other, at least until Blaine began writing this book.
iceberg0's review against another edition
4.0
Very well written and no nonsense account by the people who were there.
knwickberg's review against another edition
5.0
It was very well written! It was a perspective of what happened that you never hear of, and I actually learned a lot more about the what was going on during those times then I ever did in any of my history classes
pocketvolcano's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book. Really moving to see how close the different agents became with the President and First Lady. Takes a strong person to be an agent.
tmleblanc's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent account of the Kennedy Assassination and the men who were tasked at protecting him and his family. Clint Hill's 60 Minutes Interview, that is mentioned at the end of the book, is on the CBS web site (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7235749n).
judyward's review against another edition
4.0
Since I am in that age group that remembers exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard that President Kennedy was shot and killed, this book appealed to me. Since I stood in line for hours to file by his body lying in state in the Capitol rotunda, I was interested in reading the story of that period in history written from the point of view of the Secret Service men who served President and Mrs. Kennedy and were present on that horrible day in Dallas. While this book could have benefitted from tigher editing, former Secret Service agent Gerald Blaine draws a compelling portrait about the life of Secret Service agents during the Kennedy administration. And, more importantly, he tells the story of how the assassination affected the agents and their families in the aftermath of Kennedy's death. Recommended for anyone interested in the history of the U.S. during the middle of the 20th century.
mountie9's review against another edition
5.0
The Good Stuff
* Compelling and authentic and extremely classy (no tell all gossip book here)
* Touching first hand accounts of the relationship between JFK and his staff and his family
* Good selection of photographs including a lovely candid one of JFK and his kids on Halloween
* The scene between JFK and his son is very touching when you realize this is the last time they will ever see each other. Made me cry -- for once at least I wasn't in a public place when I read it
* Enjoyed the little glimpse into how compassionate and how all to human JFK and his wife were
* The obvious love and respect that the agents had for each other and for their "boss"
* honestly just really interesting to learn about the inner workings of the Secret Service and of the men whose job it is to protect the president - just plain fascinating
* Extremely detailed descriptions of the days before and after the assassination
* The descriptions of the agents grief and their obvious feelings of survivors guilt and shame are very moving
* Touching stories about the relationship between the agents and JFK's kids before and after the assassination
* Why are you still reading my ramblings just go get the book - you know you want to.
The Not so Good Stuff
* Jumps around a little and I got lost a couple of times -- but hey I am a sleep deprived mom, you guys might not notice as much
* Sometimes I was a little frustrated with all the minute details - see above note
* Also, (and you should know one of my history teachers, Mr Centa was a HUGE conspiracy theorist and I had to attend tons of his presentations in high school so this stuff has been ingrained in me - I can't tell you how many times we had to see the Zapruder film) I sort of balked at the obvious plea for us to put our full trust in the findings of the Warren Commission (See the last quote in next section)
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"The publishing of motorcade routes was a constant battle between the Secret Service and the president's political advisers. From the Secret Service standpoint, informing the public about the president's movements in advance was like inviting the fox into the hen-house, while the political folks looked at is as a necessity. From their views, the whole point of the motorcade was for JFK to be seen by as many people as possible."
"Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others - John F. Kennedy"
"Meanwhile, Godfrey was fuming. He couldn't wait to get out of the country. He turned to Rowley and said, "The Italians haven't changed since the last time I was here. The only difference is, now we can't shoot at 'em"
"I would be very pleased if the results of the Warren Commission and its investigation would be accepted as the final word. However, I know that the researchers, writers, and filmmakers who continue to question those findings will never accept those as the truth. The information presented by the majority of these people is theory, not fact. They were not witnesses to the assassination; have little or no knowledge of protective procedures; did not know the dedicated agents on this assignment; and simply were not in our shoes that day in Dallas."
What I Learned
* Fascinating details about the day to day challenges faced by members of the Secret Service
* How few Secret Service were actually in charge of protecting the president and how this has changed since
* Too many interesting historical tidbits to mention -- just go buy the book -- or of course ask your friendly neighborhood Librarian for a copy
* John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic to be elected president -- seriously I couldn't believe it either
* How little these guys actually got paid to put their lives on the line and how horribly boring it could be
* Really would have hated to be married to one of these guys
Who should/shouldn't read
* I'm thinking serious conspiracy theorists will be totally put off by this one -- that's right Fox Mulder and Dr. Jack Hodgins this book is not for you (And cannot forget about you Mr Centa)
* History buffs and those interested in the Secret Service will definitely enjoy
* Definite must have for Kennedy junkies
4.5 Dewey's
Purchased this from Indigo on recommendation from Captain Awesome of Indigo Jeremy Cammy
* Compelling and authentic and extremely classy (no tell all gossip book here)
* Touching first hand accounts of the relationship between JFK and his staff and his family
* Good selection of photographs including a lovely candid one of JFK and his kids on Halloween
* The scene between JFK and his son is very touching when you realize this is the last time they will ever see each other. Made me cry -- for once at least I wasn't in a public place when I read it
* Enjoyed the little glimpse into how compassionate and how all to human JFK and his wife were
* The obvious love and respect that the agents had for each other and for their "boss"
* honestly just really interesting to learn about the inner workings of the Secret Service and of the men whose job it is to protect the president - just plain fascinating
* Extremely detailed descriptions of the days before and after the assassination
* The descriptions of the agents grief and their obvious feelings of survivors guilt and shame are very moving
* Touching stories about the relationship between the agents and JFK's kids before and after the assassination
* Why are you still reading my ramblings just go get the book - you know you want to.
The Not so Good Stuff
* Jumps around a little and I got lost a couple of times -- but hey I am a sleep deprived mom, you guys might not notice as much
* Sometimes I was a little frustrated with all the minute details - see above note
* Also, (and you should know one of my history teachers, Mr Centa was a HUGE conspiracy theorist and I had to attend tons of his presentations in high school so this stuff has been ingrained in me - I can't tell you how many times we had to see the Zapruder film) I sort of balked at the obvious plea for us to put our full trust in the findings of the Warren Commission (See the last quote in next section)
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"The publishing of motorcade routes was a constant battle between the Secret Service and the president's political advisers. From the Secret Service standpoint, informing the public about the president's movements in advance was like inviting the fox into the hen-house, while the political folks looked at is as a necessity. From their views, the whole point of the motorcade was for JFK to be seen by as many people as possible."
"Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others - John F. Kennedy"
"Meanwhile, Godfrey was fuming. He couldn't wait to get out of the country. He turned to Rowley and said, "The Italians haven't changed since the last time I was here. The only difference is, now we can't shoot at 'em"
"I would be very pleased if the results of the Warren Commission and its investigation would be accepted as the final word. However, I know that the researchers, writers, and filmmakers who continue to question those findings will never accept those as the truth. The information presented by the majority of these people is theory, not fact. They were not witnesses to the assassination; have little or no knowledge of protective procedures; did not know the dedicated agents on this assignment; and simply were not in our shoes that day in Dallas."
What I Learned
* Fascinating details about the day to day challenges faced by members of the Secret Service
* How few Secret Service were actually in charge of protecting the president and how this has changed since
* Too many interesting historical tidbits to mention -- just go buy the book -- or of course ask your friendly neighborhood Librarian for a copy
* John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic to be elected president -- seriously I couldn't believe it either
* How little these guys actually got paid to put their lives on the line and how horribly boring it could be
* Really would have hated to be married to one of these guys
Who should/shouldn't read
* I'm thinking serious conspiracy theorists will be totally put off by this one -- that's right Fox Mulder and Dr. Jack Hodgins this book is not for you (And cannot forget about you Mr Centa)
* History buffs and those interested in the Secret Service will definitely enjoy
* Definite must have for Kennedy junkies
4.5 Dewey's
Purchased this from Indigo on recommendation from Captain Awesome of Indigo Jeremy Cammy
jlautry's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was a thorough, detailed, heartfelt and intimate account of the years, months, week and days leading up to the Kennedy assassination as well as the days, months and years afterward. This is most definitely a must-read for anyone.
edwarde3ddd's review
4.0
A book that puts to rest the conspiracy theorists as told by Secret Service agents. The detailed account of their demanding work leaves little room for debate. Having read quite a bit about both Kennedy and the assasination, this should be a part of any Kennedy canon
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