Book Review of
Mrs. Kennedy and Me
Lynn's Review
Mrs. Kennedy and Me written by Clint Hill is a fascinating look into the Kennedy’s life while in the White House.
Clint Hill, the author, was Jackie Kennedy’s secret service agent. He got to know Jackie Kennedy in a way that very few people did. He was one of the agents on duty when President Kennedy was shot and killed.
I love books that give you a look into what the families of U.S. Presidents have to deal with. This book did exactly that. It gave you a look into Jackie Kennedy’s life, along with her children’s lives, while she was First Lady. It also covers the days following Presidents Kennedy’s death.
I listened to this on audio and thought it made a great audiobook, but I think I would have enjoyed reading this one as well.
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was fascinating to hear about the life of the Kennedys from someone who had the job of protecting them. You can tell that Clint Hill had great respect for the Kennedys so in many ways this is a very pro President Kennedy book, but at the same time, you can tell that Clint Hill did not agree with all that the Kennedys did or how they lived their lives.
To me, this book was a reminder of how out of touch Jacqueline Kennedy could be. She grew up in a wealthy family and in her mind, she could not imagine that there are people who had never done things as their family did. Things like riding a horse or riding on a boat. She was fairly out of touch with how normal people lived their lives.
I was also very surprised at the lack of time both President and Mrs. Kennedy spent with their kids and each other. However, the historical aspect of this book was fascinating and well done.
The last third or so of the book made it worth it. The detailed description of the days leading up to President Kennedy’s death and the actual day of his death made it worth the read. Clint Hill was there the whole time. He was protecting Mrs. Kennedy when President Kennedy died and he gives a detailed account of that day.
If you love presidential history this is a good one.