Where Were You?

December 16, 2013
Editors Russo and Moses capture the aura of an American tragedy through the collected memories of 50 people who lived through the Kennedy era. Subjects interviewed range from former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton to the shoe salesman who called the police about a suspicious looking character hanging about the streets of Oak Cliff, Texas, not long after Kennedy was shot. The book includes diverse perspectives, from assassination buffs, like lawyer Vincent Bugliosi, who believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone to fringe political player Carlos Bringuier, a Cuban exile who crossed paths with Oswald in New Orleans and adamantly believes that Fidel Castro was involved in the assassination. Joe English describes the few days at the White House immediately after Kennedy's death, giving the reader an insider's view of the family and JFK's advisors. It was a surreal time that this book brings down to the emotional level, given as much time and focus to how people were feeling as to the nuances of when events happened. The editors craft a loose narrative with no definitive answers as to what happen, who did it, and why, except simply that it hurt at a deep level for many people. That's not news, but to hear it once again from so many different voices has a surprisingly powerful effect.

November 1, 2013
The companion volume to a forthcoming NBC documentary on the Kennedy assassination. Investigative TV reporter Russo and prime-time producer Moses collaborated on canvassing a wide range of personalities, including politicians, news correspondents, actors, best-selling authors, photojournalists and widowed spouses. Participants were surveyed with key questions on how the Kennedy shooting impacted life personally and nationally with the resulting essays condensed from hourlong personal interviews, then divided into sections on the event's location (Dallas), its politics, culture, and the ensuing controversy and speculation. A majority of these anecdotes and recollections are moving and powerful and will greatly fortify the televised coverage of this somber anniversary. Newsman Dan Rather writes that Kennedy's untimely demise made him a more skeptical reporter, yet the president's legacy as a whole renewed his sense of patriotism and "love of country." Marie Tippit, widow to a Dallas policeman caught in Lee Harvey Oswald's crossfire, reflects painfully on her loss, as do political duo Richard and Doris Kearns Goodwin, who jointly reflect on the unkind fate that befell the Kennedy family. With vivid narration, Robert Grossman recounts the sad, grueling hours he'd spent as one of the attending neurosurgeons searching for signs of life inside the president's slain body. Former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton offer nods to Kennedy's humanitarian, pro-peace administration, while Pat Buchanan brusquely admits that Kennedy's presidency was hardly "one of the greats." Thought-provoking conspiracy theories amplify an already emotionally charged landscape but are soon smoothed over with memories offered by distinguished celebrities Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Jay Leno and Jane Fonda, who fondly refers to the Kennedy clan as being "as close as we'll ever get to royalty." The themes of remembrance and appreciation remain constant throughout these pieces--all relevant and compiled with care. An engrossing, politically charged accompaniment to a TV event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination.

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Starred review from September 15, 2013

On November 22, NBC will air a two-hour documentary hosted by Tom Brokaw in which notable men and women are filmed sharing their memories connected to the fatal day 50 years before. Each person spoke on camera for about 45 minutes; a great deal of footage was left on the cutting room floor. Hence this book, with full transcripts of each participant's words. Sections titled "Dallas," "Solemnities," "Politics," "Controversy," and "Culture" together hold over 50 pieces, each with a brief biographical intro at the top. The "Dallas" narratives, by those who were there, are the most riveting. Dan Rather's vivid three-plus pages in which he sees the president's car go by oddly fast and take a turn away from the expected route show the confusion of those present and a journalist's attempt to gain some control of the situation. Marie Tippit, widow of Officer J.D. Tippit, Oswald's other victim that day, speaks here publicly for the first time. Other highlights: Robert Caro's present-tense portrait of Lyndon Johnson; Joseph Califano on arranging Arlington burial details and on the Kennedy administration's tangles with Fidel Castro, not investigated by the Warren Commission; and former actress Nancy Olson Livingston on being the momentary focus of JFK's appetites. In the "Culture" section, the number of people believing that Oswald did not act alone reflects a common view but still may surprise. VERDICT These intense episodes of remembrance make for a gripping collection that most people with an interest in JFK will want to read.--MH

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