Kennedy's Last Days

This historical audiobook focuses on the events that culminated in President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination. Although the book is targeted for a younger audience, Edward Herrmann's narration is magnificently suited for both adult and child listeners. He leads his audience expertly through this fact-filled account to its unforgettable end. Herrmann creates a compelling cadence that builds to a crescendo as the drama and horror unfold in the last chapters of Kennedy's life. This will be the first time that many young listeners hear a detailed account of how one man's anger and delusions changed the course of American history. Adult listeners who remember that fateful day will feel a strong connection to Herrmann's presentation. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

September 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-President John F. Kennedy's assassination shocked and saddened the entire nation and the world. Political journalist Bill O'Reilly explores the events in both Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's lives in the years leading up to that fateful day. This juvenile version (2013) of his adult title, Killing Kennedy (2012, both Holt), is told in an alternating time line that follows both men's lives in the years preceding the devastating event in Dallas. By juxtaposing the lives of both men, O'Reilly compares and contrasts their backgrounds and beliefs. While O'Reilly's admiration of Kennedy is apparent, this slight bias is well balanced with many facts that will lead listeners to develop a more well-rounded view of the 35th president. Kennedy's lack of interest in politics while growing up, the injuries he incurred while serving in the military during World War II, and the choices he made during the Cold War and Vietnam War are all detailed in an easy-to-understand manner. Narrator Edward Herrmann does a wonderful job of pacing through the audiobook, presenting the facts as if telling a story. Combined with the relative short length of the book, Herrmann's narration makes this an excellent choice for introducing young learners to Kennedy's assassination.-Jessica Miller, West Springfield Public Library, MA

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.