November 22, 1963

July 15, 2013
A mostly reverential compendium of voices touched by the promise and spirit of John F. Kennedy's presidency--and the shock of his death. Keen observers of the president, members of his devoted staff, children of his advisers, civil rights leaders, eyewitness journalists and youth inspired by his brief, shining administration--all offer their concise statements and appraisals in veteran journalist Owen's collection. The author was just 7 years old on the date of the assassination, riveted like the rest of the country to the TV ("the centrifuge of the country," as Tom Brokaw calls it) and ultimately galvanized by the craft of journalism. Some of the accounts are extracts from copyrighted statements evidently published in previous books, such as Walter F. Mondale's The Good Fight and Vincent Bugliosi's Reclaiming History, all of which expound poignantly on this most intimate "death in the family." Some of the statements are truly elucidating and mesmerizing, such as those by then-special assistant counsel Joseph A. Califano Jr., who proudly applauded JFK's prescient civil rights speech of June 1963 (a crusade taken up by his brother, Robert); and by Rev. Billy Graham, who had spent time with the president and was impressed by his concern "about the moral and spiritual condition of the nation," noting the day after Kennedy died that "the entire nation [was] thinking more about death and eternity than at any time since the war." Other accounts are more curious and questionable, such as those by Army officer Andy Carlson, who led the riderless horse "Black Jack" during the funeral, and by Ruth Paine, who was living with Marina Oswald at the time. Given the ongoing, apparently insatiable curiosity about the Kennedy assassination, most readers will probably find it all equally fascinating. All walks of life are represented in this immense cross section of Americans' grief and groping for comprehension.

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September 15, 2013

Former Washington, DC, reporter Owen has compiled an uneven collection of remembrances he solicited from over 100 men and women about JFK's death and legacy. The book is divided into eight sections: "Members of the Kennedy Administration and White House Staff"; "Civil Rights Leaders"; "Children of Kennedy Advisors and Others"; "Celebrities"; "Family and Friends"; "Journalists and Commentators"; "Political Figures"; and "Those with Humorous, Poignant, Quirky and Tragic Encounters, and Connections." Readers will find the memories offered by those closest to Kennedy the most meaningful, e.g., by longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas, who contributed the foreword before her death this summer; retired secret service agent Clint Hill, who was on duty in Dallas; White House usher Nelson C. Pierce; Harris Wofford, special assistant to President Kennedy on civil rights; and Congressman John Lewis, former chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. There are only two entries by relatives--and one of those is a reprint. Other memories, e.g., from children of advisers, a major league baseball player, and a game show host, offer fewer insights. A common thread is that JFK gave his supporters hope for a better country and inspired the contributors to lead lives of public service. VERDICT Readers, especially those who lived through the Kennedy years, will be unimpressed by stories from those with only a superficial connection to JFK. Only for hard-core Kennedy junkies.--KH

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