Summary and Reviews of America's Queen by Sarah Bradford

America's Queen by Sarah Bradford

America's Queen

A Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

by Sarah Bradford
  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Readers' Rating (2):
  • First Published:
  • Oct 1, 2000, 448 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Oct 2001, 512 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Book Summary

Reveals the real Jackie in a sympathetic but frank portrait of an amazing woman who has dazzled us since her teenage years.... Here is the private Jackie--neglected wife, vigilant mother, and working widow--whose contradictory and fascinating nature is illuminated by all that Bradford has discovered.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis has captivated the American public for more than five decades. From her introduction to the world as "debutante of the year"in 1947 to her untimely death in 1994, she has truly remained America's answer to royalty. In America's Queen, the acclaimed biographer of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Grace reveals the real Jackie in a sympathetic but frank portrait of an amazing woman who has dazzled us since her teenage years. Using remarkable new sources--including in-depth interviews with Jackie's sister Lee Radziwell, lavish illustrations, and previously unseen photographs from family sources--Sarah Bradford has written a timely celebration of a life that was more private than commonly supposed. Jackie's privileged upbringing instilled rigid self-control while her expedient marriage into the overwhelming Kennedy clan consolidated her determination. Revealing new testimony from many of the couple's friends shows the profound complexities both of this apparently very public relationship and of her controversial marriage to Aristotle Onassis. Here is the private Jackie--neglected wife, vigilant mother, and working widow--whose contradictory and fascinating nature is illuminated by all that Bradford has discovered.

Contents

1. Golden Gatsby Years, 1
2. Daddy's Little Girl, 15
3. The Education of a Nymph, 32
4. The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze, 51
5. Clan Initiation, 74
6. Twin Icebergs, 93
7. Seeking the Golden Fleece, 114
8. Queen of the Circus, 142
9. Coronation, 163
10. The House of the Sun King, 169
11. America's Queen, 191
12. Salad Days, 215
13. Rendezvous with Death, 243
14. Profile in Courage, 270
15. The Knights of Camelot, 281
16. La Dolce Vita, 303
17. Odysseus, 320
18. "One Foolish Dream", 340
19. The Curse of the House of Onassis, 352
20. Greek Labyrinth, 363
21. New York-New Life, 376
22. Private Lives, 397
23. Matriarch, 416
24. Pilgrim's End, 434
And So Farewell..., 441
Epilogue, 444
Acknowledgments, 445
Notes, 449
Sources: Select Bibliography and Archives, 473
Permissions, 479
Photo Credits, 481

 

She said to me once that a few of us should be forgiven for some of the things we did in the years immediately ...

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Reviews

Media Reviews

Barnes & Noble
...offers an unblinking but evenhanded look at one of the most fascinating women of the 20th century.

Kirkus Reviews
...an insightful book about a quintessentially American woman...Even after reading this intensive portrait, we remain insatiably curious about [her].

Reader Reviews

Barbara Magallona

More than a rehash
The challenge of writing a biography on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is that everyone knows the basic plot: a love of horses, suffered from her parents' divorce, enjoyed a good education, married a U.S. President (and all the triumphs and tragedies and...   Read More
Regina Vaytser

I think that this book gives good information but is given in the wrong way. It is very hard to read and gets boring right away. I do recomend this book for those who have to do research projects and papers and also for those who like biographies, ...   Read More

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