The Kennedy Detail
JFK's Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence
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4.3 • 203 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
The New York Times bestselling and extraordinary true story of the critical events leading up to and following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, as told by the Secret Service agents who were firsthand witnesses to one of America’s greatest tragedies.
The Secret Service. An elite team of men who share a single mission: to protect the president of the United States. On November 22, 1963, these men failed—and a country would never be the same. Now, for the first time, a member of JFK’s Secret Service detail reveals the inside story of the assassination, the weeks and days that led to it and its heartrending aftermath. This extraordinary book is a moving, intimate portrait of dedication, courage, and loss.
Drawing on the memories of his fellow agents, Jerry Blaine captures the energetic, crowd-loving young president, who banned agents from his car and often plunged into raucous crowds with little warning. He describes the careful planning that went into JFK’s Texas swing, the worries and concerns that agents, working long hours with little food or rest, had during the trip. And he describes the intensely private first lady making her first-ever political appearance with her husband, just months after losing a newborn baby.
Here are vivid scenes that could come only from inside the Kennedy detail: JFK’s last words to his tearful son when he left Washington for the last time; how a sudden change of weather led to the choice of the open-air convertible limousine that day; Mrs. Kennedy standing blood-soaked outside a Dallas hospital room; the sudden interruption of six-year-old Caroline’s long-anticipated sleepover with a friend at home; the exhausted team of agents immediately reacting to the president’s death with a shift to LBJ and other key governmental figures; the agents’ dismay at Jackie’s decision to walk openly from the White House to St. Matthew’s Cathedral at the state funeral.
Most of all, this is a look into the lives of men who devoted their entire beings to protecting the presidential family: the stress of the secrecy they kept, the emotional bonds that developed, the terrible impact on agents’ psyches and families, and their astonishment at the country’s obsession with far-fetched conspiracy theories and finger-pointing. A book fifty years in coming, The Kennedy Detail is a portrait of incredible camaraderie and incredible heartbreak—a true, must-read story of heroism in its most complex and human form.
Customer Reviews
Great Perspective
As a young adult I lived through the Kennedy assassination and its enduring aftermath including the crazy conspiracy theories. Blaine's book took me back to that time that I remember vividly.
If you are looking for conspiracies or insider information on the personal scandals of the president, this book is not for you. It is not there. However, if you want a deep look into the character of the Secret Service and the super-human demands put on them and the relationships with the president and Jacqueline, this book is a wonderful read. The Kennedy's were kind, respectful and appreciative of their family's protectors--not true of many other presidents. The feelings were mutual by the team that accepted they could give their lives protecting the first family.
Kennedy's death had a deep and profound effect on The White House detail that lasted all of their lives. In spite of the uncontrollable circumstances they blamed themselves for loosing the president and for years honorably kept the secret that Kennedy had ordered the agents to stay off the back of the limousine.
Well written. Very insightful. Very factual. And, very heart-wrenching.
Engrossing
I found this to be a fascinating first hand account of the lives of the Secret Service detail and the Kennedy family. This is intimate account of their service and the tragedy of Dallas. One is immediately impressed with the type of person that is called to this type of duty and the daily sacrifice of their wives and children.
I was surprised how sensitive and thoughtful the President and the First Lady were to the agents. Reading about the guilt and anguish of the detail was quite revealing and tragic. Clint Hill comes across as an extraordinary officer who blame himself for something he had absolutely no control over. You finish the book feeling that we as a country have not honored the service of these men nearly enough. May this book help heal the wounds of that tragic day.
The Kennedy Detail
Very informative read. Great insights into the mind of true sentinels. Finally puts to rest for me all the conspiracy theories and theorists of the Kennedy assassination. Lays bare one agent's guilt and tortured soul whom ironically preformed his duty the best during the assassination. One will clearly understand how President Kennedy's life was vulnerable to assassination in the end. An end that ultimately changed our world. A must read for the historian, the conspirator theorist, all Secret Service agents or the just plain Kennedyphile...