Ostensibly this book is about the deep love between Jack and Jackie Kennedy in the final year of Jack's life. However, the first 280 pages or so chronicle Jack's womanizing during his time in office, as much as it chronicles their marriage and his number of dalliances is so high and so varied, it is hard to think this man was true to his wife in any conception of the word. The team of men who surrounded him and helped him to meet with the many women, and conceal their trysts, is amazing. It is also amazing that he had time to run the country, with all his hobnobbing and partying and traveling here and there. Several times reference is made to the fact that Jackie Kennedy was aware of JFK's philandering but that as long as she did not suffer public humiliation, she was willing to put up with it.
One of the author's tactics is to use conversation in his retelling of these stories. That technique is always disconcerting to me when the actual encounters took place so long ago.
Considering the high level of security that presidents and their families now endure, it is interesting to read about the many travels of this famous couple, both in the United States and and abroad, during JFK's presidency.
The author contends that the death of their son, Patrick, in August 1963, dealt a decisive blow to the marriage and was what started the couple moving back towards each other. As with most Kennedy biographies, any conclusions are conjecture. This was interesting to read, but still left many questions unanswered.
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