Rating: 
Summary: A truly well-balanced account of an extraordinary person
Review: "America's Queen" was an interesting read. The first chapter on her family tree was complicated and hard to follow due to the introduction of so many names. However, as the book began to tell the story of how Jackie came to be was great because of the many different point of views that were presented by those who knew Jackie.
Rating: 
Summary: Shares a variety of views on JKO
Review: "America's Queen" was an interesting read. The first chapter on her family tree was complicated and hard to follow due to the introduction of so many names. However, as the book began to tell the story of how Jackie came to be was great because of the many different point of views that were presented by those who knew Jackie.
Rating:
Summary: Iron Butterfly
Review: A solid biography of a complex woman, Jackie Onassis. Bradford does her usual stellar job of peeking behind the curtain of mystery and into the lives of the rich and famous. This book makes a fine companion to her biographies of Princess Grace and Queen Elizabeth II. Bradford takes us from Jackie's earliest years as the adored eldest child of a wayward father, John Vernou "Black Jack" Bouvier; to the White House as the politically advantageous mate to an unfaithful John F. Kennedy; to Greece as the trophy wife of Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis; and finally to the freedom and excitement of New York during Jackie's later years in the 70s and 80s.We get to see behind the Kennedy mythology-Jack was as wayward as her father, and in retaliation, Jackie spent his money. Nanny Maud Shaw was pointedly left out of the many photo-exclusives the Kennedys gave to Life magazine, even though she was the main parental figure for Caroline and John, Jr. Coexisting in the First Lady was a woman who wore glamorous gowns and wowed dignitaries with her conversational skills and self-possessed manner, and a woman who smoked incessantly, hated campaigning, bit her fingernails to the quick, and was deeply wounded by her husband's infidelities. Bradford's interviews are far-ranging: From Gloria Steinem to Jackie's younger sister Lee Radziwill, many of Jackie's acquaintances in Greece, Gore Vidal, her cousin John Davis, and some of her former flames, the people quoted in this book give us a glimpse of a privileged and often painful life. It is frankly stated that Jackie's repeated miscarriages and stillbirths were undoubtedly due contracting chlamydia from JFK. For years after the assassination of her husband, in odd moments Jackie would confide the hideous shock of holding parts of her husband's head in her hands. She had an embattled relationship with her mother, Janet Lee, and later with her sister, who was frustratingly left in the shadow of her sister's radiant beam. Many of the society wives who moved in Jackie's circle reported how possessive and flirtatious she was with their husbands. Far from being in love with Onassis (who had been having an affair with her sister), Jackie married him primarily for the security his vast fortune could afford her. Jackie was far more interested in championing the arts (her helping to start the foundation to restore the White House, her involvement in the campaign to save Grand Central Station), than in humanitarian and charitable causes, Bradford asserts. This book could well have been subtitled "Iron Butterfly," as Jackie repeatedly gets what she wants (money, donations of antiquities to the White House, clothing) by being manipulative and irresistible at the same time. Yet despite not being the idealized version of herself we've all recognized over the years, Jackie is a fully-realized person in this book. I felt I knew more about her and her motivations after reading it, and not necessarily liking her any less for her flaws of character. The woman who stated her ambition in her Farmington yearbook as "Never to be a housewife" certainly exceeded that goal. A good addition to your library-my only quibble would be for more attention to detail in the editing and more pictures we haven't already seen. Objective Jackie fans will not be disappointed in what, in the end, is a well-rounded portrait of an unforgettable woman.
Rating:
Summary: The Story of an American Queen
Review: A very well written biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis that brings a fresh, new approach about the woman everybody wrote about. It tells about her relationship with her father (a notorious cad)that steered her life towards wealth and dangerous men. There is much "behind the scenes" narrative that is interesting and revealing - her marriage to Onassis who wanted the ultimate trophy wife. Her final days with Templesman was out of context in that he was not a "cad" although married. "She had all the wrong standards and yet she became something very special in spite of this." Good reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Satisfying, if not particularly sympathetic
Review: As biographies of this type go, I quite enjoyed this one. It is long - fine print and well over 400 pages - but although I found the early chapters a bit slow, it was reasonably easy to read. I know a bit about the story, the politics of the Kennedy era, and the subsequent history of the family, so it was probably easier for me to read a book of this length and detail than most. Other well-known people (of all nationalities) wander in and out of the story with regularity, offering little insights and reminders which add to the appeal of the book. The author doesn't appear to be particularly sympathetic to, or critical of, Jackie Kennedy, which may suggest that the biography is about as unbiased as you are going to get. However I did not end up feeling any real sympathy for, or empathy with, Jackie Kennedy - I probably expected to (having invested so much time in reading about the many and varied aspects of her life), given the tragedies and difficulties she experienced. Certainly there were moments where my heart went out to her, but on balance, I was left with more of a feeling of someone just a bit too arrogant and self-centred, and out-of-touch with the real world, to deserve much sympathy.
Rating:
Summary: SURVIVAL AFTER CAMELOT!
Review: Author Sarah Bradford unveils the saga of this modern "Guinevere" in beautiful glossy photos and simplistic prose. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a refined, tough lady who clung tenaciously to life following the death of her husband. Surviving the loss of a loved one is a horrendous experience. Living under the glaring intrusive scrutiny of the press, and an inquisitive adoring public, and in the "rarified, stifling" air of the Kennedy clan, and the political arena of action makes the recently televised "Survivor" series look like a date with popcorn and cotton candy. Familarity with the challenges Jackie faced makes reading this book even more enjoyable, since we already know the outcome, there is no tension or skimming of pages to get to the end of the book to see how the author resolves the "plot". Ms. Bradford has given us a fascinating look at a lady who survived- simply survived-- "Camelot", and went on with her life -- to Greece with Ari Onassis, and then back to the USA. alone. This "Guinevere" did not "hie thee to a nunnery", as in medieval days, but stepped fully into life and lived it on her own courageous terms. Those who appreciate history, drama, and tales of strong women will like this book. I did. Perhaps Jackie was more akin to "Xena, Warrior woman", than Lady Guinivere after all.
Rating: 
Summary: save your money
Review: essentially a rehash -- and a sterile one at that -- of old information. Did we really need "confirmation" that she had an affair with Robert Kennedy?
Rating:
Summary: By Far The Best Biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Review: I am fascinated by Jackie; I have read every biography of her out there and been disappointed because the authors couldn't hold my interest (and if they can't hold my interest with this subject how can they call themselves writers!). The one exception is the book by Stephen Birmingham, but even that pales in comparison to Bradford's book. Finally, someone who writes a compelling narrative and has genuine insight into her subject instead of dwelling on the tabloid aspects of Jackie's life. I have a later edition of this book and I have not noticed the typos and mistakes that are frequently mentioned in other reviews (perhaps they have been corrected?). The photos are well chosen and there are many new ones. A great book and a great read too.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing new, some errors
Review: I consider myself a great fan of both Jackie and the Camelot era, but this book left me very disappointed. The book is filled with typos! I disagree with much of Bradford's perception. There are so many better books on this subjest that offer great insight. Despite the lovely cover, this book was a let down
Rating:
Summary: Have read better regarding this remarkable woman.
Review: I have read right many books regarding Jackie, and I just didn't like this book. It was scattered and didn't always concentrate on her story. The whole book seemed to make her out as a money hungry thoughtless woman. I didn't like how it portrayed her at all. Very disappointed.
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