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American Son : A Portrait of John F. Kennedy, Jr.

American Son : A Portrait of John F. Kennedy, Jr.

List Price: $6.99
Your Price: $6.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A good read
Review: Easy reading,gentle telling--Richard Blow did a good job.
Their is no character assination nor drip-drap story telling. Mr. Blow told the events as they took place--no heavy interruption on the authors part.
I agree, he liked John Kennedy and respected Carolyn.
Thank you to the author for writing in good taste. We the public needed alittle of John and Carolyn after their tragic parting of our world. The book was perfect in many aspects . No fault bearing here. Leave the author alone . And thank Richard.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Its Not a Hatchet Job
Review: The way some people have been reacting to this book, including the Kennedys, you would think this is a hateful, venom spewing tell-all on John Kennedy Jr. It is not.

Its obvious Blow liked John, and his book is very fair. I think it makes John look good, not bad. I don't think he was demonizing Carolyn either. He was just honest about his recollections. When did honesty become a crime? I especially found the last half of the book very interesting. So Richard Blow wrote a book about working with and knowing John Kennedy Jr. More power to him.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Surprise!
Review: I was not anticipating much new information when I decided to read "American Son," as JFK, Jr. has had his life chronicled since he was born. To my surprise, Mr. Blow, has added a new
dimension to my understanding. This book details life at
GEORGE magazine and of how Kennedy related to his employees, to the media and to his everyday life. I found it fascinating and
was especially interested in his developing interest in flying and the various experiences he had in the air.... One has heard rumors over the years about John and Carolyn. I guess we'll never know the real truths, but Mr. Blow has given us his
take on their relationship and I found it interesting and readable.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Let him rest in peace
Review: Author Richard Blow ..., gives readers far too much info about the Rich Blow experience in "American Son." At first blush, the book seemed to fit the "Work for a famous person. When they die, tear up the confidentiality agreement and cash in" formula. I wish I could report otherwise, but having read the book I have to report that it pretty much fit the formula. Rich Blow included little of substance about JFK Jr., told us far too much about himself, and adopted an obsequious and somewhat arrogant tone throughout.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: By GEORGE, not bad!
Review: With all the brouhaha engulfing this book before its release, I was expecting a Christina Crawford type of bio on JFK JR., from some greedy, would-be author looking for a fast buck. Alas, what I found was an enjoyable, if a tad redundant, book chronicling the brief life of GEORGE Magazine...the ins and outs, the ups and downs, of a struggling magazine, and the hands-on involvement of its celebrity founder, JFK, Jr. Not that the writer (Richard Blow) does not have faults: as a seasoned writer, Blow tells us the obvious (who can't guess that the sinking magazine was thrown a life-preserver numerous times thanks to JFK, Jr.'s position at the helm; or that the handsome Kennedy turned heads on every street in Manhattan )without much excitement. His over-use of metaphors (there isn't a situation that Blow can't describe without the words "...like a..." for emphasis) does drown the reader. What is intriguing, though, is Blow's admiration and affection for JFK. I couldn't help playing Judy Garland's "You Made Me Love You" over and over in my mind whenever I read the detailed Kennedy/Blow encounters.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Book
Review: I admired John while he was alive and I enjoyed this book. While it shows you more of the human side of John, I feel that it made him that much more appealing to the reader. It made you empathize with the plight he endured in his very public, short life.
I found it very interesting and not in anyway negative toward John. I appreciated being able to grasp one more glimpse of him.
I've read the negative reviews regarding Richard Blow's writing of this book, but I wish that more who knew John would share with the rest of the American people about what he was like. He was a very much loved public figure and we never got enough of him. Nothing will make us not like him. Please, if you knew him, share with the rest of us. We loved what we knew of him. We are mourning too even though we didn't know him personally. Please don't be selfish and not share with us.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I Applaud Richard Blow
Review: I just finished reading some of the reviews and I have to wonder why people are so critical of Richard Blow. How else would one write a biography of a person with whom he worked such a short time. Someone said the Kennedy family should sue. For what? I thought he was gracious with his words about JFK, Jr. and it certainly was not just about Richard Blow; I got a little glimpse of what JFK, Jr. was like as an employer and friend. Someone else said he thought John was his secret love. Oh please. Can't men have loving relationships without it being a "gay" thing.

The book was well-written, interesting, a brief overview of the editor and his struggles with his magazine. End of story. It was about nothing else; yes, Richard Blow wrote some things about himself because how else can you write a book about someone you worked with if you don't talk a little about yourself.

Thank you Richard Blow for your insights.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Inappropriate title perhaps, but a good read..
Review: Those of us who grew up during the Kennedy administration's years might be more prone to purchasing this book than those who didn't. Because of the "Camelot" era, JFK Jr. held a warm spot in our hearts.

I don't believe this book is exactly a 'portrait' of JFK Jr, and I don't think the author really had extensive knowledge of the subject's personal life. However, the book definitely gives us a glimpse of John's drive to make his magazine successful and gives us a glimpse of his workings with his employees and, somewhat, his relationship with his wife. It may be that Blow needed a catharsis to deal with his memories, but whatever his reasons for writing this book, I don't feel he did anything but pay tribute to a man he obviously admired.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: An easy read by a non too careful "journalist"
Review: I wanted to like this book, I even wanted to respect the writer who claims to be a journalist - a close friend...however page 262 was the end of my hopes when the author states John Kennedy drove to Teterboro Airport (Bergen County) New Jersey. The news made so much out of this last trip, the clerk of a gas station/ convenience store was interviewed repeatedly...in Essex County, in the Caldwells. A simple mistake or a caution to the reader "What else is less then accurate"... Leaving me with the impression, the author is not a seasoned editor, writer or friend. Without the option of returning the book for a refund, it's a good book to pass along to a library for a tax write-off.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Richard Blow was in Love with John Kennedy
Review: I think there is a tortuous element to this book. It reads well - it is extremely well-written. But underneath it all, one gets a sense that the author is, in fact, secretly, deeply in love with John Kennedy and without that being clarified in his mind, it muddles the take, the whole approach to this subject. What was this book? The tale of a good magazine that died with its editor? A biography? No, a secret love story.


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