Bradford’s 692-page long biography of Jackie Kennedy is one of the best books I have read in giving such a vast description and analysis of Jackie. I was primarily attracted to this book as reading for my dissertation, which focused on Jackie as First Lady, and later I used this book as one of the main secondary sources of literature. When reading Bradford’s book, I became increasingly interested in the rest of Jackie’s life, not just the aspects that were relevant for my dissertation.
My dissertation focused on Jackie and Social Conservatism throughout the time of the Cold War, and consequently, the legacy she left for her and her husband, John F. Kennedy. The chapters I found particularly interesting were Chapter 11 “America’s Queen” and Chapter 15 “The Knights of Camelot”, looking at Jackie’s time as First Lady and her subsequent adaptation to life after the assassination of her husband. For me, there were definitely some chapters I preferred more than others, but this is down to personal preference as to what you find more interesting about someone’s life. Personally, I found the accounts of Jackie as First Lady the most engaging.
When researching for additional material for my dissertation, Bradford’s book was particularly appealed due to her title of “America’s Queen”. This is entirely accurate, as there are many comparisons between Jackie and the British Royal Family, especially on her visit to Buckingham Palace, due to her mannerisms and Social Conservative values. Bradford’s book has a really good balance of detail in Jackie’s personal life, such as the details on her husband’s infidelities throughout their marriage, as well as the way the public perceived her. Jackie was not only famous in America but was an international superstar too. Jackie could speak other languages and so was particularly popular on visits to countries such as France, Canada, India and Pakistan. JFK even remarked on their trip to Paris that he was merely “the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris”. Bradford includes Jackie in the historiography of her husband’s achievements, as the successes achieved throughout JFK’s presidency would not have been as great without Jackie.
Yet in her long-running battle to be number one in her husband’s life, she was aided, ironically, by the huge celebrity she both loathed and enjoyed.
America’s Queen., p261
I really enjoyed Bradford’s confident style of writing, including bold statements about Jackie that had not been raised before. Some biographies don’t often read well, as the authors appear to solely be listing events in the person’s lives. Instead, Bradford credits Jackie in her social and political capabilities, where previous authors or literature on Jackie may have simply focused on her as JFK’s wife. Bradford very much understands the influence a First Lady can have, as their “soft power” has great national and international diplomatic capabilities.
She was the inspirational side of Kennedy, envisaging him as a leader in the mould of her heroes, de Gaulle and Churchill. She was the fierce guardian of his presidential image in life as she was to be after his death.
America’s Queen., p280
Where many see Jackie’s story ending after JFK’s assassination, or possibly after Jackie’s decision to marry Aristotle Onassis, Bradford continues Jackie’s narrative further. Bradford discusses Jackie’s life up until she died in 1994. Even in the title of Bradford’s book, she includes both Kennedy and Onassis in Jackie’s name, as although she is commonly known as Jackie Kennedy, Jackie did have “another life” after JFK and her time in the White House. However, while Bradford was covering a large time frame in her biography, sometimes her writing was quite lengthy, but this is worth it due to the level of detail she included.
Overall, I would definitely recommend America’s Queen for anybody looking to know more about Jackie Kennedy, which is not solely about her style and appearance which is usually what is displayed in the media. This book was a credit to my dissertation as it is a balanced and well-researched piece of literature. Bradford has great referencing and illustrations, which were a great help in terms of ensuring historical accuracy in my writing of my dissertation. Whilst it is a long book, which took me a while to get through, Bradford’s writing is rich in detailing Jackie’s private and public life.
5/5 stars
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