The Day John Died

Amazon.com

It's interesting that Jackie Kennedy had premonitions of JFK Jr.'s plane-crash death, that he almost hit an American Airlines jet, and that, to prevent those last shrieking 15 seconds when G-forces distorted his face prior to impact, all he had to do was punch two buttons and the Piper Saratoga would've landed safely on autopilot.

The Day John Died is a misleading title, because it's mostly about his life: his family dynamics, romances, dreams, and achievements. Christopher Andersen, a former Time and People editor, gives a surprisingly well rounded account of John's character--along with 73 eloquent photos and lots of the dishy details inquiring minds want to know. The book is both trashy and classy. Though some of the inside stuff is tough to know for sure (was Carolyn Bessette really a manic druggie who denied John sex for a year?), Andersen knows more than most, having spent years researching Jack and Jackie and Jackie After Jack. We feel Jackie's power over her unstudious, scatterbrained, yet rather smart son, and Andersen plausibly sketches her brilliant job of shielding him from the worst influences of the Kennedy clan, her withering effect on his acting career, her revulsion over his stint as Madonna's boy toy, and much more. Andersen's expertise about the family makes us less skeptical of, say, his account of Bessette's wily seduction technique (she used an expertly timed cold shoulder and a hunky model-actor from Baywatch to make John jealous), or their spat over Sharon Stone.

There's gobs of drama besides the finale: John the child saved from death in a fiery Hawaiian luau pit (by the same father-figure Secret Service man who saved his mom from drowning), John repeatedly risking death by flying his ultralight into the ocean and power lines, John twice saving pals from drowning, once while diving for a pirate ship. Andersen omits no dirt (yes, JFK Jr. snorted coke from a JFK ashtray in college), yet he's fair (JFK Jr. had no real drug problem, while his dad was a chronic speed-needle freak). All in all, John comes off as a hell of a nice guy--almost the opposite of his Machiavellian father. He was about one-thousandth as promiscuous as he could've been, and all his exes remained his friends, even Daryl Hannah (the only girl he could've married for her money), who went down on one knee to propose, but was opposed by Jackie and Caroline.

Mostly, it's a poignant book. When told that JFK had gone to heaven, JFK Jr. asked his nanny, "Did Daddy take his big plane with him?" The nanny said, "Yes." --Tim Appelo

Book Description

"It's hard for me to talk about a
legacy or a mystique. It's my family--
my mother, my sister, my father.
We're a family like any other."

Where were You the day John died? Like his father's assassination and the death of Princess Diana, the tragic death of JFK Jr. on July 16, 1999, is one of those defining moments -- an event that moved us so deeply, we will never forget where we were when we heard the news.

A full year after the plane crash that took the lives of John, his wife, Carolyn, and Carolyn's sister Lauren, millions remain in shock. With good reason. No other American had lived his entire life in the spotlight -- from his rambunctious toddlerhood in the Kennedy White House and heartbreaking salute to his father's coffin to his daredevil Sexiest Man Alive bachelor days and his final years as a devoted husband and respected magazine publisher poised on the brink of fatherhood and a brilliant political career.

Now, in the manner of his headline-making #1 New York Times bestseller The Day Diana Died and his two bestselling books about John's parents, Jack and Jackie and Jackie After Jack, Christopher Andersen draws on important sources -- many talking here for the first time -- to re-create in vivid and startling detail the events leading up to that fateful night off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. Among the revelations:How false weather reports from the FAA led to the crash that killed John, Carolyn, and Lauren. Never-before-known details about John's complex relationship with his mother, his intense bond with his sister, Caroline, and his dealings with his star-crossed Kennedy cousins. The state of his stormy marriage to the glamorous and headstrong Carolyn Bessette and where it was headed. The other harrowing moments when John nearly lost his life. The truth about John's wild younger years, including his affairs with Madonna and Daryl Hannah. How JFK Jr. came to view his father and his family's political legacy -- and his feelings about a political career of his own.An inspiring, sympathetic, and compelling look at one of the most remarkable young men of our time, The Day John Died is more than just the definitive biography of JFK Jr. It is a bittersweet saga of triumph, love, loss, fate -- and promise unfulfilled. It is the story of America's son.

Customer Reviews:

JFKs Children.......2003-09-11

John Jr. was known as the "Master of Disaster" to his friends because of his willingness to accept physical challenges and daredevil nature.

Chapter 1 focuses on the day John died giving his, his wife's and her sister's itineraries then proceeds to takeoff followed by a fictionalized account of what probably went wrong during their flight. Andersen interviewed other pilots who'd flown that day and some who knew John's abilities in order to put that part together. The scene is so gripping that I felt was flying with them!

Chapters 2 opens in 1960 chronicling Jackie's first pregnancy, which ended in a miscarriage and goes through John's early life. Chapter 3 begins in 1963 with the assassination and gives a lot of background at what was happening to the children at this time. It's a very poignant chapter guaranteed to move the reader to tears. Chapter 4 deals with RFK's assassination and Jackie's fear for his children's safety. She always believed that they were primary targets.

Chapter 5 discusses Jackie's marriage to Aristotle Onasis and the world's reaction to the destruction of the Camelot mystique. It seemed that people believed that the love between Jack and Jackie was perfect and they felt Jackie should remain America's dowager queen. Jackie was a compulsive shopper, which irritated Ari to the point where he cut her allowance. After his only son Alexander died in a plane crash, Ari made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the Kennedys. He referred to her as "The Widow"and his friends and family referred to her as "The Black Widow" blaming the Kennedy Curse for all Ari's misfortunes. When Onasis died, Jackie had to battle his daughter Christina to get her inheritance.

Jackie overshadowed John controlling much of his life and tried to force him into politics to carry on his father's legacy. Consequently, John held a series of different positions before starting George Magazine. In an interview with Fidel Castro, Fidel disclosed that he admired John's father and apologized for not giving Lee Harvey Oswald an entry visa in October 1963.

John's relationship with Carolyn was stormy but it would seem that there was true passion behind it. John was not forced to marry Carolyn, as his father had been to marry his mother purely for political expediency so he had the option to get a divorce but never sought one out. A lot of their troubles were caused by the constant intrusion into their private life by the media and the public. Carolyn simply was not used to this; but John took it in stride since he'd grown up with it.

The text takes John's life from Chapter 2 onward right up to Chapter 9, which covers the search and recovery effort for his plane.

A great companion book to this is by All Too Human The Love Story of Jack and Jackie by Edward Klein, which focuses on Jack and Jackie's relationship. I simply could not put either book down!

The Tragic End of an American Era and an American Family.......2003-02-08

Christopher Andersen, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller "The Day Diana Died" tells the story of American's son, John F. Kennedy, Jr. It's the bittersweet tale of the American Icon and sadly the unfulfilled fate of his tragic death.

If anyone would hear the name of John Kennedy, Jr. knew he was destined for greatness. He once quoted of himself saying: "People keep telling me I can be a great man. I'd rather be a good one." On the day John died that July 16, 1999 it seemed known only to God of his father's assassination and the death of Princess Diana was the most distinct moment to affect our lives. The world would never be the same. On the day President John Kennedy died, I was a little girl of 5 years. On the morning of Nov. 22, 1963, I walked into the living room. My mom sat on the couch motionless in front of the TV in tears. I asked her what was the matter. She said, "They assassinated President Kennedy." From that day, thirty some years later since little John, Jr. saluted his father's casket in that famous snapshot to the present time in 1999. It is something that we all live with for the rest of our lives. Where were you on July 16, 1999? When a nation's grief would be buried in the ocean along with John, Jr., his wife, Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren where they died and where they are at rest.

Andersen writes in detailed form the beginnings of the Kennedy legacy and the legend that John, Jr. would live with. It was a time not far in the past that two lives paralleled between Britain's Princess Di and America's John Kennedy, Jr.. Both of their persona of power and elegance inspired the dreams of their generation. Whatever these two did in their lives whether it was weaknesses and failures they were more loved by the public. The public follows John's life as he failed his bar exam twice, his romances with Christina Haag, Madonna and long time love Daryl Hannah, dodging the paparazzi, the famous fight in the park with his future wife, his struggle to find his own career path in the shadow of his legendary parents and the unveiling of his magazine, GEORGE.

In the coming few years up to the time of his fated future. John enjoyed time flying. It was the only chance he could get away from the demands of his busy life and the paparazzi. It was such a shame that on the day of his tragic end. It had to go so quickly. As one would put it 'Gone Too Soon.' The lives John, Jr. touched while he was here with his remarkable legacy of a family that endured both triumph and heartbreaking tragedy. His sister Caroline stands alone. The only sole survivor of America's American family. Everyone took solace along with her in her sorrow. In this life that John Kennedy, Jr. lived he never follow in the footsteps of his father's career. Never did he write a book, do any great heroics or discover anything. Just because simply he existed. Everyone knew him. He belonged to all of us. From that beginning John Kennedy, Jr. was America's son. You'll have to read the book to know what I mean.

NOTE: The book includes photographs that chronographs his life from his youth to his death with sources, chapter notes and selected bibliography.

Fluff and Gossip.......2002-05-11

This book is not a detailed account of the plane crash that took JFK JR's life, the book is an attempt at a biography of his life. If you have looked at the book then you know that this is a bio that is going to fall more in the Kitty Kelly area then a deep historical work. I was looking for more of an account of the forces within his life pushing into politics and his thoughts that lead him away from politics. We did get a little of these types of details, but the main focus of the book was to get the more tabloid type facts to the front of the chapters - sell more books. The author does give us some of the highlights of the Kennedy family history, but he does not connect how the events may have affected JFK JR's thoughts on a public life.

I was interested in some of the insight on Jackie relationship with him. It did seem like she held a bit of power over his life, but that could have been the author tying to sell more books. There are also lots of details about how many incidents he got into growing up that could have been physically dangerous. As I said we do get a broad overview of the Kennedy family over the past 100 years but it almost came off as filler, like there may not have been enough on JFK JR. for the full book.

This is a light, gossipy book that touches the surface of his and his family's life. If that is what you are looking for then this book is a good one. The writing is good; easy to read and fast paced. Overall, I felt that this book was just too light.

Don't waste your money, get the library copy.......2002-04-08

Maybe I am not in enough awe of the son of a dead president, but then I don't understand where the glamor of being hired by the American people makes a person glamorous or even smart.

JFK, Jr. died, and killed 2 women with him.

It's worth maybe an hour's reading, since it's mostly invented dialogue and gossip, this is literally a page turner.

Erroneous Title.......2002-02-10

Christopher Andersen has written a book that is symbolic of taking a walk down memory lane. The title is misleading, as this writing is a recount highlighting the Kennedy family history.

Andersen paints a believable story of John, and one that sees him in a much more human light than in most writings. It is refreshing to note that as a child, John did get into his fair share of mischievous adventures. As a young man, these adventures became more daring and life threatening. Andersen writes of accounts of John experimenting with drugs, and makes it clear that John did not have a drug problem. However, Andersen sketches Jack as one that became hungry for speed. Strangely, John is described here as scatterbrained, and unstudious, yet rather smart. John seemed to have the knack of keeping friends and family happy, and also maintaining happiness for him at the same time. For Jackie, John's escapades had to be unnerving and her power over her son wavered. Andersen's writing of Jackie, depicts a much stronger woman than the media portrayed in the 60's. Jackie protected John from the worst Kennedy family influences; squashed John's ideas of an acting career and was most powerful in decisions John had in the romance arena. Jackie and Caroline were opposed to relationships he had with several women, and John seemed to abide by his mother's and sister's wishes, to end less-than-suitable relationships. Even though John may have broken the hearts of many young women, his classy reputation stands untarnished, as all of his ex's still maintained friendships with America's son.

John's marriage to Carolyn Bessette , and their happiness will always remain a mystery for us. We can speculate, but John tried to keep his personal life out of the spotlight, as he demonstrated with their secret wedding.

Uncanny as it may seem, Jackie had premonitions of John's plane-crash death. She begged her son not to pursue his love of flying. But this time, John only postponed his lessons for a short while, then continued the lessons without Jackie's stamp of approval.

At the end of this book, John is viewed as less of a celebrity figure and more of a friend, who touched the hearts of so many. He will be sorely missed.

Average customer rating:

Few pictures and discouraged

A Superb Resource For Many Rare JFK Assassination-Related Photos

EXCELLENT abridged version of "Pictures of the Pain"

That Day in Dallas: 3 Photographers Capture on Film the Day President Kennedy Died
Richard B. Trask
Manufacturer: Yeoman Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Pictures of the Pain: Photography and the Assassination of President Kennedy

National Nightmare on Six Feet of Film: Mr. Zapruder's Home Movie And the Murder of President Kennedy

Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

The Murder of JFK: A Revisionist History

JFK: Breaking the News

ASIN: 0963859536

Customer Reviews:

Few pictures and discouraged.......2007-10-09

I bought this one expecting to see many pictures on the last day of JFK,
but the book covered very few pictures and even they are not colored.

A Superb Resource For Many Rare JFK Assassination-Related Photos.......2006-02-02

Richard B. Trask's 1998 publication "That Day In Dallas: Three Photographers Capture On Film The Day President Kennedy Died" represents a follow-up volume (or kind of a 'sequel') to Mr. Trask's earlier and outstanding 640-page book "Pictures Of The Pain", which came out in 1994 and featured many previously-unpublished photographs of the events surrounding President John F. Kennedy's 1963 assassination.

The paperback edition of "That Day In Dallas" contains 136 pages of pictures and text on high-quality paper. It's a much shorter volume than "POTP", to be sure -- but in some ways I treasure "That Day" even more than the larger "Pain" book, in that most of the photos contained within "That Day" are larger in size than what can be found in "POTP", and therefore, via this larger-print format, the pictures can be studied in greater detail. Plus, the clarity of virtually all of the more than 110 photographs published in this book is pristine. These pictures, all printed in black-and-white, are clear as the proverbial bell.

What author Richard Trask has done in "That Day In Dallas" is to center the book's attention on three individual photographers who each took a series of dramatic (and ultimately historic) pictures "that day in Dallas" ("that day", of course, being Friday, November 22, 1963, the day of JFK's assassination).

The three cameramen chosen for this book's subject matter are:

Cecil Stoughton (the official White House photographer);
James "Ike" Altgens (a photographer for the Associated Press); and ...
Jim Murray (a local Dallas free-lance photographer).

Among these three photographers, Jim Altgens was the one who was the closest (physically-speaking) to President Kennedy when gunshots filled the air in sunny Dealey Plaza that Friday at 12:30 PM. Altgens was just a few feet from JFK's limousine when the President was fatally struck in the head by the rifle fire.

Unfortunately for Mr. Altgens, however, even though he had his eye to his camera's viewfinder the instant that fatal blow to JFK occurred, the veteran AP news photog was unable to squeeze his camera's shutter to capture what may well have been the most important picture he would have ever snapped in his life.

Quoting text from this book (page 66) -- "Speaking of the event over two decades later, Altgens's memory was still vivid of the horror of the moment and the later criticism by some. {Altgens said:} "The big showdown came at the time JFK received the shot to the head. I had pre-focused, had my hand on the trigger, but when JFK's head exploded, sending substance in my direction, I virtually became paralyzed. This was such a shock to me that I never did press the trigger on the camera"."

Mr. Altgens did, however, capture on film two of the most widely-seen still photographs of the assassination .... one of them being his famous shot of the limousine on Elm Street just seconds before the fatal bullet struck the President; and the other assassination-sequence photo being a view of the limo just after the fatal rifle shot, showing Secret Service Agent Clint Hill climbing onto the trunk of the President's Lincoln convertible as he helped Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy back into her seat after she had climbed onto the trunk just after her husband was hit by the fatal bullet.

The pre-head shot motorcade picture snapped by Altgens is undoubtedly one of the most-studied still pictures taken that day in Dealey Plaza, and one that has sparked quite a lot of controversy among conspiracy theorists. This book (in its softcover version) publishes that B&W photo in its full, uncropped form on page #64.

The main "controversy" that has surrounded that James Altgens photo centers on the image of a man seen standing in the doorway of the Texas School Book Depository Building (in the background of the photo). Many people examining the picture have claimed that the "Doorway Man" is Lee Harvey Oswald (the man who was ultimately charged with killing President Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Depository Building).

Obviously, Oswald couldn't be in two places at one time, both in the doorway and on the sixth floor firing a rifle. The controversy was put to rest when the "Oswald look-alike" in the doorway was determined (without a shred of a doubt) to be Depository employee Billy N. Lovelady. Lovelady testified later to the Warren Commission that it was he (Lovelady) who was standing in the doorway watching the President pass by the building.

But, to this day, many conspiracy theorists just can't seem to let go of the idea that "Doorway Man" might still have been Lee Oswald (despite Lovelady's own admission that it was definitely Lovelady himself in the photo).

Besides the "Lovelady/Doorway" issue, some conspiracists (bent on seeing assassins in every nook and cranny of every photograph taken that day) also claim to see somebody with a rifle on the fire escape of the Dal-Tex Building in the far background of the Altgens photo.

Many other fascinating details can be spotted within that crystal-clear Altgens image of the limo on Elm Street. (Things that are actually there, that is; not unsupportable paranoiac accounts of would-be "killers" with rifles in the Dal-Tex.)

Mr. Altgens captured on film a monumental, and heartbreaking, moment in history ... an image that has been frozen for all time via the $157 Nikkorex-F 35mm camera that Altgens took with him to Dealey Plaza on 11/22/63.

A JFK assassination buff could probably spend hours gazing at the full-sized version of that Altgens photo on page 64 of this publication, while poring over the information that can be found within that remarkable image. .... Oftentimes that Altgens pic is severely cropped (sometimes in order to blow up the background showing Doorway Man/Lovelady), but the version in "That Day" gives us the whole photo, from edge to edge, which shows (on the far right) the clapping hands of eyewitness Charles Brehm, along with the visible shadows in the street of Brehm and two other witnesses, Jean Hill and Mary Moorman.

This incredible picture also gives us a partial view of the President, the First Lady, and Governor Connally in the limousine at a point which equates to approximately Frame #255 of the infamous color home movie taken by Abraham Zapruder, who was almost directly across Elm Street from Jim Altgens' location during the assassination. The President and Governor Connally had been hit by a rifle bullet less than two seconds before Altgens snapped his picture.

JFK can easily be seen in the Altgens pic, through the limo's windshield glass and just behind the car's rearview mirror. The President is reacting to having just been hit by Lee Harvey Oswald's second of three gunshots. The President's left arm, hand, and white shirt cuff are fully visible in the photograph, plus Mrs. Kennedy's gloved hand is also in view as she attempts to help her husband by grabbing his left arm. Governor Connally, who had just been shot through the back, chest, and wrist, can be seen in full left profile as he reacts to his near-fatal wounds.

The smiling crowd along Elm Street, as seen via that picture, has not yet had time enough to fully comprehend what was happening in the President's car. Some non-victim reactions are visible in the photo, however -- as two Secret Service Agents (Paul Landis and John Ready) on the running board of the "Queen Mary" SS follow-up vehicle are seen looking over their right shoulders toward the Depository Building (the direction from which they heard gunshots). One of the motorcycle officers in the motorcade (James Chaney) is looking directly into the back seat of the limousine.

Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, are also discernible in the Altgens picture, riding two cars behind JFK in another Lincoln convertible. Behind LBJ's car is the Vice-President's Secret Service follow-up car, a white four-door Mercury sedan, just having made its turn from Houston Street onto Elm. The left rear door of this SS sedan is ajar, which has led some people to think that something "unusual" or "conspiratorial" was occurring within the motorcade as a result of this "open door". However, that same open car door can be seen in other motorcade photos snapped that day, including one printed in this volume (on page #31). It was standard Secret Service procedure to leave a door ajar to allow for quick exit from the vehicle in case of trouble. (That rule would not apply to the President's SS car, however, since it was equipped with running boards.)

"That Day In Dallas" is a great place to find many seldom-seen November 22nd photographs, including several shots taken by Cecil Stoughton outside and inside the Hotel Texas on the misty morning of 11/22/63, with the large pics that grace pages 20 and 21 being two excellent such examples.

Some of my other favorite photos in this book include.......

Page 26 -- An overview photo of the President's arrival at Love Field in Dallas shortly after JFK and Jackie had stepped off of Air Force One. This Stoughton pic was snapped from the front hatch of the Boeing 707 serving as "Air Force One" (SAM 2-6000).

Page 46 -- This Stoughton photo shows a rarely-published view of Air Force One's cramped and witness-packed stateroom just prior to Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as the 36th U.S. President.

Page 82 (bottom) -- A photo by Jim Murray, taken just a few minutes after JFK was shot, which depicts a crowd of people gathered along the dirt road (known as the "Elm Street Extension") that runs right in front of the Book Depository. The west face of the Depository is visible, as well as a portion of the front (south) side of the TSBD.

Page 93 -- Just ten minutes after the assassination, Jim Murray began taking a series of pictures from the south side of Elm Street and further south across from Commerce Street. Each of the photos in this series shows the Book Depository in the background, and the large "Hertz Rent-A-Car" sign atop the Depository. The picture on page 93 gives a wider overview of the post-assassination scene in Dealey Plaza and shows the "temperature" reading on the Hertz sign (66 degrees). Also visible are a number of cars on Elm Street, proceeding across the pavement where (just minutes earlier) President Kennedy had been fatally wounded. (I've often wondered WHY in the world the street wasn't immediately blocked off to regular traffic by police; but it wasn't.)

Page 94 -- Another terrific post-shooting still snapshot taken by Jim Murray -- this one featuring the front entrance and all seven floors on the southeast side of the Texas School Book Depository, including the half-open "Sniper's Nest" window, out of which a rifle had been aimed at the President a very short time before. The book carton that the assassin used as a "rifle rest" can be seen in this photo.

Page 95 -- A very rare full-sized version of a photo (snapped by Murray) showing teenaged eyewitness Amos Euins sitting in the back seat of a police car in front of the Book Depository.

Page 101 -- Another offering from Mr. Murray's busy camera: a fabulous "pose" here, showing a Dallas policeman standing in front of the Depository, shotgun at the ready, looking toward the upper floors of the building from where shots had been fired at the President. The entire front facade of the TSBD is visible in this photo, which was taken at a sharp angle to the front of the building.

--------------

Any library of published materials pertaining to the events of President Kennedy's assassination is most definitely incomplete if "That Day In Dallas" by Richard B. Trask isn't part of such a collection.

EXCELLENT abridged version of "Pictures of the Pain".......2005-12-20

(I am on one page, too--the Acknowledgments page, for my help with Secret Service-related inquiries)

I highly recommend this excellent book by Richard Trask, author of the masterful "Pictures of The Pain." In fact, this book acts as an abridged version, of sorts, but with better, bigger graphics. Get "Pictures Of The Pain" for the whole story...get "That Day In Dallas" for the graphics.
Vince Palamara-JFK/ Secret Service expert (History Channel, author of two books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.)
Pittsburgh, PA

BEST JFK ASSASSINATION BOOK: ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
BEST JFK SECRET SERVICE BOOK: SURVIVOR'S GUILT BY YOURS TRULY :)

9/30/55 (The world was forever changed the day James Dean died(Based on a screenplay by James Bridges))

Average customer rating:

9/30/55 (The world was forever changed the day James Dean died(Based on a screenplay by James Bridges))
John Minahan
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000RWEB0G

Another Day on Your Foot and I Would Have Died

Average customer rating:

Another Day on Your Foot and I Would Have Died
John Agard , Brian Patten , Roger McGough , Wendy Cope , and Adrian Mitchell
Manufacturer: Macmillan Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

COUNTDOWN (2) Two: Obscene Scene; What's With the Cultural Revolution; One Day I Woke Up and Could Not Breathe; Prison Where Is Thy Victory; Jack Kerouac Died on October 21 1969; Yoga Sex and the Magic Mushroom; Vietnam; The Hog Farm; Free

Average customer rating:

COUNTDOWN (2) Two: Obscene Scene; What's With the Cultural Revolution; One Day I Woke Up and Could Not Breathe; Prison Where Is Thy Victory; Jack Kerouac Died on October 21 1969; Yoga Sex and the Magic Mushroom; Vietnam; The Hog Farm; Free
Anonymous (editor) (Thomas King Forcade; Irwin Silber; Jerry Takigawa; John Hamamura; D A Latimer; Allen Ginsburg; Hugh Romney; George Metesky; Julius Lester; Herbert Marcuse; Uta West)
Manufacturer: Signet Books - New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GW10YC

The Day Diana Died/Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller/Seductive Poison/Rocket Boys (Reader's Digest Today's Best Nonfiction, Volume 53: 1999)

Average customer rating:

The Day Diana Died/Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller/Seductive Poison/Rocket Boys (Reader's Digest Today's Best Nonfiction, Volume 53: 1999)
Christopher Andersen , Ron Chernow , Deborah Layton , and Homer H. Hickam
Manufacturer: Reader's Digest Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GLX0OQ

The Day JFK Died: Thirty Years Later : The Event That Changed a Generation

Average customer rating:

The Day JFK Died: Thirty Years Later : The Event That Changed a Generation
Dallas Morning News
Manufacturer: Andrews Mcmeel Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

The Day John Died
Christopher Andersen
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NE8CQ2

Average customer rating:

The Day John Died
Christopher P. Andersen
Manufacturer: Morrow/Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OV9ZS8

Average customer rating:

The Day John Died Prepack
Christopher Anderson
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Business | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Rich & Famous | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Grief & Bereavement | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0060184299

Book Description

In The Bases Were Loaded (and So Was I), sportswriter Tom Callahan brings to life the most fascinating—and often least understood—figures in the world of sports. This is the ultimate collection of Callahan’s sports profiles, with subjects ranging from Muhammad Ali to Pete Rose, and Joe Montana to Michael Jordan.

Based on decades of sports reporting as well as featuring material original to this book, The Bases Were Loaded (and So Was I) takes athletes we thought we knew and reveals how wrong we often are. This is a rare and surprising work of reportage that will appeal to sports fans and non–sports fans alike.

Customer Reviews:

A great read even for non-sports lovers.......2004-11-24

I am not a sports person. Except as sports figures have impacted the subjects I am interested in-I know Denny McLain was a good lounge organist who recorded fine albums; Joe DiMaggio was the second husband of Marilyn Monroe, was destroyed by her death (as was his son, then in the Marines), and possessed a bigger part of male anatomy than Secretariat; Thurman Munson was killed in one of the first SP Citations (earlier, identical ones legally required a two man crew, ridiculous because copilots were far more needed in light twins with GTSIO Continentals requiring a flight engineer to manage them than a "corporate jet" slower than a T-33 and which modified P-51 Mustangs could outrun at most altitudes)-sports don't interest me.

But Callahan's book did. He covers Larry Bird,Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, Wilt Chamberlain, Boris Becker, many other names (Palmer and Nicklaus,Pete Rose, and Graf and Seles) even someone like myself-who really does live under a rock sometimes-cannot not have heard. He makes them interesting as people, as with the older generations of sportswriters like Si Burick and Jimmy Cannon (a name well known to all Sinatraphiles, as with Jilly and Toots) who have now passed on. And his brief discussion of "the other Marilyn"-Marilyn Maxwell, a fine actress in her own right who really was named "Marvel Marilyn Maxwell" at birth, unlike Mary Ellen Miller and Norma Jeane Mortensen Dougherty DiMaggio, and who died sadly of a heart attack in her forties-was fascinating and left me curious enough to look up the above trivia.

In summation, he fascinates people with sports who don't even like sports. Like Howard Stern, who can make you laugh in a traffic jam, that's a singular thing. Bravo!

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books