Degrees of Affection

As I had recent listened to and greatly enjoyed Killing Lincoln, I decided to give his next book a try as well. This was a bit of a stretch for me as I have never personally had near the interest in Kennedy in general as I have over Lincoln and the history around him. Still, I thought his style and him narrating the text would keep my interest so I would learn new facts beyond my very basic understanding of the events.

As such, I really appreciated that O'Reilly goes into details concerning much of Kennedy's presidency, some I knew from History class, but some I knew nothing about. I learned a great deal from this book, though I will confess my attention did wander a bit from time to time. All blame for that should fall on me, as the book was just as interesting and compelling as his Lincoln book. I simply wasn't too keen on learning about the security hazards caused by his...female companions. The family information was interesting and I felt I really understood the politics of his tenure for the first time.

Once again, listening to the author narrator the text was definitely the way to go. While I think his passion for the subject showed more in Killing Lincoln, his interest in the event is clear and several times all I could do was listen as I got caught up in what was happening.

Warning: the book details rather graphically what happened medically to Kennedy in Dallas. The Lincoln book did as well, but the records are, because of the knowledge of the time, less detailed. However, medical knowledge was and is much greater and so more is known concerning the harsh details of what actually happened. While the book is by no means sensational about the facts, they are clearly and graphically related.

Basically, yes I do recommend this book, particularly for people interested in the Kennedys, both the presidency and its tragic end.