"No one wonders what Lyndon and I wear"

It's November 22nd, I thought I would mention that I have recently read a few books on the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy.

Its odd in many ways how the mind works.  I wasn't born until over a decade after his death.  I remember the 80s well.  I do remember a few things about the tail end of the 70s.  Jimmy Carter is the first President I remember (though I mostly remember watching him solidly defeated by Reagan in 1980).  Still, there are things about the 60s that I almost remember, mostly because I have read so much about them, and I have visited significant places where majors 60s events occurred.  I have talked to a lot of people with clear, first hand memories from that decade.

So, in some ways I kind of feel like I know JFK, just like I know Reagan, the Bushes, Clinton, etc.  I feel like I know Honest Abe pretty well too,  in a similar way to how I know Mr. Kennedy.

So, I picked up Seymour M. Hersh's "The Dark Side of Camelot" not too long ago.  The book is somewhat legendary in its.... well, DARK depiction of John and his lifestyle.  After reading that book, I didn't feel so good about the man who is often described as a savior type.  Some of Hersh's sources are pretty solid (Secret Service Agents) while some are odd, and questionable.

I next read a copy of Jim Bishop's "The Day Kennedy Was Shot" that was written in 1968.  A friend let me borrow his copy of the book, which was printed around that same year.  There is something special about holding and reading a book that is so close to the event.

I really enjoyed the Bishop book.  It made me feel a lot more sympathetic towards JFK and his legacy.  Also, I feel like I have a better understanding about Oswald and Ruby.  Both obviously had their issues, but Ruby really comes off, in my opinion, as the wackier of the two. 

AND, in this book, Kennedy seems to be such a great guy.  He insists on pulling over to shake hands with children holding up a sign asking that he stop to shake hands.  There is something very sweet about it.

I like the Bishop book too, because he obviously scored some big interviews, including face time with Kennedy before the assassination, and with Johnson afterwards, along with many others.

After reading these two books, I still feel pretty much the same about John F. Kennedy.  He was a rock star before there were rock stars.  Women were throwing themselves at him (even before he was president).  He grew up in privilege, and had a dad who provided A LOT for him.  Hersh's book wasn't the first to expose that.

Still, he was a likable guy who was exceptionally personable.  He would ignore the advice of secret service to shake hands with people.  He was kind.  People related to him.  He was accessible.  He was TOO accessible.