The Kennedy Mystique: Creating Camelot - Hardcover

Goodman, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0792253086 ISBN 13: 9780792253082

Publisher: National Geographic, 2006

Synopsis

The Kennedy Mystique looks behind and beyond what first meets the eye, reminding readers that JFK and Jackie recognized and used the media’s power, and encouraged photographers to capture private moments as well as public events.

About this title

Synopsis:

Based on the National Geographic film "The Kennedy Mystique", this book chronicles how the first truly "media-genic" American political family crafted a public image that would make them outstanding icons of the twentieth century. More than 150 colour and black and white photographs tell a unique version of the Kennedy's story, focusing on both Kennedy's heightened awareness of public image and his respect for the power of photography. Many aspects of the Kennedy family have been scrutinized, but an in-depth look at how John and Jackie Kennedy embraced photography and the new mass appeal of television and used them to sell their image has been largely ignored. "The Kennedy Mystique" will be the first book to delve into that relationship - between the Kennedy's and the camera - and in so doing, will allow the reader a new perspective on their much-scrutinized lives.

More than just a book of pictures, "The Kennedy Mystique" divulges the stories behind the images - that JFK had worked briefly for the International Press, that Jackie had been a photographer for the "Washington Times-Herald", and that together they understood the importance of the new medium of television, and took full advantage of new and lighter cameras by inviting photographers to follow them everywhere and even to join their family on vacations. Readers will discover that the lovely gentle photos of Jack and Jackie putting the children to bed were staged, while heart warming stories of Jack laughing with John on Halloween were not. Setting this book apart are unique photo commentaries from Kennedy experts and insiders that offer a fascinating perspective on the images as historical records, tools for promotion, and iconography.

About the Author:

Hugh Sidey covered JFK as a reporter for Time magazine. He is the veteran writer of Time magazine's popular column "The Presidency," and has reported on America's chief executives for Life and Time magazines since 1957. Over the course of more than four decades, he has become one of America's foremost observers of the Oval Office. Letitia Baldridge was Jacqueline Kennedy's social secretary from 1960-1962 and was responsible for the lovely state dinners that characterized the administration. She is the author of 19 books, 14 of which concern manners and entertaining. A former assistant to the ambassadors of France and Italy, she was the first woman executive of Tiffany & Company. Since 1964, she has run her own business, Letitia Baldridge Enterprises. Robert Dallek is one of the most highly regarded historians in America today, winner of the Bancroft prize and numerous other awards. He is the author of An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963 and a widely acclaimed two-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson. John Goodman, a two-time Emmy Award winner, served as Senior Writer and Senior Producer for National Geographic Explorer from 1996-2004. He is now an Executive Producer for Partisan Pictures, Inc. in NYC.

About this edition

• Publisher: National Geographic
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0792253086
• ISBN 13: 9780792253082
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224