Why Should I Read Killing Kennedy? | Summary and Personal Thoughts
The Basic Bio
John F. Kennedy is a name many have heard, but he’s only really remembered by people today for his infamous assassination in Dallas. For those wanting to really know who JFK was as a president and as a man, this is the right book. For those wanting to know the basics of why and how Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated a president, this is also the right book.
A Summary of Killing Kennedy (No Spoilers)
Writer’s Note: I think we all already know how the book ends; it’s literally the title, but I’ll try not to spoil that much of the book if you want to read it
Killing Kennedy begins by telling the story of PT-109 and how JFK became a war hero during World War II while fighting in the South Pacific. From there, it follows JFK through the toughest parts of his presidency, giving a semi-fictionalized historical view behind the Bay of Pigs Invasion and Cuban Missile, as well as several other events during the Kennedy presidency.
The book also covers the personal life of JFK, as it talks about his affairs and family life during the presidency.
In addition, the book cuts back and forth to the story of Lee Harvey Oswald, telling the stories of JFK and Lee Harvey Oswald side by side. Covering Lee Harvey’s stint in the US Marines before defecting to the Soviet Union, getting married, and coming home to America, Killing Kennedy gives a fascinating narrative of how a strange but relatively ordinary man devolved into being the assassin of one of America’s most beloved leaders...
Why Should You Read Killing Kennedy?
Killing Kennedy is a good book for those interested in history and in the Kennedy family specifically. It's a book that provides an interesting fiction-like narrative of real stories like taking a camera behind closed doors. Killing Kennedy also interestingly switches narratives between JFK and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
All in all, it’s a good read for those who want to learn a little more about the Kennedy family and JFK’s presidency, as well as a general overview of how the Kennedy assassination went down.
HEADS UP: There are spoilers past this point!
3 Key Takeaways from Killing Kennedy
1. Family Matters
Killing Kennedy is really a story about the Kennedy family. From the cheating nature of JFK early in his presidency to a man who fully loves his wife, the book frequently talks about the relationship between Jack and Jackie Kennedy. It also talks about how, despite JFK’s cheating, he was still a committed father who let his kids play in the Oval Office while he worked.
In the end, it was Jackie who lovingly held JFK in his final moments and JFK Jr. who saluted his father during the funeral procession. A family with flaws nevertheless held together during some of the roughest times, not just for the Kennedy’s, not just for JFK’s presidency, but for America too.
2. Perseverance is a Great Virtue
Early in the book, O'Reilly writes about how JFK became a war hero in the Second World War. JFK was at the helm of a small PT boat in the South Pacific when a Japanese destroyer rammed into it, causing it to sink. Stranded in the middle of a vast strait, JFK led the remaining men to safety by swimming miles to a nearby island while holding onto another injured man with his teeth.
However, they were still not safe, and JFK made multiple attempts at getting his men to safety but failed again and again. One of these attempts saw JFK swimming out into the middle of the strait with a lantern at night and staying out there for hours. Eventually, he ran into native islanders who were able to get JFK to a nearby Allied base, from which he was able to rescue the rest of his men. At several points, JFK could’ve given up and resigned himself to his fate, but he didn’t and eventually became president of the United States.
3. Life Can Take Many Unexpected Turns
If there’s a single lesson in this book, it is that life can take many unexpected turns. From JFK’s test of character in the South Pacific to his older brother’s unexpected death to Lee Harvey Oswald’s decision to not immigrate to Cuba, the story of this book could’ve taken a much different turn if any one of these turning points had been different.
But then again, life’s never been predictable...
Personal Thoughts
Personally, I picked up Killing Kennedy because I became captivated by the Kennedy family after reading American Values by RFK Jr. I originally thought the book would cover primarily the assassination and the many theories that surround it.
Even though it only briefly talked about the assassination, it was still worth reading because of the lesser-known stories of the Kennedy’s the book tells. It also told the unique story of Lee Harvey Oswald, and it fascinated me at how many points the Kennedy assassination could’ve been stopped at, both by the government and by Oswald’s own decisions.
