Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot written by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard tells the riveting story of John F. Kennedy’s presidency and eventual assassination. This three hundred thirty-six page book was published by Henry Holt in 2012. Killing Kennedy: The end of Camelot is written in such a way that the reader almost begins to forget that it is a nonfiction work. It causes the reader to keep turning page after page to see what happens next. The book begins by telling the story of how John Kennedy cheated death when he was in the service. He and the others on the boat PT-109 ended up stranded on an island in the Pacific. Kennedy’s courage to swim for hours allowed him to get a cryptic message to the navy so that they could be saved. This becomes a bit of a main idea in the book. That is, how John Kennedy was able to cheat death before his assassination. After O’Reilly and Dugard introduce one way that Kennedy had cheated death, they begin to introduce other characters set in February of 1961. This includes Lee Harvey Oswald, who will end Kennedy’s streak of luck against death. Jackie Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Marina Oswald, Lee Harvey’s wife, are also introduced. As the book progresses sequentially, important historical events and ideas are discussed. The failed Bay of Pigs invasion, the United State’s space race with the Soviet Union, civil rights, and the Cuban missile crisis are all discussed. Events important to Kennedy’s eventual assassination, like Oswald’s attempt on former United States general Ted Walker, are included as well. O’Reilly and Dugard use foreshadowing to build up to Kennedy’s assassination as well as other events in the novel. O’Reilly and Dugard write from the omniscient point of view, which allows the reader to see inside the psyche of each individual character. They also switch between Kennedy’s life and that of Oswald’s. This allows the reader to make comparisons in their lives simultaneously. Quotes of what characters actually said are also used in the novel, which gives a good sense of what was really happening. In writing this book, O’Reilly and Dugard intend to tell the true story of Kennedy’s presidency and assassination in a way that anyone can understand. Both details that make Kennedy look like an honorable man and those details that make him look dishonorable are included in the book. For instance, the details about Kennedy risking his life to save the crew stranded on the island in the Pacific show him to be honorable. However, the details regarding Kennedy cheating on his wife do not make him appear to be an honorable man. There is no bias shown in Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot. Three ideas that the reader should take away from Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot are that the friends one keeps can make or break them, enemies could be anyone, and lives can change in the blink of an eye. Kennedy had to sever his friendship with Frank Sinatra because Sinatra had ties to the mafia. Without doing that, the Kennedy presidency could have come crumbling down in corruption. Never knowing who the enemy is also ties to Sinatra. He and Kennedy were good friends, but he quickly became an enemy to Kennedy’s position as president. Finally, lives changing in
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For instance, Jackie Kennedy’s effort to refurbish the White House is not left out. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot also includes pictures and diagrams which helps the reader to understand what was going on. O’Reilly and Dugard are qualified to have written this book simply because they have done their research and provided sources for each chapter in the back of the book. This book gives a clear picture of what was important in the United States in the early 1960’s; stopping the spread of communism and civil rights. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot is an interesting story that will keep anyone turning the pages.
Although the book is not necessarily meant to leave the reader with a strong message, Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot is able to do this effortlessly. The idea that lives can change in the blink of an eye is a message that resonates with anyone. Life is short. Make the most of
For instance, Jackie Kennedy’s effort to refurbish the White House is not left out. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot also includes pictures and diagrams which helps the reader to understand what was going on. O’Reilly and Dugard are qualified to have written this book simply because they have done their research and provided sources for each chapter in the back of the book. This book gives a clear picture of what was important in the United States in the early 1960’s; stopping the spread of communism and civil rights. Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot is an interesting story that will keep anyone turning the pages.
Although the book is not necessarily meant to leave the reader with a strong message, Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot is able to do this effortlessly. The idea that lives can change in the blink of an eye is a message that resonates with anyone. Life is short. Make the most of