The author, William Kuhn is an academic historian. He taught at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin for 15 years before turning to writing full time. The book is a compilation of interviews with 8 friends of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The stories tell some interesting facts about the friends and their relationship to Jackie, but I found them to be rather drab. There were some interesting moments providing insight into how Jackie thought and behaved. For example. Jackie treated her constant companion since finishing school with disregard while alive and very ungenerously upon her death. ( )

This is a great companion read to William Kuhn's Reading Jackie, almost like a bonus feature. It was an interesting read to hear about Jacqueline from people from various points in her life. There were new insights into her story and personality. ( )

This was received as a part of the early reviewers program.
I read, or rather, listened to the first chapter of this collection. I have to say that I wasn’t a fan. It seemed more like a stream of consciousness writing in many places. The author frequently is focused on himself during the story. This book is for you if you're a fan of mid-century history and class distinctions. I found it great to listen to as I was falling asleep. It just wasn’t that interesting to me.
Here’s hoping library thing counts this review as having been completed. ( )

There wasn't a WOW factor with this book (I listened to it on audio). It was a seemingly fireside chat with Jackie's friends. You were left with the fact that Jackie surrounded herself with trustworthy friends who shared NOTHING. I did find it interesting that the male author had a female do the audio. I honestly think that helped with listening to the blase' stories. I think b/c the title is highlighted as 'Jackie Stories' I had expectations of learning more about the infamous woman and I didn't come away with anything more than meeting her friends. ( )

These eight chapters about eight friends of Jackie Onassis were subtle yet interesting. They do not exactly define the woman she was but kind of filled in some of the blanks with background information. These interviews with her 'friends' if you can call them that were bittersweet and a bit sad. My take away from this book: I would not have liked Jackie Onassis. She was a manipulative spoiled snob. However I came to feel sorry for her, she never was able to gain the approval and appreciation from the academic/intellectual community she so desperately wanted to impress. Her desire was to be a talented, transformational editor, but she basically just edited coffee table books full of beautiful photography. That in itself is sad, she could have been so much more. ( )