• The Kennedy Wives

  • Triumph and Tragedy in America’s Most Public Family
  • By: Amber Hunt, David Batcher
  • Narrated by: Hillary Huber
  • Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (307 ratings)

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The Kennedy Wives

By: Amber Hunt,David Batcher
Narrated by: Hillary Huber
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Publisher's summary

The Kennedy wives saw history up close - and made history in some cases. They knew wealth and privilege, but we are bonded to them by losses that are our losses, too. The Kennedy women - fierce, intelligent, and very private - belong to us. Not because of their glamour but because of their grief and misfortunes.

The Kennedy Wives takes an unflinching look at the women who married into the Kennedy family and their distinct roles: Rose, the matriarch; Ethel, the athlete; Jackie, the icon; Joan, the fragile beauty; and Vicki, the redeemer. In reality each woman was complex and multifaceted. As Kennedy wives they were bonded through characteristics and experiences unique to the Camelot family.

The Kennedy Wives is an exploration of these women that will offer what no other book or film created thus far has: a thoughtful analysis of what drew the Kennedy men to these iconic women - and what the women endured in exchange for their acceptance into the Camelot clan.

©2015 Amber Hunt and David Batcher (P)2016 Tantor

What listeners say about The Kennedy Wives

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Royalty, American style

I've listened to several books about the Kennedys, and this one is pretty good. There's lots of detail and the writing is literate. It's not in the gossipy, tell-all mode, but reads like a serious, fairly scholarly attempt. You feel informed. The weak point is the narrator, who has an old schoolmarmish voice and makes a quite a few mistakes in pronunciation of names and words many of us know. Jacqui would be pained by the mistakes, Ethel wouldn't care, Joan would be too drunk to notice, and Vickie would hear and remain silent. Rose would certainly know, but say nothing and go to her room to pray. Now you know in a nutshell what the book will make plain. It's worth the listen.

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11 people found this helpful

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Great Book

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. It was just like I was witnessing it myself!

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Kennedy Wives

Was so good to listen to. Lots of new material. Enjoyed it immensely. Recommend this book to everyone.

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5 people found this helpful

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Excellent

I love it because it told you about the kennedy wife and love story of Kennedy wife.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Not the same old, same old biography!

Well researched and interesting story of 5 Kennedy wives. It delves into each woman's contributions to this historic family. Jack, Bobby, and Ted would never have made it as far as they did without their mother and these wives. I liked how the authors didn't put the Kennedy men on a pedestal, you get a story with all the warts! The narrator is one of my favorites, good choice for this book.

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2 people found this helpful

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Great Work!

Really liked this book. I learned many new facts about these women. More than facts, you understand how they thought, felt, and believed.

I felt the reader sounded robotic at times. Other than that great work.

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Great book

A wonderful Kennedy biography. Lots of information and wonderfully told. You won't be disappointed with this book.

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Plagerism

Any additional comments?

I as I was listening to this book on the section regarding Ethel I started to think that some of what I was hearing sounded very familiar. I realized later it was because a lot of it was lifted from the 2012 documentary done by Rory Kennedy. I am wondering now how much is lifted from other sources.

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Not much new - pretty generic

Perhaps it is because I have read several Kennedy books but I felt this glossed over much of the person. Typical public stories of tragedy but missed the connective thread between them during tragedy and triumph. Also missed details about how the multiple affairs happened in the White House and other locations. It was as if each woman pretended they never existed but other books have given other stories. Perhaps these authors did not have the connections to the family or were able to do deep research. Short description and the only one I learned something about was Joan. She was considered a saint and Ted's savior. If you haven't read anything about the Kennedys, you might like this but, mostly fluff.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Ted Kennedy turned out to be the big surprise

at the end of his life Ted Kennedy found the best woman. she was truly liberated unlike all of the other women

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1 person found this helpful