Killing Kennedy : The End of Camelot

The story reads like a movie. The way O'Reilly switches back and forth from the glorious Kennedy to the pathetic Oswald with objectivity makes Killing Kennedy seem like as accurate an account as we who were not born at the time can hope to have - devoid of the hero-worship spin put on Kennedy by other so-called reporters who come off as little more than fans rather than as historians. In this book, Kennedy was at once flawed and impressive - in other words, he was human. And the troubled Oswald is not unlike these troubled adults who shoot children in Connecticut schools nowadays. If only we learn something from him and others since him... I was already familiar with the facts surrounding Kennedy's horrendous murder, but I must say that show more I FELT it for the first time reading this book. I have no idea how Mrs. Kennedy ever slept another night in her life after experiencing what she experienced that day in Dallas with the love of her life. One point of criticism - the first person, present tense was sometimes awkward since this was not an autobiography, but overall very good read. show less

Like the rest of the works in the "Killing" series, this is not a history book. Rather, it is a historical fiction which blends facts, conjecture and creative liberties to tell the tale of JFK and those around him in an intimate and compelling manner.

The book moves quickly, and doesn't make clear which parts are proven fact and which are based on assumptions or crafted for creative purposes, but that is a reality in any book which assumes the perspective of being 'inside the head' of a historical figure.

This book will likely offer some knowledge you didn't have about JFK, Oswald and others, and will play out in a manner that will feel reasonable and very possible.

If you take it for what it is; a creative account of how things might show more have happened, with the gray areas of history filled in seamlessly by the authors, then it is a good read that will educate you a little and move you a lot. show less

I admit that I avoided Bill O'Reilly's Killing_________ series. I thought they would be too trivial and uninteresting. I was wrong. This is a fascinating look at The Kennedy presidency and the relationships that we know all too well, but still, the way in which the author portrayed the characters pulled me in and I found interest, sympathy, and sadness.

Mainly, I was surprised at the way in which the close relationship between Jackie and Jack was portrayed. This is a book worth reading!

Simply one of the best books I have ever read. This book by O'Reilly is much better than his Killing Lincoln. This book is non-fiction and has more information than the general public knows about the Kennedys, the Oswalds, and the assassination. O'Reilly's first sentence sets the tone for the book, "The man with fewer than three years to live has his left hand on the Bible."

I finished reading this book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard a while ago but have needed time to process it. My feelings about the book are many and varied. I was young at the time of the assassination of President Kennedy and had a very limited view of what was actually going on in the world at that time. Reading Killing Kennedy definitely gave me an education on what the political temperature was like back then. Because I am not a very political person, I had no idea what it was like to be President of the U.S. Since reading this book I believe I have a better understanding of what that position entailed.

My rating of Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot is dependent on my interest in politics because this was a book that dealt show more with politics it at times lost my interest. These times did not last long however because of my curiosity about the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the man himself. I am going to give this book a 4**** rating. If you are curious about politics and what part they played in the assassination of Kennedy then this is a book that will grab your interest. show less

Really enjoyed Killing Kennedy. As someone who wasn't alive when he was president, I knew the basics of his life and what happened but this went a bit more in depth in a entertaining way. It wasn't the history textbook story that I've read numerous times over the years, but a more personal feel to the story. You got a bit of background of JFKs like without it going overboard to get a sense of his character more. It included some of the major issues in his presidency and also about his affairs. We all know JFK was a cheat but I think the book shows how much he cared for his wife. Also got a good glimpse at Oswald's life leading up to 11/22/63 and where his mind was going before it happened. The book is also very detailed about the actual show more shooting, speed of the car, directions, errors made, little things that all had to line up in order for the president to be killed. It's sad and mind blowing to know that a few hours before it was raining and they would of had the bubble on top of the car but it ended up being a sunny day, that small event could of changed history. I liked how it did touch base on some of the conspiracy theories out there and why they came up. I wish that part of would been in more detail, especially at the end where we find out people who were going to testify of be interviewed ended up getting killed/killed themselves shortly before. Very glad I read this book and was surprised that Bill O'Riley can come off as a sane human being. show less

I loved this book. I learned a lot about John Kennedy that I hadn't known, or maybe I had forgotten. I liked it a little better than "Killing Lincoln" maybe somewhat because I remember the day Kennedy was shot so clearly in my memory. I was in high school in French class, and I remember the teacher Miss Barry started crying. I don't think I had ever seen a teacher cry before. By the end of that day everyone was crying. This book had a lot of interesting facts and it was extremely well written.