Conversations With Kennedy

by Benjamin C. Bradlee

Ben Bradlee first came to know John Kennedy well when they were Washington neighbors in 1958. They remained good friends and off-the-record confidants until President Kennedy's death. They also had a more professional relationship governed by Bradlee's job covering the capital for Newsweek.

Bradlee and his wife Tony participated in the parties at the White House and in more private moments when the president and Jacqueline were relaxing with friends. With Kennedy's knowledge, Bradlee kept notes of their intimate conversations. These records are the basis for this behind-the-scenes record of the human side of the JFK presidency.

For the first time, all the conflicting elements of Kennedy's personality are seen at the closest possible range. Here was a politician of the South Boston stripe who also was at home among the WASP intellectuals he brought into government, who loved the sick old tiger who was his father and yet would not be dominated by him, who understood his brothers' every quirk and strength, admired women, and had few illusions about human nature but nursed dreams all the same.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Presidents, Politics, Biography Memoir, Memoir

254 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Father of Ben Bradlee Jr.
Benjamin Crowninshield "Ben" Bradlee is vice-president at large of the Washington Post. Born in Boston, Bradlee attended Harvard College. In 1942, he became a communications officer for the Office of Naval Intelligence and fought in thirteen battles during World War II. Bradlee became executive editor of the Washington Post in 1968, a position he held until 1991. During this time, Bradlee oversaw the Post’s award-winning coverage of the Watergate affair and the publication of the Pentagon Papers. In 2013, Bradlee was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Bradlee and his wife, journalist Sally Quinn, live in Washington, DC.

also publishes under the name Ben Bradlee

Reviews

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Time pushes us further and further away from the days of John F. Kennedy's presidency, it is hard for those with a living memory of his Presidency (and harder still for those of us who were not alive when JFK was in the White House) to have a full perspective of what John F. Kennedy was in life. That is why this book, "CONVERSATIONS WITH KENNEDY", by Ben Bradlee, a journalist who knew Kennedy on a personal level between 1958 and 1963, is so important.

In the space of 244 pages, the reader is given access not only to the 1960 presidential campaign (from the Kennedy camp) and some of the White House parties and dinners to which the Bradleys were invited, but also the outings Bradley enjoyed with President Kennedy at Hyannisport and Newport (where Jackie Kennedy's stepfather, Hugh Auchincloss, had a large estate). The book also has 2 sets of photos, which serve to further illustrate the nature of the relationship Bradley, then the Washington bureau chief for Newsweek magazine, had with Kennedy. Generally, it was an easy, relaxed relationship. But sometimes Bradley would be "frozen out" by President Kennedy for short spans of time if Newsweek printed stories that he didn't like. This was no vindictiveness on Kennedy's part, because he liked journalists (having once been one briefly himself in 1945, when he - as a special correspondent for Hearst Newspapers - covered the San Francisco Conference, which led to the establishment of the United Nations) and was known to read from 6 different newspapers daily. President Kennedy was very knowledgeable about the workings of the press, had a wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, and loved to keep abreast of the latest developments among the leading media establishments.

"CONVERSATIONS WITH KENNEDY" also shows a President who 'had few illusions about human nature but nursed dreams all the same.' There is one excerpt from September 12, 1963, that I found especially revealing, as well as very moving ~

"Dinner was on the dicey side. Jackie's stepfather is not exactly a swinger, and the toasts were pretty much in his image. We were high on the hog again, with much wine, caviar, and champagne, but we all went to bed soon after dinner. Just before we retired Jackie drew me aside, her eyes glistening near tears, to announce that 'you two really are our best friends.' It was a forlorn remark, almost like a lost and lonely child desperately in need of any kind of friend. She repeated the message a couple of times to Tony [Bradlee's wife] during the weekend, citing particularly our letters to them about the baby's death. ... --- it had been a bad summer for our friends, with Patrick's death [Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, the President's and Jackie's son, who died from a lung ailment 2 days after his birth in August 1963] and the sudden, jolting suicide of Phil Graham [publisher and Chairman of the Board for The Washington Post, who was a close friend of the Kennedys and Bradlee], whose light finally burned too bright and destroyed him --- but Jackie said it was a description of a instant of love we had seen between a father and a small baby, parting in Naples. They [i.e., the Kennedys] are the most remote and independent people we know most of the time, and so when their emotions do surface it is especially moving."

It is passages like the one cited above that reinforce the enormity of the loss to humanity (even after 54 years) of a brilliant, charismatic and witty U.S. President who inspired people to seek out "the better angels of their nature" and better themselves and the world community at large through public service. Thank you, Ben Bradlee, for this book.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bradlee and Kennedy shared a close professional and personal relationship for five years, from 1958 to 1963. The men were both war veterans, idealists and up-and-coming leaders. The men shared a lot of values and interests which would lead a reader to believe this book was going to provide deep insight and perspective into their lives and friendship. The synopsis promises that Bradlee will reveal JFK’s reviews on everything from Communism to conservatism to freedom of the press; from parties at the White House to weekends at Palm Beach. Conversations with Kennedy is supposed to be an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the man behind the myth and it is, sort of. While Conversations with Kennedy does provide insight into JFK it does not provide the depth that I had expected or wanted from this book.

Conversations with Kennedy is a good book and it does provide information about Kennedy’s life and personality. It was interesting but it did not provide the unique perspective that I was seeking when I picked up the book. I wanted more on the intimacies of Kennedy’s life but nothing was provided in great detail. It was very general information and although I liked the read there is very little that can be considered “new” data.

The best part of the book was the ending. I don’t mean that I was glad the book had ended but rather that the last quarter of the book was by far the best. It is possible that this is because it was the part that dealt with the assassination of JFK and the emotional toll it took on those close to the family. It’s a good book for anyone who is looking to learn about Kennedy but it won’t provide the depth that other books have offered.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've wanted to read this for years, but when at the library, I'd forget. And this book is quite slim compared to Kennedy bios, so it was also easily overlooked. I was lucky enough to find it, in hardcover and in excellent condition, at our church's book sale, and read it cover to cover in the space of a day. Although JBK strenuously objected to the writing of this book by Bradlee, and shunned him and his wife, Tony, forever after, there isn't much damaging information here. What is interesting is the way Bradlee moves uncomfortably between friend and reporter when he is privy to so much off-the-record information. I have read literally every JFK biography, and this adds moving testimony to his intelligence, his complexity, his independence, and his capacity to inspire enormous loyalty. I highly recommend this book.

[Brett Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Bradlee (at the time with Newsweek and would later go on to the Washington Post) and John F. Kennedy were close friends and this book was a record of their conversations between 1958 to 1963. The fact that they are friends and that Ben is also a journalist and John would go on to be President of the United States makes for a fascinating dynamic for this book and their conversations. Definitely recommend, especially for those who interested in the Kennedys.

[Viviane Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conversations with Kennedy begins by describing how Bradlee and Kennedy met, explains some early gaps in their brief friendship, and discusses the relationship that Bradlee was always the first to examine with caution. For a journalist when is the line between professional journalism and friendship crossing and how does that affect the “story” one is writing and presenting to the public? Kennedy, on the other hand, believes that with a biography or autobiography, one truly gets to know “who the man is,” really is; and it’s clear he saw Bradlee’s reporting and writing for Newsweek in the same vein. Whatever way one sees such a friendship, it’s clear Kennedy trusted Bradlee, gave him numerous “scoops” and consulted with him on just about every possible topic that occurred to or around Kennedy or was on the current “map” of articles around the world.
In some ways, this reviewer couldn’t help thinking while reading about these conversations that the image of Camelot gets a beating in some of these stories. For Kennedy, it appears herein, in how he scorned those who excoriated him in the press or those who said one thing and then did another in reality. In fact, his motto of not getting mad but “getting even” is often repeated throughout these talks.
For example, Kennedy is furious when the price of steel is raised during a time of economic insecurity, first by one company and then by all the others the following day. Or when Kennedy gave scoops to papers that were meant to be released on a timed basis and then the writer would leak it to the press immediately.
Perhaps there was some competition between Kennedy and his wife, as Kennedy seemed annoyed at times at the way Jackie could do no harm in the eyes of the press while reporters were always nitpicking away at him on a daily basis. Several times Kennedy comments on Jackie’s excessive shopping habits, although she always defended herself. But in other places, cost seems to mean nothing to either of them.
There is little of substance about the Cuba debacle but that’s probably because that crisis loomed long before this memorable friendship began. It is quite clear who Kennedy trusted in his Cabinet and whom he tolerated; the same goes for members of the Senate who are itemized throughout these talks. The last chapter of this book is notable for its accurate depiction of the acute depth of mourning by all who clearly were more than fond of this complex, intelligent man, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Conversations with Kennedy is an interesting read, giving a glimmer of “who the man really was,” but without much in-depth substance. One element that must be recognized is the extensive, panoramic presentation of issues and events that Kennedy had to be aware of and on top of as to how he thought about each one. Bradlee is to be respected and esteemed for maintaining his opinions about issues and frankly speaking them to Kennedy, often with unhappy feedback from the President. No, it’s not a great book but it is a fascinating one, exposing the inner circles and opinions therein being shared and eventually winding up in Presidential policy or impact. Recommended reading!

[Gisela Hausmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book! In times like these when we wonder about the president's relationship with the press it is wonderful to know that this concept used to work.

Ben Bradlee wrote a beautiful, intimate portrait of Kennedy, retelling his special relationship. If I wanted to quote lines (moments) that moved me I'd have to write a book because there are so many. In a way I am glad that Bradlee did not get to see how our current president insults many respected members of the press, people a president could be friends with.
The retelling how this friendship between two great men evolved is amazingly precious, my son would say "insanely" precious.

Times are changing. Today, people text more than they talk with each other. Bradlee's account how he and Kennedy pondered thoughts and concepts, shared private moments, and helped each other to grow is so beautiful that I will read this book again and again.

Towards the end of the book I grew anxious. What would Bradlee's last memory be?
"... I never heard Kennedy laugh harder than he did that night....
.... We left in the middle of the next day, after another relaxed morning watching Jackie ride and jump, walking, and reading the papers. It was the last time I ever saw him..."
It was comforting to me that Bradlee last memory of Kennedy included the last president laughing.

The book also shows the newsman Bradlee:
"... NOVEMBER 23, 1963 / The sledgehammer news that President Kennedy had been shot came to me while I was browsing through Brentano’s book store on my lunch hour..."

Sledgehammer news! - What a perfect description! Sledgehammers break and destroy stuff to a point beyond repair. It's a perfect word to describe the tragedy.

If I would have to use one word to describe this book I'd call it 'precious."
Deeply moved,
Gisela Hausmann, author and blogger

[Laurie Hoppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben and Tony Bradlee met Jack and Jackie Kennedy when they were Georgetown neighbors, back in 1958. They became fast friends, and the relationship deepened when the Kennedys entered the White House. It's a touching, affectionate memoir of a historic figure as few saw him. He's charming and funny. Vain and defensive. At times vulgar but never cruel. Smart and curious. Always fascinating.

This book really made me think ... and in ways probably not intended by Ben Bradlee as he wrote it. For example:

Historian vs. journalist: Written in the 1970s from a journalist's notes, the story today gets bogged down by news stories (Billie Sol Estes, Bobby Baker) just not relevant today. As frustrating as I found this, I also understood it. Ben Bradlee was, at heart, a reporter, not a historian. He didn't view the world with a long view. He wanted to get the story -- his "Conversations with Kennedy" -- down as accurately as he could.

Journalist vs. friend: At the time these evenings and weekends with the Kennedys took place, Ben Bradlee was Newsweek's Washington Bureau Chief. How is that appropriate? What is a reporter doing celebrating anniversaries and going sailing with the man he's supposed to be covering? Bradlee seems to wrestle with this, but not in this vein. His concern focused on-the-record vs. off-the-record. At the end of the book, the Bradlees see Jackie at Bethesda Naval Hospital, after JFK's autopsy. Still in her bloody pink suit, she falls into their arms and asks if they want to hear what happened. "But not as a reporter," she stipulates through her tears. The moment hit him hard.

[Sanjeev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining Read: Very Few Revelations

Until I read this book, I had no idea how close John Kennedy & Ben Bradlee were. Their fathers knew each other, both had Boston & Harvard roots, worked in the Navy, were neighbors in Georgetown, had children of same age and socialized with each other to a point of having dinners together, sometime several times a week at short notices and their wives Jackie & Toni were friends.

Ben Bradlee shares those conversations with Kennedy in this book, most of them were at dinners at White House. Most of the information in this book is already public, but not all: I had no idea that Kennedy spoke like a sailor in his personal life.

However it is difficult for me to imagine that a President & a Newsweek journalist, both in the glare of public eyes, were not using each other, contrary to what Ben Bradlee says. President was managing the news stories and the journalist was making use of the leaks.

So read with a skeptic's eye. Ben Bradlee is a great author and newspaperman and the book makes a very entertaining read.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book about history, but not so much a good history book. There's a lot of interesting insight into Kennedy and his administration, but more anecdotal rather than a broad explanation of what happened.

Benjamin Bradlee was a friend of Kennedy's and also a reporter for Newsweek, so the book is like a diary of conversations he had with Kennedy, places his family went with the Kennedys, etc. It would be a really good book if you lived through that time, or knew about the era, but if you don't already know the intricacies of the Cuban missile crisis, for example, some of the things said about it won't make sense to you, because Bradlee doesn't explain them (since it's not meant as a history textbook). But probably most people (adults of any age) know enough about JFK/his administration/his family to get something out of this book, but it varies by how much you know of the late 1950s-1963.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Different View of The Kennedy Family
A well written, easy to read book. This book is a collection of conversations that Benjamin Bradlee had with President and Mrs. Kennedy. These conversations and Mr. Bradlee’s thoughts about them are glimpses of the private side to President Kennedy that I hadn’t read about. There were breaks in the conversations due to the author’s work at Newsweek and the President’s distaste for some of what was written – that is the great part – Mr. Bradlee wasn’t someone who just said what the President wanted to hear. There are conversations about their lives and roles as fathers and husbands. These aren’t earth shattering conversations; instead, these are recollections of personal conversations that with the President’s permission, Mr. Bradlee took notes and retained the essence of the talks. A very enjoyable book. Enjoy! NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Patrick Slavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned about this book from a JFK Library podcast and it's a must for Kennedy admirers. Before becoming a celebrity as the Watergate and Pentagon Papers editor of the Washington Post, Ben Bradlee was a Washington insider as a longtime Newsweek bureau chief. His neighbor in Georgetown was Senator John F. Kennedy - close in age, school tie as Harvard grads, World War II Naval officers in the Pacific, with wives and young children. They became good friends and the relationship continued after JFK was elected President. At the point, Bradlee asked JFK for permission to take notes about their many encounters - dinners, parties, phone calls - and his friend agreed. The slim book is journalistic with few adjectives and emotions - but you do get an insider's look at the man. The book sharply ends with the Dallas assassination, sadly with little comment from the author. A short but important read.

[Diana Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author only knew the Kennedy's for a short time, mainly as a journalist...then a neighbor...then as a friend. These conversations, for the most part were off the record, but the President was aware that the author was taking notes and would not be written about for at least 5 years after Kennedy left the Office of POTUS. This book does not contain anything secret or major so to speak, but shows the Kennedy family in a more relaxed atmosphere, just humans after all. It must have been special to be included in dinners and parties, to hear all the latest gossip, to share the joys of raising children and having their wives become great friends as well. It's also difficult to imagine having to see the country and especially Jackie lose so much after Kennedy was assassinated and all of them to carry on. I thought the read was interesting.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journalist Benjamin C Bradlee had a close professional and personal relationship with JFK, and in this often revealing collection of conversations he had with him gives an insight into Kennedy the private rather than the public man. For devotees of JFK the book will be a rich treasure trove of anecdote, and even for those like myself who are fairly immune to the widespread admiration that Kennedy still inspires, there is much to enjoy here. However, on the whole I found it all a little bland, and although Bradlee, a journalist for Newsweek and later executive editor at the Washington Post, has a facility with words and is very good at conjuring up events and meetings, overall I wasn’t that enthralled, and feel that this is a book for the converted rather than the indifferent.

[Paty Berretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book a few years ago because I'm obsessed with JFK. It was on my TBR shelf for so long that I only started reading because I didn't have nothing else to read. I didn't have much expectations for this book and it was amazing.

After watching the movie The Post, I have a better idea of who Ben Bradlee, Bob McNamara and others are and it's really interesting seeing how the relationship between the press and the White House has evolved and changed. I recommend this book, even though it doesn't reveal much about JFK, because you can see both reporters and the President as human beings.

[John Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Bradlee, had a unique perspective on JFK. He was Kennedy's neighbor and close friend since 1958 and political writer for Newsweek covering the Kennedy administation. He and his wife Tony visited the White House for many public and private occasions. This book of his recollections gives an interesting view of the Kennedys as regular people as well as almost mythical figures. Though no amazing revelations, it does offer us an inside look and a view of the machinations of US politics and government at that time.

I received my copy from netgalley.com

[Danae Samson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one of Kennedy's favorite journalists, Bradlee is given an unrestricted, sometimes unsettling look into the president's work and private life. It is his little notes about JFK's humor, habits and shortcomings that make this one of my favorite books. I have read it a few times and each time, something strikes me as incredibly personal and poignant about Bradlee's love and perception of Kennedy. Anyone will enjoy this book.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of books about JFK and this one had a different slant. Ben Bradlee became close to JFK when he was a neighbor of the Senator. As a result he had access to a friend who just happened to become President of the U.S. This made things fairly difficult for Bradlee, a journalist, who oftentimes had to sit on a story because of his friendship. There are a lot of fascinating stories and it is interesting to read about JFK's personal life from an actual friend.

[Karen]

* Top 10 Greatest Leaders of All Time

The Leader: John F. Kennedy

Arguably America’s most popular president, definitely the suavest, John F. Kennedy knew and understood the capability and more so the mortality of a single man. Which is why he made good on personal relationships. In Conversations with Kennedy, acclaimed journalist and good friend Benjamin C. Bradlee reveals the man under that perfectly quaffed do.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

It took me forever to finish this book (and it's a small book). I think I had so much difficulty for a couple of reasons. 1). There is a lot of name dropping, and that would be fine if you were a Washington insider in the 50's and 60's, but much was loss to me because I am not. 2). I had read several of the anecdotes in Bradlee's other book, A Good Life, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tender, often insightful, look at a president some of us remember as one who could motivate people, who gave us a new vision and new hope, and often did this with great humor.

Bradlee was a personal friend as well as a Newsweek reporter at the time and this combination gives us an unusual inside look at JFK and his family - and it's a page turner as well.

[Lindseyfish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick reading. A lot of small, but fascinating insights into Kennedy's personality and intellect. Ben Bradlee was a neighbor and friend to the family, and his account felt honest, and never tell-all trashy.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a compilation of Ben Bradlee's notes and recollections of personal, not as a journalist, conversations with President Kennedy. It reveals his and Jackie's personalities when they were not in public. Nothing earthshattering is revealed, but it was interesting.

[Chloe Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book about any Kennedy I've read. Did such a good job of humanising him by never straying into hagiography and laying out their friendship difficulties in a frank, interesting manner. JFK worrying about his man boobs made me laugh so hard.

[Douglas Fugate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique read, as this was written by Mr. Bradlee who was neighbor to the then Senator and Mrs. Kennedy. The neighbors became close friends both before and during the White House years. The conversations show John Kennedy in a light not related in history or biography books.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bradlee's very human observations of JFK clearly come from a close personal relationship, even if the president may not have acknowledged it that way.

[Jim Cullison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading once. Captures the Mad Men vibe of the early 60s. Not sure how insightful or profound it is, although it was used quite heavily as a source in subsequent Kennedy bios.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

great candid conversations with JFK.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this years ago and remember liking it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Bradlee was both friend and journalist. He and his wife Tony socialized with the Kennedys. This gave them an interesting position in which to view history. Bradlee writes of the challenge of being a journalist present at so many private gatherings. Sometimes Kennedy seemed to use Bradlee to release information. Sometimes Bradlee's judgment calls over what to keep out of Newsweek seem to obscure the truth.

This felt like a vanity project. Bradlee is proud of the position of friend to a powerful man. He reports that the Kennedys said he and his wife were their best friends. It's hard to substantiate a claim like this, especially after all or most the principle characters are dead.

[Janie A. Hutchison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ring of truth without sensationalism ...

A most unusual recollection of a personal relationship with President Kennedy and Jackie. Bradlee managed to divorce his professional opinions from the true friendship he and his wife had with this powerful couple. A feat I daresay was difficult. It is at times a confluence of many emotions: funny, interesting, frustrating and finally poignant. Not sure why I give it only four stars. It was for me an incredibly personal book.