Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy

In 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy recorded seven interviews with historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., documenting her life with President John F. Kennedy. These sessions, totaling eight and a half hours, were conducted with the approval of Robert F. Kennedy as part of an oral-history project to preserve accounts of the late President and those closest to him during his political career. The recordings were sealed and deposited in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum according to Mrs. Kennedy's wishes. For the remainder of her life, she declined to publicly discuss these years, but these interviews represent her detailed and candid recollections as the wife and confidante of JFK. The material covers significant people and events of his presidency, JFK's views on his brothers Robert and Ted, his perspectives on world leaders, and insights into his decision-making. Jacqueline Kennedy's account also reveals her perspective as First Lady. The recordings have been restored and released on CD with transcripts, introduced and annotated by presidential historian Michael Beschloss, providing a firsthand portrait of President Kennedy and his era.