An inside look at Camelot
In her latest biography, author Sally Bedell Smith '70 takes readers inside the Kennedy White House with unparalleled access and insight in Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House (Random House, May 2004). Interviewing scores of Kennedy intimates, including many who have never spoken before, and drawing on letters and personal papers made available for the first time, Smith paints a richly detailed picture of the personal relationships behind the high purpose and political drama of the twentieth century's most storied presidency.
The Kennedys and their court played as hard as they worked, surrounding themselves with artists and writers, diplomatic luminaries and international jet-setters. The man at the center was a leader of extraordinary gifts, genuine compassion and a streak of stunning recklessness, Smith recounts. In his public life, JFK created a New Frontier, stared down the Soviets, and devoted himself to his wife and children. In his secret life, which Smith explains in new detail, he was romantically entangled with several mistresses while simultaneously conducting dalliances with a series of women half his age.
Grace and Power tells how the Kennedys and their circle changed the politics and style of America--and how their years in the limelight changed them. Best-selling author Smith brings readers back to the glamorous days of Camelot in this vividly drawn portrait of three remarkable years in the lives of John and Jacqueline Kennedy and their charmed circle.
Smith is also the author of best-selling biographies of Princess Diana, broadcast pioneer William Paley, and Pamela Churchill Harriman. Based in Washington, D.C., she has been a contributing editor at Vanity Fair since 1996. For more information about Smith and her previous work, visit www.sallybedellsmith.com.