Fascinating, intimate portrait of travel with Mrs Jacqueline Kennedy, by her personal Secret service agent. Full of excellent photos, and the tale telling construct of memories flooding back as old diaries and memorabilia are cleared out of a house works well. ( )

I bought this book as a gift and when the recipient finished it, she passed it on to me. I didn’t think that it would be my cup of tea but with all the pictures and interesting stories, it grabbed my interest and held on to it till the end. ( )

This was an amazing and moving book of personal memories of an iconic American, during a brief and specific period in United States history. Written by Clint Hill, a retired Secret Service agent whose assignments included guarding Jacqueline Kennedy while she was the First Lady and wife of President John F. Kennedy, beginning in 1961.

The concept for the book was inspired by Hill’s discovery of a trunkful of forgotten photos, handwritten notes, personal gifts, and treasured memorabilia of his travels with Mrs. Kennedy, hence the title. With encouragement from his wife and co-author Lisa McCubbin Hill, this one-of-a-kind book was written and published.

Organized by date and travel destination, almost every page contains photos, many of them never previously published. The first-hand stories accompanying these photos present a personal picture of Mrs. Kennedy that only Hill could share. Always respectful, Hill describes their travels to Paris, London, India, Pakistan, Greece, Morocco, Mexico, South America, and Italy’s Amalfi Coast. And wherever they go Hill is constantly working, responsible for her security at these various destinations, during the travels, at her assorted homes, and while visiting others on yachts, estates, and other locations.

But the travels are also a vehicle Hill uses to describe the Jacqueline Kennedy most people don’t know and the life she led as the First Lady. Poised, sophisticated, and known for her grace and style, she was also thoughtful and intelligent. She spoke several languages fluently. And as Hill says, “Although she had no interest in politics, in just three years in the White House, Mrs. Kennedy proved herself to be, arguably, one of the best ambassadors the United States has ever had.”

But of course, we know that the seemingly charmed life she led will be shattered by the horrifying assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Hill doesn’t go into any graphic detail but focuses on Mrs. Kennedy’s attempts to recover from this nightmare. He doesn’t even specify that he was the Secret Service agent leaping onto the back of President Kennedy’s limousine as shots were fired in Dallas. He has always been reluctant to speak of this traumatic experience.

Hill continued to protect Mrs. Kennedy for two more years after the death of JFK, and this provided him with a unique perspective about her life following the President’s assassination, offering a view into the decisions she later made for her family.

The book concludes with a description and photo of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ private funeral in 1994. Turn the page and you’ll read the final line: “People often ask me, ‘What was Jackie Kennedy really like?’ Well, now you know.”

I highly recommend this fascinating book – a memoir, a historic time capsule, and a personal side of history that is a glimpse into the life of an American icon and a view of an earlier, more innocent (or perhaps naïve) time. ( )