The Dark Side of Camelot
If the Kennedys are America's royal family, then John F. Kennedy was  the nation's crown prince. Magnetic, handsome, and charismatic, his perfectly  coifed image overshadowed the successes and failures of his presidency, and his  assassination cemented his near-mythological status in American culture and  politics. Struck down in his prime, he represented the best and the brightest of  America's future, and when he died, part of the nation's promise and innocence  went with him. That, at least, is the public version of the story.The private version, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour  M. Hersh, is quite different. His meticulous investigation of Kennedy has  revealed a wealth of indiscretions and malfeasance, ranging from frequent  liaisons with prostitutes and mistresses to the attempted assassination of Fidel  Castro to involvement in organized crime. Though scandals in the White House are  nothing new, Hersh maintains that Kennedy's activities went beyond minor abuses  of power and personal indulgences: they threatened the security of the nation--particularly in the realm of foreign policy--and the integrity of the office.  Hersh believes it was only a matter of time before Kennedy's dealings were  exposed, and only his popularity and charm, compounded by his premature death,  spared such an investigation for so long. Exposure was further stalled by Bobby  Kennedy's involvement in nefarious dealings, enabling him to bury any  investigation of his brother and--by extension--himself.Based on interviews  with former Kennedy administration officials, former Secret Service agents, and  hundreds of Kennedy's personal friends and associates,The Dark Side of  Camelotrewrites the history of John F. Kennedy and his presidency.