t3003 In October 1968, on the small Greek island of Skorpios, a wedding took place that was deliberately kept private. There was no press pool, no official photographers, and no estate witnesses. The woman walking toward the altar was the most recognizable widow in the world. The man waiting for her was not a senator, a … Read more
On November 22, 1963, former President Dwight David Eisenhower was at his retirement farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, enjoying what should have been an ordinary Friday afternoon. At 73, the man who had commanded Allied forces in World War II and led America for eight years was spending his days painting, playing golf, and writing his … Read more
On September 12, 1953, eight hundred guests gathered outside St. Mary's Church in Newport, Rhode Island, under a cool autumn sun to witness what looked like the wedding of the decade. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the handsome 36-year-old senator from Massachusetts and rising Democratic star, was marrying 24-year-old Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. For the American public following … Read more
On November 25, 1963, at the Élysée Palace in Paris, President Charles de Gaulle had just returned from John F. Kennedy's funeral in Washington. His information minister, Alain Peyrefitte, asked the question everyone was waiting to hear answered: what did he think about what had happened to Kennedy? De Gaulle's reply was immediate, cold, and … Read more
Elle l’a dit debout dans la cuisine que j’avais payée, en utilisant la vaisselle que j’avais achetée, dans la maison que je lui avais cédée cinq ans plus tôt parce qu’elle avait pleuré en me disant qu’elle avait besoin d’aide. Elle m’a regardée par-dessus le bord de son verre de vin et elle a dit … Read more
Sedm let jsem proseděl každé Vánoce sám u studené večeře a díval se na telefon, který mlčel. Sedm let jsem poslouchal výmluvy, proč se letos nemůžou dostavit, proč jsou děti nemocné, proč je manželka unavená, proč se to nevyplatí kvůli dopravě. A pokaždé, když jsem se zmínil, že bych jim rád pomohl s novým autem … Read more
Le téléphone a sonné un mardi soir, juste après neuf heures. C’est moi qui ai répondu, parce que la maison, après quarante et un ans de mariage, se taisait encore autour de moi à cette heure-là. À l’autre bout du fil, la voix de Morgan, l’ancienne avocate de ma femme, celle qui avait épousé ma … Read more
Il m’a dit : « Tu devrais l’avoir, au cas où il leur arriverait quelque chose. » C’est la première phrase que mon père m’a dite en me tendant cette enveloppe de papier bulle, un mardi soir ordinaire, trois semaines avant sa mort. Je n’ai pas compris sur le moment. Je n’ai pas compris que … Read more
Mi chiamo Teresa Bellini e ho settantotto anni. Per trentaquattro anni ho dormito nella stessa camera, nella casa che io e mio marito Carlo avevamo costruito con sacrifici, lavoro e rinunce. Quella stanza non era soltanto quattro mura e un letto. Era il luogo dove avevo cresciuto mio figlio Andrea, dove avevo salutato mio marito … Read more
At 2:37 a.m. on September 15, 1951, Joe Louis knocked on Bumpy Johnson's door in Harlem. The Brown Bomber, the greatest heavyweight champion in boxing history, stood on the stoop looking broken. He had defeated Max Schmeling, defended his title 25 times, and become an American hero. Now he had nowhere else to turn. Bumpy … Read more