The Dogs of Camelot: Stories of the Kennedy Canines

One of the most delightful domestic aspects of John F. Kennedy's presidency was the first family's love of dogs. Reed, a Kennedy family friend, and journalist Lownds follow the family's White House arrival in 1961 with one dog to the president's untimely death in 1963, when they had acquired a pack of nine. Charlie, a Welsh terrier, was a gift to daughter Caroline and considered the favorite, providing a calming effect during the Cuban Missile crisis. Clipper, a German shepherd, was beloved by Jackie Kennedy and traveled to Hyannis Port on family vacations. A gift from Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, Pushinka, was an offspring of Strelka, a dog sent into space in a Soviet rocket. Eventually, a romance between Charlie and Pushinka resulted in four "pupniks." After an enthusiastic welcome to Ireland, Kennedy was given Shannon, an English cocker spaniel, and several months later, Wolf, an Irish wolfhound.