Ladies' Man by Laurence Leamer is a biography of President John F. Kennedy, focusing on his personal life through the perspectives of the women he was involved with, from early lovers to figures like Marilyn Monroe.penguinrandomhouse+1
The book examines JFK's charismatic yet reckless personality, portraying him as obsessive and manipulative in his pursuit of women, whom he collected and discarded as needs changed. It traces his relationships—from youthful affairs at boarding school, European aristocrats like Inga Arvad, his marriage to Jacqueline Bouvier, to risky liaisons with Judith Exner and Ellen Rometsch—revealing a private life of compulsion driven by illness, fear of mortality, and a need to prove vitality.people+1
Leamer uses interviews with over 300 people, including three of JFK's mistresses he knew personally, to give voice to women previously marginalized in his story, contrasting his cautious public image with bewildering personal risks that escalated with power.penguinrandomhouse+1
Leamer's unprecedented access and original reporting provide intimate, shocking details absent from reverential biographies, reframing Camelot's glamour through women's overlooked stories. Early readers report it permanently alters views of JFK, with the author's prior Kennedy expertise adding depth.people+1
As an upcoming release (October 2026), full reviews are limited, but its gossip-heavy focus on scandals may prioritize sensationalism over balanced policy analysis, potentially reinforcing tabloid stereotypes of JFK despite psychological insights.penguinrandomhouse
The book connects JFK's compulsive womanizing and risk-taking to modern masculinity defined by denial and power, making it timely amid ongoing discussions of leadership flaws and #MeToo reckonings with historical icons. In February 2026, it arrives as President Trump's reelection prompts reflections on Camelot-era contrasts in political legacies.people