If I see an orchid that’s fantastically expensive, I’ll buy it. It’s worth it, for no other reason than it gives me pleasure
Assouline presents candid shots of younger sister of the late First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and sister-in-law of President John F. Kennedy
Review by Andy Barnham
By any standards, Lee Radziwill has had an eventful life. Born in Southampton, New York, Caroline Lee Bouvier, named “Lee” after her maternal grandfather James T. Lee, is an American socialite, public relations executive, interior decorator, and former actress. Married three times, she was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1996 and received the Légion d’Honneur from the French government in 2008.
‘Lee’, published by Assouline is a look at the life of Radziwill, from childhood to her marriages and other relationships, through the lens of both candid and posed photographs. Interspersed with letters, annotations and magazine covers, the book shows the behind the scenes of the incredibly privileged life of this extraordinary woman. The contents page reads like a Who’s Who; The President sits along side Aristotle Onassis and Andy Warhol. From royalty (Prince Radziwill) to dancers (Rudolf Nureyev), photographers (Cecil Beaton), novelists (Truman Capote) and designers (Giorgio Armani), Radziwill touched all spectrums of life.
As the title suggests, Radziwill appears in a large majority of the photographs and unsurprisingly the deaths and tragedies that she experienced through her connection with the Kennedy clan and personally (including the deaths of JFK, Bobby Kennedy, JFK Jnr and her own son Anthony) takes a minor role in the book. It is very much an unashamedly positive look back on Radziwill’s life and, in particular, at the social strata at which she exists. The majority of the content focuses on the 1950s, 60s and 70s, with the remaining years of the 1980s onwards taking very much a back seat at the end of the book.
The book itself is well bound with the flow of the content re-inforced by top notch selection. Collages, telegrams and photos all move seamlessly from one to another as Radziwill’s life progressed from event to event and country to country. ‘Lee’ provides the perfect opportunity for those wishing to look through the window into the upper echelons of international society. 
Enquiries: Maison Assouline, 196A Piccadilly, London W1J 9EY / 020 3327 9370 / [email protected]/ www.assouline.com