Ask Not
The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed
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Ask Not
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Narrated by:
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Gabra Zackman
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Written by:
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Maureen Callahan
About this listen
From New York Times bestseller Maureen Callahan, a fierce, character-driven exposé of the real Kennedy Curse—the family’s generations-long legacy of misogyny, murder, and mayhem.
The Kennedy name has long been synonymous with wealth, power, glamor, and—above all else—integrity. But this carefully constructed veneer hides a dark truth: the pattern of Kennedy men physically and psychologically abusing women and girls, leaving a trail of ruin and death in each generation’s wake. Through decades of scandal after scandal—from sexual assaults to reputational slander, suicides to manslaughter—the family and their defenders have kept the Kennedy brand intact. Now, in Ask Not, bestselling author and journalist Maureen Callahan reveals the Kennedys’ hidden history of violence and exploitation, laying bare their unrepentant sexism and rampant depravity while also restoring these women and girls to their rightful place at the center of the dynasty’s story: from Jacqueline Onassis and Marilyn Monroe to Carolyn Bessette, Martha Moxley, Mary Jo Kopechne, Rosemary Kennedy, and many others whose names aren’t nearly as well known but should be.
Drawing on years of explosive reportage and written in electric prose, Ask Not is a long-overdue reckoning with this fabled family and a consequential part of American history that is still very much with us. At long last, Callahan redirects the spotlight to the women in the Kennedys’ orbit, paying homage to those who freed themselves and giving voice to those who, through no fault of their own, could not.
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What the critics say
"Bold, brave and original, Ask Not takes a sledgehammer to the myth of Camelot. This is an unforgettable book—a necessary reckoning that will forever change the way I view modern American history." —Susannah Cahalan, author of The Great Pretender and the #1 New York Times bestseller Brain on Fire
“A harrowing, incendiary swirl of tragedy, true crime, and reconsidered history, Ask Not sets a match to the glamour and mystique of America’s most famous family. With incisive wit and wisdom, Callahan exposes the individuals and the celebrity culture that aided and abetted so many Kennedy men.” —Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Ghosts of Eden Park and Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy
What listeners say about Ask Not
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Lydia B.
- 2024-07-26
Engaging and hard to put down.
Lots of great information about the Kennedys. Ultimately more of a factual account without any in depth insights or character development. Still, a very compelling read
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lori K
- 2024-12-03
IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEONE WROTE THIS BOOK!
"Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed" is a compelling read that delves into the darker aspects of the Kennedy dynasty. I appreciated the thorough research and the unflinching look at how power and privilege impacted the behavior of the Kennedy men and the lives of the women associated with the family. The book is eye-opening and thought-provoking, offering a realistic perspective on a legendary American family.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Louise P.
- 2024-10-14
The most honest
I loved this book. It’s a no holds barred book about the women who lived with, slept with and gravitated around the Kennedy men going back generations to the present. The Family will not be pleased with this book, but the author is brutally honest and has the receipts to show ! The reader is excellent, sharp and not a bit syrupy. As a lover of history, I enjoyed the whole thing !!!!!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Darrell Young
- 2024-07-13
Excellent, timely.
This book contributes to our understanding of recent history, and also current time as RFK Jr is running for president.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-08-13
Gripping Read
This was a really well written book. Society deifies politicians, and the Kennedy brothers are still widely regarded amongst the greatest in American history. It’s clear that they ruined the lives of many women and the author did a service to those women by making them the focus of this book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Irina R
- 2024-11-16
incredible!
Shocking revelations on the kennedys. Loved every part of this book! Highly recommend it!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Charlene
- 2024-07-08
Fascinating!
I was ‘hooked’ especially on JFK J and Carolyn Bessette, truly a fascinating read into the many women who would cross paths with the Kennedy men. Maureen’s attention to archival detail enlightens in spades! Highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jennefer Rousseau
- 2024-11-23
So much I didn’t know
I continue to be amazed by how much rich people can get away with things.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- David Brereton
- 2024-08-05
Awful awful awful
This book is a huge fail. It’s very boring and very pedestrian. I was expecting much more, but this book is worse than some cheap magazine tabloid. A total waste of money.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Lori
- 2024-08-22
Terrible waste of time and money - don’t bother
Such a convoluted mosh-mash of stories, many MANY of which were either completely unrelated to one another, or completely irrelevant, all to try and tie a narrative together.
It’s undeniably that the Kennedy men (and women) have gotten away with a lot because of their privilege, but this book, through the author’s storytelling techniques actually makes them look as though she is deliberately trying to smear them.
Had she simply stuck to the facts, the key people and events, rather than try and associate events completely unrelated to the Kennedy men ( hello, Mike Tyson’s rape sentence?!?!) to throw as many unsavoury stories at the reader/listener is a cheap tactic to confuse timelines and storylines for no purpose other than to unsuccessfully accomplish her goal of making them look as bad as possible.
Unfortunately, anyone with a little knowledge of these stories prior to reading this book can easily identify the myriad instances where the author fudges truths or leaves out key information.
Don’t bother wasting your time or money on this book.
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