Ask Not

The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed

By: Maureen Callahan

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

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.

©2024 Maureen Callahan (P)2024 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"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

PULLING THE CURTAIN BACK ON CAMELOT

I knew for some years that the Kennedy Camelot myth was exactly that. My mom has always been fascinated by JFK's assassination since it happened during her formative years; so I've probably heard more about the Kennedy's that your average child of the 80s. This book was incredibly eye opening as to how dark and depraved the Kennedy men have been. Again, for some time I knew there were a lot of skeletons in the closet but when you see page after page of this recurring pattern of behavior, it's quite damaging to the good will many of us have retained for the Kennedy's. I walked by Ted Kennedy's grave the day he was interred in Arlington (merely by happenstance) and honestly had I known so clearly about the depths of his depravity, I might have behaved differently.
I think what I really came away with was a feeling of disgust in the way the "Media" have been behaving as gate keepers for what information the public is allowed to know about their favorite politicians and celebrities. THINK VERY CAREFULLY about the things we've seen in the past few years...who they vilify, who they demonize, who they run cover for, and who they outright lie for. They really haven't changed their tactics...but I think the advent of social media and the internet have robbed them of their monopoly on the curtain or the gate. Food for thought...

Captivating!

I listen to this book several times and learned so many new facts. I absolutely love the author’s approach and detailed research. Thank you!

Well written and narrated

I enjoyed this book very much. It moved along well and gave those of us who we alive in the 60s and beyond a very clear picture of what was going behind the facade of "Camelot".

It seems as though not much has changed in the world of politics and the lives of people with power. We just know more, and know it faster now. I think life was much more pleasant and happy in days of dear Jackie's "Camelot". We could live our days not being pummeled by endless versions of the "truth" 24/7.

The unfortunate thing is that Jackie never got to believe and enjoy it because she always knew and lived in midst of the truth.

the real legacy

thought this would be a casual
--it wasn't. Many happenings I had heard as current news at the time...They indeed...did have the slant relayed here. I might call the angle ...deserved prejudice. I do not think all decisions were as inescapable as the writer...I believe some were choices. But most are just as portrayed. and many excuses for the behavior unbearable to fathom.

OUTSTANDING

Well written, well performed, and tells the dirty secrets of the Kennedy men. Heartbreaking to think of what all these ladies and young women endured. It is sickening to think what these men felt entitled to.

How terrible the Kennedy men really were and are.

Enjoyed the entire book. Very eye opening and well presented. Makes one wonder what is going on today in politics that we don’t know about.

Facts we suspected found

The details are amazing and my husband having worked for the government starting in the 60's I know some are factual.

An excellent well researched truthful read

This is an excellent read and performed well. The author has done an incredible amount of research for this book and I learned a lot about the history. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because I only reserve 5 for literary masterpieces!

Love reading about the Kennedy

An excellent narrative about the Kennedy women and the powerful men they loved. And were ruled by

Great story poor finish

I thought overall it was a good book with a lot of compelling stories, I didn’t previously know. However the last chapter or two turned into a feminist girl power lecture. Then for whatever reason felt the need to take a swipe at Donald Trump in a book about the Kennedy’s then debunked claims against Thomas Jefferson. Just a disappointing end to what to that point had been enjoyable