Ask Not; The Inauguration of John... | Buy

Summary

Ask Not is a beautifully detailed account of the week leading up to the inaugural, which stands as one of the most moving spectacles in the history of American politics. As the snow covers Washington in a blanket of white, the perfectionist Kennedy pushes himself to the limit to find the words that would capture what he most truly believed and which would far outlast his own life. For everyone who seeks to understand the fascination with all things Kennedy, the answer can be found in Ask Not.

Author Biography

Thurston Clarke has written nine books of fiction and nonfiction, including Pearl Harbor Ghosts and California Fault, a New York Times notable book. His articles have been published in Vanity Fair, Glamour, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. He lives in Willsboro, New York, with his wife and three daughters.

The Inaugural Address

xiii

PROLOGUE ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

(16)

PART ONE: THE WORDS

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

January 10 to January 17, 1961

1: ON BOARD THE CAROLINE

January 10

(21)

2: PALM BEACH

January 11 to January 15

(19)

3: PALM BEACH

January 16

(18)

4: PALM BEACH

January 17

(19)

5: ON BOARD THE CAROLINE

January 17

(19)

PART TWO: THE MUSIC

WASHINGTON, D.C.

January 17 to January 21, 1961

6: WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK

January 17

113

(10)

7: NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON

January 18

123

(20)

8: WASHINGTON

January 19

143

(19)

9: WASHINGTON

January 20

162

(15)

10: THE CAPITOL

January 20

177

(25)

11: WASHINGTON

January 20, 101, to the Present

202

(15)

Notes

217

(28)

Bibliography

245

(6)

Acknowlegments

251

(2)

Index

253

Supplemental Materials

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Excerpts

From Ask Not:
We saw, in black and white, a cloudless sky, sharp light, and air so cold it turned Kennedy's breath into white clouds. When he said, "Let the word go forth from this time and place . . . " it appeared that each word he spoke really was going forth into the exhilarating air that everyone in the nation was breathing that day.
We saw a Currier and Ives tableau, wintry and patriotic. Wind ruffled the festive bunting and the marble façade of the Capitol gleamed. Sunlight bounced off snowbanks and spectators shielded their eyes. Rows of dignitaries filled the platform. The men wore dark overcoats and top hats, outfits for tycoons and statesmen. No one imagined that Rose Kennedy was fuming over her row-end seat, or that Eleanor Roosevelt had refused her place of honor because she could not bear being close to Kennedy's father, or that there was so much bad blood between the dignitaries on this platform that if grudges had weight, the entire contraption would have crashed to the ground.
Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon sat in a semicircle of armchairs. The four men's wives-all former and future First Ladies-sat behind them in the first row on either side of the podium. A faint smile remained frozen on Jackie Kennedy's face, as if she was party to some delicious secret.

Excerpted from Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America by Thurston Clarke
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.