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Chappaquiddick Revealed: What Really Happened
A book which seeks to strip away the carefully-constructed tissue of half-truths and outright lies that seem to cover the incidents surrounding what has become known simply as "Chappaquiddick." The events of that night effectively ended Senator Edward M. Kennedy's chances of every serving as President but, more importantly, ended the life of bright young woman.
310 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 9, 2018
If you are looking for one sided non objective conspiracy theory fluff, look no further than here. This book has been on my shelf since 1997 and has gone unread until now. With the newly released film and all the ties to my wifes home town in Plymouth PA, I felt it was time to check it out.
What we have here is a short sided, one sided book filled with the authors theories with very little evidence to back them up. I do feel that there is much more to the story and I do feel that at minimum there is the chance for accurate conspiracy accusations against Kennedy, but in order to fully have my attention, I need the full scope of the story which of course includes testimony from both sides and not just simple assumptions. There is no What Really Happened as there is no real supporting evidence or rebuttals. If you like to dawn the tin foil hat like I do from time to time, go ahead and check it out, just keep in mind the book is easily debunk able and should be read constructively with a big ol grain of salt.
What we have here is a short sided, one sided book filled with the authors theories with very little evidence to back them up. I do feel that there is much more to the story and I do feel that at minimum there is the chance for accurate conspiracy accusations against Kennedy, but in order to fully have my attention, I need the full scope of the story which of course includes testimony from both sides and not just simple assumptions. There is no What Really Happened as there is no real supporting evidence or rebuttals. If you like to dawn the tin foil hat like I do from time to time, go ahead and check it out, just keep in mind the book is easily debunk able and should be read constructively with a big ol grain of salt.
August 24, 2020
I thought the book was well presented. It started with the Kennedy side of the story of what happened in Chappaquiddick. Then the author reported on his and other peoples investigations. At the end, he sums it up the way he thinks it happened. The whole affair was riddled with cover-ups, including the Kennedy team was given the okay to edit Kennedy's court testimony before it went public!! The judge was apparently bought off. The judge kept taking over the Prosecutor's questioning so he could get certain things on the record so events would not reflect illegally on Ted Kennedy. Here's what happened....probably.... Ted and Mary Jo left the party About 11:30 p.m. after the annual regatta to go where? No one knows and at this point it is irrelevant. Afterward, he said he was taking her back to her hotel, yet she left her purse with hotel keys at the party. Speculation, based on some facts is that he wrecked the car--the car showed evidence of the whole passenger side being bashed in and the windshield was smashed. Damage to car was not consistent with going off the bridge and into the water and ending up up-side down. Speculation is Mary Jo was injured when Kennedy wrecked the car. He panicked, went back to the party and enlisted 2 cohorts into helping him. Because he was DUI, they postponed the reporting and staged the car going into the water hoping that the damage could be explained away by that. Ted reported to the Sheriff's office about 10 a.m. the morning after--after the Sheriff had found the car in the water.
Mary Jo's body was whisked away before an autopsy could be done . Kennedy's attorney (one of them) purchased the damaged car promptly and then had it crushed.
Like I said, lots of cover-ups.
Mary Jo's body was whisked away before an autopsy could be done . Kennedy's attorney (one of them) purchased the damaged car promptly and then had it crushed.
Like I said, lots of cover-ups.
November 5, 2018
It was a good book for someone to get to know what happened at Chappaquiddick but this book is mostly about what happened afterwards. It has a lot of would have, should have, could have but mostly another story where the rich and powerful manipulate the system and get away with murder. Literally. It follows a pretty close line to show who was brought in to cover up whatever happened. There isn't a firm conclusion on what happened that night but feel like the author's perception may be pretty close.
June 30, 2018
Since I was very young I’ve been fascinated by the Kennedys. My parents grew up in the 60s and would tell me all kinds of stories they remembered. One of them was about the tragedy at Chappaquiddick. I’ve been reading anything I can get my hands on. We’ll never know the true story, Teddy took his secrets to the grave, but this book gave a great hypothesis on what really happened. I really enjoyed reading it.
November 15, 2018
Engaging but biased account of the infamous events involving Ted Kennedy and the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. My big takeaway--we'll never know what "really" happened that night. Worth a read, though. I picked it up after watching the film "Chappaquiddick."
May 2, 2018
This book did not explain what really happened that night, felt like a lot was left out. It was poorly written & just disappointing!
January 18, 2015
Periodically, I return with a fascinated dread to this story. I have read a number of books and articles about these events, as I have many true crimes (I use the term purposefully). I regret my gleeful horror over true crime books and stay away from stuff about organized crime, but remain interested in crimes committed by people who are, or believe they are, above the law. The Kennedys and their ilk certainly believe they are not mere mortals and it is sickening and horrifying to read about the extent of Edward Kennedy's casual behavior around the death of Mary Jo Kopechne.
This is not the best or best-written account of her death, but the author, a writer for Life Magazine at one time, does take the trouble to align his findings alongside those of other examiners of the story and the results are riveting. That Ted's was the palest light in the Kennedy firmament seems agreed on by all, and his lifetime of behavior as a drunken bully is well-documented. The really scandalous aspect of the story is the extent to which family cronies, friends, other politicians, judges, police, friends of Mary Jo and her own parents were willing to go to keep Kennedy out of jail. The Kopechnes are obviously not to blame when they must have been assaulted by so much in the single day they had to get used to the idea of their daughter's death and the fact that it was useless to question it. She was gone and nothing would bring her back. The use of Massachusetts Cardinal Cushing to persuade the parents not to allow "desecration" of their daughter's body by asking for an autopsy is beyond appalling.
The conjoined opinions of several writers about this case seem to have come to the conclusion that 1. Kennedy never went into the water in the accident 2. that there may have been a prior accident to the dive off the bridge in which Mary Jo was seriously injured 3. that Mary Jo died of asphyxiation, not drowning, and may have been alive in the car for some hours and 4. that Kennedy's friends and a relative were set up to take the blame if necessary and traveled by boat and plane, sometimes with Kennedy, back and forth to the mainland during the night to set up their stories while the young woman died in the car. A further proposal is that either the car was pushed off the bridge after it was thought that the woman was dead from an accident or that she was sent off in the car, drunk, while Kennedy slipped back to his companions.
This is not the best or best-written account of her death, but the author, a writer for Life Magazine at one time, does take the trouble to align his findings alongside those of other examiners of the story and the results are riveting. That Ted's was the palest light in the Kennedy firmament seems agreed on by all, and his lifetime of behavior as a drunken bully is well-documented. The really scandalous aspect of the story is the extent to which family cronies, friends, other politicians, judges, police, friends of Mary Jo and her own parents were willing to go to keep Kennedy out of jail. The Kopechnes are obviously not to blame when they must have been assaulted by so much in the single day they had to get used to the idea of their daughter's death and the fact that it was useless to question it. She was gone and nothing would bring her back. The use of Massachusetts Cardinal Cushing to persuade the parents not to allow "desecration" of their daughter's body by asking for an autopsy is beyond appalling.
The conjoined opinions of several writers about this case seem to have come to the conclusion that 1. Kennedy never went into the water in the accident 2. that there may have been a prior accident to the dive off the bridge in which Mary Jo was seriously injured 3. that Mary Jo died of asphyxiation, not drowning, and may have been alive in the car for some hours and 4. that Kennedy's friends and a relative were set up to take the blame if necessary and traveled by boat and plane, sometimes with Kennedy, back and forth to the mainland during the night to set up their stories while the young woman died in the car. A further proposal is that either the car was pushed off the bridge after it was thought that the woman was dead from an accident or that she was sent off in the car, drunk, while Kennedy slipped back to his companions.
June 3, 2013
I've heard about this incident since I was a teenager. I had many misconceptions about what happened that night. This book cleared up a few of them, however, the cover up was carried out beautifully and a very powerful drunk got away with murder.
Slow read with lots of detail - what is necessary with this type of book.
Slow read with lots of detail - what is necessary with this type of book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews