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The Bridge at Chappaquiddick
And on its surface, the Chappaquiddick Incident (as it has infamously become known) was a simple but tragic traffic accident. However, its political fallout caused it to become the most speculated-upon car accident until Princess Diana's fatal ride, some 28 years Was Kennedy drunk? Was he trying to conceal an affair by deliberately killing Kopechne? Why did he wait for so long before reporting the accident? And who else was involved? Olsen tells the tale with as much detail as was made available to him. Though there is apparently only a single living eye-witness to the accident (Kennedy himself, who described having the "sensation of drowning" on live television a week later), Olsen tracks down the incongruous statements made by others who were indirectly involved... and comes to a potential conclusion which would be difficult to refute. There is no legal evidence of this conclusion, of course, but his alternate explanation of events turns much of the circumstantial evidence into a logic-of-sorts. And his presentation thereof causes one to reflect seriously on the nature of the official record of events as told through Kennedy's lips.
254 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 28, 2019
The Kennedy men, Joe, John, Bobby and Ted, and of course their father, who had great plans for the eldest. One by one though the three oldest, after attaining success were felled, leaving only Ted. What choice did he have? Politics were what they were noted for, pushed into by their father, so Teddy did what was expected. All seemed to be going along as planned, district attorney first, then Senator. Poised for a run for the Presidency sometime in the future. That is, until Chappaquiddick and an accident that killed the twenty-eight year old Mary Jo Kopechne, drowned in a car that went over a bridge.. Ted was said to be the driver and a driver who left the scene, not reporting the accident until nine hours later.
This book was a quick read, I thought the author did a good job putting all the disparate events together. The chapters were also divided in a way that made sense. Point by point, person by person. I vaguely knew about this tragedy but not in any depth. It was covered extensively in the press, though their were those who were told to not talk to the press nor anyone else about the accident.
The author tells an Alternate version of this accident, one that includes all the evidence, and makes much more sense than the story told back when it happened. Wealth and prestige has its privileges, then and now.
This book was a quick read, I thought the author did a good job putting all the disparate events together. The chapters were also divided in a way that made sense. Point by point, person by person. I vaguely knew about this tragedy but not in any depth. It was covered extensively in the press, though their were those who were told to not talk to the press nor anyone else about the accident.
The author tells an Alternate version of this accident, one that includes all the evidence, and makes much more sense than the story told back when it happened. Wealth and prestige has its privileges, then and now.
October 26, 2019
Good Descriptions of people, places, situations, physical layout.
All my questions about what happened at Chappaquiddick have been answered.
This investigative, well-thought out book was published in 1970 and shows it. Usually I would be a bit put off by the lower hostorical standards of the times. Yet this book tells so much about the society of Edgerton, Regatta Week, the parties, the bridge layout, what seems to have happened at the bridge, what Massachusetts laws allows and more. The solution to the mystery of what happened at the bridge reads like a mystery novel's denouement.
I recommend this book to all who wonder at the seeming discrepancy between what all have been whispered and wondered at for decades and what Ted Kennedy did to help many US Americans to have better lives through the statesman actions he took during his long tenure as Senator.
All my questions about what happened at Chappaquiddick have been answered.
This investigative, well-thought out book was published in 1970 and shows it. Usually I would be a bit put off by the lower hostorical standards of the times. Yet this book tells so much about the society of Edgerton, Regatta Week, the parties, the bridge layout, what seems to have happened at the bridge, what Massachusetts laws allows and more. The solution to the mystery of what happened at the bridge reads like a mystery novel's denouement.
I recommend this book to all who wonder at the seeming discrepancy between what all have been whispered and wondered at for decades and what Ted Kennedy did to help many US Americans to have better lives through the statesman actions he took during his long tenure as Senator.
February 27, 2018
Olsen offers what is probably the most reasonable explanation for what happened.
August 4, 2009
By the end of the 1960s, the tiny island of Chappaquiddick was (according to writer Jack Olsen) almost completely elitist. Though most of the roads remained unpaved, leading past a scattered few homes and bungalows and a single "commercial building," the handful of blue collar year-round residents grudgingly shared their space with a number of wealthy vacationers who had summer homes there, or would rent a property for a few nights. Unfamiliar faces were noticed immediately, according to this portrait by Olsen, and were scrutinized to the point of paranoia. On the island affectionately known to locals as Chappie, nothing unusual went unseen.
Except for Senator Edward M. Kennedy's "Incident."
The official detail surrounding the incident comes exclusively from Kennedy's apparent eye-witness account: During the weekend of the annual Edgartown Regatta, Kennedy and a handful of faithful supporters (six men and six women, including the Gentleman from Massachusetts) were slated to have an intimate-yet-platonic evening of dancing, grilling, and light drinking on the island. Around midnight, Kennedy climbed into his black sedan along with 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne in order to drive back to the mainland, where their hotel rooms were waiting for them. In the dark, Kennedy took a wrong turn along the way and drove off the oddly-angled Dike Bridge. Kennedy himself managed to escape from the submerged, overturned vehicle - but Mary Jo Kopechne was not so fortunate. The accident was so sudden and so traumatizing that Kennedy himself was exhausted, and having failed to rescue the trapped passenger, wandered back to the rented property to seek assistance. During the remainder of the evening, the young Senator had willed the event not to have happened. But by morning, it became clear that reality was indeed very cruel, and so Kennedy reported the simple traffic accident to the local authorities.
And on its surface, the Chappaquiddick Incident (as it has infamously become known) was a simple but tragic traffic accident. However, its political fallout caused it to become the most speculated-upon car accident until Princess Diana's fatal ride, some 28 years later: Was Kennedy drunk? Was he trying to conceal an affair by deliberately killing Kopechne? Why did he wait for so long before reporting the accident? And who else was involved?
Olsen tells the tale with as much detail as was made available to him. Though there is apparently only a single living eye-witness to the accident (Kennedy himself, who described having the "sensation of drowning" on live television a week later), Olsen tracks down the incongruous statements made by others who were indirectly involved... and comes to a potential conclusion which would be difficult to refute. There is no legal evidence of this conclusion, of course, but his alternate explanation of events turns much of the circumstantial evidence into a logic-of-sorts. And his presentation thereof causes one to reflect seriously on the nature of the official record of events as told through Kennedy's lips.
Perhaps Kennedy himself was not being completely truthful in his assertion that he himself was driving. Instead, speculates Olsen, could it not be possible that Kennedy - fearing the appearance of impropriety when seen by a local lawman driving with an unmarried woman - had stepped out of the vehicle and instructed Kopechne to continue driving along the unpaved road? Kennedy's tale of having barely escaped the death trap before diving in several times more in a failed attempt to rescue his passenger is befitting a man of his name and stature. But did it really happen? Or was Kennedy merely ashamed to admit his "cowardice" before the public in letting the girl drive herself to her death? Could he have actually not known that his car had plunged off of Dike Bridge, thus explaining the nine-hour delay between the time of the accident and his report to the police?
The book is unmistakably biased, of course. And without backing up his ostensibly "far-fetched" theory based in speculation and not hard fact, Olsen certainly could not have been expecting to bring the Kennedy machine to a halt with his book. However, the depth of afterthought instilled in the reader by this unique (yet feasible) story makes the reading worthwhile. Olsen does not appear to taint the facts of the case by a foregone conclusion, but instead saves it for the final few pages of the book. In doing so, the book reads rather like a modern day fable.
Or modern day myth, variant upon which side of the Bridge the reader stands.
[*NOTE: This particular book was borrowed from the Tulsa County Public Library, and was shakily annotated heavlly by a spiky-handed local crackpot who theorized that the car accident had something to do with Arabella, the stillborn first child of John Fitzgerald and Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy. The writer claims that Arabella was riding along with Ted Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne for ice-cream at midnight (?), and is the unknown "third witness" of the accident, surviving along with Kennedy himself.
The writer (with an apparent irrational fear of the letter "y" in words such as "sexie," "Liberrie," and "publicitie") also claims that the "whole story" was to have come out in May of 2009 ("time-locked"). The world has yet to see this missing report. With the frequent - and apparently randomized - underlining of phrases throughout the book, the reader is treated to yet another interesting conclusion, although one which seems less grounded in reality. The anonymous theorist also delves into other elements of the Kennedy mystique: When Ted Kennedy was involved in a small-engined airplane crash some years pior, to be dragged away from the wreckage by one Senator Birch Bayh, the writer asks "Wy he their?" [sic]; In conclusion, the writer clarifies that "[Edward Moore Kennedy:] left, to guard Arabella, - the critical-key Kennedy Book to Come: 2009, in Tulsa, by Burns with Arabella."
No word within the footnote as to which publisher will be taking on the stillborn child's manuscript.]
Except for Senator Edward M. Kennedy's "Incident."
The official detail surrounding the incident comes exclusively from Kennedy's apparent eye-witness account: During the weekend of the annual Edgartown Regatta, Kennedy and a handful of faithful supporters (six men and six women, including the Gentleman from Massachusetts) were slated to have an intimate-yet-platonic evening of dancing, grilling, and light drinking on the island. Around midnight, Kennedy climbed into his black sedan along with 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne in order to drive back to the mainland, where their hotel rooms were waiting for them. In the dark, Kennedy took a wrong turn along the way and drove off the oddly-angled Dike Bridge. Kennedy himself managed to escape from the submerged, overturned vehicle - but Mary Jo Kopechne was not so fortunate. The accident was so sudden and so traumatizing that Kennedy himself was exhausted, and having failed to rescue the trapped passenger, wandered back to the rented property to seek assistance. During the remainder of the evening, the young Senator had willed the event not to have happened. But by morning, it became clear that reality was indeed very cruel, and so Kennedy reported the simple traffic accident to the local authorities.
And on its surface, the Chappaquiddick Incident (as it has infamously become known) was a simple but tragic traffic accident. However, its political fallout caused it to become the most speculated-upon car accident until Princess Diana's fatal ride, some 28 years later: Was Kennedy drunk? Was he trying to conceal an affair by deliberately killing Kopechne? Why did he wait for so long before reporting the accident? And who else was involved?
Olsen tells the tale with as much detail as was made available to him. Though there is apparently only a single living eye-witness to the accident (Kennedy himself, who described having the "sensation of drowning" on live television a week later), Olsen tracks down the incongruous statements made by others who were indirectly involved... and comes to a potential conclusion which would be difficult to refute. There is no legal evidence of this conclusion, of course, but his alternate explanation of events turns much of the circumstantial evidence into a logic-of-sorts. And his presentation thereof causes one to reflect seriously on the nature of the official record of events as told through Kennedy's lips.
Perhaps Kennedy himself was not being completely truthful in his assertion that he himself was driving. Instead, speculates Olsen, could it not be possible that Kennedy - fearing the appearance of impropriety when seen by a local lawman driving with an unmarried woman - had stepped out of the vehicle and instructed Kopechne to continue driving along the unpaved road? Kennedy's tale of having barely escaped the death trap before diving in several times more in a failed attempt to rescue his passenger is befitting a man of his name and stature. But did it really happen? Or was Kennedy merely ashamed to admit his "cowardice" before the public in letting the girl drive herself to her death? Could he have actually not known that his car had plunged off of Dike Bridge, thus explaining the nine-hour delay between the time of the accident and his report to the police?
The book is unmistakably biased, of course. And without backing up his ostensibly "far-fetched" theory based in speculation and not hard fact, Olsen certainly could not have been expecting to bring the Kennedy machine to a halt with his book. However, the depth of afterthought instilled in the reader by this unique (yet feasible) story makes the reading worthwhile. Olsen does not appear to taint the facts of the case by a foregone conclusion, but instead saves it for the final few pages of the book. In doing so, the book reads rather like a modern day fable.
Or modern day myth, variant upon which side of the Bridge the reader stands.
[*NOTE: This particular book was borrowed from the Tulsa County Public Library, and was shakily annotated heavlly by a spiky-handed local crackpot who theorized that the car accident had something to do with Arabella, the stillborn first child of John Fitzgerald and Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy. The writer claims that Arabella was riding along with Ted Kennedy and Mary Jo Kopechne for ice-cream at midnight (?), and is the unknown "third witness" of the accident, surviving along with Kennedy himself.
The writer (with an apparent irrational fear of the letter "y" in words such as "sexie," "Liberrie," and "publicitie") also claims that the "whole story" was to have come out in May of 2009 ("time-locked"). The world has yet to see this missing report. With the frequent - and apparently randomized - underlining of phrases throughout the book, the reader is treated to yet another interesting conclusion, although one which seems less grounded in reality. The anonymous theorist also delves into other elements of the Kennedy mystique: When Ted Kennedy was involved in a small-engined airplane crash some years pior, to be dragged away from the wreckage by one Senator Birch Bayh, the writer asks "Wy he their?" [sic]; In conclusion, the writer clarifies that "[Edward Moore Kennedy:] left, to guard Arabella, - the critical-key Kennedy Book to Come: 2009, in Tulsa, by Burns with Arabella."
No word within the footnote as to which publisher will be taking on the stillborn child's manuscript.]
November 25, 2018
I was a girl when this tragedy happened. Years later, it still holds fascination for me: There was a car accident with two witnesses (one dead, the other a well-known senator, Edward Kennedy, who pled guilty to his involvement). A submerged car was found off a bridge in a remote part of an island with the body of a drowned young woman (Mary Jo Kopechne, a Kennedy worker) in it. Several months later, the case is done and dusted.....The Kennedy political machine saw to that. The author resurrects this historical tale. He turns it into an intriguing who-dunnit as seen through the eyes of the Chappaquiddick islanders. The beginning chapters were a little slow going....But, that is understandable. The enormous influence of the Kennedys in those days needs to be presented, so as to understand their impact on the situation. Otherwise the storyline flows well, forensic detail becomes intriguing and character development and dialogue is good and realistic. We'll probably never know what really happened. But, the author presents a compelling case to consider a totally different explanation to the one we know: A reasonable one that a reader can't ignore.
November 28, 2017
Not bad. Dated; would’ve been better had an more recent update been added
March 24, 2018
Vivid writing, impressive reporting, and turned around in less than a year and a half after the confounding incident.
May 1, 2023
I just read this book for the second time
I just read this book for the second time. I read it when it first came out and I do believe that Kennedy did not drive the car. I just don’t think he would’ve acted so relaxed for the next nine hours if he had been in this car wreck. Also, I don’t believe he could’ve gotten out of the car if he had gone over the bridge into the water.
The reason I reread this book was because I just watched the movie Chappaquiddick. The movie follows a different line of events. It tells the tale is Kennedy told it. So the movie reawaken my interest in an old subject. I was a newlywed when this happened. I was very interested in the moonwalk. And in the story.
Kennedy should never of talk to the police. You should’ve waited. His story was ill-conceived. The lies he told couldn’t be supported by what evidence you read about in this book and others.
Very sad to me that I’d lovely girl like Jo Ann died in this wreck.
I just read this book for the second time. I read it when it first came out and I do believe that Kennedy did not drive the car. I just don’t think he would’ve acted so relaxed for the next nine hours if he had been in this car wreck. Also, I don’t believe he could’ve gotten out of the car if he had gone over the bridge into the water.
The reason I reread this book was because I just watched the movie Chappaquiddick. The movie follows a different line of events. It tells the tale is Kennedy told it. So the movie reawaken my interest in an old subject. I was a newlywed when this happened. I was very interested in the moonwalk. And in the story.
Kennedy should never of talk to the police. You should’ve waited. His story was ill-conceived. The lies he told couldn’t be supported by what evidence you read about in this book and others.
Very sad to me that I’d lovely girl like Jo Ann died in this wreck.
January 24, 2022
I have read some other books by Jack Olsen, and I really enjoyed them. This book was interesting, well researched, and about the Kennedy family. I am all about reading material on the Kennedy family. The Bridge at Chappaquiddick is a bridge that Ted Kennedy's car wound up going over. He was driving with a woman when they went over and into the water. She drowned, he got out. There was a lot of speculation about this accident, namely if he was driving while intoxicated. There was also speculation that he was having an affair with this woman, and this accident was a way to cover it up to keep her from talking or something of that nature. I think that the Kennedy family in general harbors a lot of secrets, and this is just one of them. I enjoyed this book, and am glad to have it in my Kennedy collection.
March 12, 2022
Fresh recollections let this narrative non-fiction read like a novel. The entire first part is Kennedy history, to place Ted in his context. Skippable if you have that knowledge, easily digestible if you are new to it. The thick middle sections contain second and third hand retellings, Olsen is always quick to note, and the entire text of Kennedy's on-air statement is provided. (I pulled it up on YouTube). Finally, Olsen makes a suggestion about the missing pieces that he may have thought would be the final word on Chappaquiddick. But of course with Kennedys there is never a final word. Good history, well-told. Use your multi-media resources and dial it all up on Google maps, YouTube, Images. The book stands on its own without all the enhancement, but you will want to.
March 13, 2020
Nobody loved Jack and Bobby as much as I. Teddy, not so much. This is an unbelievable puff piece for the man deemed The Liberal Lion. Nearly half the book is about he previous accomplishments before the victim of that night is even mentioned. Any and every negative Ted Kennedy encounter is explained away as a misunderstanding and the final premise of that night was that Ted wasn't even at the scene of the accident. I rented this book to actually find out the real story and I feel zero percent closer to the facts. Thus I reserved a 672 page book that appears to be written by a non Kennedy publicist author. I wasted hours on this piece of.... The Bridge of Chappaquiddick...one bloody star.
December 22, 2017
Interesting book about a long ago case. I liked that Olsen took the words from the actual people who were involved in the case. It seemed pretty bungled from the get go, and there was nothing new added from what I remember of the case when it happened. It's frustrating that Kennedy was held up as a celebrity and with all the discrepancies between his written statement and his TV announcement, no one bothered to follow it up. The Kennedy's have always been untouchable.
April 8, 2018
Sombody had to bring up the facts. Where were MJs panties?
The Ks have had too many apologists. Jack and Bobby were totally immoral in their treatment of Marilyn Monroe. Just arrogant rich kid all. They make me ashamed to be called Irish.
GAN
The Ks have had too many apologists. Jack and Bobby were totally immoral in their treatment of Marilyn Monroe. Just arrogant rich kid all. They make me ashamed to be called Irish.
GAN
December 27, 2022
💗S Lois tn
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2023
3.5 stars
July 25, 2015
I read this on vacation at a beachouse my family and I rent each year.The fact I borrowed the book from the owner's shelf and the fact we were at the beach added to the enjoyment of reading this book. Ted Kennedy the youngest brother of the Kennedy clan, spends an evening carousing and womanizing which leads to a tumultuous end. His inexplicable behavior is questioned that night and for years to come. That night cast a shadow on his future political ambition and further characterizing Kennedy men as being unfaithful.
July 7, 2016
Probably more background than I needed (or could stomach) about the privilege of the Kennedys. No surprise there- but an interesting read about the lead up and aftermath of the crash. The saddest part is Mary Jo never got the justice she deserved.
February 9, 2016
I knew most of the details of this story. Nothing new revealed.
June 29, 2016
Good book. Presented all known facts, and proves in my mind how some people are above the law. Even though is isn't right, Kennedy got away with murder.
February 15, 2016
How soon to forget
For all the good Ted Kennedy may have done, he will always be associated first with Chappaquiddick unfortunate as that may be.
For all the good Ted Kennedy may have done, he will always be associated first with Chappaquiddick unfortunate as that may be.
March 2, 2016
While very interesting and fascinating to read, I didn't learn anything more than I knew in 1968. However, it was a very good historical read.
June 5, 2016
It was interesting to see how someone could escape justice, however it did reduce his chances for national office. It appears that in Massachusetts, that a Kennedy Bis above the law.
Read
June 24, 2018Oh brother!!
Typically written version of a truth known only by a Kennedy fan. Very disappointed in the author. Jack, you fell hook line and sinker.
Typically written version of a truth known only by a Kennedy fan. Very disappointed in the author. Jack, you fell hook line and sinker.
Read
October 22, 2018Brilliant. Gripping. I love how it captures the mood and atmosphere of Edgartown and Chappaquiddick that summer, which is wrapped around a detailed account of the accident.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews