Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America
by Thurston Clarke
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Description
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." On the January morning when John F. Kennedy assumed the presidency and stood to speak those words, America was divided, its citizens torn by fears of war. Kennedy's speech--called the finest since Lincoln at Gettysburg and the most memorable of any twentieth-century American politician--did more than reassure: it changed lives, marking the start of a brief, optimistic era of struggle against "tyranny, poverty, show more disease, and war itself." This book is a detailed account of the week leading up to that moment, Kennedy's quest to create a speech that would distill American dreams and empower a new generation. Clarke's portrait of JFK during what intimates called his happiest days reveals the President at his most charismatic--and cunningly pragmatic. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
At times Clarke’s book reads more like a cross between a linguistics paper and a boring analysis done by a forensic lexicographer, but overall the story is a good one to tell. For those who doubted that Kennedy even wrote Profiles in Courage, this should put those rumors to rest. A short but intriguing tale.
http://lifelongdewey.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/352-ask-not-by-thurston-clarke/
http://lifelongdewey.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/352-ask-not-by-thurston-clarke/
An interesting book about the creation of John F. Kennedy's most famous speech: his Inaugural Address. The book opens with the speech itself, and then proceeds to give us an account of the ten days leading up to the Inauguration and the creation of the speech. It's a very fitting tribute to one of history's greatest speeches.
Ask Not delivers John F. Kennedy's powerful speech and includes great photographs,
yet is slow reading as all the ends get tied to JFK actually writing most of his words.
Map of the Inauguration seating is fun!
yet is slow reading as all the ends get tied to JFK actually writing most of his words.
Map of the Inauguration seating is fun!
Kennedy
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Author Information
14+ Works 1,351 Members
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Ask Not: The Inauguration of John F. Kennedy and the Speech That Changed America
- People/Characters
- John F. Kennedy; Ted Sorensen; Evelyn Lincoln
- Important places
- Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Washington, D.C., USA
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, History, Politics and Government, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 352.23 — Society, government, & culture Public administration & military science General considerations of public administration Police
- LCC
- J82 .D91 .C53 — Political Science General legislative and executive papers United States Presidents' messages and other executive
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 128
- Popularity
- 248,819
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.94)
- Languages
- English, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 5
