A close-up on one of American history's most magical events, JFK's inaugural week, and the creation of the speech that inspired a generation and brought hope to a nation"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, disease, and war itself."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. At the heart of the narrative is Kennedy's quest to create a speech that would distill American dreams and empower a new generation. Thurston Clarke's portrait of JFK during what intimates called his happiest days is balanced, revealing the President at his most dazzlingly charismatic-and cunningly pragmatic. As the snow covers Washington in a blanket of white, as statesmen and celebrities arrive for candlelit festivities, 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 inAsk Not.Thurston Clarke has written ten books of fiction and nonfiction, includingPearl Harbor Ghosts and California Fault, a New York Times notable book. His articles have been published inVanity Fair, Glamour, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Clarke is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. He lives in upstate New York with his wife and three daughters."Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." On the January morning in 1961 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 and inspire: it changed lives, marking the start of a brief, optimistic era of struggle in America against "tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself." Ask Not is a compellingly detailed account of the week leading up to this inaugural, which still stands as one of the most moving spectacles in the history of American politics. At the heart of this narrative is Kennedy's quest to create a speech that would distill American dreams and empower a new generation. Award-winning author Thurston Clarke presents a portrait of JFK during what intimates called his happiest days, a balanced yet revealing account of the President at his most dazzlingly charismatic—and cunningly pragmatic.As the snow covers Washington in a blanket of white, as statesmen and celebrities arrive for candlelit festivities and glamorous parties, the perfectionist Kennedy pushes himself to the limit, searching out the perfect words to capture what he most truly believed, to articulate his core values and ideas—words which would far outlast, of course, his own life.For everyone who seeks to understand the ongoing fascination with all things Kennedy, and for all students and scholars of the modern American presidency,Ask Not will be required reading."[This book brings] quite fully to life that brief, hopeful hour in our nation's history."—Jonathan Yardley,The Washington Post"An insightful and fascinating analysis of not only Kennedy's text but also the political geography in which it was framed and, most important, the sources of its composition."—Edward J. Renehan Jr.,San Francisco Chronicle"Earnestly exuberant . . . Ask Not is a short book, but there are many berries on the bush . . . Clarke is intrepid in tracking down the sources for many of the phrases in Kennedy's speech."—Louis Menand,The New Yorker"A fascinating account . . . Ask Not is a model of graceful writing."—Matthew Scully,Los Angeles Times Book Review"JFK's inaugural has gotten the book it deserves . . . Anyone who wants to understand why this president changed all of our lives need only open these pages to see him during his finest, most captivating, and memorable moments."—Strobe Talbott, president of the Brookings Institution, and author of The Russia Hand"Clarke's meticulous investigation of Kennedy's inaugural address stirs us again with the eloquence of Kennedy's oratory, and deepens our understanding of its place in history."—Sally Bedell Smith, author ofGrace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House"Clarke has taken a brief, beautiful speech and recreated an extraordinary moment in time. He understands the power of words, the way they can animate an age and move the p0world.”—Evan Thomas, co-author ofThe Wise Men, and author of John Paul Jones"Ask Not is an excellent reconstruction of that frigid, snow-encrusted day in 1961 . . . Clarke clearly breaks new ground, creating a valuable book worth making room for on the crowded Kennedy shelf."—Publishers Weekly"[A] comprehensive account of the day a young president took the oath of office and gave one of the great speeches of the 20th century. Clarke details the activities of president-elect John F. Kennedy for the 11 days that culminated with his delivery of an electrifying address calculated to vie with Lincoln's and FDR's best. He unravels the skein of authorship, including the contributions of Ted Sorensen and others, relating just how the youthful politician became the true owner of the speech's grace and eloquence, and how JFK delivered the oration of his life that cold, sunny day more than four decades ago . . . Clarke is adept at seeing the webs of internecine feuds and animosities so hot in the inaugural VIP seats that spontaneous combustion didn't seem impossible. He's also an apt student of the what-he-had-for-breakfast-that-day school of popular history, and as his vivid narrative unfolds in that tradition, we can hear the words of the speech rise from the page. An artful addition to Kennedyana, complete with detailed literary forensics that will inevitably invite a comparison to the present state of political rhetoric and contemplation of what we have lost."—Kirkus Reviews Read Less