Review of Chappaquiddick Speaks

[Ngozi Onyibor]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Chappaquiddick Speaks" by Bill Pinney.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Tucked‌ ‌away‌ ‌on‌ ‌an‌ ‌island‌ ‌in‌ ‌Massachusetts‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌quaint‌ ‌town‌ ‌of‌ ‌Chappaquiddick.‌ ‌Before‌ ‌July‌ ‌18th,‌ ‌1969,‌ few‌ ‌Americans‌ ‌knew‌ ‌the‌ ‌town; even‌ ‌fewer‌ ‌wanted‌ ‌to‌ ‌live‌ ‌there.‌ ‌As‌ ‌a‌ ‌result,‌ ‌most‌ ‌‌ ‌residents‌ ‌knew‌ ‌each‌ ‌other‌ ‌and‌ ‌interacted‌ ‌like‌ ‌family.‌ ‌That‌ ‌was‌ ‌until‌ ‌the‌ ‌night‌ ‌Ted‌ ‌Kennedy's‌ ‌Oldsmobile‌ ‌plunged‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌Dike‌ ‌Channel.‌ ‌

In‌ Chappaquiddick‌ ‌Speaks,‌ ‌Bill‌ ‌Pinney‌ ‌brings‌ ‌a‌ ‌fresh‌ ‌perspective‌ ‌loaded‌ ‌with‌ ‌evidence-‌substantiated‌ ‌theories,‌ ‌images‌ ‌from‌ ‌the‌ ‌accident‌ ‌scene, a‌ ‌brand‌ ‌new‌ ‌witness‌ ‌account‌ and‌ ‌so‌ ‌much‌ ‌more‌ ‌to‌ ‌what‌ ‌happened‌ ‌on‌ ‌that‌ ‌day.‌ ‌ ‌

This‌ ‌is‌ Bill's third‌ ‌book on the accident, and‌ ‌other authors have written even more books about the event. Even though‌ ‌I‌ ‌haven't‌ ‌read‌ ‌any‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌other‌ ‌books,‌ ‌it‌ ‌wasn't‌ ‌difficult‌ to‌ ‌grasp‌ ‌this‌ ‌one.‌ ‌It‌ ‌required‌ ‌a‌ ‌bit‌ ‌more‌ ‌concentration‌ ‌to‌ ‌take‌ ‌in‌ ‌all‌ ‌the‌ ‌details,‌ ‌but‌ ‌it was necessary to‌ ‌reach‌ ‌my‌ ‌own‌ ‌conclusions.‌ ‌ ‌

I‌ ‌was‌ ‌impressed‌ ‌by‌ ‌how‌ ‌much‌ ‌thought‌ ‌Bill‌ ‌put‌ ‌into‌ ‌the‌ ‌book.‌ ‌It's‌ ‌apparent‌ ‌he‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌stickler‌ ‌for‌ ‌detail.‌ ‌He‌ ‌thoughtfully‌ ‌included‌ ‌a‌ ‌map‌ ‌and‌ ‌a‌ ‌cast‌ ‌of‌ ‌characters‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌beginning‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌book.‌ ‌Many‌ ‌names‌ ‌and‌ ‌places‌ ‌were‌ ‌mentioned‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌story,‌ ‌so‌ ‌the‌ ‌map‌ ‌and‌ ‌cast‌ ‌of‌ ‌characters‌ ‌were‌ ‌essential‌ ‌to‌ ‌avoid‌ ‌confusion.‌ ‌The‌ ‌map‌ ‌also‌ ‌helped me ‌visualize ‌the‌ ‌scenes‌ ‌as‌ ‌I‌ ‌read.‌ He also ‌sensed many‌ ‌people's‌ ‌aversion‌ ‌to‌ ‌numbers‌ ‌and‌ ‌complex‌ ‌calculations,‌ ‌so he‌ ‌kept‌ ‌it‌ ‌minimal‌ ‌and‌ ‌only‌ ‌used‌ ‌it‌ ‌where‌ ‌necessary.‌ ‌However,‌ ‌the‌ ‌book‌ ‌features‌ ‌many‌ ‌footnotes‌ ‌with‌ ‌further‌ ‌details‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌appendix‌ ‌for‌ ‌readers‌ ‌interested‌ ‌in‌ ‌further‌ ‌research.‌ ‌

Another‌ ‌appealing‌ ‌aspect‌ ‌is‌ ‌how‌ ‌open-minded ‌the‌ ‌author‌ ‌is.‌ ‌He‌ ‌featured‌ ‌excerpts‌ ‌from‌ ‌other‌ ‌books‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌subject‌ ‌and‌ ‌many‌ ‌popular‌ ‌theories‌ ‌and‌ ‌compared‌ ‌them‌ ‌against‌ ‌his‌ ‌own.‌ ‌His‌ ‌actions‌ ‌show‌ ‌he‌ ‌is‌ ‌open‌ ‌to‌ ‌criticism‌ ‌and‌ ‌corrections.‌ ‌His‌ ‌call‌ ‌for‌ ‌anyone‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌ ‌superior‌ ‌argument‌ ‌or‌ ‌proof‌ ‌to‌ ‌come‌ ‌forth‌ ‌with‌ ‌them‌ ‌is‌ ‌laudable. ‌

‌I‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌few‌ ‌gripes,‌ though.‌ ‌First,‌ ‌the‌ ‌author's‌ ‌use‌ ‌of‌ ‌information‌ ‌from‌ ‌WebMD‌ ‌as‌ ‌the‌ ‌basis‌ ‌of‌ ‌an‌ ‌opinion‌ ‌doesn't‌ ‌seem‌ ‌credible‌ ‌to‌ ‌me.‌ ‌Again,‌ ‌I‌ ‌was‌ ‌uncomfortable‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌author‌ ‌drawing‌ ‌conclusions‌ ‌about‌ ‌Ted‌ ‌Kennedy's‌ ‌personality‌ ‌based‌ ‌on‌ ‌a‌ ‌few‌ ‌inferences.‌ ‌ ‌

Regardless‌ ‌of‌ ‌my‌ ‌gripes,‌ ‌the‌ ‌book‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌detailed,‌ ‌solid‌ ‌piece‌ ‌of‌ ‌investigative‌ ‌work.‌ ‌It‌ ‌was‌ ‌a‌ ‌long,‌ ‌interesting‌ ‌read‌, and‌ ‌I'm‌ ‌glad‌ ‌I‌ ‌read‌ ‌it.‌ ‌Therefore,‌ ‌I‌ ‌rate‌ ‌it‌ ‌4‌ ‌out‌ ‌of‌ ‌4‌ ‌stars.‌ ‌Even‌ ‌though‌ ‌I‌ ‌spotted‌ ‌over‌ ‌a‌ ‌dozen‌ ‌errors‌ ‌while‌ ‌reading,‌ ‌there‌ ‌were‌ ‌mostly‌ ‌minor‌ ‌comma‌ ‌errors‌ ‌that‌ ‌didn't‌ ‌impede‌ ‌my‌ ‌understanding‌. So‌ ‌I‌ ‌think‌ ‌it's‌ ‌a‌ ‌little‌ ‌harsh‌ ‌to‌ ‌deduct‌ ‌a‌ ‌star‌ ‌because‌ ‌of‌ ‌that.‌

The‌ ‌book‌ ‌will‌ ‌appeal‌ ‌to‌ ‌readers‌ ‌interested‌ ‌in‌ ‌learning‌ ‌more‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌Chappaquiddick‌ ‌accident‌ ‌or‌ ‌fans‌ ‌of‌ ‌true‌ ‌crime‌ ‌novels.‌ ‌ ‌
‌
‌

******
Chappaquiddick Speaks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Aisha Yakub]

The author's purpose is to inform. This shows in his open-mindedness and willingness to be corrected. Great book.

[QualityAndQuantity]

I like that the author has done so much for the event and I want to know more about it. Thanks for the insightful review.

[Darlings O]

The author seems to have a lot of information abour this island. I am curious to read more about it. Thank you for your very honest review. I admire your articulation.

[ChampagneSon]

The author's eye for detail is pretty amazing. Your review is well-written and insightful.

[Korie Ifeoma Chisomaga]

Undertaking to conduct a comparative analysis of an event requires the detail and dexterity that the author injects into this work.

[Mbenma Esther 080]

What I have been searching for, glad it didn'cut my hope short. Thanks for the review.