Staying Fit
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy makes fresh revelations about his state of mind after Chappaquiddick in a 532-page memoir, "True Compass," to be published posthumously Sept. 14. He calls his behavior "inexcusable" and admits that he made "terrible decisions" at that time.
According to the New York Times' Carl Hulse, who obtained a copy of the book early, Kennedy wrote that "atonement is a process that never ends," and that while he had to live every day with the consequences of the accident that killed Mary Jo Kopechne, her family had to endure worse.
AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal
Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.
Cary Goldstein, a spokesman for Twelve, the publisher of the confessional autobiography, said he was dismayed that the Times obtained the book before its publication date.
"We regret that the New York Times did not respect the September 14th release date of 'True Compass,' which was carefully coordinated with the senator's family," Goldstein said. "That copy was obtained without consent or permission from Twelve -- or if it was somehow purchased, then it was sold illegally."
Kennedy had been working on the autobiography for two years, and finished just a few months before his death last week. He reportedly received an $8 million advance.
Kennedy drew on notes in a personal journal he kept for almost 50 years, beginning with his brother John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign. He also relied on interviews conducted for a five-year oral history project by the University of Virginia.
"In the final years of his life," Goldstein added, "he worked valiantly to finish the book and make it the best it could be. As always, he was true to his word."
The Kennedy family could not be reached immediately for comment on the book.
Twelve is printing 1.5 million copies and offering an electronically signed, leather-bound, limited edition for $1,000.
Kennedy collaborated with Ron Powers, co-author of the No. 1 bestseller "Flags of Our Fathers" and author of "Mark Twain: A Life."
More From AARP
The Kennedy Family Trivia Quiz
How much do you know about the Kennedys? Test your knowledgeExcerpt: James Patterson's Nonfiction 'House of Kennedy'
After losing his brother, Bobby Kennedy scales a mountain in tributeStories From People Who Became Witnesses to History
From the assassination of John F. Kennedy to the death of a princess, these ordinary people lived through extraordinary events