Book Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Book Description
John F. Kennedy's presidency has been well examined, but a frequently overlooked yet crucial component of it was his leadership of the United States armed forces. His relationship with the military was forged by personal combat experience and the many lessons learned during his presidential administration. A staunch supporter of the lower ranks, President Kennedy quickly became disillusioned with the upper echelon of the military, preferring ultimately to rely on his own wisdom and that of a close circle of trusted advisers. As a result, it can be argued that John F. Kennedy was more involved in his role as commander in chief than any other president of modern vintage. His was a unique challenge. The world was changing; military actions were no longer large-scale troop movements but small localized and diplomatic crises with frequent guerrilla activity.

President Kennedy, typically, quickly immersed himself in his role. Almost immediately following his election he was confronted with the formidable challenge of the Bay of Pigs. Relying on the advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Kennedy was humiliated by the results of that action, and yet he accepted complete responsibility for it. It was a mistake that would not be repeated. Thereafter, Kennedy questioned everything and came to his own decisions. He began to involve himself in details of the services, reviewing his "new" army, navy, and air force, even spending time thinking about what the individual
soldier was wearing and carrying.

In John F. Kennedy: Commander in Chief, Pierre Salinger, press secretary and confidant to the president, provides an insightful view of this side of John F. Kennedy. He shares his unique understanding of all the major events of the Kennedy administration that had a military component. He draws a fascinating and clear depiction of the Kennedy learning curve--illuminating the brilliance of the man. Kennedy learned his lessons quickly. One can only speculate what may have resulted had Kennedy lived and been elected to a second term, especially when one reads Kennedy's commencement address speech at American University included in this volume. This speech, considered by many to be his finest, is remarkable in showing the maturity that President Kennedy had attained. Today it is easy to see the beginning of a new statesmanship in his speech, a new global consciousness, a larger and longer view for peace. Pierre Salinger, tantalizingly and profoundly, traces the maturation of Kennedy in his role as commander in chief and brings us to wonder what might have been. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very good book from JFK's former #1 press secretary
(Andy Hatcher, #2; Malcolm Kilduff, #3)
I recommend this book from Pierre Salinger. It has some very nice pictures and a good text. I especially like the perspective it gives on John F. Kennedy as the leader of the Nation's military might. Of particular note: Salinger states that, in his three years serving President Kennedy [he had also served JFK when Kennedy was a Senator], he may have missed just "two or three trips"...one of them was the ill-fated Texas trip.
[...]

One of the best books on the Kennedy presidency
This book was the first one to explore Kennedy's role as Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces.It also described how foreign events such as the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and theconflict in Vietnam were viewed by the Kremlin and the Pentagon.The bookalso talks about Kennedy's frequent disagreements with the Joint Chiefs ofStaff on military issues and how these problems were handled and resolved. I think that this book is very interesting and worth reading.

Refreshing to read something of JFK other than personal life
Being so close to Pres. Kennedy, Pierre Salinger is well qualified to share his knowledge and experiences during his tenure as Press Secretary.I also found the photos very interesting and inviting; I enjoyed readingthis book very much; enlightening to learn of JFK's harrowing experiencesduring WW2 and the suffering he experienced during that time.He certainlywas a hero in the true sense of the word.It's sad that these years of hislife were not more highlighted, rather than focusing on all his personalescapades.He truly, in my opinion, was a great President; it's tragic hewasn't with us longer.Thank you, Pierre, for a great job! ... Read more

Book Description
The presidency of John F. Kennedy continues to fascinate, even as it also continues to inspire heated debates between admirers and detractors of Camelot's fallen king. Now readers can gain a new appreciation of JFK in this thoroughly revised and updated edition of James Giglio's bestselling study, widely acclaimed as the best and most balanced book on JFK's White House years.

Giglio incorporates the voluminous archival materials made available in the last fifteen years, including the declassified documents on crucial foreign policy affairs and White House medical records that contradict the image of Kennedy's youth and vigor. He stresses the extent to which domestic and foreign policies were interconnected at a time when the Cold War dominated national life and reveals his new appreciation for JFK's prudence in his handling of such enormous challenges as the Cuban missile crisis and the emerging war in Vietnam.

Giglio shows Kennedy to be "the most medicated, one of the most courageous, and perhaps the most self-absorbed of our presidents." He reviews the physical ailments and heavy prescriptions that were kept out of the public eye and catalogs sexual indiscretions ranging from Marilyn Monroe and socialite Florence Pritchett to low-level White House employees and even virtual strangers. Surveying this field of conquest, Giglio suggests that JFK's sexual obsession could easily have affected his presidency even more during a second term. His work also amplifies coverage of key issues like civil rights, the Cuban missile crisis, and Vietnam and reevaluates many of the questions surrounding the assassination-maintaining that, even with the existence of a conspiracy still doubtful, the case is far from closed.

Like the first edition, this new edition provides a sharp and thoughtful analysis of both domestic and foreign affairs and underscores that, despite his undeniably brief tenure in office, the state of the nation actually did improve on Kennedy's watch. Featuring an expanded bibliographical essay and twenty-two photos from the JFK library, The Presidency of John F. Kennedy remains the definitive appraisal of Camelot's kingdom.

This book is part of the American Presidency Series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Honest appraisal of a complex man
While it was shorter than most, that did not prevent the Kennedy presidency from being eventful, even without including the tragic end. The closest the world ever came to thermonuclear war was during the Cuban missile crisis, which is still a model for the management of a crisis between great powers. And the greatest public failure of a CIA sponsored action was the disastrous invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs.
While necessarily short, the description of the Cuban missile crisis was still amazing to read, as the hawkish position of the U. S. military commanders was clearly a harbinger of the same policy of ratcheting up the force that failed so badly in Vietnam. Some, although not all, of the commanders were for massive force, thinking that it would so intimidate the Cubans that it would be all over quickly. This event is one of the strongest arguments in favor of political control over the military and Kennedy showed himself to be strong-willed in doing all he could to find a political solution that allowed the Soviets a face-saving way to retreat.
Given all that has happened since then, it is amazing to be reminded that in the early years of the Kennedy administration the country in Southeast Asia that was considered most likely to fall under communist control was Laos. Here again, Kennedy showed himself willing to do whatever it took to find a political settlement. He was most reluctant to commit American combat forces in Southeast Asia, considering it dangerous and fraught will all kinds of unknown consequences.
This backdrop brings up the natural question as to whether Kennedy would have followed the path in Vietnam that Lyndon Johnson did. Giglio avoids spending a great deal of time on that continuous point of contention. However, he does bring up several very important points.

1) The disaster at the Bay of Pigs made him very skeptical of CIA and military "rosy scenarios."
2) His dealing with hawkish elements during the Cuban missile crisis made him skeptical of military statements about the effect of overwhelming military power. It also showed that he was willing to restrict the military in its' desire to blow things up.
3) Kennedy would most certainly have been re-elected in 1964 and as a President who would not face another election, he could have made unpopular, but correct decisions.
4) Kennedy and Khrushchev were beginning the process that was later known as détente, and that could have led to more of a political settlement in Vietnam along the model that was a modest success in Laos.

Together, these elements make one believe that Kennedy would not have made the same mistakes that Johnson did in Vietnam.
Kennedy's record on civil rights is far more mixed and it is clear that brother Bobby, who was also Attorney General, did a great deal to push John towards more involvement. Once more, John Kennedy was politically cautious in trying to avoid alienating southern Democrats. And yet, he did press the issue, showing that he did understand how important it was. Giglio rightly takes Kennedy to task on this battle that needed to be fought.
Finally, the descriptions of Kennedy's health problems and sexual exploits remind us of an earlier day when the press did have some standards in pressing into a public official's private life. Kennedy was a very sick man who took drugs to cope, and there is some reason to believe that he would have been an invalid by the time he completed his second term. The much celebrated sexual escapades of Bill Clinton are trivial in comparison, as Kennedy seemingly would sleep with any woman willing to do so. As ironic as it sounds so many years later, most people felt that the greatest danger to his person was a consequence of his sexual adventures, where he often had sex with women where the only screening done was the verification that they were female.
The Kennedy presidency was successful in many ways, most notably in foreign affairs, as he managed to reach political accords that were reasonable and certainly better than all possible alternatives. He was a strange combination of strong will and weak flesh, both in the literal and figurative sense. Giglio captures all of this, describing a man and an era named after him that was the precursor of the turbulence of the late sixties, where the world seemed to be tearing itself apart.

revealing
This book is neither an uncritical appraisal of Kennedy nor a damning account. Rather, the author has managed to give a critical but not biased view of Kennedy's presidency. Naturally, this involves disproving a coupleof myths about "Camelot". I had to read this book for auniversity course about Kenndey's presidency and can recommend it to anyoneinterested in a fair account. ... Read more

Book Description
The man who saved the lives of his PT-109 crewmen during WWII and became the 35th president fought-and won-his first battle at the age of two-and-a-half, when he was stricken with scarlet fever. Although his presidency was cut short, our nation's youngest elected leader left an indelible mark on the American consciousness and now is profiled in our Who Was...? series. Included are 100 black-and-white illustrations as well as a timeline that guides readers through this eventful period in history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great Who Was Books
My 10 year old daughter loves reading these "Who Was..." books.They are fun and very informative.She would buy the whole series if she had the money!

This Book is AWESOME!!!
I enjoy reading absolutely anything having to do with John F. Kennedy, and this was one of the best books about him I have ever read. I enjoy the series, because in almost every book, there is a seperate page explaining something that is happening in the book, like if it were about FDR, for example, it may have a page about Hitler. This book on Kennedy is my favorite in the series. Even if you do not like non-fiction, this book, and series, :), is for you!

Great subject for a children book.
Great subject for a children book. I got this series of books for my daughter and she really enjoyes reading them. Great read and educational too.

Who was John F. Kennedy
This book was a very good biography about the first Roman Catholic President, JFK. It was very easy to read, yet filled with info like the page all about his siblings. I am interested in reading other books in the series. All in all, BUY THIS BOOK FOR KIDS!!!! ... Read more

Book Description
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. As the snow covers Washington in a blanket of white, 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 in Ask Not. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

The most famous inaugural speech that made history
This was one of the best books i have read about J.F.K. and was taken back in to the 60's and as if i was there.So uplifting.

VANITY FAIR FICTION WRITER PROMOTES CHARACTER ASSASSINATION OF DEAD KENNEDY
and if this is how he writes for Vanity FAir, whoa, who's their copyeditor?

We do not do well to speak ill of the dead.

I bought this in greeat hopes it would be a scholarly historico-literal textual analysis. Instead I soon got stuck in a thick swamp of unsupported, unchecked tabloid gossip and sniping, laden with cliche catch phrases like "white noise (both the ocean and jets)" and how JFK's fear of solitude and horror of boredom later combines to be a supposed horror of solitude . . .

THe writing is very poor, the research is worse, and unverified from at least wto independent sources, and the hypothesis he alleges to hold, that Ted Sorenson did not write the Inaugural Address, he goes on to disprove.

Yet TEd in actuality served no more function than a Harvard Grad research assitant, taking notes from JFK for themes and structure and format, receiving from JFK catchphrases and syntax and semantics, checking sources, forming rough outlines that were later rejected or at best adapted, etc. JFK wrote and spoke, and IMPROVISED his Inaugural Address, listed as one of the all-time greaets American speeches. And Yet the GREATEST SPEECH never given in all of American HIstory is JFK's Second Inaugural, which would have saved our nation from the disaster we all now live.

Unfortunately the author of this work wallows in miserable petty interpersonal details and allegations of personal habits of the president which cannot be verified. He faintly dismisses some allegations in such as way as to present them as fact, in fact.

THe most valuable part of this book is presented in italicized Roman Numerals, the actual address, which takes all of three pages, and then the ending where Boy GEorge Bush plagiarizes and destroys the JFK Inaugural Address. But the edition of the Address presented here varies greatly from that which I closely studied a quarter century ago. This one reads like the REader's Digest version. If it does sound "bellicose" remember it was written in a time in which Senator Joe MacARthy still cast a chilling pall over our nation, in which commie and pinko baiting was rampant, in which one had to act all out anti-commie in order to do anything. In fact in the context of the times, thius speech is a real and orignal and a unique call for negotiation and understanding and common ground and to peace.

THe middle is just puff and airy filling you can get from Kitty Kelly (who is actually better substantiated and researched) or any tabloid or late night talk show host any day of the week as the character assassination of this greatest American family continues under our present imposed unelected regime.

Once we were Kings, the once and future Kings, of a free and a just and a peaceful, contented world.

And where did they get that absolutely bad cover photo, the worst they could have gotten, that gives no true image of the man?


For a more scholarly approach to this address get Sounding the Trumpet instead. A great DVD is included.

Too small a book for what it wants to accomplish
If you are looking for a book which will use primary documents to discover if JFK did a large amount of the writing of his inauguration speech, then Clarke has written your wish.Well researched with excellent use of primary documents, Clarke asserts that JFK was indeed the author of his own speech.


However, Clarke's arguement is hurt on two fronts.

The first is that he is an obvious Kennedy worshiper.Though I agree that no historian is able to completely remove bias, Clarke's praise and defense of Kennedy in all aspects of life begin to wear thin on the reader.By the end of the book, one wonders if Clarke wrote the book not so much to discover who wrote the famous line "ask not." but rather to praise his role model.

The second is Clarke spends way too much time on other issues.From the writing of FDR's inauguration to JFK's relationship with Jackie, Clarke covers subjects that are not dealt with in depth due their importance or with any real link to the writing of ingaugural.

For those wanting to see excellent research on the speech, they do get a good book.However, they have to muddle through alot of unexplained Camalot praise.

A real belter!
This is a short, interesting, and satisfying read. It follows closely, and as factually as is possible, the development of this historic speech.I think it does a good job of finding and exploring the influences and authorship of the speech as well as the editing and construction of the speech - its amazing to see how much each word and phrase is considered, changed and laboured over.

Something which adds weight to the book, is the authors ability to depict the feeling and temper of the time. Kennedy obviously brought some new hope to America and was also just a very popular, charismatic figure. There are some good, revealing anecdotes which i have not come across in reading other kennedy books. The bookgoes into quite a bit of detail about a very short period of time which gives also a closer insight into their day to day lives and habits.

For mine, Kennedy comes across as an intelligent and sincere man.His ideals are admirable and i think he was the real author of this important speech. I'm not so interested in the complete and utter originality of Kennedy's ideas, what is more important is that he selected, developed and articulated them in a way that spoke directly to the world and will leave an indefinite mark.

Overall, a beaut little book, i really enjoyed it.

He spoke from the heart
I loved this book.As a New Englander who was only 6 years old at the time of the inauguration, I can no longer tell if I remember watching the Inaugural or if over the years seeing the newsclips and videos at the JFK Library have indelibly stamped his words in my brain.In any case, the book made me want to hear the speech again.A visit to the Library during my next visit to Boston may be in order.

One bone to pick.How is it that a regular person like me constantly finds errors in books that seem to be otherwise well-researched and the editors don't catch them?Henry Fonda's ex-wife who was at Joseph Alsop's party was named Afdera, not Alfreda.Errors like that drive me nuts. ... Read more

Book Description
Full-color & black-and-white photos. "A straightforward account of the killing and the continuing speculation about its circumstances. Beginning with the events of Nov. 22, the following chapters cover Kennedy's career, the arrest and murder of Oswald, the funeral, and the Warren Commission. Large print, short sentences and many photos make this attractively-designed volume suitable for older poor readers as well as for the primary audience."--Bulletin, Center for Children's Books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good nonfiction book for young readers
Having long held a fascination with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, I was curious to see what this Step Into Reading book aimed at children in grades two through four would say about the event.Written in 1988 by Judy Donnelly, Who Shot the President? The Death of John F. Kennedy gives a surprisingly objective look at the case.Illustrated with a number of color and black and white photographs, this definitely could serve to not only spur a child's interest in reading but impart to the child a deeper sense of American history and tragedy.

The book gives a short, rather glowing summary of Kennedy's life, leaving out anything negative, but it gives a good appraisal of Kennedy's final moments.It mentions shots possibly coming from in front of the motorcade (although it wrongly claims no evidence of activity was found in that area), describes the discovery of evidence on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, and covers Lee Harvey Oswald's movements from the killing of Officer Tippet to his arrest inside a local movie theatre.There are several pictures of the assassination, none of which are graphic, of course.There are a couple of shots of Kennedy's reaction to the first bullet, and I was surprised to find two critical frames of the Zapruder film included, as well: the frames just before and after the kill shot - the frame showing the impact of the bullet that killed Kennedy is not shown here, and rightly so in this context.The book goes on to describe Jack Ruby's murder of Oswald, then talks about the Warren Commission Report and the 1978-79 Select Committee on Assassinations of the House of Representatives reexamination of the evidence.Most impressively, it refers to some of the questions that conspiracy buffs such as myself continue to ask, thereby achieving an impressively objective look at this crucial moment in American history.This would make an excellent book for young readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great book for any JFK fan!!!
This book is what I have been looking for! Shelley Sommer hit the spot. I have been looking for a perfect book describing JFK's childhood w/ pictures for a long time.

It follows him up to his late teen years, and then the "afterwood" follows him up to his death on November 22, 1963. The pictures were great. I loved the one of JFK with his sister Rosemary in a boat when they were both 6 or 7 years old. It really showed how much JFK loved Rosemary. I would recommend this to anyone!!!

Good introduction to JFK
This is a well-written, child-focused account of the life and times of John F. Kennedy. It is an excellent starting point from which to launch the interest of young ones in recent history generally and the American presidency in particular.

I took a punt and purchased this book for my young son direct from Amazon (sans ANY customer reviews). Over the years he has become increasingly aware of my library of Kennedy books and has voiced some interest in obtaining a suitable biography (preferably less than 300+footnotes pages] from which to decidewhat all the fuss is about.

Three quarters of the way through reading this book the boy's view is that JFK's "life is like one huge adventure. You never know what's going to happen next."

And isn't that the sheer joy of history - discovering that real life is actually far more mesmorising than any fiction?

Ever since the boy started reading this book I've been peppered with questionsranging from (albeit less succinctly stated than here) how the American electoral process differs from Australia's, the historical effect of the Irish Catholic-Protestant divide in the US and how that played out in public life, to the reasons for World War II and why America (and the rest of us in the Western world) permitted the carving up of Europe in its wake (not at all easy to explain), the basis of the West's fear of communism and whether it was justified (particularly relevant in these post 9/11 days) - and these have been some of the easier queries I've faced so far.No doubt there are many more to come.

This is, of course, a book oriented towards children.It does not go into the gutter - although it certainly doesn't pretend that JFK was perfect (which is why I hadn't bothered giving my son some of the "young adult" biographies printed in the immediate days of JFK's death that were already in the library).

What this book does achieve is to provide what those truly interested in history hope for - an engaging tale of a real man (whom we follow from boyhood, youth to adult), with lots of interesting and relevant information for today's younger ones who so long for real life heroes, warts and all (as distinct from fictional creations) by which to measure themselves and their developing ideals and from whom to learn lessons (good and bad) from real life.

... Read more

Book Description
This expanded and redesigned edition og the best-selling Kennedy family album of all time features classic and new photos, reproduced in duotone and color, in an elegant design by Louise Fili and introduced by veteran Kenny commentator Richard Reeves.

Mark Shaw met the Kennedys on assignment for Life Magazine and became the family's favorite photographer.Unparalleled access to the White House and the Kennedy compund at Hyannis Port, and a close relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy, allowed him to create this intimate portrait of a beloved first family and to capture the glamour and elusive magic of the Camelot years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Awesome!
This book about the Kennedy family is one of the best! I am a fan of them, and I love those pictures! My favorites are the ones of Caroline and her brother in Caroline's bedroom in the White House, and the ones of John-John and Caroline with their Father and Maud Shaw, the nanny, which I'm guessing is in early 1961. This book has no words, except for the intro and the back describing the pictures from the chapter. This is a definite need for anyone who is a Kennedy fan!!!

I love it so much!
I am a fan of the Kennedys and I love this book! It is just pictures...pictures...pictures! It is so wonderful! I had to wait 6 long days for it to come to my house. But it was worth it! I love all of the photographs of Caroline as a 2 year old at the beach playing with her parents. I also like the ones of John at the beach with his mother.
This book is wonderful. And I love it. If you buy it, it is worth the money! I paid 12 dollars for it! Mark Shaw did a good job!!!

FAMILY FRIENDLY
Mark Shaw's book is a real treat.His loving, poignant photographs showthe real love, the real bonds, the real ties within the most famous family. The pictures of little Caroline and John are among my favorites.Carolineand John from all accounts have remained so natural, so wonderfully,refreshingly normal.I loved seeing these two children at play. Pennsylvania Avenue could have been Main Street.To their parents' credit,they grew up unaffected.This book shows it.

TOUCHING PHOTOGRAPHS
This book has beautiful photographs of the former first family.Congradulations to Mark Shaw for a wonderful job!!!!!! FOR QUESTIONS ORDISCUSSIONS ON JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HOPETO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

The John F. Kennedys : A Family Album.
Mark Shaw's photographs capture the idyllic moments of John, Jackie, Caroline and John Jr., whether at play in the White House or laughing together on a Cape Cod beach. The simple yet stunning photos of this famousfoursome will be as familiar to you as your own family photo album.

Tothose who were there when John Kennedy was in the White House, this bookwill serve as a touching remembrance and to people who know about theKennedys from just a historical standpoint, the photos and words willprovide a more personal glimpse into the years that are commonly referredto as the Camelot era. Richard Reeves words are not overly sentimentalbut an accurate assessment of the life and times of this legendaryfamily.

Overall, The John F. Kennedys: A Family Album, is a pleasant, yetsometimes sad journey looking back at what was considered the perfectfamily of two successful, stunning parents and their adorable children. Behind the photos, all was not perfect but Mark Shaw's camera didn't lie --in the end, they were like any other family with problems but in-betweenthey knew how to have fun and simply enjoy each others company, as isevident in many of Shaw's photos, especially those showing them at play attheir home on Cape Cod.

Followers of the Kennedy's will no doubt enjoythis book, as will those who are interested in what life was like for avery public family who shared their private times with a talentedphotographer and with the world.If you like taking a look back in time,you will no doubt enjoy the journey Mark Shaw and Richard Reeves takes youon. ... Read more

Product Description
Some events so strongly affect the world that people remember exactly what they were doing when they heard the news. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was one of these events. Ask almost any American who was alive at the time where he or she was when his death was announced, and you will get an answer. A Democrat with plans for social reform, President Kennedy was both loved and hated. Despite the political friction his ideas generated, no one would have predicted the events of November 22, 1963, when, supposedly, a lone gunman changed the course of history. Most of Kennedy s idealistic platform went to the grave with him. Almost half a century after his death, the United States continues to battle these same issues. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

How Far Will Some JFK Conspiracy Kooks Go In Order To Try And Clear Lee Harvey Oswald Of Two Murders? Let's Take A Look.....
Let's examine the LENGTHS to which many rabid JFK conspiracy theorists will go in their crazy attempts at allowing Lee Harvey Oswald to get away with the two murders he so obviously committed on 11/22/63.....

--------------------------------------------------------------

1.) Eyewitness Howard Brennan sees Lee Harvey Oswald shoot at President John F. Kennedy with a rifle. Plus: Brennan provided a decent "Oswald-like" description in his 11/22/63 affidavit....and this wouldn't even take into account the 12:44 PM APB description put out by J. Herbert Sawyer of the Dallas Police just minutes after the shooting.

So you can toss out that 12:44 description if you want to think it WASN'T provided by Howard Brennan. That STILL leaves Brennan's 11/22 affidavit, which says:

"He was a white man in his early 30s, slender, nice looking, and would weigh about 165 to 175 pounds."


THE KOOK RESPONSE ("KR"): Brennan is totally unreliable. .... Or: His eyesight sucks. ... He was coerced into identifying Oswald. ... He wasn't even looking up at the sixth floor at the time of the last shot. ... He described the wrong clothing. ... He couldn't possibly have seen Oswald well enough to give a positive I.D. through a half-open window (DVP interjection: even though Brennan did positively identify two of the black men situated just one floor below the sniper).


2.) Lee Oswald's very own rifle is found on the 6th Floor of the TSBD just 52 minutes after JFK's assassination.


KR: That rifle probably was "planted" there by dastardly, unknown, unseen conspirators of some ilk. .... Or: It wasn't really Oswald's rifle up on the 6th Floor at all. Instead, a Mauser rifle was found.


3.) Oswald's palmprint is found on his rifle the day of the assassination (per J.C. Day of the DPD):

"Your No. 637 is the right palm of Oswald." -- J.C. Day; To WC

That print was lifted off the gun barrel by Day himself before the rifle was turned over to the FBI on the night of 11/22/63.


KR: The palmprint was either "planted" there by the Feds or the DPD after Oswald was killed (with a print taken from Oswald in the morgue, no less). .... Or: The print was never really lifted off of the weapon by J.C. Day as he stated to the WC, meaning that Day (along with a cast of hundreds more), was part of a "Let's Frame LHO" plot.


4.) Bullet CE399 (fired from Oswald's Carcano rifle "to the exclusion of all other weapons") is found inside the very same hospital where both victims of the shooting were taken, proving beyond virtually every shred of a doubt that Oswald's gun fired that bullet into either Jack Kennedy's or John Connally's body on 11/22/63.


KR: CE399 was "planted" in the hospital by another of the faceless, nameless plotters who overtook Dallas that November day. No WAY that bullet could have been inside a victim on Nov. 22! And that "SBT" stuff is nonsense too (in case that's next on David's laundry list)!


5.) Bullet shells from Oswald's rifle ("to the exclusion" again) are found directly under the same window from where Oswald himself was seen firing a gun at JFK's car.


KR: Those shells were "planted" there by the DPD. Well, at least ONE of them was planted/faked anyway. (It's a PLANT FESTIVAL in Dallas, circa 1963!)


6.) An empty paper sack, generally matching the type Oswald was seen carrying to work on 11/22 by two witnesses, is found under the very same window in the Sniper's Nest from where Lee Oswald was seen firing a gun at JFK. The sack has two of Oswald's prints on it.


KR: That paper sack was "planted" there by the DPD. It's obvious! It wasn't even photographed by Studebaker or Day! So it COULDN'T have been there when the Nest was first discovered! To hell with those prints of LHO's on the bag! They're fake too. It's obvious. The cops planted the bag, then ran around and (somehow) got Oswald's palmprint and fingerprint and then "planted" the prints on the fake bag. It's kid stuff! (If you're a kook maybe.)


7.) Oswald is seen by multiple witnesses murdering policeman J.D. Tippit approx. 45 minutes after JFK was shot from right in front of Oswald's workplace (a location Oswald fled within three minutes of the JFK shooting, even though he had no permission to leave work that early).


KR: Oswald never shot Officer Tippit! A nicely-arranged "Oswald Double" killed Tippit. It's obvious, for God's sake! Oswald couldn't have even been there in time to plug Tippit! (Despite various re-constructions that show the trip was certainly a doable one by anybody whose legs weren't in casts.)


8.) Oswald's very own .38 revolver is determined to be the weapon that gunned down Tippit, via the four spent shells that littered the crime scene (shells that were ejected--by hand--from Oswald's revolver BY OSWALD HIMSELF, per multiple eyewitnesses to this post-shooting activity).


KR: Those bullet shells were "planted" by the DPD. It's obvious, you goof! An "automatic" weapon killed Tippit.


9.) Approximately a dozen witnesses in total identified Lee Harvey Oswald as either Tippit's LONE killer, or as the LONE MAN who fled the scene of the crime near 10th Street and Patton Avenue (with a gun in hand, dumping shells along the way).


KR: Those witnesses are all wrong! TWO guys did the Tippit job! Acquilla Clemons confirms this. Who are ya gonna believe -- Acquilla (who didn't even see the actual shooting as it was happening)? Or are ya gonna believe Davis, Davis, Scoggins, Markham, Tatum, Callaway, Benavides, Patterson, etc., etc.?


10.) Oswald tells one lie after another to the police after he was arrested in the Texas Theater (following a wild fight, in which Oswald attempts to kill more cops).

He lies when he tells police he has "never owned a rifle"; and he lies about the "curtain rod" tale he told Wesley Frazier; and he also lies like a cheap rug about many, many other things which connect him to the Tippit/Kennedy murders.

And Lee Harvey also lies when trying to establish his alibi for the JFK shooting ("I had lunch with Junior" {Jarman} in the lunchroom at the time JFK was shot, he told one police officer....even though "Junior" was photographed on the 5th Floor at 12:30 exactly).


KR: We don't have any idea WHAT Oswald told the cops....because they never recorded his statements. Which HAS to mean he's innocent...because ALL the cops who said he was saying these lies cannot be trusted because...er...um...well, because I SAY THEY CAN'T BE TRUSTED. So there!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many additional things could easily be added to the above 10-item list. But I think you probably get the idea. That idea being: The conspiracy-loving kooks of the world just DO NOT WANT LEE HARVEY OSWALD TO BE GUILTY OF THESE 1963 MURDERS.

Simple as that. It's crazy (given the evidence saying they're dead wrong) -- but simple.

David Von Pein
February 2007 ... Read more

Book Description
This unique book presents a compelling look at our 35th president's final days through narrative, history and personal stories from a cross section of the population. The shared grief of a nation is remembered in vivid detail and, as Walter Mirisch said, "will move you, horrify you and sometimes bring you to tears." Contributors include Robert McNamara, Senator John Kerry, Dominick Dunne, Jerry Lewis, Liz Smith, Wally Schirra, Scott Carpenter, Janet Leigh, Billy Dee Williams, Aaron Spelling and over 100 more. Powerful narrative and a running timeline of other world events completes this capsule view of one of the most unforgettable weeks in history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A compelling, collective human testimony
The collaborative effort of Chuck Fries, Irv Wilson, and Spencer Green, "We'll Never Be Young Again": Remembering The Last Days of John F. Kennedy combines history, narratives, and personal testimonies of the final days of America's 35th President. Over 125 letters written by notable individuals such as Senator John Kerry, Jerry Lewis, Dominick Dunne, Liz Smith and more offer a compelling, collective human testimony to the loss of a charismatic, strong-willed and truly unforgettable and martyred "Camelot" era political leader. "We'll Never Be Young Again" is a superb and highly commended contribution to the growing library books on and about JFK.

Best JFK book ever
I was moved and emotionally caught up in the great memories of JFK and Camelot from the thoughts and stories of the many great people interviewed here.The selections here are terrific, and rather than the oft-told, dry history of our greatest president, the personal reflections that are recounted in the excellent book reflect who what and where we were as a country then, what we lost, and what we can aspire to be in the future.An amazing book.

Thoughtful Remembrances, Good Gift
This isn't really my kind of book, but it's nicely crafted and attractive to flip through.I bought copies for my grandparents for Christmas.

I know what I'm buying my loved ones for Christmas!
Growing up I remember two prominent portraits on the wall of my home.Jesus and JFK.I almost didn't read this book.I felt I already knew everything there was to know about that fateful day and I didn't want to remember the painful details.But I did and I don't regret a minute of it.This book is filled with vivid recollections from a cross-section of people that moved me from tears to laughter with a flip of a page.I found the narrative fresh and the timeline helpful.I know what I'm buying my loved ones for Christmas -- this book!

A Kennedy book with a different perspective
I thoroughly enjoyed the many comments by people great and small on their remembrances of November 22, 1963. This well-written narrative of the last days of JFK also provided some unusual comments and insights from friends of JFK from Robert McNamara to Jerry Lewis that I had not read before, as well as the the feelings of shock and despair that prevailed with ordinary people on hearing the horrific news of the assasination. This book has certainly supplemented my information on this well documented tragedy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Good thing in a small package
It is interesting to me that a short book such as this illuminates as much about the Kennedy administration than many thicker books for popular reading.A main difference is that the more popular readings focus on sensational stories and some try to make unsupported connections between some aspect of the political figure's personal development and that person's decisions while in office.

This short political biography ignores the bed sheet and fashion stories that dominate so many other Kennedy books.This is a book for a person with a serious interest in the Kennedy presidency.Despite its brevity, the author gives a strong presentation on the president's political style and his influence on domestic and foreign affairs.His discussion on Kennedy's significant domestic policies is of particular importance since, except for civil rights, JFK is better remembered for his foreign policies.

The writer without engaging in Peggy Noonan-like glorification of his subject (Noonan writes on Reagan) portrays JFK as a highly intelligent and astute figure developing more into a statesman than a politician.

Unfortunately, Kennedy's legacy was long ago hijacked by those who want to minimize his influence by remembering him as a youthful charmer with little substance.This is done by both conservatives (who are angered both by his civil rights efforts and his growing independence of military), and by liberals (who too are angered by his civil rights positions that moved too slowly for their taste and his general refusal to put the cart of the liberal agenda ahead of the national horse).As a result, most discussions of Kennedy center on matters that had little to do with him as the nation's leader.

Many of us (for me as a child) remember him and know him as a person whose death was very personal and traumatic.It was the first time many of us saw our parents and teachers cry.This book helps us to better explain to younger generations Kennedy's importance to the nation and to ourselves.

The Journal of a College Freshman
Burner wrote this biography upon previous works written about Kennedy.Headmires Kennedy a lot because he doesn't really give any shortcomings thatcame about while Kennedy was President.Burners does give a clear pictureabout the events taking place in the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

A killer book
This is an excellent book.I personally own a harback edition that is autographed by Colonel Prouty to me. I am a firm believer in what he said and I believe that this sort of behavior still goes on today. War is money and it always will be. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the murder of President Kennedy.

Today America has become the nightmare (Arnold Toynbee)
Prouty's autobiography is very revealing indeed.
Of course, it contains controversial items (Would JFK have stopped the Vietnam War?). But, it is the general picture that counts, and here, the author is prophetic.
Prouty presents his world view as follows: `The world is ruled by a power elite. The basic motivations are always the same. Money lays at the root ... the enormous amount spent on military matériel.'
This elite wields its power partly and most importantly through invisible intelligence agencies. `The power of any agency allowed to operate in secrecy is boundless'.

Nationally, JFK would probably be reelected in 1964, also via carefully directed investments, which should have influenced favorably the voting in heavily contested states. This reelection for another 4 years was very hard to swallow for a part of the power elite. JFK had promised to cut the defense budget and destroy one of its power bases (`split an intelligence agency into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds.')
JFK's masterfully planned assassination was a coup d'état, not less than a total takeover of the US government. The cover-up of the assassination, which is still going on, shows the immense power of the culprits. They controlled the Warner Commission and could (can) force, until today, the media and Congress to pay lip service to them. Congress was never capable to launch an adequate investigation into the murder.

Internationally, `the world's power elite benefited splendidly from the staggering sums involved in the Vietnam War.' The author's moving evocation of the fate of a pastoral Vietnamese village shows that `people's lives are valueless when they get in the way of elitist interests.' (Mark Curtis)
The powerful show absolutely no respect for national sovereignty (e.g., Vietnam, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Panama, Iraq, the Philippines, even Grenada), which is the principle on which `the family of nations exists, with its property rights and the rights of man.'

At the end, Prouty is even prophetic: `the power elite utilizes all manner of plots to achieve their ambitious goal. That gamesmanship is called `Terrorism'.

This book is a must read for all those wanting to understand the world we live in.

Simply Great!
In this volume, Colonel Fletcher Prouty captures both the secret history of the United States from 1945 to 1975 and the reasons behind the plot to kill President Kennedy.Herein, the courageous Colonel illustrates quite clearly that the clandestine history and the assassination plot were intrinsically linked.

From the important information in this book, we learn that the war in Vietnam actually began on September 2, 1945, when Ho Chi Minh was established as the new leader of Vietnam by our OSS, the predecessor of the CIA, and the US Army.The United States was thoughtful enough to provide all the weapons, ammunition, and supplies necessary for Ho and Giap to pursue their war against the French, which culminated in the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu.Following that defeat, the CIA arranged for the transfer of 1.1 million "refugees" from the North of Vietnam to the South.These folks caused such disruption in the fragile agricultural economy of the South that their arrival ultimately drove the orginal residents to banditry in order that they might survive.These displaced bandits became what was later known as the Viet Cong.Hence, the CIA created the conditions necessary for a full scale war in Vietnam.

On coming to office, Kennedy, a brilliant and studious man, came soon to understand the perfidy of the CIA.One of first his acts on realizing this was to fire CIA director Allen Dulles.Soon thereafter, he issued one the most important, and unknown, documents of US history, NSAM 263.Issued in October of 1963, this document called for 1,000 US military personnel to come home from Vietnam by that Christmas.The remainder were to be out of Vietnam by the end of 1965.Had John Kennedy lived, what Americans know as the war in Vietnam would never have happened.

Prouty demonstrates herein that the powers that be ultimately made the decision that they could not allow Kennedy to live.He makes it clear that assassination researches who make a career of examining the details of the government's false cover story truly miss the point.What matters is not how the President was killed, but why.And the answer to that question is that the assassination was a coup d'etat, transferring control of the government of the United States to a power elite, which has been in control ever since.Hence, we have the strange silence of every succeeding President on the issue of the cover up of the Kennedy assassination.

The book is well written and extraordinarily important.He would understand our nation and how it came to be in the condition that now obtains would be well advised to read carefully this terribly important book.God bless.

America has Waited a Long Time to Hear the Truth...
Finally, those involved are getting old enough not to place concern about their own welfare above truth anymore.

This book provides so many connections, such a depth of behind the scenes knowledge and inner workings of the specific programs operating at the time, you can't help but be bowled over.

***Note: Anyone interested in the Kennedy Assassination should realize that there is a "misinformation plant" in the Library Journal review department. Every honest book on the subject has been unconvincingly discredited by them, while they praise and try to steer you towards known flake CIA-financed writers such as Gerald Posner.

It's rather common to hear of wrongdoing by the CIA. I saw a graph recently that showed American citizen's belief in their government plummetting after the Kennedy Assassination. Almost no one accepted the Warren Commission Report and such a cover up has casted doubt on our government ever since.

This "High Cabal" as Churchill called them obviously doesn't start with the CIA, or the Federal Reserve. It predates Christianity, but it's quite simple. There are bums who seek handouts and never try to rise, and there are bums who gain a position over others but still yearn for that same handout, taking it by force, by skimming, whatever is neccessary to defeat justice, honor and civility. These are not great men and they will not be remembered like an Edison or a Ford. They are the most creative parasites on the planet, and the most deeply engrained.

Currency control has changed EIGHT times since America's inception. The most vocal fighter against irrational banking was Andrew Jackson; not Kennedy or Lincoln (google "Jackson Bank Veto"). He fought and defeated in his time what has morphed into the Federal Reserve Bank. Before the Civil War, such bankers were buying politicians, planting press stories, steering elections, stealing freedoms, killing people--anything to assure a fascist cushion between themselves and existence.

Do we ever hear anything bad about the Federal Reserve? In Jackson's time, they were entrenched 16 years deep and it was difficult to rout them out then. They did try to kill him. Now they are ninety years deep. They have owned many Presidents, they control the Justice and State Departments, and the CIA secretly furthers their agenda.

Nothing happens at the Assassination Level without their approval. In today's world, America is struggling in recession (bankruptcy) mostly due to the $360 Billion we now pay to the Fed for their generous "Debt-Money" System, and that is an exponentially increasing burden. EVERY dollar in our country has interest being paid on it as if it were borrowed! Due to this, bankruptcy for America is a mathematical certainty. (Imagine if you had to pay interest not just on every dollar you owed, but on every dollar you made! America IS!)

With changes in the laws, soon none of us will be permitted to walk away from our debts and start over--as if our hard economic times is our own personal fault.

We are all about to become debt slaves, as they intend. If you want to have a chance at recovery, if you want your kids to have a chance at a decent future, join me and I'll give you the Moral Armor neccessary to beat down these parasites and restore America to what it was meant to be. They CAN be defeated, but not without YOUR empowerment. If you can't stand up or are afraid to, I'll show you how. Invest in yourself right now and let's save this ship!

Enthralling
If you are looking for a book for a by name list of "who done it" or who was shooting from what building, on what knoll, from what curb side drain, then this is not your book.

If you are looking for "why was it done," which is a far more important question; then this IS your book. This book takes you back to the end of WWII and then up through 1963 and a bit beyond. It is more a history book of what was truly happening behind the scenes with the CIA and the Military Industrial Complex in that time period, as it pertains to Indochina, and the Korean Peninsula. From the view and stand point of someone that was on the inside, and took part to a certain degree in such operations there and elsewhere. It speaks of what Winston Churchill called "The High Cabal" and how these elite group of people simply run the world to better suite themselves and those around them, using the CIA as their tool.

You'll learn in this book possible reason behind the Korean Conflict, the war in Vietnam, the Bay of Pigs fiasco and so on. You'll learn of the ultra secret side of the CIA and its origins, and how and why Kennedy meant to dismantle it, which was probably the catalyst for his ultimate demise.

(...)

Excellent book. ... Read more

Book Description
A fresh look at JFK's life from childhood to his charismatic, spectacular Presidency --including sharply focused 'takes' on theories about his murder, an assassination viewed by millions world-wide on TV. The authors have researched archives from London, Washington, Boston and Cuba, and feature original interviews with JFK'S contemporaries that provide fascinating insights into his personality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Do we need another book on J F Kennedy?--Definitely, if it is as good as this one.

I have been following the Assassination of JFK ever since that terrible day on November 22,1963.I was glued to the TV for nearly a week and watched Jack Ruby actually kill Oswald live in plain view of millions of viewers. At the time ,there was no doubt about how serious an event was underway,and one had to wonder where will it all end. The only comparable event in my lifetime was the attack on America on 9/11.
Over the years I have read numerous books and watched many hours of films,documentaries and much discussion on the Assassination.
The book covers the whole life of JFK and picks out the most important events,comments and photographs.
There has been talk of conspiracy ever since it happened and this book sums up the reasons why the Assassination took place and who was behind it.
Look at these quotes and try to convince yourself that there was no conspiracy.

"Mark my word, this man Kennedy in in for trouble,and he will get what is coming to him....Kennedy's not going to make it to the election. He is going to be hit."
Mafia Boss,Santo Trafficante

"If I told you what I really know,it would be very dangerous to this country. Our whole political system would be disrupted."
J.Edgar Hoover

"Our polls consistantly show 80% of Americans believe there was a Conspiracy. If in fact there was,and if President Johnson and the FBI did pressure the Warren Commission to defuse the fears of a conspiracy,in doing so they may in fact have averted a chance for war against Cuba and the Soviet Union."

"One of your boys did it."
Robert Kennedy to Cuban Exile Leader, Harry Williams

The book also gives many quotes that were so well made by Kennedy.
On being asked how he became a War Hero;
"It was absolutely involuntary.
They sank my boat."

Another of his great quotes;
"Any man who may be asked in this country what he did to make his life worthwhile,I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction;
"I served in the United States Navy."

The book concludes with a most moving picture of Jacqueline,kneeling at the grave of her husband; with the comment by Mary McGrory;
"Jacqueline Kennedy....lit a flame that is to burn forever in his grave--against the day that anyone might forget that her husband had been President...

The important question is not "Who killed Kennedy", but,
"Why was Kennedy killed."

If you want only one book on JFK,make this the one.

John F. Kennedy Handbook gets my vote!
Having been a J.F.K. fanatic for many years, I've seen many documentaries and have read countless books on our 35th president.So, imagine how thrilled I was when I happened upon a nifty hand-sized book titled, John F. Kennedy Handbook, while browsing at Barnes & Noble.Reasonably priced, this book is literally a fountain of information on Jack Kennedy's life, spanning his childhood and school years; his heroic life in the Navy during WW2; and takes us through his political years as both a senator and president - ending with his tragic assassination on Nov. 22nd, 1963.You'll read about the close election with Richard Nixon, the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the nightmarish Cuban Missile crisis, and about the many memorable speeches he dilivered.Anything you ever wanted to know about J.F.K. is in this book, including the people he associated with.I was so impressed with all the details and facts and beautiful pictures, I wasted no time in buying my own copy.Over an inch thick with a stunning picture of President Kennedy on the cover, this gem is easily the best book on J.F.K. I've ever had the pleasure in reading.I strongely urge students of High School and College to buy copies of this magnificent book!In fact, this book is so powerful and gripping, it should be required reading for every American.I truly feel as though it expanded my knowledge on J.F.K.The author, Gareth Jenkins, did an outstanding job documenting an outstanding American hero!

History Fan,
Robert McCoy

PS - The flame continue to burn at Arlington . . . ... Read more

Book Description
Richard Tofel tells the full story of JFK's inaugural address. He draws on original research materials in the Kennedy Library and elsewhere around the country, as well as exclusive interviews. Unlike earlier treatments of the subject, these include extensive and candid conversations with Theodore Sorensen, Kennedy's aide and chief speechwriter, who has never before discussed in detail how the speech came to be written. In the tradition of Lincoln at Gettysburg, Sounding the Trumpet thus reveals many unknown details about this landmark speech. Includes DVD of speech. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A treat for all communicators
Mr. Tofel provides an enjoyable and sympathetic account of how President-elect Kennedy managed the production of this rhetorical bombshell.

Like most presidential speeches, Kennedy's inaugural was a group effort, drawing upon the words and ideas of many gifted people. Tofel does an excellent job of pulling the speech apart, and showing the influence on particular passages of Kennedy's contributors and advisors, and of historical works such as Shakespeare and the Bible.

Lawyers and other communicators will be inspired by Kennedy's ability to fuse all these sources into one of the most invigorating of all Presidential inaugurals.
... Read more

Book Description
President Lyndon B. Johnson, by Executive Order No. 11130 dated November 29, 1963, created this Commission to investigate the assassination on November 22,1963, of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. The President directed the Commission to evaluate all the facts and circumstances surrounding the assassination and the subsequent killing of the alleged assassin and to report its findings and conclusions to him.The subject of the Commission's inquiry was a chain of events which saddened and shocked the people of the United States and of the world. The assassination of President Kennedy and the simultaneous wounding of John B. Connally, Jr., Governor of Texas, has been followed within an hour by the slaying of Patrolman J.D. Tippit of the Dallas Police Department. In the United States and abroad, these events evoked universal demands for and explanation. -from the ForewardSince its release in 1964, the Warren Commission Report has been at the heart of an ever-growing debate on the events surrounding the assassination of JFK. Long unavailable, this is perhaps one of the most important and controversial documents of the twentieth century. Now available again-complete and unabridged-this is the essential document of the Kennedy assassination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

A Condensation of the Official Report
The Assassination of JFK - Warren Report, NY Times Edition

The `Prologue' by Tom Wicker says the shooting took place at "12:30 PM Central standard time" (p.v). NO, it happened 12:30 PM Eastern standard time (lunch hour). The rest of the `Prologue' summarizes the events of November 22, 1963 that forever marks that day. The `Introduction' attempts to provide an overall look at the events and the theories of the Warren Report critics. Harrison Salisbury mentions the attacks on other presidents (pp.xxi-xxii). The pattern differs for JFK; a rifle was used to let the assassin escape after the shots were fired. A pistol was used by the assassins who did not care if they were caught. Distant observers may have a more objective view (pp.xxiv-xxv). Salisbury never asks if the stories about Oswald (p.xxix) make him an agent provocateur, like Czolgosz (p.xxviii).

Anthony Lewis reports the assassination was the work of one man; there was no conspiracy (p.xxxi). Lewis says they traced Oswald's purchase of the gun (p.xxxv) but never admits there were no records of any purchase of ammunition for this foreign rifle. James Reston admits "this report may not satisfy the historians" (p.xxxviii). The filmed events of that day provide records for future studies. No one person could process all that information until time had passed, and this explains the Anti-Warren Reports. The section with photographs are between pages 344 and 345; many are too small to see the details. What is the purpose of showing the back of a camera? After Oswald was rubbed out there was talk of a court of inquiry in Texas, or a grand jury investigation in Dallas. Instead the extralegal Warren Commission preempted them with a Presidential Commission that could only produce a report, never an indictment (p.5). Their conclusion was the story from the beginning: a lone gunman who was a misfit. Yet Oswald was married with children unlike Booth, Guiteau, or Czolgosz. His spotty employment record was not unusual for a young man who moved around.

The `Contents' on page 11 contain an index to the topics contained in this book. Page 182 says the telescope was sighted for a moving target just like the President's car. Coincidence or planning? The `Statements of Oswald' on pages 167-169 show either a compulsive liar or someone telling a cover story. Years later a Voice Stress Analyzer test of Oswald's tape recorded statements indicated he was telling the truth, or was insane ("The Assassination Tapes" by George O'Toole). The spurious identification cards showed skill at retouching negatives (p.527). What camera was used for this? Where would Oswald get a large-format camera?

There was a cover photograph on `LIFE' magazine after the assassination. It showed what looked like Oswald at the front door when the first shot was fired - a perfect alibi. We were told then that it was a look-alike. Decades later David Wrone wrote his book "The Zapruder Film". It has a photograph of that look-alike who was wearing a different shirt at the time. Wrone says two people were taking movies across from the Book Depository. Their films do not show Oswald of anybody else at the 6th floor southeast corner of the building. This refutes the Warren Report. If you've never heard of this its because of media censorship. After the reports of frontal shots J. Edgar Hoover claimed JFK was shot when he was heading towards the building. When the photographs were released showing JFK was leaving that building a new theory was created for the "lone gunman" solution.

[This is from the 1964 hardcover edition.]

Literary slight of hand and obscuration down to the last page
Oh yes. The people behind the Warren Commission findings had such faith in the 'truth' of this most 'thorough and sincere' report - in order to preserve their own sorry hides or their possible foreknowledge of the JFK assassination itself - that the CIA had to issue instructions to its agents on how to discredit those independent investigators who had reasonable doubts about the Commission's conclusions that Oswald was some nut who acted alone. On the contrary, there's ample evidence uncovered elsewhere by independent researchers that he may have shot nobody.

(By the way, some of those same Warren Commission participants are still around today mucking up the political landscape, such as Arlen Specter and Gerald Ford, both of whom will have a lot to answer for when the final history of this great nation - now being dismantled from within - is written. Specter for his out-of-this-world-of-logic "magic bullet theory" - creating seven wounds from one bullet!...seven! - and Ford for tampering with evidence related to JFK's autopsy and back wounds more than twenty-five years after the fact. When such a preposterous magic bullet theory is presented with a straight face - and rejected by the majority of the public - they erode the trust between the gov't and its people.)

I wonder how many Americans have seen the following CIA document. Note particularly point b.:

>b. To employ propaganda assets to answer and refute the attacks of the critics. >Book reviews and feature articles are particularly appropriate for this purpose.

For illustrations of point b, note many of the carefully constructed reviews posted here that no thinking person could possibly believe - that is, if the person has looked into many of the eyewitness accounts that were ignored or never included in the original Commission report to begin with. They were ignored for obvious reasons too, because their testimony directly contested the report's conclusions, such as the witnesses who saw gunfire from the area of the knoll and *smelled* gunpowder.

So, on the contrary, this report is not the place to begin your investigation unless you are interested in reading one long fairy tale that never pretends to any kind of objectivity at all, except on the surface and in terms of its massive 26 volumes that were designed to discourage the public from reading them and to make it appear that a thorough investigation was conducted...not! Instead, just for starters, it's primarily a political whitewash of an Oswald who most likely worked for the Federal gov't as an agent on some level for many years, leading up to the time of the assassination, in which he was set up as the patsy - a fact that has been unconvincingly denied for more than 40 years because of its scandalous implications.

The only real purpose this report serves is to show the degree of paranoia that existed within the hidden political recesses of our country and the Federal gov't at the time - because of the tensions of the Cold War with the Soviet Union - and the steps these "honorable" men were willing to take to "protect" our country in the name of "national security," including the brutal murder of their own democratically-elected president. If Kennedy was considered a secret Communist and traitor by the likes of J. Edgar Hoover, Lyndon B. Johnson, or the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he should have been brought up on charges of impeachment - not murdered in the streets of Dallas.

And now, years later, look at the mess we are in because men of political conscience and genuine humanitarian concern have been systematically assassinated in order to preserve the war machine that was turned loose on Vietnam - and not by Kennedy either, who had talked about pulling out our ground troops - and are now on the loose in Iraq and threatening further wars. Should our country go down the tubes, we can look back to those leaders with a political conscience - who loved the people and the goodness within the soul of America, but were cut down in their prime... everyone knows the list by heart.

(By the way, it doesn't take a Rhodes Scholar to look at contemporary American society - and its destruction - to see all the other political abuses that are being committed on a daily basis in the name of "national security." Anyone see a pattern here?)

THE entire CIA document I'm referring to:

Countering Criticism of the Warren Report
1 April 1967
JFK 01, p.1

Chiefs, Certain Stations and Bases
Document Number 1035-960
for FOIA Review on Sep 1976

SUBJECT: Countering Criticism of the Warren Report

PSYCH

1. Our Concern. From the day of President Kennedy's assassination on, there has been speculation about the responsibility for his murder. Although this was stemmed for a time by the Warren Commission report (which appeared at the end of September 1964), various writers have now had time to scan the Commission's published report and documents for new pretexts for questioning, and there has been a new wave of books and articles criticizing the Commission's findings. In most cases the critics have speculated as to the existence of some kind of conspiracy, and often they have implied that the Commission itself was involved. Presumably as a result of the increasing challenge to the Warren Commission's Report, a public opinion poll recently indicated that 46% of the American public did not think that Oswald acted alone, while more than half of those polled thought that the Commission had left some questions unresolved. Doubtless polls abroad would show similar, or possibly more adverse, results.

2. This trend of opinion is a matter of concern to the U.S. government, including our organization. The members of the Warren Commission were naturally chosen for their integrity, experience, and prominence. They represented both major parties, and they and their staff were deliberately drawn from all sections of the country. Just because of the standing of the Commissioners, efforts to impugn their rectitude and wisdom tend to cast doubt on the whole leadership of American society. Moreover, there seems to be an increasing tendency to hint that President Johnson himself, as the one person who might be said to have benefited, was in some way responsible for the assassination. Innuendo of such seriousness affects not only the individual concerned, but also the whole reputation of the American government. Our organization itself is directly involved: among other facts, we contributed information to the investigation. Conspiracy theories have frequently thrown suspicion on our organization, for example by falsely alleging that Lee Harvey Oswald worked for us. The aim of this dispatch is to provide material for countering and discrediting the claims of the conspiracy theorists, so as to inhibit the circulation of such claims in other countries. Background information is supplied in a classified section and in a number of unclassified attachments.

3. Action. We do not recommend that discussion of the assassination question be initiated where it is not already taking place. Where discussion is active, however, addressees are requested:

CS COPY
9 attachments h/w
DATE 4/1/67
1- Satts
8-Unclassified
DESTROY WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED

JFK 01, p.2

a. To discuss the publicity problem with liaison and friendly elite contacts (especially politicians and editors), pointing out that the Warren Commission made as thorough an investigation as humanly possible, that the charges of the critics are without serious foundation, and that further speculative discussion only plays into the hands of the opposition. Point out also that parts of the conspiracy talk appear to be deliberately generated by Communist propagandists. Urge them to use their influence to discourage unfounded and irresponsible speculation.

b. To employ propaganda assets to answer and refute the attacks of the critics. Book reviews and feature articles are particularly appropriate for this purpose. The unclassified attachments to this guidance should provide useful background material for passage to assets. Our play should point out, as applicable, that the critics are (i) wedded to theories adopted before the evidence was in, (ii) politically interested, (iii) financially interested, (iv) hasty and inaccurate in their research, or (v) infatuated with their own theories. In the course of discussions of the whole phenomenon of criticism, a useful strategy may be to single out Epstein's theory for attack, using the attached Fletcher Knebel article and Spectator piece for background. (Although Mark Lane's book is much less convincing than Epstein's and comes off badly where contested by knowledgeable critics, it is also much more difficult to answer as a whole, as one becomes lost in a morass of unrelated details.)

4. In private or media discussion not directed at any particular writer, or in attacking publications which may be yet forthcoming, the following arguments should be useful:

a. No significant new evidence has emerged which the Commission did not consider. The assassination is sometimes compared (e.g., by Joachim Joesten and Bertrand Russell) with the Dreyfus case; however, unlike that case, the attacks on the Warren Commission have produced no new evidence, no new culprits have been convincingly identified, and there is no agreement among the critics. (A better parallel, though an imperfect one, might be with the Reichstag fire of 1933, which some competent historians (Fritz Tobias, A.J.P. Taylor, D.C. Watt) now believe was set by Van der Lubbe on his own initiative, without acting for either Nazis or Communists; the Nazis tried to pin the blame on the Communists, but the latter have been much more successful in convincing the world that the Nazis were to blame.)

b. Critics usually overvalue particular items and ignore others. They tend to place more emphasis on the recollections of individual eyewitnesses (which are less reliable and more divergent -- and hence offer more hand-holds for criticism) and less on ballistic, autopsy, and photographic evidence. A close examination of the Commission's records will usually show that the conflicting eyewitness accounts are quoted out of context, or were discarded by the commission for good and sufficient reason.

JFK 01, p.3

c. Conspiracy on the large scale often suggested would be impossible to conceal in the United States, esp. since informants could expect to receive large royalties, etc. Note that Robert Kennedy, Attorney General at the time and John F. Kennedy's brother, would be the last man to overlook or conceal any conspiracy. And as one reviewer pointed out, Congressman Gerald R. Ford would hardly have held his tongue for the sake of the Democratic administration, and Senator Russell would have had every political interest in exposing any misdeeds on the part of Chief Justice Warren. A conspirator moreover would hardly choose a location for a shooting where so much depended on conditions beyond his control: the route, the speed of the cars, the moving target, the risk that the assassin would be discovered. A group of wealthy conspirators could have arranged much more secure conditions.

d. Critics have often been enticed by a form of intellectual pride: they light on some theory and fall in love with it; they also scoff at the Commission because it did not always answer every question with a flat decision one way or the other. Actually, the make-up of the Commission and its staff was an excellent safeguard against over-commitment to any one theory; or against the illicit transformation of probabilities into certainties.

JFK 01, p.4

e. Oswald would not have been any sensible person's choice for a co-conspirator. He was a "loner," mixed-up, of questionable reliability and an unknown quantity to any professional intelligence service.

f. As to charges that the Commission's report was a rush job, it emerged three months after the deadline originally set. But to the degree that the Commission tried to speed up its reporting, this was largely due to the pressure of irresponsible speculation already appearing, in some cases coming from the same critics who, refusing to admit their errors, are now putting out new criticisms.

g. Such vague accusations as that "more than ten people have died mysteriously" can always be explained in some more natural way: e.g., the individuals concerned have for the most part died of natural causes; the Commission staff questioned 418 witnesses (the FBI interviewed far more people, conducting 25,000 interviews and reinterviews), and in such a large group, a certain number of deaths are to be expected. (When Penn Jones, one of the originators of the "ten mysterious deaths" line, appeared on television, it emerged that two of the deaths on his list were from heart attacks, one from cancer, one was from a head-on collision on a bridge, and one occurred when a driver drifted into a bridge abutment.)

5. Where possible, counter speculation by encouraging reference to the Commission's Report itself. Open-minded foreign readers should still be impressed by the care, thoroughness, objectivity and speed with which the Commission worked. Reviewers of other books might be encouraged to add to their account the idea that, checking back with the Report itself, they found it far superior to the work of its critics.

[end of CIA directive]

The Warren Commission made mistakes but...
...they were pointed in the right direction. Instead of miscalculated blunders like conspiracy theorists, the government DID try to get it right. Most of the others are in it for the money and fame rather than the truth. Not perfect but 4.5 stars.

Actually READ this book before you dismiss it
The popular notion that this book is unreliable and obviously a joke is one of the most bizarre mistakes supported by the popular media.None of the people I have ever heard dismiss this book with a mere waive of their hand or a wisecrack has actually bothered to read the report.Yes, the work of the commission in its 26 volumes is not perfect.So what?There is an overwhelming consistency to the evidence and the conclusions of the commission.This report is fascinating because it is the distillation of all that work.Again, it might be possible to quibble with this or that, but the central conclusions of the commission are clearly supported by the weight of the evidence gathered by commission.

Read the book.Look at the documentary evidence in its actual context, not as it is mischaracterized and misquoted in the conspiracy literature.This book is very affordable and an important part of our nation's history.It is too serious and too important to be treated dismissively and irresponsibly to support theories that come from nothing more than fantasies spun from false notions of what the facts are.

The starting point for JFK enthusiasts
The Warren Report was the official report on the assassination of JFK. Because Lee Harvey Oswald was shot 2 days after the assassination by Jack Ruby, there was no trial. The American people would not stand for this, so President Johnson authorized the Warren Commission to determine what happened on November 22, 1963.

This book is an important work in American history, regardless of which side you take: lone assassin or conspiracy. It is fairly easy to follow; the authors sum up their conclusions in each sub-chapter, make their case and then dismiss what they believe is "uncredible."

Unfortunately, the book I have has no index and no table of contents. I'm not sure if this edition that I'm reviewing does or not; I suspect it also is lacking this critical apparatus. This makes reviewing their notes and conclusions somewhat muddled. Some would say that this was deliberate, all part of the conspiracy and coverup. I can't draw that conclusion.

The Warren Report doesn't prove that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. It proves that Lee Harvey Oswald COULD HAVE acted alone. Many leads are dismissed out of hand. For example: a Dallas cop saw Oswald running down Houston Avenue moments after the shooting, getting into the passenger side of a station wagon. Later that afternoon, that cop saw Oswald in the captain's office being interrogated. He told his chief that's the guy he saw. The chief dismissed this and said that a little old lady saw him board a bus after the shooting. Therefore there was no getaway car.

One of the reasons that Oswald was pinned down to the Kennedy killing was that he took a shot at General Walker. They pinned this crime to him in December of 1963; the shooting took place in March. The day before the shooting, a friend of Walker's saw 2 men peeking in Walker's windows. The day of the shooting, a teenager saw 2 men get into seperate cars, parked next door to Walker's house, and drive away. If Oswald did take a shot at Walker, then what of the other man? This is what I mean when I say the Warren Report proves Oswald COULD HAVE killed Kennedy. Many leads like this are not followed up.

This book should be the starting point of any serious reader who wants to know what happened to JFK. Read it and take a grain of salt. Then read one of the conspiracy books that dismisses the Warren Report out of hand. Then take another grain of salt.
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