Assassinations Books

Worth the buy and read. Significantly better and richer than the movie. There's good reason for the solidly high ratings given to this book.

I was delighted by the reading of such a good novel packed with a lot of suspense and actions.
Bob Lee Swagger (also called Bob the Nailer) was a top sniper in the Vietnam war. Stephen Hunter inspired by the biography of Carlos Hathcock depicts a brave man, alone, who looks like Rambo (from "First Blood" by David Morrell). In every book of the saga, we learn to respect Bob Lee Swagger. "Point of Impact" was made into a very good film titled "Shooter". Here the hero comes from Iraq and not Vietnam.
Have a nice time.

Shooter Movie Versus Point of Impact Book:
The Bob Lee Swagger story lines in the book and the movie are different in character building, action, and political satire. Very understandable, screen productions can rarely replicate a book.

Although I hesitate to "spill the beans" on the movie or the book, but the movie is so entertaining that I watch it over and over and the Point of Impact book is one of the few books worth reading over and over again (sorry Clancy, Koontz, Coontz, and Ludman).

Shooter Movie:
The movie from director Antoine Fuqua takes the world after 9/11 (El Salvador is not of much interest, but oil is) and he pumps oceans of well oiled political satire, which is at its very best: "there are only have and have-nots (Iraq ref)", "I didn't much like the President before him", "I still have the shovel (JFK ref)," "its just human weakness, and you can't kill that with a gun," "Exactly!...Bang!"

Although the Shooter movie character building could have used another half-hour or more, the character-action building of the movie (if there is such a thing) was superb. Anyway, more time on character building would have put the brakes on the movie. It was one lightning action sequence after another that not even a Die Hard or a Tom Clancy movie could match or even top (and I loved the Hunt for Red October, the Sum of All Fears, Bourne Trilogy, and so on).

The movie plot deviations from the book were very well thought out and made the movie rip and roar through one satisfying scene after another. The long distance shot at the Presidential podium was superior to the book and did a very credible job of integrating Nick Memphis's role and his timely flow throughout the movie.

Antoine Fuqua exploits what I define as the Al Qaeda mind-set (AQMS), which is the same brain dysfunction that people everywhere are wired into, but just use different means that cause different results: the church killing Islamic people and women centuries ago, and raping boys in this century, web video murders/suicide bombers of today's Islamic Terrorists, the previous decades of killing by the KKK, Hitler's killing of more than 6 million Jews...the never ending human carnage, no matter what millennium, from the beginning of testosterone beings or until the end of testosterone beings...I doubt that Homo Sapiens will ever change.

AQMS applies to political character assassinations in DC, where multi-millions (billions this year) are spent by political candidates attempting to destroy the reputation of all other candidates, Congressmen writing bad checks not so long ago, paying for sex, and sucking soft money at the expense of all American citizens.

AQMS applies to Enron and many others, to Mortgage banks and their infamous ARMS (the Fed is now rewarding them at our expense, with proper spin), and the Medical establishment in the movie "Sicko" by Michael Moore. It is one-sided negative-news from the media, harping on one murder after another. It is the negative consumption syndrome of the general common-denominator population that tunes in for all the sick TV shows (most of them), puts up with depraved commercials (especially those commercials that depict greed, drugs, new car decadence, and people being hurt)...almost nothing positive in the news, ever. Most AQMS folks probably never heard of and never tuned to the commercial-free Arts channel (there is some hope for Homo Sapiens even though we may yet kill the planet Earth).

Even if everyone on the Earth knew about the overwhelming genetic evidence (The Journey of Man, by Spencer Wells) that makes every person on the Earth (without exception) a child of the Bushmen of Africa, the world today would probably be the same and nothing would change. Denial is incurable, unbeatable, and an unstoppable plague on our planet.

Denial is about "No input, Stephanie...Number 5 is alive" and making it all up as he/she goes, "Short Circuit" or not: from ridiculous royalty delusions of Kings/Queens, back to Hitler's despicable Arian race, to Religions that murder people, and on and on.

Denial at the individual level is just smoke and mirrors, devoid of reality, and founded upon "What's in it for me," but more precisely "It's mine all mine!" Denial is the mother of all that is wrong with the human race.

Compared to the book, I found Antoine Fuqua's version more satisfying. Swagger being pulled down the river by a barge was a lot more believable than the book's Swagger holding onto a log for 18 hours, with two bullet wounds. It is a more believable for the sniper action on the Glacier and in its ending when Bob Lee Swagger (not his lawyer) demonstrated why the gun would not shoot. The icing on the cake was when Swagger fired his last shot into the most corrupt and well deserving Senator's head. What followed was even more explosive.

Point of Impact Book:

Stephen Hunter illuminates the world before 9/11 (El Salvador was of interest, it just after the first Gulf war) where he guns genocide and greed into political satire, which is very good but not as satisfying as the movie's one-liners which underscore greed, corruption, and other negative attributes of us Homo spaiens (means wise men, yeah, right)!

There is not much I can say about the book that can top several hundred other reviewers. However, I wished that the book had been twice as long. It was a terrific read. Hunter "the psychology nailer" knows political infighting of Government agencies.

Hunter's character building of Bob Lee Swagger was superb, starting with cutting off Tim's antlers the day before deer season to letting Dr. Dobbler cop out at the end.

For me, the book was a physiological thriller that was absolutely on target. Stephen Hunter's grasp on how the mind works was well orchestrated by the evil psychiatrist, Dr. Dobbler. Hunter's technical prose on weapons was no less impressive than Clancy at his best (I read most of Clancy's books). Hunter's prose matched the five senses Dean Koontz can conjure up, including the sixth sense (I read most of Koontz's books).

However, the book's version about Swagger's woman being an actual nurse and not a third grade teacher (where is a teacher going to get antibiotics or surgical skills for deep wounds?) made significantly more sense. The movie left out the need for antibiotics, the book was right on target for gangrene candidate wounds.

The book's version about Swagger's hilltop battle was good, but not as totally satisfying as the Movie's shootout with 24 child killers that got their just dues from Swagger and Nick. The book did not have a nasty nemesis inside the VA cabin commit suicide, a child and woman killer that deserved to die. This shooter's suicide stayed within his evil character, denying Swagger the satisfaction of killing him. And even rubbing it in with "They've got your woman...Bang!"

The movie changed Colonel Shreck's name to Colonel Isaac Johnson. The title of the movie "Shrek" kept popping up in my mind every time I read the Colonel's name in the book. I was glad that the movie changed it to Johnson.

Unlike the movie (probably no sequel is planned), the Bob Lee Swagger books are a trilogy. Thank you, Stephen Hunter, I've got two more Swagger books to savor, "Time to Hunt" and "Black Light!" And after I'm done with these, there are books about Bob Lee Swaggar's father, plus other great books by Stephen Hunter.

Arguably the best book I've read in 2007. The movie follows the main story line, although a decade or two behind. The movie was great, the book was better. It was full of action/suspense from cover to cover. I was impressed with Hunter's writing and will definitely get the second book.

POINT OF IMPACT is the first novel I've read by Stephen Hunter, the Pulitzer-prize winning film critic for THE WASHINGTON POST. It's a very solid read, esepcially if you're a gun officiado.

This novel in many ways reminds me of the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child. Bob Lee Swagger, the hero of this novel, is a veteran of the Vietnam War who is also the ultimate loner and tough guy. Swagger finds himself framed for a murder he doesn't commit, and is forced to go on the lam. The rest of the book deals with his efforts to prove his innocence, and take vengenance on the powerful people who set him up.

Hunter is a good writer, and he knows how to write an excellent action scene. Some of the gun fights in POINT OF IMPACT are really impressive. Like most action novels, the plot is unbelievable and much of the characterization is two-dimensional. Hunter also throws in far too much technical information about guns and ballistics -- I personally found all this data rather dry and unncessary to the storyline. Still, after a slow start, this novel becomes quite exciting to read, and Hunter knows how to tell a compelling story with heroes you can root for.

Overall, POINT OF IMPACT is a really good action novel, and I look forward to reading more of Hunter's work.

On the morning of July 2, 1881, Garfield was preparing for a trip to New England. While waiting for his train in Washington's Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station, the president was felled and gravely wounded by the shots of an assassin. Garfield was carried to the presidential mansion, the White House. For weeks he was nursed there. Later he was moved to Elberon, New Jersey, to be with his family. Garfield never left his sickbed, and on September 19, 11 weeks after the shooting, he died.

Garfield's assassin was Charles J. Guiteau, a religious fanatic and a Stalwart, who was apparently angered because he had been refused a government job. He stated that he shot Garfield in order "to unite the Republican Party and save the Republic." Guiteau readily gave himself up after the shooting, certain that the people would understand the high-mindedness of his purpose. He was found guilty of murder, however, and was executed in 1882.

Vice President Chester A. Arthur succeeded Garfield as president. A member of the Stalwart faction, he had sided with Conkling in the dispute over Garfield's appointments. He gradually replaced all of Garfield's Cabinet with Stalwarts, but picked them for ability rather than loyalty to Conkling. The shocking nature of Garfield's death fueled a movement in Congress for civil service reform, which had been started but stalled under the Hayes administration. As a result Congress passed the Pendleton Act, which President Arthur signed into law in 1883. It established the Civil Service Commission to ensure that federal jobs would be awarded according to qualifications rather than connections

Several hundred pages of text on Garfield and the politics of his day may seem a stretch, given the gray, hyper-partisan, issueless politics of the Gilded Age. But in Ackerman's hands, the story of Garfield's presidency and murder comes brilliantly alive. Ackerman (an attorney who has worked on Capitol Hill and in the White House and written about Gilded Age scandals) relates with gusto and fizz the story of Garfield's unanticipated nomination as Republican presidential candidate in 1880, his election by a whisker, the travails of his few months in office, and his assassination. It's a story mostly of the struggle for spoils and patronage between two wings of the post-Civil War party of Lincoln. In fact, the lonely, unstable assassin, Charles Guiteau, was a resentful partisan of the wing that Garfield didn't fully reward. Soon after the president's death, and largely as a result, Congress enacted civil service reform. Ackerman brings to life all this and the colorful political figures, mostly senators, who strode the nation's public stage. The trouble is that, like so many works of history these days, it's long on narrative and short, very short, on analysis. You wouldn't know that the political deadlocks of the 1880s deeply, and disastrously, affected the lives of freed slaves, nor do readers learn of agricultural and labor crises, industrial growth or financial shenanigans-the very matters that factional fighting and political murder kept under the rug. It's a pity that Ackerman doesn't apply his skills to such central matters of context and significance.

Can't praise Ackerman enough for a detailed study of late 19th century political machinations - if you've ever wondered how local politicos could control the nation's power base, this superb effort makes it perfectly clear and understandable. How few people truly understand the power of a relatively unknown figure such as Roscoe Conkling (even if you already knew of Boss Tweed's legacy.....and yet Ackerman's magnificent research and analysis opens this character for the reader's astonishment. Outstanding reportage of the dealings involved in the 1880 Republican convention power-brokering, the desperate struggle between the Stalwarts of Conkling and Arthur versus the Half-Breeds of James Blaine and Garfield, the defining battle for the NY Customs House appointment. Garfield's early bio and in fact his assassination history are not the focus of this book, but who cares? The incisive political intrigue of a mere 8 or 9 months of our presidential history makes for both a terrific read and a wonderful expose of a truly watershed milestone in the evolution of the American governmental system. My highest recommendation for anyone who thinks he knows the Gilded Age, but wants an eye-opener with the readability of an indulgent summer novel.

I enjoyed this book so much, I sent this letter to the author:
"Dear Mr. Ackerman, I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed your fantastic book, Dark Horse: The Surprise Election and Political Murder of President James A. Garfield. I feel it is worthy of a Pulitzer Prize for History. I found your writing style to be engrossing as, even though I knew much of the history you recounted, I read each page of the book most eagerly. I had just finished Roy Morris' Fraud of the Century and, as much as I enjoyed it, I found your book to be a more compelling tale. Your character development is superb and I love how you tied the thread of the Conkling/Blaine feud of 1866 to events throughout the book. The final weaving together of the tale in Chapter 15 is a beautiful closure to a moving story that, as you accurately captured, impacted and captivated large numbers of Americans. Your research and documentation were extremely thorough and quite logically incorporated into the chronological flow of events. Your footnotes are pure joy for a politics and history buff (like me). I didn't really feel I had finished the book until I read the endnotes, as they added to my deeper understanding and appreciation of the events. Having lived through the Kennedy assassination, the comparisons with Garfield's demise are most intriguing and the distinctions also profound. Both were younger presidents who had won narrow victories to gain the White House. Both were succeeded by vice presidents who were clearly 'ticket balancers.' But Kennedy's assassination has forever been plagued with conspiracy theories, while Garfield's had no doubt as to the assassin. Alas, to pursue this line of thought would invite rambling on my part, but these ideas do cross my mind. I think your book would make a great movie, except for the sad reality that Hollywood would inevitably destroy a great story. Also, most likely, it isn't the kind of story that would capture much interest among our populace, at least in my judgment (keeping in mind the kinds of movies that seem to proliferate theater complexes these days). If only I were wrong about this! Your recapitulations of future developments of each of the prime players in the book (Chapter 15) are tailor made for the closing of a great film. I found particularly touching the telling of Mollie Garfield having married Joe Stanley Brown. Some minor observations, suggestions, and thoughts I have are as follows: - A table of the results of the 1880 Presidential Election and a national map of the results (as I have attached) might have been a good addition to the book. I did thoroughly enjoy your tables of the key convention ballots. (Obviously, my bias as a mathematician and cartographer is showing.) - I am working on a book (well, it is really more of a tutorial) of the History of Partisan Representation in the United States Congress. As you are well aware, the story of the evenly divided 47th Senate, in and of itself, is a fascinating one and your accounting of the battle for control of the Senate is most illuminating. Your description of the tie-breaking (precedent setting) votes of Chester Arthur is great drama. -- In this vein, while you point out that one of Arthur's first actions as President was to call the Senate into special session to choose a President Pro Tempore, you never related who they selected for this position. My research indicates that Thomas F. Bayard (D-DE) served from October 10 to 13, 1881, David Davis (Independent-IL) from October 13, 1881 to March 3, 1883, and George F. Edmunds (R-VT) from March 3 to December 2, 1883. Perhaps with the Senate evenly split, this particular tale was too complex and off the focus of your storyline to include. - Not to nit-pick, but in case your book is ever reprinted, some minor points: -- on page 205, last line of paragraph two, the spelling of 'ungentlemanly' missed the editors gaze, -- on page 234, end of line 15 should probably read 'In fact' instead of 'If fact.' -- the last endnote 'I am a poor hater' should be attributed to page 453. - If space had provided for it, including the White House family portrait on the cover of the book would have been wonderful. Just viewing this photo (in the context of the murder of Garfield and all you shared about his wife and children) truly conveys the personal tragedy that occurred, separate from the great loss to our country. - Indeed, as you note, we do need a solid, contemporary biography of James G. Blaine. Equally, I would welcome one of Chester A. Arthur. While a product of machine politics, as you described him, he showed character, spirit, decency, and integrity that made him attractive. I would enjoy reading more about him. Again, please accept my thanks for your superb work and for sharing this wonderful tale. Sincerely, R. Bruce Telfeyan"
--By the way, he did write me back a substantial note of thanks. As did other reviewers, I subsequently visited the Garfield NHS in Mentor, OH, and his burial site (really a beautiful shrine) in the eastern part or Cleveland, OH.

It has often been remarked that the only thing new under the sun is the history one has not read yet and this book is proof of that old adage. Kenneth Ackerman has provided the novice reader with a primer on the dynamics of Gilded Age national politics.

It is highly unlikely, with the exception of Grant, that any of the participants in this book will ever be the subject of an uncritical adoring biography. Garfield and Arthur do come off as ultimately honorable men, but the real protagonists of the book are James G. Blaine and Roscoe Conkling, two titans behaving badly. Ackerman places the nomination of Garfield in the context of battle between these two national figures who played an important role in politics in the years following Reconstruction.

While the behavior of some of the founding fathers is often so honorable as to defy imagination, this manner of operating does not have appeared to have occurred to Conkling and Blaine. Both are bare-knuckled operators who are frequently petulant as children arguing over a soccer ball. No marble men on Mt Rushmore were the politicians of the Gilded Age.

In a way, because Conkling and Blaine are such scoundrels, the book is rather fascinating, almost like a sequel to "Democracy" by Henry Adams (Conkling is supposedly the inspiration for one of the characters). However in this version, circumstances elevate both Blaine and Conkling to the status of Greek Tragedy.

The book opens with the origins of their feud which began on floor of the US House of Representatives. Because the wise old men of congress decided not to intervene, the two men grew to hate with a fervor that lasted until death. The hatred between the two men reached its crescendo at the Republican National Convention of 1880. Blaine was making his first serious run for the presidency and Conkling was sponsoring the third run of General Grant who represented a return to government free of the meddling of reformers.

A deadlocked convention lead to the selection of Garfield who was present to back his own candidate, Secretary of the Treasury, John Sherman. Of all the candidates Garfield seemed the most reasonable choice since he had yet to have made any serious enemies. This would change once Garfield was elected president. The selection of Conkling's crony, Chester Arthur sealed the deal. It appeared that Conkling's Stalwarts and Blaine's reform minded "Half Breeds" had unified around a single candidate.

Garfield was sworn in as president in March 1881 and died less than six months later. The focus of his brief presidency was an argument over the appointment of a Conkling foe to the plum position of plum positions, collector of the New York customs house. This obscure position today was the most lucrative in the Gilded Age. For the senior senator of New York, this was an impossible blow to Conkling's honor. He resigned his seat in a fit of pique and never was significant in politics again.

This argument at the center of US political life so unnerved a Stalwart supporter, Charles J. Guiteau, that he shot Garfield in order to ensure that Chester Arthur would be president. Ackerman's ability to move between the world of the White House, Congress, political smoke filled rooms, and the shabby world of Guiteau is a credit to his skills as a writer and an historian.

Along with bringing back this lost world of Gilded Age politics, Ackerman's story serves to illustrate that while civil service reform (or "snivel service reform" as Conkling dismissed it as) and other changes have taken place, the dynamics that sustained US politics then, with its larger than life personalities seeking advantage over rivals continues on now much as it did then.

This is a fascinating look at a little known president in American history. It covers the convention that nominated Garfield where he was not even a contender. Garfield was a representative for General Sherman who was against General Grant and James Blaine. This convention was one of the most interesting in our history and shows how the freedom of delegates can result in a compromise that gives a candidate acceptable to many. While none would wholeheartedly jump behind Garfield he was able to take a nomination. The New York crowd who backed Grant was particularly bitter. Roscoe Conkling who is made out to be the great villain in this story provides an interesting foil. Chester Arthur is shown to be a man even more unlikely than Garfield for the presidency and it is telling that after his term is up he is hardly even considered for another. The election process also proves to be interesting showing a time before TV and radio when stump speeches reigned supreme. Garfield's assassin turns out to be one of his campaigners who want a political appointment. He feels that by killing Garfield he will be rewarded with a patronage position. Garfield's election seems to bring about a divide in the country that is already distrustful after the election of Rutherford B. Hays. Ironically it is the death of Garfield and the unlikely ascension of Arthur that will heal the nation. This dark horse unified the country in his death and paved the way for civil service reform. For those who have an interest in the Gilded Age this is a must read. For those who are fascinated by political history they will find this a riveting tale that cannot be put down.

This is one great book to read. It is a must read for anyone who is interested in the TRUTH. As a private investigator, I do not subscribe to theories or schools of thought merely because they are in print. I am a true investigator by profession, and any of the information of facts that are presented in this book can be researched by anybody and verified. The only reason why more people have not heard of this book or read it is probably because they don't want to believe it or are too scared by what they might find out. I also think more people haven't read it because our so-called responsible journalists have not been as responsible as they claim to be in covering it.

This book presented information about our government that I already knew from studying politics in college (I have a bachelor's degree in Political Science). It presents information that I have been telling my friends about since I was in college. This information can easily be verified by simple searches on the internet.

I recommend this book to anybody who is really interested in the truth.

As a friend of Wim Dankbaar i know how precise he is in his research.
If he can not prove it for 100% he is not accepting it as evidence.
A example?. There is a blurry picture of a two color Chevrolet like the
Maroon with white 1963 Impala SS that James Files was driving in front of the Dal-Tex building after the killing on 22 November 1963.Wim then says: if you look at the shadows it must be after one o clock so it cannot be James his car because they where already gone.
Wim spend 20 years and more than a million dollars of his own money to
find the truth and i believe a 100% he found it.
Tony Roozeboom Californie /the Netherlands

To those skeptics who claim we'll never know the truth in our lifetime, ask yourself this question: Would I recognize the truth if I saw it? Wim Dankbaar's elegant research proves the old adage: Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Thanks, Wim!!

The book gives a fascinating insight into the murder of JFK. The subject, James Files seems to be very credible. The author of this book has also produced a just released video documentary titled "The Grassy Knoll". It is the MOST informative video piece I have ever seen regarding the assassination and the people involved. It's truly amazing.

What gives this book weight is it's thoroughness, and how well it is documented. The author actually interviewed James Files and videotaped it, one of only 2 video interviews Files has given. Seeing the video was an eye-opener, and the clincher for me as to whether or not his story is real. In my mind, it is. But this book tells the story of not just the operatives on 11-22-1963, but the background of what and who motivated it. There are pieces of the puzzle in this book that are not found elsewhere. This may be the most complete and convincing documentation that the assassination was a conspiracy. The book points out that the cover-up continuing to this day is evidence that the government still acts in shady ways. That is why this story is still relevant.

An incredible journey.Absolutely Brilliant writing! A book that should be in everyone's home. The millions of children innoculated with the polio vaccine,that were contaminated with monkey virus'. This led to a possible
development of soft tissus in later life,(and possibly AIDS). Even worse after the discovery,was the cover-up by the Government.You can NOT put this book down.The documentation and footnotes,are flawless. The new Orleans Connection,Lee Harvey Oswald,Jim Garrison,the death of President Kennedy,and the homicide of Dr. Mary Sherman,The links to the finest researchers brought to New Orleans to try to keep the secret while trying to find an answer. One of the best and most riveting books I have EVER read!

I was amazed when I read Dr Mary's Monkeys. This is honest research and shows just how corrupt scientists and governments can be. It also explained the connection to why JFK was murdered.

This book will definitely make you reconsider the murder of JFK, along with the cancer so many of us fight each day. It's scary to imagine what the government can do.

As a native New Orleanian, I was 20 years old when Dr. Sherman was murdered and remember parts of the strange story of her murder in her St. Charles Ave apartment. Having actually met a couple of the players in the book, back in the early and mid-60's, remembering the stories of the Primate Center over the years and various related vague controversies, I find Haslam's story very compelling, well researched and totally believable - it sure tied up a lot of loose ends for me about many questions I've had since 1962. It also helps explain why so many people of my generation (who took the polio vaccine in question) seem so susceptible to the current cancer epidemic, at least here in New Orleans. Call me cynical, but to me, there is nothing far-fetched in this book at all and Haslam clarifies a lot of issues/mysteries that have been successfully suppressed for 40+ years.

This book was somewhat "under the radar' here and was a word-of-mouth type of thing that locals started to talk about, passing around their copies of the book (which I could initially only find on Amazon); however, I noticed it on display at a Border's store this week (at $19.99). I've referred the book to everyone I know and I am ordering another 4 copies today from Amazon for friends - I think it is a must-read - even if you don't believe part of it, it is a book that is hard to put down and frightening on many levels.

Excellent writing style, easy to read. I love that throughout the book, the author second guesses himself which leads him into other paths of investigation. Very sad topic. Makes one question the level of evil reigns over the masses. Real life murder mystery. Fact finding and proof is well established. Fascinating!

I saw James Swanson giving a speech about his other book "Manhunt" and found him fascinating to listen to. he knew facts that I had never heard before and could describe them with such detail I felt like I was watching it happen. I read "Manhunt" and was thrilled to have the details of those twelve days come to life. When I saw this book I snatched it up as quickly as I could. It is the perfect book for both the avid reader and for those who like to look at artifacts and photographs of the era. This is by far my new favorite Civil War book (and I have many). James and Daniel did an excellent job of laying out the story then showing artifacts and pictures from the event. I've looked at this book for hours and am only through the second chapter! Not that it's hard to get through, just fun to look at and read.

This text dovetails nicely with Swanson's recent effort "Manhunt", but more from an artifact perspective than a written one. Many of the pictures are one-of-a-kind, especially Alexander Gardner's entire collection from the courtyard at the D.C. prison where the conspirators were hung. Again, this is not a complete text (nor does it aspire to be), but a great addition to any historical collection regarding the Lincoln assasination.

James Swanson has done a super job at presenting Lincoln's assassins thru the the use of pictures of the individuals as well as documents of the time. An excellent source for teachers dealing with the capture, trial, and execution of those associated with Lincoln's assassination.

This is more of a picture book than a text-laden history book, but it's the appeal of the many photos, pictures, illustrations, and even cartoons that make this book a fascinating one to read. The book includes photos of all the conspirators, in life as well as death, along with other interesting details such as a letter Booth wrote as a teenager. Today few remember that John Wilkes Booth was the teenage heart-throb of his day, making it all the more shocking when he was involved in the assassination.

The details of the trial sound like something from some fantastic kangaroo court, not the U.S. For example, the defense had no time to marshall their case, interview or call witnesses, or even to meet much with their clients. The jury was composed of generals and military men, not civilians, and their decision would be final, with no right of appeal.There were indeed judges in the courtroom, but they were watching from the audience.

The public and the press constantly talked about their favorite conspirators, of which the young, handsome and dashing looking Lewis Powell was the favorite, who attempted to kill secretary of state William Seward with a Bowie knife on the night of the assassination, rather than the president, but was foiled. Even the decision of who to prosecute left many questions unanswered, as several suspects with far more incriminating evidence weren't even brought to trial, whereas others with less evidence were tried and executed. The authors suggest that this might have had more to do with who actually plotted the murder vs. who was involved with post-assassination attempts to shelter Booth.

However, it's the stunning visual presentation here rather than the now well known history that is the star here. This book will be enjoyed by any history or Americana buffs or anyone interested in a well done presentation of a unique event in our history.

Excellent addition to any Civil War library. Text has nothing really new but reads very easily. The "gold mine" in this book are all the photos, some of which are new to me.
Quick read and terrific service from the vendor.

President Ford has not been the most prolific writer as far as Ex-Presidents go. This unique insight into one of the most important events in the last 50 years is an American treasure. Ford has forever been reluctant to discuss this topic, and used this unique forum to give what will likely be his "final" views on the topic. A must read for those interested in history. If you are a book collector you will be extremely impressed with the quality of this volume. The quality and workmanship should redefine what we come to expect in a leatherbound book.

First off, I am of an "age" where this Kennedy controversy was nothing but something folk argued about over the years. I was an infant when the assassination took place, so I have no emotional involvement in either side of the story. That having been said, let me say about this book:

From the "outside", this volume "oozes" quality, elegance and opulence.

On the inside, the "old" story of the Warren Commission, which I admittedly never really believed, is told again with additions that augment the original report. I have seen other documentaries, and one or two I saw "proved" to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that these folk from the 1960s knew what they were talking about.

To have such an elegant edition of a book, signed by the only surviving member of the Warren Commission, is a must-have for any collector, whether you "believe" what it says or not.

A wonderful book full of new thoughts on the assasination of JFK and even hand-signed by President Gerald Ford. A beautiful piece of art that has a living soul that you can not find in a book any more. This book is worth every penny that is spent and will only go up in value from here. I am glad I have been lucky enough to have come across this book before the big bang happens and prices skyrocket. I recommend this book for any collector. A truly great piece of American history!!!

It's often true that form is indeed content. This handsome leather volume is uniquely produced and the fact that it is signed by President Ford further enhances its desirability. This important publishing event is a credit to The Flatsigned Press. The new foreword by President Gerald Ford offers new material published here for the very first time. Wonderful. We're happy to have it in our collection.

This volume is nicely put together, beautiful leather, tight binding. Signed by President Ford! Brings back all those memories of Nov. 1963. Very worthwhile investment! Should last a long time and be handed down. Well done!

Manchester's book is so well-written and well-researched that the reader is carried back in time to that fateful weekend. The details which come forth are not to be found in many of today's books about JFK, which seem to be concerned with either scandal or with solving the question of conspiracy. This book is especially interesting because it was written within a few years of the assassination. RFK was still alive when the book was published. I believe the closeness of the book to the events in question have helped Manchester stay close to the events and away from speculation. Highly recommended.

However, given the large number of positive reviews here, most of which I agree with, it's worth noting that this book was published around the time there was considerable dissatisfaction and questions being raised about the findings of the Warren Commission and that Manchester I feel, truly gives short shrift to Lyndon Johnson and the transition that took place. To suggest that this was an easy time for Johnson or that there was some desire on the part of the Vice-President to usurp power without regard to the feelings of the Kennedy family or Bobby Kennedy in particular is utter nonsense. Upon reading this material I suggest people also give Max Holland's 'The Kennedy Assassination Tapes' a read as well. Holland's compilation of the taped discussions between Johnson and others in the days and years after Nov. 22 tell a very different story than what Manchester would have us believe.

If you look at the map of the Flight Path of Air Force One from
Love Field to Andrews AFB in the appendix of the book, one of the towns underneath: Hope, Arkansas (Willliam Jefferson Clinton's birthplace). Hope is also mentioned in the book as a representatation of small town America. Now that's freaky. Future editions of the book should footnote.

As the leading civilian authority on the Secret Service, I modestly recommend this classic and controversial book for the many Secret Service/ primary witness interviews Manchester conducted between 1964-1965 (he spoke to 20+agents; I spoke to 70+). That said, several agents I spoke to, three of whom also spoke to Manchester, including Rufus Youngblood, Sam Kinney, and Jerry Behn, among others, denounced this book. Most importantly, ASAIC FLOYD BORING IS QUOTED IN THE BOOK BUT WAS NOT INTERVIEWED FOR IT (AS VERIFIED BY BORING TO MYSELF) AND HE VEHEMENTLY DENIES THE VERACITY OF THE INFO. ATTRIBUTED TO HIM!!

Vince Palamara-JFK/ Secret Service expert (History Channel, author of two books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.)
Pittsburgh, PA

On my seventh birthday, November 22, 1963, I returned home from school and was told that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated earlier in the day in Dallas, Texas. Even for a seven-year-old schoolboy the gravity of event was striking.

For the next forty years, because of my own curiosity and because the event was continually thrust upon me by the media, I studied the sad event from every possible angle. I considered the views of those propounding the prospect of the lone shooter, the single bullet. I listened to the views of those sure that a conspiracy of monumental proportions had taken the President. In short, I have heard every possible explanation and still the evidence--in my view--leads backs to the beginning.

In "The Death of a President," William Manchester, one of the greatest authors of our time and one renowned for his concise, almost obsessive, research was called upon by Jacqueline Kennedy to attempt to set the record straight. The work was published in 1967, four years after the assassination. His research was characteristically pointed, considering every detail, every venue, every person involved. The result: the only book needed to understand the "crime of the century."

In 1988 the book was reprinted and Manchester wrote a new forward to his masterpiece. He mentions how individuals came to him wondering whether he would update and modify his original work due to "new developments" in chronicling the story. He observed at the time that, in his view, "the cruel fact" was that there were no new developments.

Having studied, as I said, the event in considerable detail, I echo Manchester's profound sentiment. There simply is nothing that holds up under severe scrutiny.

Conspiracy theorists claim that it is just impossible that someone like Oswald, a crazy loner, could kill someone like Kennedy as the result of the shallowest of motives. They want to believe that something weightier, darker and more sinister than simple hatred and ego had to be at the root of things. Why?

I would ask them to step back just a few years to when Reagan was President. Consider a lone gunman, John Hinckley, who squeezes off at least three shots before being subdued, wounding Reagan, Brady and a secret service agent in the process. His motive? He wanted to get the attention of a girl, of the actress, Jodie Foster. The shallowest of motives, nothing more. So why is it that we can accept Hinckley's dementia without crying conspiracy but have such difficulty when it comes to Oswald? Quite simply Reagan survived. I believe that, had Reagan died, the nation would have erupted into the same conspiracy craze that has gripped our minds since 1963.

"The Death of a President," so well researched, so well written, is and should be the first and last word. It's been nearly forty years since Manchester completed his study and, despite all of the other books, all of the other theories, this is really the only work that any serious student of that sad day in Dallas need consider.

Douglas McAllister

The foundation of this book is rooted in the belief that a conspiracy was behind the assassination of JFK and that the conspiracy was linked directly to Kennedy's alleged intentions of appeasement especially on international matters regarding Vietnam, Cuba and the Soviet Union. So nothing new there. Of course there were many powerful individuals and organizations who stood to benefit from harder stance on the perceived communist threat of the time, but is there evidence to suggest that Kennedy was removed from office by a conspiracy that originated in the highest level of office. James Douglass thinks so - and why wouldn't he? He places JFK on a pedestal, lures the reader into share his sentimentality on "what might have been" and in doing so cleverly dupes the reader into believing that such a great man could surely not have been killed by some deranged 24 year old nut case called Lee Harvey Oswald.

Douglass bases much of his pro conspiracy belief on selected pieces of evidence that seem to support his view that Kennedy was shot from the Grassy Knoll and that a team of conspirators were present in Dealey Plaza that day to ensure the assassins escaped and that Oswald was set up as the Patsy. Sound familiar? It does to me. It's been presented as the central thesis in countless dozens of books. Of course Douglass is unable to name the assassins, presenting the usual suspects as behind the plot, the CIA, Military Intelligence and Lyndon Johnson and of course the good doctors who performed the autopsy that evening in Bethesda. Let us not even think about the fact that the autopsy took place at Bethesda Navel Hospital because Jacqueline Kennedy requested it. Other doctors were preparing for the autopsy at the Walter Reed Army Hospital and no doubt a number of personnel were on standby in various medical institutions should there expertise be required. That is a large number of people. Let us think about that for a moment. And let's not even consider the silliness around a plot that involved shooting JFK from the front but setting some one up having them "shooting" from the rear. Think that one through!

Douglass presents a number of persuasive "facts" about the events of the assassination that will inevitably lead the reader to conclude he is right - unless they have of course read and considered the alternatives. Let us take the case of July Anne Mercer who saw a pick up truck parked on the curb of Elm Street near the Grassy Knoll at 1100 on the morning of the assassination. Mercer recalled that one of them had a package containing a gun or that looked like a gun. No let us consider this - can we honestly believe that a team of assassins would be parked up on the street 90 minutes before the motorcade was due to pass and in full view of the public? That is ridiculous, but it's also largely immaterial because it has been established beyond a reasonable doubt that the truck was owned by a local maintenance company and that they were undertaking work on behalf of the civic authorities. Douglass has all sorts of fake Secret Service agents on the knoll and cites the testimony of bystanders Gordon Arnold and Ed Hoffman both of whom saw "gunmen" on or near the knoll - incidentally both men saw different "assassins". He ignores the testimony of the three workers on the 5th floor of the TSBD directly under the south eastern window who heard THREE distinct shots and some 95% of witnesses who heard three shots. He ignores Amos Euins testimony that he saw a rifle protruding from the 6th floor window and that he saw the rifle fired. He ignores the many dozens of people - several in the motorcade - who were certain that the shots came from the TSBD. But of course most of all he largely ignores the medical and ballistics evidence that proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Kennedy and Connally were hit by shots fired from above and behind. He chooses instead to believe that evidence was falsified.

One extremely irritating piece of irresponsible journalism centres on the alleged figure of Oswald in the doorway of the TSBD in the Altgens photograph taken just moments after the shot that hit Kennedy in the neck. The man in the picture was TSBD employee Billy Lovelady - who looked like Lee Harvey Oswald. Lovelady subsequently produced the shirt he wore on that day and identified himself as the man in the photograph. Few in the pro conspiracy lobby would agree with the contention that the man was Oswald. Douglass does however. The author also has Oswald escaping from the TSBD building by car minutes after the assassination with one or two other men in the car. Clearly an organized "get away". Yet we know beyond a doubt that Oswald took a bus and a taxi en route to his rooming house on North Beckley. Yes Douglass ignores this. Oswald then appears some 45 minutes later on foot walking through the Oak Cliffe area where he lived. Is this likely given the "fact" that he had just been spirited away ? I don't think so.

Douglass also cites as evidence of conspiracy the employment of Lee Harvey Oswald at the TSBD just over one month prior to the assassination. He neglects to mention that Oswald was bitterly disappointed not to get another job across town and that Roy Truly the warehouse manager had Oswald lined up for another job at another location no where near the motorcade route. But its so easy isn't it to ignore all those counter arguments because they are rather more compelling and in fact rather undermine the foundation of the book. Frankly as the educated reader will know, it's all been done before by the likes of Summers, Hurt, Lifton et al. But its been comprehensively addressed and debunked effectively. If there was a shot from the Grassy Knoll, it missed and the shooter escaped into thin air. If Oswald had any co conspirators no shred of evidence of them exists.

Douglass fails comprehensively in his task to convince that the assassination was a plot originating at the highest level. This is sadly another poorly presented thesis on this bottomless pit of a subject and judging by the other reviews here the author has already duped the majority into believing it.
Perhaps just about worth reading if your interest lies more in Kennedy than his assassination, but if you are looking for a balanced "common sense" approach to the pro conspiracy front avoid this work.

have you wondered who and what, in the united states, the "powers that be" are? that "shadow government" that might pull the levers and throw the switches, determine who among our leaders will survive and who will perish, set the nation's agenda?

have you questioned the conventional wisdoms about the assassinations of the two kennedy's, martin and malcolm?

have you pondered eisenhower's parting words warning us about the growing influence of the military-industrial complex?

and have you considered the ties between the israel lobby and that complex?

i highly recommend jim douglass's book, jfk and the unspeakable, why he died and why it matters. and strongly suggest you put aside (for now) the usual dismissive thought: ah, another conspiracy theory.

In the many , many years I have spent reading about what happaned to JFK in Dallas and why, this book is the ultimate. Mr. Douglas puts the facts into historical and spiritual context in a way to fit almost all of the puzzle pieces together as never done before. The parallel to what's happening today in terms of electing someone who will lead as JFK did is impressive and frightening.

How `bout this scenario ...

The good `ol Texas Oil Boys (increasingly invested in defense industries) want to control, possibly by eliminating, JFK so as to expand & preserve the nation's War Economy, about which JFK seems to have had second thoughts, with an eye on de-emphasis.

So they hire the C.I.A. to deal with the issue; especially in the case of the need to off Kennedy, whom else would YOU hire to kill the U.S. president on American soil?

The C.I.A. (as in "Corporate Interests of America") tries first to muscle their way past Kennedy in a showdown over Vietnam in the months just prior to 11/22/63, a "last chance" of sorts for the President.

But then, the decision to kill him becomes necessary & final and the C.I.A. does the dirty deed, providing a covert operation complete with designated patsy at no extra charge and backed by a fine "cover thy butt" propaganda & hit squad apparatus.

Madeline Brown has publicly stated that LBJ emphatically informed her that the assassination was the work of "the Texas oil boys and the C.I.A," a connection well represented and aptly symbolized in the form of Texan and C.I.A. bigwig David Atlee Phillips.

In the immediate aftermath of the murder, the hotshots from Texas exert their influence over the Dallas Police while LBJ and Hoover exert their powerful oversight of any potential independent inquiries. In addition, Johnson's new power as the nation's Chief Executive very quickly puts him into position to control the autopsy of JFK at Bethesda (as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces) and soon after to force Earl Warren to head up a Johnson-controlled committee of investigation.

The short-term goal of eliminating John Fitzgerald Kennedy has been stated, and begins paying off when the U.S. fakes an incident in the Gulf of Tonkin less than a year later that sparks the Vietnam War, and tons of profits for the likes of Brown & Root, Bell Helicopter and LTV.

And that's the truth! (Nicely detailed by Mr. Douglass)

JFK and The unspeakable by Jim Douglas is a Brilliant, Exceptional well written book that traces JFK efforts for peace while the powers that be opposed his policies in every way possible.JFK Did commit the Unspeakable. and that of course marked him out for Assassination!!also very revealing are Oswald CIA and FBI Connections.Jim Douglas Parallels The elimination of Oswald as the Patsy and JFK as the Cold Warrior who refused to go along with the party line!!

"Patriot Dreams" is the most gripping true story I have ever read, and I am a voracious reader. From the opening page, you will vicariously enter the inner world of Robin Higgins, and experience the tragic death of a true American hero.

Rich Higgins was a Marine lieutenant-colonel who saw himself as a peacekeeper and a protector of the nation he loved. His duties in Lebanon required him to be unarmed, and he accepted those conditions as part of the job.

Unfortunately, the Hezbollah did not respect his show of good faith. What happened to Rich and his ever-faithful wife, Robin, will give you the deepest understanding of the contemporary Middle East and the ineffectiveness of our government in protecting its citizens in that area.

"Patriot Dreams" is written with an understated passion that sweeps the reader along; I was unable to put the book down until I finished the last word.

Robin Higgins is an extraordinarly powerful writer. Her work combines the best features of a novel with a strong dose of reality therapy. You will be both wiser and better informed as a result of this read.

The author was a student at North Shore High School when I taught there, and I can, without qualification, vouch for her good character and loyalty. When she introduced me to her husband, Rich Higgins in 1982, he was a major, and she was a captain. You would, as I did, recognize that he was a product of the best of our culture--strong but humane, highly intelligent without conceit, loyal without fanaticism.

Rich Higgins will be mourned, but he must never be forgotten.

Let me be clear: by guts and loyalty, I mean Robin Higgins. I do *not* mean the leaders who, incredibly, abandoned her husband in his captivity.

_Patriot Dreams_ is LTC Robin Higgins' story of the way she kept two oaths that she never imagined would be brought into conflict: her duty to her husband and her oath as an officer. What stands out about the book is the composure with which she writes about the topic, which gives voice to her determined but very mature and dignified efforts to obtain her husband's (an unarmed UN peacekeeper) release from brutal captivity. It's very likely to push the reader's buttons, not by design but by the nature of the topic, but you'll very likely come away with great respect for Robin Higgins. I did.

Worth reading for anyone wishing to pay respect to two fine Colonels of Marines, for starters. It would also appeal to those who enjoy reading about true commitment in marriage. One other group, in my view, should give it a read: those who still maintain that women should be barred from combat military roles. I'm not taking a position on that topic here, but I do encourage this: if you feel that way, then read Robin Higgins' book, and then ask yourself if you'd want to be the one to tell her--and others of her calibre--she wasn't up to combat leadership, or for that matter if we can afford to exclude her brand of guts and loyalty from leadership in battle.

One of the great privileges of my life was getting to know Rich and Robin Higgins when Rich was attending the National War College in the mid 1980s. Robin tells the story of their life together and the great tragedy of Rich's capture and assassination. What is equally powerful is how well Robin outlines the lessons learned. This book deserves a wide readership by those interested in the future of this country and the challenges we will face world-wide.

An easy to read book that captures the integrity of a military officer whose last tour of duty was to serve his country as a peacekeeper. He never made it home. The book, written by his wife, details the frustrations, the red tape and the longings of the heart, all of which become intertwined in her efforts to bring him home. Beautifully written.

I remember reading about the murder of Col. Higgens and thinking at the time how awful and what risks the military took when they served in foreign countries. And, not to mention, how unappreciated they are. And, those who served or serve, can't depend on the support of those who sent them if something goes wrong. Patriot Dreams is a must read book. In fact, if the active military of all the services had any sense, they would jump all over Patriot Dreams for the families and make it standard reading; unfortunately, those in charge rarely see the obvious. Military families sacrifice in enormous ways and I often wonder why they choose to do it. And, Colonel Higgens is an example of what happens when a military man leaves for work in the morning and does not return. Soldiers, wives and families understand this but few in the civilian populace do. This is a wonderful book. Colonel Higgens himself is quite the inspiration. Then Lieutenant Higgins served in Vietnam in 1968 with C Company, 1st Battalion, 3d Marines as a rifle platoon platoon leader. This was a hard time in Vietnam and fighting was fierce as this was the year of the infamous TET offensive. Colonel Higgens was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat 'V' for heroism. It probably should have been much higher. I give him the Congressional Medal of Honor. Captain Higgins returned to Vietnam in 1972 as an Infantry Battalion Advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corps and then as a rifle company commander with B Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. By anyone's standards, Rich Higgens is a hero. Equally as important is the incredible devotion that his wife Robin had to him, both in life and in death. She did as a minimum double duty as a wife and fellow Marine. Wow! Semper Fi! This is a book that tells about it, the bureaucracy, the stupidity of government bureaurcrats, and the feelings of abandonment of good men. Every Vietnam vet can empathize with her. Many who gave their all to the country, to include their families, have experienced the feelings created by the government of having been used up and then tossed aside. Don't miss this reading and if you know someone in the military, get Patriot Dreams to them.

I have read about thirteen books on the JFK assassination, and I found this book incredible. I learned all kinds of new material, and understood long sprawling arguments for the first time because of their concise summaries in some of these articles.

The articles are especially good on the Corporate Media and in this sense are more relevent to today than almost any current event. The level of detail that is provided about the relationship between the media and intelligence agencies, really makes one think even more profoundly than Chomskys writing, about the implications of this centralized media power for today's news.

I disagree with Vince Palamara. I think this book is much more valuable than Ultimate Sacrifice. This book says what the evidence in that tomb wants to say, but the authors are too cautious to write.

I should mention that this book features two articles by John Armstrong. The hypothesis presented here, at first seems incredible. But it is very well argued and it sure does tie up loose ends and makes impossible timelines seem quite plausible. Armstrong makes his case for a Harvey and a Lee, quite convincingly.

Deserves ten stars.

In the late 1960's, the Hollywood producer Robert Evans premiered the movie "The President's Analyst". It was, in many ways the touchstone movie of that period. Edgy, subversive, with a sense of creeping paranoia, it was nevertheless a funny and enjoyable couple of hours.

Jumpcut to the subject of this review. Take out the funny and enjoyable part, and you get a very serious treatment of the seminal events of this very turbulent decade. The assassinations of John F Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Robert F Kennedy are covered here in a series of expose's printed in Probe Magazine. The scope is ambitious. Collusive conspiracies are indicated in each of these events.

The lion's share of the book is devoted to the murder of JFK. The single bullet theory has been assailed for forty five years as of this writing. However, the authors go further than taking on this concept. They find that there were actually two Oswald's. One they call Lee, and one Harvey. This gets to be a stretch, as they trace them both back to their high school years, as if they were both born, bred and fated to play a crucial part in one of history's ultimate dramas.

Special animus is given to the establishment figures of the time, J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Helms, and the super-spook, James Angleton. Inconsistencies in the Warren Commission are detailed, and the findings of Jim Garrison, the New Orleans Prosecutor whose ideas Oliver Stone based many of the ideas from JFK on are applauded.

I found fault in the final chapter of the writing of the JFK portion in which they write about the assassination of JFK's character after he died. The author seems to find conspiracies in the fact that people wrote about his infidelities and recklessness, as if it never happened, and JFK was really an innocent who just liked the company of women to make small talk with. I think this argument took credibility away from the rest of the writing.

The most shocking subject was that regarding Robert F Kennedy. I had always believed that this was an open and shut case, with Sirhan Sirhan being a lone, deranged, Palestinian gunman. This book makes a convincing and eye-opening case that this was not the case. There were at least ten bullets fired, Bobby had four wounds, and Sirhan's gun only fired two shots. This is an appalling gap in what has been reported in mainstream news. There is the Manchurian Candidate angle presented here, which now looks astonishingly viable.

The treatise on Martin Luther King takes on a new light as well, given the information that his own family asked for a new trial for James Earl Ray, the convicted (presumably innocent) killer of the former. There is ample evidence of a large scale cover-up after the murder. The author's lose some credibility when they attempt to speculate on why the conspiracies and cover-ups occured. They would do better to merely present the facts, which they sometimes do. However, free press reigns, and they are entitled to their opinions.

However, there is shocking evidence of wide scale and well coordinated cover-ups and conspiracies here.

Malcolm X story is presented more as an informational timeline of the harrassment of him and his family, his falling out with the Nation of Islam leadership, and his premonition of his own death. There were five gunmen who killed him, but only one convicted.

At this writing (2008) there is a new re-examination of the the 1960's decade. Tom Brokaw's book "Boom" talks about the influence of the actions and political climate of the times, and today's leadership.

For anyone who wants a thought provoking, albeit dark look at this decade, this book is required reading.

For those who are interested in the assassinations of the sixties this book is a must have. The essays are well-written and give the reader insight into not only the murders themselves, but how our government and their surrogates behaved prior to and after these murders. Reliance on the use of declassified documents helps to fill in the blanks or reveal how some stories circulated at the time of the murders were deliberate propaganda.

John Armstrong's two-part essay documenting the existence of two people using the "Lee Harvey Oswald" identity a decade before JFK's assassination is at once so well-documented and so shocking that it's impossible not to see the fingerprints of certain federal agencies on JFK's murder. Armstrong has his own book on the subject, HARVEY AND LEE, self-published, and if you can hunt down a copy you will be amazed.

Until then, grab this book. You will read it over and over.

Good, but ULTIMATE SACRIFICE the best book ever
While I thought this book was worthwhile in many respects, ULTIMATE SACRIFICE is simply the best book ever on the JFK assassination.Still, worth your time.

Vince Palamara-JFK/ Secret Service expert (History Channel, author of two books, in over 30 other author's books, etc.)
Pittsburgh, PA

Probe Magazine has always fascinated even lone nut theorists.
The reason why is because it was an extremely investigative Magazine.
James DiEugenio, Lisa Pease, etc have been known for their tireless investigative research into the true circumstances surrounding the death of America's 35th President.
Now, you can read the wonderful articles that the Probe writers worked on concerning the conspiratorial Assassination of not only John F Kennedy, but also the suspicious assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
Some have said that perhaps these assassinations werent merely isolated events, but that they were all connected in some way.
This is not far fetched when one considers that Bobby Kennedy was shot within a week after he said "Only the powers of the Presidency will reveal the true circumstances of (JFK's) murder" or words to the effect.
Also J Edgar Hoover, who clearly must atleast be suspected in the murder of Martin Luther King Jr, was THE man in charge of the "investigation" of JFK's death.
Also Hoover hated Bobby Kennedy with a purple passion.
It may be true that the same establishment that felt threatened enough by JFK that they decided to kill him, may have killed his Brother to remain in the shadows that they had hid in since '63.
And Martin Luther King Jr, had, at times, made the same enemies, that the Kennedy brothers had.
One cant help recognize the eerie similarities between Lee Harvey Oswald and James Earl Ray.
Whether these assassinations were related or not, this is for certain: This book will really make you think about these assassinations, if you havent before.
This book is so interesting, you will want to read it and reread it again and again.