Assassinations Books

David Robbins is a very talented writer and a mentor for aspiring writers. Growing up with him in a small down in VA and knowing the challenges he faced growing up in this town, he has lived an interesting Journey through life and the Journey through life continues for the both of us.
All of his NOVELS should be on your list, including this Novel.

Robbins has an exciting and unique niche here on an overmarketed topic. The characters are mostly okay, even believable, and the dialogue is realistic. The action and pacing are superb. Robbins'excellent descriptions and locale background of April 1961 Havana is colorful. But, this book is a work of fiction, despite the publisher's hype that the fiction is thinly disguised fact.

The topic, the times, the geopolitics, the tools, the venues, the fieldcraft and the characters are part of my own personal and professional life. That colors my judgment of this book. As noted, overall, it is a well written, fast-paced mystery/adventure novel.

To be sure, the broad reality is there. There were myriad attempts to compromise or kill Castro. The CIA and the Mafia were in cahoots for several ops in those days. There was mutually beneficial cooperation between KGB and CIA field people, but, only at that tactical level. In truth, the reality of some of the anti-Castro plots were as honestly dramatatic and bizarre as the one in this book. Sometimes, too, Mr Robbins allows his political agenda to surface a bit broadly, but, so long as you know that, it does not impede reading a good story.

A few spoilers along the way? Okay, but, if you've not read the book, do NOT read anymore of what I have to write here. For example, Lee Oswald's time in the USSR, including the hospital stay, has been factually accounted for for years now. Marina Oswald was no more a KGB agent than you are. Oswald was not a USMC sniper nor an assassin; he never shot anyone in his brief lifetime. Plastic soda bottles would not be available until 1970. Using them for improvised firearms suppressors dates to 1973. Given my background, I guess I am picky about things like that.

But, as I say, it is a fun read. Just don't take the fiction as fact claim quite as seriously as the author, his publisher and some reviewers have done.

J David Truby
14 July 2008

About twenty years ago I read an article about the Kennedy assassination. One of the stories it posed was that the Cuban's were out to assassinate Kennedy. They looked to their Russian allies for help. The Russian's did not want to assassinate Kennedy, but they also did not want to alienate Castro. The answer: send the least likely successful assassin: Lee Harvey Oswald. Sadly, Oswald's success is history.

Robbin's Betrayal Game precedes the events in Dallas. Yet, all of the characters are there: Oswald, Castro, the Mafia, the CIA, Russian KGB. The story line is relatively simple: The CIA seeks to terminate Fidel Castro in hopes of ending the communist threat 90 miles from Florida. The main character, Mikhal Lammeck in Cuba for research on, of all things, assassins, is thrust in the middle of several different undercover operations involving all of the alphabet organizations. His convictions are sorely tested by his affection for the Cuban people and the young assassins sent to kill Castro.

Robbin's does an excellent job setting the stage and developing the characters who cross paths in and around Havana of the early 1960's. There are no innocents here but the Cuban people. The CIA, the Mafia, the Cuban secret police and the KGB all are in it for their own ends. Robbin's never gets to answer the question posed throughout: can one man change history. Yet, we can see here how one man can direct the events which become history.

I strongly recommend the Betrayal Game as a political thriller, a work of historical fiction and as an interesting spring into summer read. Buy it, you won't be betrayed.

Talk about timing. David L. Robbins has it, and not just in the literary sense. Robbins lays down his new book, THE BETRAYAL GAME --- dealing with a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro in 1961 --- and guess who retires within a couple of weeks after it hits the shelves? If there is any connection between Castro's abdication of his dictatorship and this fine novel, arguably it would be that the bearded one decided he wanted some time off to read this riveting work.

In his introduction, Robbins describes THE BETRAYAL GAME as "thinly fictionalized fact." Indeed, it centers on a plot to end Castro's life on the eve of a clandestine invasion by a U.S.-backed force. Though it is not conclusively documented, evidence would indicate that the coordinated assassination attempt was a joint effort conducted by the CIA and certain members of organized crime syndicates, the latter motivated by the nationalization of mob-owned businesses and industries in Cuba following Castro's takeover.

Robbins drops Mikhal Lammeck, professor of history and retired special forces instructor, into this cauldron as observer and historical force. Lammeck's welcome return --- he was first introduced in THE ASSASSIN'S GALLERY --- is fraught with danger, as he finds himself caught between opposing forces in post-revolutionary Cuba. First approached by (Pablo de Santana) Johan (Guerrero), the pleasant but enigmatic captain of Castro's security force, then by Bud Calendar, a CIA agent inflamed with his own sense of history and destiny, Lammeck finds himself being used as a pawn in a game he can't win. Ostensibly in Cuba to study historical assassinations, he is recruited by Johan to keep his ear to the ground for word of a potential assassination attempt.

Lammeck is still puzzling over his "recruitment" when he is approached by Calendar with an offer he can't refuse. Calendar wants Lammeck, a renowned weapons expert, to evaluate and train a former Marine sniper who has been tasked by the CIA to kill Castro. Lammeck walks a fine line, bouncing between what he can do and what he must do, and torn between doing what is right and what may well be wrong. His ability to judge the correct path becomes increasingly complicated as the motives of all parties involved grow more and more cloudy as the time for the assassination approaches, and he must make a choice that will change both his life and history forever.

Robbins lobs a major grenade into the proceedings here with a plausible supposition concerning one of the major players in THE BETRAYAL GAME, one that makes Lammeck's final path of action all the more ironic. Those readers who were of age in the early 1960s, as well as diligent students of events of the period, will see what is coming almost immediately. But such foreknowledge by no means spoils what occurs at the conclusion, given that it provides an interesting theory regarding one of modern history's most enduring puzzles. Those with only a passing familiarity of the era, on the other hand, will be stunned. If Robbins is going where I think he is, watch for Lammeck --- and at least two other characters --- to return in short order.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

I enjoyed Mr. Robbins first novel so I looked forward to reading this one. I thought his premise of the detached academic becoming a part of history was good.
The story execution did not live up to my expectations. I think it lacked the necessary suspense but it did have many twists some of which were predictable (i.e. the closing encounter - did not want to spoil the plot).
Mr. Robbins still has a great knack for weaving his story into history.
A pleasurable read but not a page turner.

Shelby has done it again. First rate material. I could not put this down even in lieu of sleep. I had to get to the end to discover just how it all worked out with Sloane Ryder and the Handyman. Sloane Ryder is a very believable character. Enjoy this, but don't let it be your only Shelby read. Picked up Days of Drums in an airport somewhere in 98. Have been a committed Shelby reader since. Take the time to read them all Days of Drums, Last Rights, Gatekeeper

Great read, spies, intrigue, and some good tradecraft, and then some

Philip Sheby delivers once again and this may be his best yet! It is simply a page turning read with well drawn characters, a fascinating story and enough twists and turns to keep one's interest up until the last page. Don't let this one stay on the shelf!

Thrillers don't get much more intense than this one. Sloane Ryder is a New York financial analyst. She stumbles across dirty financial dealing in a major corporation and is fired and blacklisted for reporting it to the SEC. She despairs of finding a job, but is noticed and hired by a secret division of the General Accounting Office. It has detected some disturbing happenings involving the Chinese and high officials in the US government. Soon, with the help of Secret Servicewomen, Holland Tylo and Hollis Fremont, whom Shelby readers will recognize from previous books, an incredible plot emerges. The Chinese government intends to kill the American president and use the confusion as cover to conquer Taiwan. But as Sloane's unit closes in on the American traitors, the Handyman, a professional assassin hired by the Chinese, murders them. The action moves ever-faster to a breathtaking climax. This is a genuine thriller. I usually can put any book aside, no matter how thrilling, until I have time to read again, but I couldn't stop reading this one. Shelby has given us a first-rate story.

An employee in an investmant house discover a shady investment
by her boss.She turns him into the SEC and a full blown scandal
erupts.Her boss is payed a visit by the villian in the Gatekeeper
the Handyman and commits suicide.There is even a deeper scandal
involving prominent and powerful figures in the power elite of the government. Sloane Ryder,the investment house employee is
hired by the GAO after being blackballed by Wall Street.She
discovers the scandal and begins an investigation.She discovers a
conspiracy to assassinate the President of the United States(the
widow of the Presidential contendor in Gatekeeper).Ryder is in for the fight of her life trying to expose the scandal and stop
the assassination plans of the Handyman.An exciting read.You will
enjoy this book.

Very interesting perspective on Malcolm X's assassination. Karl Evanzz provides (for the most part) an objective portrait of Malcolm, his followers and his enemies. The author creates a very logical connection in establishing a conspiracy theory about the assassination (then again, every conspiracy book is logical in a way even the outrageous ones). I would recommend this book to readers who want to be challenged and want to stop and think.

If you really want to understand Malcolm X, the NOI and all the events between the two this is the book to read.

Karl Evanzz does a wonderful job putting together this book. I found out information about the NOI that I was unaware of. For example, the murders that were committed by some of their members even after Malcolm X was assassinated. Mr. Evanzz also did a good job showing the CIA and FBI's involvement in Malcolm's life and affairs. Furthermore, he shows their role in the elimination of African revolutionary leaders. This book also has great references and an outstanding bibliography. Fantastic book.

I read anything about Malcolm X I can get my hands on; he still lives in my heart. This book is extremely well written w/a broad scope. This one will never leave my library. A must.

This book is so well written, it, should be taught in high schools to teach teenagers about investigative reporting. Evanzz brings it all together the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammed, the FBI, Malcolm X, and the world at his death into the middle of your heart. You will never forget a single fact or surprising circumstance. A must read.

Medieval Times. What a...mysterious time in our (human) past. After the fall of Rome, the world dived into a 1000 years of turmoil, wars, Crusades, and so much more. How much fun!

Set during the time of Emperor Alexios, we have a great, huge story which brings the reader right into the story from the first page, to the very end. Our hero is Demetrios. Former mercenary, turned "investigator" there is a plot to assassinate the emperor, and take over the empire.

We are weaved through a fine tale, based on much fact, of betrayel, loyalties, and much more. Who tried to kill the Emperor, and why? With a barbarian army from France marching towards the city, the turks lurking just a few hundred miles away, we are setup for a final scene unlike more others. Will Demetrios find out who and why tried to Assassinate the Emperor?

The book is extremely well written. Great characters, again, many based on actual events and people. Tom Harper shows his knowledge of the times, with a very convincing story.

Whether you are a fan of the times or not, this book will entertain you. Not for a minute was I counting the pages left.

Tom Harper is a pseudonym of Edwin Thomas who grew up in West Germany, Belgium and America before returning to England to study history at Oxford university. The mosaic of Shadows is about a period of history that I enjoy reading about very much, but even if I am slightly biased I believe that the book is a really good read for anyone interested in historical murder mysteries.

The book takes place in Byzantium, the year is 1096, 30 years after the bastard Norman, Duke William had captured the throne of England from the grasp of Harold at Hastings.

When an attempt is made on the life of the emperor by a mysterious assassin, whoever sent the killer to try to murder the emperor knows that it was not just a man who would have been killed by the assassin's arrow but an empire in decline. If the emperor should fall then the mightiest force in Christendom will be torn apart. Only too aware of his precarious position the emperor hire the unveiled of mysteries, Demetrios Askiates to catch the would-be-killer. But even for one such as Demetrios the task of finding the killer is all but impossible. An unknown world of prince's and paupers, slaves mercenaries, harems and eunuchs. From the slums to the golden palace, enemies are lurking in the shadows, but not all are within the wall of the city.

The first crusaders have arrived and are intent on making their fortunes. They hold no allegiance to an enemy they eye with suspicion. As they armies of the east and the west confront each other across a barren landscape, the assassin prepares to make another attempt upon the life of the emperor. Can Demetrios untangle the web of deceit and intrigue that surrounds the emperor and his city before it is too late and one of the greatest empires of all time crumbles into the dust . . .

Mr. Harper certainly knows his Byzantine and Crusader history and culture, and has stuck close to the reality of the times. He can also spin a detective tale. There may be scenes the reader will doubt, but it's all true. Mr. Harper does not invent the mechanical lions that bristled and roared next to the Emperor's throne to frighten barbarians.

A nice mix of personal/family issues and detective work, as well as great historical events. The mix of the first two might remind one of Lindsey Davis's Falco, but unlike either Davis or John Maddox Roberts in their top-notch Roman detective series, Harper is not also a humorist. The book is a straightforward historical mystery, but unlike Rosemary Rowe's Libertus series, it isn't just a non-stop series of clue-unraveling. Harper is never dull reading.

No spoilers.

I'll have to agree with another reviewer here who noted that the immediate flaw in this novel is that there is little introduction or background given about the protagonist, Demetrios, until about a quarter of the way into the book. Having said that (and overlooking it because you eventually find out about him), this is definitely a book I recommend.

Although I began to suspect who the Emperor's true enemy was before it was revealed, even that, which is something that I usually hate when reading a mystery, didn't take away from the quality of the story. Harper, with ease, immerses the reader into eleventh century Byzantine society to the point where you almost believe you are reading these events unfold in the present, right outside your window.

I fully recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and who wants to be transported into their story.

After the disaster at Manzikert, the great Byzantine Empire calls for help from the 'barbarian' west. Emperor Alexios Komnenos appeals for mercenaries to help him re-capture his Asian province (modern-day Turkey). Instead, the west responds with the First Crusade. The Crusaders are anxious to confront the Turks who occupy Jerusalem, but they have no interest in helping Alexios regain his lost province. When Alexios demands their oath that any conquests within his former territory be returned to him, they refuse. Political hardball? Perhaps. But when an assassin's bolt nearly kills the Emperor, the Emperor's eunuch hires ex-mercenary and now detective Demetrios Askiates to uncover the truth.

Pieces of the truth are easy enough to discover. The bolt could only have been fired from a western crossbow, the kind the Franks outside the city carry. And a monk who seems to follow the western rites is clearly responsible. But the eunuch knows that a foreign monk cannot be the center of the plot. Some 'Roman' must be involved--one with enough power that he would be in a position to have himself proclaimed Emperor if the current Emperor falls.

Author Tom Harper does a fine job describing the city of Constantinople under siege, the Greek intrigues that so frustrated the western Crusaders, and the various groups of mercenaries who defended the Empire while the mob often controlled its fate. Demetrios Askiates makes an intriguing sleuth, with his concern for his daughters and his ambivalent feelings toward the beautiful doctor, Anna. We can, perhaps, forgive 26-year-old author Harper for believing that a man in his mid-thirties is over the hill and unable to carry weapons effectively.

Fans of historical mystery will want to pick up MOSAIC OF SHADOWS--and hope that we soon see more by Tom Harper.

This is a gereat book. As a lvoer of Israel I was always appalled by the Yigal Amir's of this world. This book gives great context to the more fanatical nationalist elements in both Israel and regrettable here in the United States. I never thought I owuld ever see the day when bogus Rabbis would issue a "fatwa" on a Prime Mnister's life. yet Jacob Hecht essentially did that. Unfortuantely the debate in Israel (has anyone seen the Knesset in action?) is loud, vituperative, vulgar and shrill. I am also aware of conspiracy theorists ont he web, people who are trying to exonerate the mystagogical settlers from teh murder. This is baloney and worthy of an Oliver Stone. Unfortunately politcal/physical violence against fellow Jews is not unheard of: the Arlosoroff Affair, the Altalena affair; the murder of Emil Grunzweig in an anti-Lebanon war demonstration in 1982 and of course the Rabin murder. The fact that some insane people here and in Israel are calling for a pardon for Amir is very disturbing. If you hate fanaticism as I do, this book becomes despite its superb writing and research - a painful read.

This book is really an exercise steeped in purposeful deception, lies and obfuscations. It is simply a propoganda exercise meant to support the Shamgar Commission Report and to pander to, and allay the fears of, the many liberal, establishment secular Jews who depend on the status quo and who haven't the courage to face up to the truth of Rabin's assassination.

Dr. David Morrison, the author of "Lies - Israel's Secret Service and the Rabin Murder," presents a damning critique of this book and the authors and their deceptions are made clear point by point. If you want to keep your head buried in the sand then read "Murder in the Name of God." If you want a serious critique of all of the available evidence then read Barry Chamish or Dr. Morrison's "LIES."

Wake up Israel!

I was fascinated by this book. Although I had known the events, I hadn't appreciated how they had emerged from the political discourse of the ultra-orthodox. The book provides plenty of compelling detail. It is well written and it frighteningly suggests that Israel is now threatened by civil strife.

I became interested in the subject of the Rabin assassination after reading a few conspiracy theories on the web. This book, however, provides ample evidence that Yitzhak Rabin's murder wasn't the act of shadowy secret services, but, rather, a lone fanatic acting on what he believed to be the implicit commands of self-righteous religious authorities who should have known better. In a way I was disappointed by the lack of JFK-style mystery in the book, but in the end I found it a truly enlightening work which brings to light the inevitable consequence of mixing politics with religion: violence.

This is an important book which is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the background to the current situation in the Middle East. Ostensibly an account of the events leading up to the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin, the book is much more than this. It contains a wealth of background information and scrupulously marshalled detail which shows how the assassination wasnot an act of inhuman recklessness on the partof an isolated fanatic, but part of of a deliberate movement orchestrated by the leaders of the ultra-orthodox right to carryout a death threat 'sanctioned by Jewish law' against someone who was giving away the land of the Jews, in going along with the Oslo accord. It is a devastating account of mistaken bigotry and evil employing non-democratic ends to bring about its aims. the book paints a pictrure of a country on the verge of civil war and, although at times it reas likea thriller, this excellent book is an impartial and well-documented account of the most recent chapter in Israel's history.

It is impossible to write about Robert Kennedy in adult life without writing about his brother, John Kennedy. Hilty does a very thorough job of portraying Robert Kennedy, the dedicated, hard working, determined brother, warts in all in a fair and impartial way. Throughout this book, one sees the "metamorphosis" of Robert Kennedy. He is the man who works behind the scenes, protecting his brother's interests to his maximum extent. He is the man who pushes his brother forward while sublimating his own interests, needs and identity. It is only in the tragic aftermath of the President's death does Robert Kennedy, in full adult form emerge -- the man who immersed himself in classical literature, the man who became a personal crusader for civil rights related issues, the man who made it his business to know minorities and persons living in poverty. It is during the last nearly half-decade of his life that the full face of Robert Kennedy is shown to his constituents -- the man who doggedly pursued Teamsters and Mafiosi in the 1950s takes that same dogged persistence to the political arena where he runs on his own right. He is a voice for the disenfranchised, a voice for those who share his vision. He was a man who provided hope during a very turbulent period in history marked by war and national violence. It is the opinion of this reviewer that Robert Kennedy is certainly the more interesting of the brothers. His personal, political and personality development is very interesting to watch and track. He was certainly a man who came across as very sincere in his efforts and one cannot help wondering what the outcome today would be had this man lived.

This is a book well worth reading.

Robert F. Kennedy was an extraordinary man: former investigator, campaign manager for his brother, Attorney General, United States Senator. His speech to the 1964 Democratic Convention was one the most eloquent speeches ever given. His campaign for the Presidency in 1968 ended with one of the most heartbreaking tragedies in American history when an assassin killed him after winning the California primary.

For myself, RFK represents the better part of politics- the noble spirit and the sense of purpose than the American way of life seems to have lost since his death. People can and should be better to one another, Bobby argued. Government should help the people, he said, but only if those people could help themselves. As a Democrat, I admire Bobby's argument for help, partnership and responsibility between the people and their government.

Professor Hilty has done an excellent job. There are things about Bobby that are difficult to reconcile- why he worked for McCarthy is a good question -and Professor Hilty does a wonderful job writing about them and explaining them. He should be congradulated. I, for one, cannot wait for his next volume about RFK's life.

I liked this book very much. It's not like a biography of RFK, but it is a biography of RFK's career in politics. This book is very detailed, so grab a pen and paper because its so indepth.

Professor Hilty provides an excellent study and examination of Bobby Kennedy. Though this is an enormously hefty read. For those new to Bobby Kennedy, a more manageable introduction might be a rather recent book called Robert F. Kennedy: A Spiritual Biography by Konstantine Sidorenko. Though in contrast to Hilty's (brilliant but somewhat unwieldy) tome, this slim short form biography covers Kennedy and his life in great depth and the book's brevity will not disappoint serious biography readers. It is particularly an excellent book to take up before plunging in to Hilty's.

Robert Kennedy was better than a great man. He was a good man and his track record in minority work certainly underscores this point. I have always believed he was sincere in his efforts and that he truly cared about people. He was of an usual caliber and his loss was certainly one that was keenly felt. I can to this very day remember those two horrendous days in June when he was assassinated and later died. It was the first death that ever affected me personally. I was then a child and I remember saying that "I hate the man who shot Senator Kennedy! I hate him and I hope they throw him in jail forever and I wish Rosey Grier had broken his [the assassin's] head!" My mother gave me some sound advice that I remember today. Her exact words to me on June 6, 1968 were, "Senator Kennedy would not want you to hate anyone. Instead of hating the assassin, pray instead for an end to violence and pray for his family." It took me some time before I was able to do that, and I am glad to be able to say today that I can. Over the years, I have prayed for David, the son who watched his own father die on television and was so consumed with his own grief that he, too, became a casualty. One of my all time favorite stories about Robert Kennedy was his success in climbing Mt. Kennedy in Canada in March of 1965. He was a man whom many described as acrophobic, yet he was able to table his terror and climb that mountain out of love for his brother. (I think the mountain should have been named after ROBERT Kennedy -- he claimed it). He wisely gave credit where credit was due upon reaching the top of that mountain -- he made the Sign of the Cross. I just love this story so much that I have told it before the Toastmasters. I think it is very inspiring and just underscores the character, determination and hard work of a man who worked hard to meet personal goals. Robert Kennedy was in my eyes a success story. I was a history major and he was the subject of my senior project. It was one of the few writing assignments I ever enjoyed and I did well. Robert Kennedy was a man who not only marked sociopolitical milestones in his lifetime. He marked personal milestones in the lives of those who were interested in his life.

I must preface my review by stating that, before reading this book, I knew little about Attila other than his name. Overall, I found it to be a surprisingly fascinating and involving tale, and the "murder" thesis quite plausible. (The "died-of-a-nosebleed-while-in-a-drunken-stupor-on-his-wedding-night" yarn does indisputably sound like the setup for a really, really bad Monty Python sketch.) Unfortunately, the fact that no original, uncorrupted accounts of his death survive make it impossible to tell for certain what the first "official" account of Attila's death even really was. (If he was murdered, I'd like to think that even a bunch of Barbarians could cook up a better cover story than that.) However, I wish the author had shown a little modesty in pushing his theory. When your one source for a death is what one author said one earlier author said about one even earlier author's account, which itself was probably based on hearsay and propaganda...well, it's hard to be too sure of anything much. Babcock would perhaps have been better off just spelling out what little information we have, and let that speak for itself.

That said, I'm still giving the book five stars, simply because, aside from being quite a lively read, it's inspired me to find out more about Attila and his decidedly strange times. I have to thank Babcock for that.

By the way, am I the only one who would like to know, more than anything else involving this story, whatever became of Ildico?

Other reviewers give you the whole book. I prefer to read it myself. And, this book provided new information (at least for me), an intelligent and logical progression of actions and reactions, and an interesting murder plot. I was particularly intrigued by how the author teased out his conclusions from fragments of the past and the use of language.
A worthwhile book which should appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Dr. Michael Babcock makes a compelling case that Attila the Hun did not die of natural causes - a nosebleed - but instead was murdered. Given the lifestyle Attila led, the liklihood of murder is a much higher probability in any case, than natural causes ... Like a modern detective the author examines the key players who had something to gain by Attila's death. He discovers the clues obtained from historical documents, some of which were altered in an attempt to mislead anyone who was looking for evidence, but just enough detail is left that points to an assasination plot which succeeded.

The author suspected something was amiss in the generally accepted explanations for Attila's death when he was a student of philology (the study of reconstructing the past from words, taking into consideratin culture, history, phonetics and graphics). The author read the detailed account of Attila's death initially in the book "Gothic History" by Jordanes which included a tightly constructed explanation filled with precise details ... however the account was written a hundred years after Attila's death. It was written based on a historical document left by Priscus, a Fifth Century historian and diplomat. Priscus had attended Attila's court in 449 A.D. and a detailed description of this event survived in his autobiography. Unfortunately, Priscus's account of Attila's death did not survive, the only thing which remained was the second hand version written by Jordanes ...

The most fascinating information contained within this book is how the politics of the past are revealed. At the time, the Roman Empire was separated into East and West: Marcinion was Emperor in the East and Valintinian III ruled as Emperor of Rome. Rome was losing some of its provinces as new nations in Europe were born from their ashes. Each of the two Empires had reasons to see Attila dead ... The book captures the imagination of the reader taking one back to ancient times. The reader's eyes are openedas to how different factions influenced and swayed each Empire and how power was wielded behind the scenes by those who could manipulate events to their own advantage. Whether or not the author is correct can not be factually proven but he provides enough information to make a great case for his side. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

I waited with much anticipation for Babcock's book because I love historical mysteries. Sadly I have to say that I was disappointed in his effort. I definately feel that it could have benefitted from firmer editing. Babcock has a tendency to go off on tangents that make following his narrative more challenging than it should be. For example he spends a great deal of time arguing that one should take any historic account with a grain of salt because people back then were just as prone, as folks are now, to skew their accounts to a particular point of view. I have no argument with this and Babcock is right to make it, but he keeps bringing up this thought again and again to the point where I wanted to shout, "Okay, Okay, I get it!" As for his contention that Attila was murdered Babcock makes a good circumstantial case as to why this was done and who may have been behind it, but doesn't offer much in the way of particulars. For me this was a bit of a let down.

I must say in the book's favor that Babcock's enthusiasm for his subject matter is quite infectious. It's obvious that he cares about this subject and whatever else one can say about the book it is not boring. He more than succeeded in getting me interested in late Roman history, something that I did not know a great deal about.

So if you read the book just be ready to separate the wheat from the chaff.

First off, I'll disagree with this author and say that philology is in most ways an art, not a concrete science. His suggestion that by somehow reading into the subtext of existing and later documentary evidence regarding Attila's demise we can prove a 1,600-year-old act of murder is at best too optimistic and at worst absurdity itself, since from the start, rumor, hearsay and misinformation have been prevalent regarding the end of the great Hunnish king. I felt this book deserved four stars instead of the three I nearly gave it because Michael Babcock was obviously well-versed on his subject matter's life and the period in which he existed, but I cannot see clear to rating this book higher simply because it fails to achieve the lofty goal its author set for himself and promised in the title. Had this been a straightforward biography of Attila, I'd have been more impressed, since the life and times of this figure were indeed nicely-covered. Babcock also delves into the psychological effect the Hunnish invasions had on the populace of Europe, and I was impressed when at the start of chapter seven there was a discussion the discovery in modern times of a number of children's skeletons in and around Lugnano, Italy, dating to the time of Attila. Though victims of a malaria outbreak, it is the fact that these young people of a supposedly Christian era were interred via burial practices that harkened back to customs of pagan Rome that proves telling. Babcock and others feel that so terrifying to the Italians was the concept that Attila was coming, that they abandoned for a time the Christianity of their age in favor of a return to the earlier religion of a more glorious Rome. Fascinating stuff! Attila may very well have been murdered, since the means and motive were there, but I do not feel Babcock proved that a murder took place, and I don't think that after so long a time it is likely a smoking gun will ever come to light. The "Exhibits" Babcock uses to conclude the book were the most unimpressive pieces to his story. Instead of presenting conclusive evidence, Babcock tosses in everything but the proverbial kitchen sink, and offers nothing but circumstantial evidence that we already knew about. While a good read and a sound investigation of the age of Attila the Hun, this book does not prove he was murdered, only re-hashes the long-speculated fact that he might have been.

I have read many sniper books recently, but this last one seems to be the best among them in comparison. It's a very balanced mix of actual sniper stories from Iraq (even if they aren't necesserily connected in time or space), enough facts about training, ballistics, weapons, real life procedures, sniping history etc. Very entertaining, but also very educational for shooters who like to learn little tricks from professionals. Highly recommended.

I picked this book up after browsing the first chapter, and reading the reviews on the back, including a few from authors I know and respect. Unfortunately, I did not realize until I had bought it that the reviews were for a different book by the same author.

There was quite a bit of really compelling stuff in this book - but not enough to fill the pages. The book is repetitive, and there is some really bad editing at times. The author describes the same equipment and situations over and over again. It seemed haphazardly written, and poorly organized.

I would classify this as one of 'those' books on current events, where some corners were cut, and some filler put in to get it to press while most relevant.

This book highlight a new face of the sniper's job, and how they must deal with the new form of war. But, in the same time, the author show us how easily the sniper is able to adapt his behaviour and its tactics to the new type of war is facing every day in Irak.

Much like Greg Mast, I must confess to being a dear friend of Hans. As one of the Commanders of a large regional SWAT Team, and the Sniper Element Commander of that team, I was delighted when Hans told me of his plans to write this superb book. Many previous works on sniping have documented the history of this deadly art, others have listed in great detail the hardware and tactics used by snipers, but none that I have read before have taken this approach of providing intimate, personal accounts of this specialized profession, straight from the mouths of the men in the field. I have also had the pleasure of meeting and sharing stories with Major Charles Greene, the inspiration for Trigger Men. This book is a fitting tribute to Greene and all the other military snipers who have proven time and time again that the most efficient, fearsome and cost-effective weapon on the battlefield is the sniper. Hans has done a magnificent job of turning these individual vignettes into an informative, insightful and thorough look into the world of combat sniping. No student of the military or the rifle should be without it.

Captain Nicholas Gottuso
SWAT/Sniper Team Commander

With his newest installment from an already well appreciated line of excellent books on various tactical aspects of military warfare, author Hans Halberstadt has again blessed military & police "operators" and the interested civilian readers with an outstanding text on the art of long and short range sniping. In my humble opinion, no one writing about military warfare and tactics has quite captured the essence of the psychological, physiological, technical and tactical aspects of "projecting force from afar" like Halberstadt since the late Carlos "White Feather" Hathcock, USMC wrote his military classic on snipers.

Make no mistake about it, "Triggermen" is not for those with a weak stomach. Author Halberstadt, through the stories of the snipers he interviewed for this book, allow the reader into the deep recesses of the military sniper's mind. For civilian readers, this book takes one on a unique journey where you begin to appreciate the mental and physical hardships associated with becoming a sniper on today's ever changing battlefield. From training, to target acquisition, to trigger compression, to terminal velocity; Hans Halberstadt transitions the reader from arm chair to prone position with eyes on the target. It just doesn't get any better than that!

"Triggermen" is MUST reading for all military and police operators; those seeking to be; and those who dream about what it would be like to defend this nation with a long gun and a scope. Five stars and a special salute to Hans Halberstadt!

Dr. Ron Martinelli
Criminologist/Law Enforcement Training Consultant
Technical Advisor, "Military & Law Enforcement Snipers"
The History & Discovery Channels
Martinelli & Associates: Justice Consultants, LLC
The Officer Safety Institute
Temecula, California

This is the fourth book I have read on the RFK assassination. It is still the best. These authors are carefull, and earn the trust of even the most careful treaders through the 'wilderness of mirrors'. You will not believe what they discover! One ends up thinking that maybe surealism started in Los Angeles and not Europe. Its the kind of non-fiction that makes fiction authors electric with envy.

An excellent companion volume is the book on trial of RFK by Professor Phillip Melanson and a guy named Klabor. These books make such great companions, because they are not at all redundant: the Melanson Klaber book shows that what happen during the trial is 80% as downright strange as what happened with the murder and its invesitgation. And nothing is stanger -- or in this case-- better documented and cautiously explicated -- that that.Shadow Play: The Untold Story of the Robert F. Kennedy Assassination

This book is--far and away-- STILL the best book on the RFK hit. It is also a masterpiece of writing in any genre and in some ways creates a new one. This is the type of book whose subject matter made "gonzo" necessary but whose writing style makes gonzo seem worse than immature: a lie.

The breadth of investigation is stunning and only matched by the solid research and professional restraint in writing and analysis.

This also happens to be the single wildest narrative I have ever read in my life. You will not be able to believe the characters you meet in this book, yet in the end they are enlivened not by fictive writing but by the charge of a turning point in American history, documented to by a former FBI agent and a former corresponedent for ABC TV in San Franciso. This work is still respected in the field and Turner was featured in the 2007 Times Discovery channel.

At times this book reads like The Crying of Lot 49 but written by Hemmingway.

Also PLEASE PLEASE LOOK UP THE ARTICLE ON THE PUBLICATION HISTORY OF THIS BOOK! THE BOOK SUFFERED AN ATTEMPTED MURDER WHEN SI NEWHOUSE BOUGHT RANDOM HOUSE IN 1978. Jim Di Eugenio is the author of the review and it is must reading!
http://www.ctka.net/turner-christian.html


This book is not simply a who dun it. It is full of deep structural connections that show the direction the bullet was taking us as a nation.

I bought this book a while back at a local book store and I was blown away by how well researched this book was. I highly recommend this book to anyone researching the death of RFK. Just fasten your seatbelt first.

This is a history of the strangest assassination that you could imagine. It looked like an open and shut case. The LAPD made darn sure that those looks stayed that way. In spite of the objectivity, it becomes clear that there is more to this assassination, and cover up, than meets the eye.

The case seems quite strong that there were more bullets fired than Sirhans gun could hold. All of the shots into Kennedy were identified as entering from the rear. Sirhan was in front of Kennedy. The fatal shot was placed within inches of Kennedy's head. The LAPD ripped the pantry apart and destroyed the evidence while doing so. A photographers camera was seized at gun point, actually six LAPD cops at gun point. All of the photos from inside the pantry were not returned.

There is a shady hypnotist with a proclaimed CIA past and an even shadier preacher man who went to the LAPD on the following day and claimed to have met Sirhan strictly via picking him up as a hitch hiker on the day of the assassination. The preacher has a law record as long as your forearm and it is proved that he had known Sirhan for a considerable amount of time. The allegation that he had previously bought clothes for Sirhan will make you rub your eyes. The biggest story is that he suddenly had a nice Lincoln and was flashing up to thirty $1000 bills about the time of the assassination. This in spite of constantly being broke before the event.

There are LAPD members with CIA connections who squeezed in some side work in Latin America. One may wonder if their "other" employment was that of "jackals" (hitmen).

Then you have the well built lady with the funny nose and the polka dot dress, and her partner, that is reputed to have ran from the scene yelling that they had just shot Kennnedy. They had recently entered the building via the fire escape stair case that is attached to the rear of multi-level buildings.

Sirhan had also been warned by a friend to quit placing himself under hypnosis so much.

If you think this all seems pretty strange, get ready for more. Then consider that the books were ordered destroyed by fire shortly after publication.

This assassination deserved a lot more investigation. At least we got a serious effort from the authors.

The murder of Robert Kennedy has never gotten the attention lavished on the death of his brother, for a variety of reasons. RFK was, after all, not the President, but a Senator and a potential candidate for the Presidency. In addition, his murder appeared, on first glance, to be far more of an open-and-shut case. After all, his alleged assailant, Sirhan Sirhan, stepped forward in a small kitchen pantry and opened fire with some 77 eyewitnesses standing there in the room. You didn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure this one out, it would seem...and yet...

Bill Turner and Jonn Christian do an admirable job of bringing out some of the questions that remain about the killing of RFK. I myself would have preferred a somewhat farther-reaching and more distanced view of the events, as opposed to this narrative, which closely follows the actual doings of Turner and Christian as they wade through the increasingly bizarre cast of characters that seemed to be involved in the events that culminated in the Ambassador Hotel. Where is Jim Marrs when you need him?

That being said, there are few books available on the RFK case, so this one gets high marks for effort, if it is not always perfect or even convincing in its execution.

Culiano taught religious studies at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago--the hand-picked successor to the great Mircea Eliade. Culiano specialized in magic, dualistic heresies and mystical experiences. He practiced what he studied as well, entertaining students and aggravating colleagues. But he also wrote political articles and fiction for a Romanian journal. These got him in trouble with the Romanian secret police; his murder has never been solved.

Blending religious studies, occult phenomena, political analysis, and true crime journalism, this book is also an entertaining and intriguing look at Culiano, academics in America, Romanian intellectual traditions. I hope many people read and enjoy it.

If you enjoyed Umberto Eco's _Foucault's Pendulum_, you will undoubtedly enjoy this true life tale of magic, European politics, and murder. The book gives an accounting of the life of Ioan Culianu, a professor of comparative religion at the University of Chicago, from his birth in Romania to his untimely murder. Professor Culianu provided astounding insights into the world of magic and attempted to explain its occurrences through complexity. He published many books on magic, comparative religion, shamanism, and gnosticism. Like Mircea Eliade, a fellow Romanian and his mentor before him, Culianu contributed a great deal to our understanding of religion and magic. He also wrote several novels along with his fiancee Hillary Wiesner. This book provides a look into not only the worlds of Eliade and Culianu, but also a disturbing examination of far-right politics in Romania. Culianu's murder remains unsolved despite its obvious link to his outspoken views on the Romanian revolution which occurred just prior to his murder. However, many disturbing coincidences abound regarding this event.

The shot that killed professor Ioan Culianu while he was sitting in a stall in the men's room came from a small Beretta: a .25 caliber gun, fired at leat 18 inches away from his head, for there were no gunpowder traces around the entry wound. It was the work of an expert, a person who stood on the toilet seat of the adjoining stall, and fired downward and into the back of his head; probably the shot of a left hander. Why only one shot? Why such a small caliber gun? Professionals are more heavy handed, more redundant, more brutal. This was exquisitely done, with minimal fuss and no traceable clues.

It was May, 1991, a little after one in the afternoon, at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Prof Culianu, a handsome man in his 40's had three books in press, was about to get married, was loved and respected by students and faculty, and was at the peak of his profession as a historian of religion. His work was recognized internationally, and he could look forward to the honors and comforts of a successful academic career.

Ted Anton presents the true tale of Prof. Culianu with deftness and care. It is a story that to this day continues to reverberate in academia and law enforcement because it has never been solved. Far more exciting than fiction, the story of this professor takes turns and dips that keep the reader on edge and breathless.Culianu was an expert not only on the traditional aspects of religions, but had an interest in the occult arts that formed part of the ancient rituals and practices. He was an expert in divination through geomancy, and was about to teach a course in this practice. He gravitated towards the occult. He knew about near death experiences and about the transmigration of souls; and at the same time he maintained his status as a legitimate scholar and teacher in one of America's prestigious universities.

Fictional stories about crimes and police work are very enjoyable, but reading a book like this renders the others insignificant by comparison. Of course truth is stranger than fiction, but it is also more exciting, more interesting, and finally...more scary.

I first heard of the murder of Professor Culianu when I was an undergrad at the University of Chicago. I was immediately drawn to find more about the man who allegedly believed in the magic he studied. After reading "Eros and Magic" and "Out of this World", I thought that this biography might shed some additional light on the man, his scholarship, and his occult dabblings.

I must admit I was somewhat disappointed. The book is very dry and factually oriented. The facts themselves appear to be well-researched, but are simply presented without much else. Mr. Anton tells us where Prof. Culianu was born, where he studied, what books he wrote, but seldom goes deeper than that.
Ironically, given the themes in Culianu's work and life, Mr. Anton fails to realize the importance of evoking the imagination in telling the story, to bring the facts to life in a meaningful, interesting way.

There are only the slightest hints of the exciting ideas that motivated Prof. Culianu's scholarship and personal life.
It is said that Prof. Culianu took a personal interest interest in the ideas he was studying, actually practicing divination and teaching a course on it. But rather than exploring in any depth either Prof. Culianu's professional ideas or personal interests, these facts are simply used as "hooks" to carry the reader along.

If you are interested in the ideas of Prof. Culianu and/or his interest in occult scholarship, this book will probably disappoint you. If you are looking for a lot of biographical facts about Prof. Culianu, then this book may be for you.

This is an insightful look at the life and work of a brilliant Romanian scholar and exile, and at the frightening overseas activities of the Romanian secret police in the post-communist years. Written in a clear, elegant style, with plenty of references to Culianu's writings and glimpses at his complicated personal interactions, this book is a great read. As the author concludes, Culianu "left a legacy of the dangers of a life of the mind." Without this biography, his undeserved fate may well be forgotten.