Assassinations Books

Gary Savage has added new fuel to the fire with this publication. In addition to the great photos, many previously unseen, the folks who "hit the ground running" on 11/22/63 add new insight into the type of character Lee Harvey Oswald was. I particularly enjoyed some of the "in passing" things that were said about Oswald (i.e., hair pulling, flippant attitude, etc.) after his arrest and have since added them to my own Oswald file for future reference. It appears that the DPD did have enough physical evidence to secure a conviction, but I'm sure the conspiracy theorists will beg to differ. All in all, JFK FIRST DAY EVIDENCE is an excellent reference and sort of vindicates the work of the DPD, even though their work became tarnished when they threw Oswald to the wolves that Sunday morning.

Evidence gathered within hours or shortly after a crime is committed is the most reliable. Physical evidence, eyewitness statements, and the recollections of investigating police all go toward the overall "brief of evidence" which determines whether a matter is to go to Court or if further investigation is required. Gary Savage shows us this "First Day Evidence" - not tainted by time, memory loss or fabrication. The evidence from the Book Depository as it was collected on 22 November 1963 is presented in a clear, concise and chronological way. Along with many photographs not previously published and taken by Dallas Police as a result of their evidence gathering, this is an excellent book that dispels the myths that have been perpetuated over the past 3 decades, and shows that had Oswald not been shot by Jack Ruby - that the Dallas police had more than enough evidence to have Oswald convicted "beyond a reasonable doubt" in any trial that would have been forthcoming.

"JFK First Day Evidence", a 1993 publication by Gary Savage, reveals the fact that more than enough evidence existed against Lee Harvey Oswald to convict him in a court of law for the two first-degree murders he was charged with in 1963.

And the utterly far-fetched notion that a band of clever "We'll-never-get-caught-no-matter-how-stupid-this-plot-sounds" conspirators (numbering God-knows how many in total number of plotters) could have somehow faked and/or manipulated ALL of this wealth of "Oswald-Did-This-Alone" evidence is just too silly to be given serious consideration.

For, if ALL of the "First Day Evidence" against Oswald was miraculously fabricated by evil conspirators (without a single non-plotter noticing a thing or spilling any beans), then those people who plotted JFK's assassination MUST have surely taken a lesson or two from the late Harry Houdini (or some other magnificently-talented magician or escape artist). Because any such contrived "plot" that has every single piece of credible evidence leading investigators (falsely!) straight to the conspirators' one and only innocent "Patsy" must certainly be labelled as "The Most Incredible Conspiracy Plot Ever Conceived".

But, naturally, many "CTers" (Conspiracy Theorists) seem to hold the exact opposite opinion regarding a goodly amount of the first-day evidence which proves, beyond any doubt, that Oswald was guilty. A large percentage of conspiracy believers feel, instead, that much of the first-day evidence proves that Oswald was completely innocent of shooting and killing both President John F. Kennedy and Dallas policeman J.D. Tippit on November 22nd, 1963. When, in fact, the first-day evidence does no such exonerating of a double-murderer named Oswald in the slightest manner.

CTers have the tendency of blowing up every tiny little mistake and erroneous piece of information (which have all been thoroughly explained in non-conspiratorial ways) to monumentally-important proportions in their quest to prove that some sort of conspiracy existed surrounding the deaths of President Kennedy and Officer Tippit.

The Tippit killing, of course, is a murder that was so obviously committed by only Oswald that it's probably not a stretch of credibility to say that well over half of the evidence against him in the Tippit slaying could be tossed aside, and there would still be ample evidence remaining with which to arrive at a guilty verdict (had Oswald lived longer than two days following the murder in order to stand trial). But CTers still feel there's a need to make Oswald innocent of that murder too. Disgraceful.

Let's have a logical look at some of the "First Day Evidence" that CTers like to bring up continuously as "proof of conspiracy".........

THE TIPPIT MURDER MIX-UPS:

The controversy re. the "Revolver vs. an Automatic" weapon was fully explained by the DPD's Gerald Hill. Since all of the shells/(casings) were found in a small, confined area, Hill (and other police officers) had initially jumped to the incorrect conclusion that Tippit's killer was carrying an automatic weapon (which expels its cartridges automatically).

But Oswald had to physically open his gun's chamber and had to physically remove the shells himself in order to re-load (which he was seen doing by multiple witnesses at the corner of 10th Street and Patton Avenue, which is where all four shells were found, including one that was first picked up by one of the Davis women and taken inside her residence and then later recovered by police).

The fact that Oswald was described as "shaking" the gun in order to extract the shells also is a nifty little key piece of testimony -- due to the fact that spent shells in Oswald's particular .38 revolver had a tendency to stick, and therefore extra physical effort (i.e. shaking) of the gun was required to remove the empty shells. Again, perfectly matching what both Davis women testified to later.

Also -- Re. the "mixed" variety of shell casings that were recovered at 10th Street:

Four bullet shells were recovered and four bullets were taken out of J.D. Tippit's body -- but it wasn't a perfect "match" of Remington-Peters shells/bullets to Winchester-Western shells/bullets.

CTers feel this is concrete proof that Oswald's gun was not the gun used to kill Tippit (or at least they'll say not the ONLY gun used).

And seeing as how the majority of CTers seem to feel that a "Frame The Patsy Named Oswald" conspiracy plot was in place prior to November 22nd, here's a question that I doubt any CTer can answer in a believable manner re. the pre-11/22 actions of these amazing "Patsy Planners" -- i.e.: WHY on Earth would they (those who were seeing to every little detail of Oswald's "Patsy-ism" and "framing") make a ridiculous error like that?

In other words, WHY in the world wouldn't the "Dream Team Of Patsy Plotters" have seen to it that there was an exact MATCH of shells found on the ground to align properly with the bullets taken from Tippit?

These guys are smart enough to actually get such a PERFECT-looking Oswald "imposter" (so as to fool over a dozen witnesses at the scene), and they're smart enough to actually have stolen (evidently) some spent bullet shells from Oswald's own gun prior to 11/22/63, and they're smart enough to have Oswald acting like a very guilty man in the EXACT area of the Tippit crime ---

And yet they're stupid enough to pull a mismatch boner with the bullets and shell cartridges?

Anybody buyin' this bill of pro-CT goods? I'm certainly not purchasing it.

A much more logical scenario has Oswald firing a fifth shot which missed Tippit (a shot which earwitness Ted Callaway always claims he heard from his car lot nearby, having never once wavered in this "5th-Shot" belief). This 5th bullet was never recovered, although there is some evidence that a 5th bullet shell WAS recovered by Barbara Davis' father-in-law (with Mr. Davis keeping the shell as a "keepsake").

It's advisable, however, to take that father-in-law story with a grain of salt, because it's never been confirmed, and said shell was "misplaced" after Mr. Davis' death. But BOTH Davis ladies have said that it was true that Mr. Davis had picked up a shell on 11-22-63 and it was later found by Barb Davis among Mr. Davis' effects.

CTers also need to realize the fact that Oswald had an even division of Remington and Winchester bullets (unfired) in his gun when arrested (3 of each type precisely). And those were the EXACT types of bullets AND shells that were scattered through Tippit's body and on the ground at the murder scene.

Anyone believing in Oswald's innocence in the Tippit murder is either completely ignorant of the wealth of evidence against him -- or that person has a large "CT Only" agenda. (Or, is just a flat-out, grade-A fool.)

Take your pick.


THE "MAUSER" VS. "CARCANO" CONTROVERSY:

The same kind of "Why Did The Plotters Do It This Way?" questions could be asked concerning numerous other aspects of the JFK and Tippit murders as well.

For instance:

Conspiracy theorists love to fall back on the info that a "Mauser" rifle was supposedly found on the 6th Floor of the Texas School Book Depository after JFK's murder. CTers want to believe that the Dallas police discovered NOT Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5mm weapon -- but, instead, a German-made "7.65mm Mauser" rifle was found on the 6th Floor. This, of course, begs the natural follow-up inquiry of:

WHY would these Patsy-framers (bent on having OSWALD'S OWN CARCANO DISCOVERED AND PROVEN TO BE THE ONLY MURDER WEAPON IN THE CASE) "plant" the WRONG TYPE OF GUN to be found on the 6th Floor?!

How God-awful stupid is this piece of pre-assassination "framing" of their "Patsy"?

Also -- Do CTers believe the plotters would plant a gun which has NO ties to the so-called "planted" CE399 bullet at Parkland? Nor would this "Mauser" have been linked to any of the bullet fragments found inside the limousine.

Sheer idiocy.

The same line of thought applies to the "revolver vs. automatic" discrepancy at the Tippit murder site. Why let the cops think it was an AUTOMATIC for even a second if the gun Oswald has on him is a REVOLVER? Just plain stupid on the plotters' part.

Same with the three spent shells found on the 6th Floor of the TSBD. Some CTers think that at least one of these shells did NOT come from Oswald's 6.5mm rifle. But why? Why "plant" a different type of shell that is only going to PROVE A CONSPIRACY EXISTS?

And, the biggie -- it's the same question that can be asked of the conspirators regarding the multi-gunmen "Patsy" plot so many CTers buy into -- I.E.: Why would we (the real killers/conspirators) even want to shoot John Kennedy from a variety of different locations when our ONE PATSY is located only in the Depository? It's just plain dumb!

Plus: Why would we (the many non-Oswald assassins) want to fire so many bullets at the target so closely together, so that witnesses can later say: "I heard two shots really close together".

Could these Patsy-framers have BEEN more reckless and silly if they had tried? If so, please inform me as to how they could have been more needlessly reckless with their plot.

Common sense fails to enter the minds of CTers regarding these very simple questions, IMO. (And, I guess, no such common sense entered the heads of the "plotters" either re. these matters -- that is if you want to actually believe the CTers here, and believe that some goofball assassins PRE-PLANNED all these MISTAKES and silly errors for the police to find.)

A much more logical explanation is just what Dallas police officials Boone, Hill, Curry, et al, have said from Day 1:

The police aren't perfect machines. They're human. And make mistakes.

The labelling of the rifle as a Mauser was a mistake. (Perfectly logical one too at the time, because both types of rifles look similar in nature at first glance.)

The assumption of an "automatic" gun being used at the Tippit murder scene was perfectly logical, but it was, too, a mistake. Explained by Gerry Hill fully afterwards, but no CTer wishes to believe this officer's story.

The mismatch of shells and bullets at the Tippit scene does NOT automatically indicate "conspiracy" or "two killers" or "two guns".

Acceptable explanations for the "mismatch" are indeed plausible. But no CTer wishes to buy into the far more reasonable explanation of a shell that simply was not ever recovered from a fifth shot which missed Officer Tippit (a shot which was heard by at least one earwitness).

Instead, the much more UNlikely pro-conspiracy-slanted scenarios burst through the ever-so-small crack of doubt surrounding JFK's murder (re. the divergent accounts of the evidence).

(I omit any crack of doubt re. Tippit's murder; because even WITH the mismatch of shells, the OTHER evidence is just simply way too overwhelming to believe anything other than Oswald killing Tippit by himself.)

A huge problem with the continuing belief in crazy conspiracies that just do not follow any common sense and logic is the failure of almost all CTers to evaluate separate aspects of the case (where discrepancies in the record do exist) in the reasoned light of good old common sense -- and the CTers' failure to ever look at things from a Pre-Assassination point-of-view. I've yet to encounter one conspiracy advocate who looks at things in the pre-11/22 manner in which I've detailed.

Another very interesting piece of first-day evidence (which could actually be categorized as "First Minutes Evidence") that leads straight to the building where Lee Harvey Oswald was located during the President's murder is the fact that EVERY single newsman who initially reported the shooting to the rest of the world (via the wire services, TV, and radio) claimed -- within minutes of the last shot being heard -- that "three shots" were fired at JFK's motorcade in Dealey Plaza (with the majority of these three-shot witnesses also thinking the shots had come from behind the President's car, from the direction of the TSBD).

If there had been many more than just three shots fired, as most CTers believe, it's utterly remarkable that all of the people who were in a direct position to tell what they saw and heard to the world within minutes of the event, via the media, heard precisely the same number of shots that it was later determined were fired from Oswald's rifle from the Book Depository (matching precisely the THREE spent bullet shells found on the 6th Floor too).

How did the "plotters" manage to have all of these various news reporters (Merriman Smith, Jack Bell, Bob Clark, Robert MacNeil, Pierce Allman, Jay Watson, and Jerry Haynes, among still others) hear exactly the same number of shots, a number (3) that the conspirators NEEDED to have witnesses hear in order to bolster their "Patsy" plot against Lee Oswald?

Pretty amazing indeed, if there had, in fact, been up to 8 or 10 gunshots resounding through Dealey Plaza that afternoon (as some CTers advocate).

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

The overall evidence surrounding the JFK assassination and the J.D. Tippit murder investigation (including both the "First Day" variety of evidence and otherwise) tells us, undeniably, that Lee Harvey Oswald was responsible for murdering two people on November 22, 1963. To believe otherwise is to live in the dark and murky world of make-believe, unsupportable, wish-it-were-so conspiracy theories.

In the decades since November 22, 1963, the conspiracy
theorists have succeeded in convincing a large majority of the American people that the conclusions of the Warren Commission were incorrect, i.e. either Oswald didn't do it, or there was some major conspiracy, possibly involving other gunmen. However, there have been those, such as authors Norman Mailer and Gus Russo who started out as believers in the conspiracy, but being open minded, decided to took at the hard evidence again. This led them, and many others, to finally realize that Oswald was the lone gunman and probably acted on his own initiative. Oswald's brother, Robert, also accepts the hard evidence as proving that Lee Oswald was guilty.
For those who want to take a fresh look at the hard evidence, this book is a good place to start. This is the evidence that the Dallas Police Department collected ON THE FIRST DAY, at the scene of the JFK and Tippit murders. This evidence goes beyond what the Warren Commission saw and strengthens its case. The 1993 PBS television show "Frontline-Who was Lee Harvey Oswald" interviewed the authors and then presented photographs of the rifle to fingerprint analyst Vincent Scalice. He concluded beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fingerprints on the rifle handle were indeed those of Oswald. Before this time, palm prints had been lifted from the rifle, but the prints remained behind in Dallas while the rifle was sent to Washington, leading some to claim that a clear chain of evidence had been broken.
This is only one sample of the multitude of evidence presented against Oswald.
I strongly recommend this book for those who want a good grounding in the hard facts of this case in which to scrutinize the claims of those who are purveying the conspiracy theories fantasies.

I'm an avid reader of murder mysteries and was excited to start reading The Mayor's Wife a book I heard of while doing the book networking circuit. Normally by mid-page I can tell who the murderer is, but the ending left me shocked. This book had so many interesting twists and turns with each character rich in drama and intrigue, I definitely didn't want it to end.

I found myself wanting to know more about Indigo and the other color characters.

So if a part-two doesn't come out soon, I will be very disappointed!

This novel by first time author, Martha (Marti) Tucker is indeed an Urban Classic. The Mayor's Wife Wore Sapphires is the story of Indigo Tate, wife of Compton's beloved Mayor Melville Tate. Mayor Tate is the man who plans to take Compton to the next level by building hope in a community that has been destroyed by drugs, gang murders and poverty. His incubator concept of healing urban woes has given the city a new beginning and hope for a future for the many young African Americans now mired in the muck of dirty politics and greedy leadership. His beautiful wife Indigo, a poor girl from Gary, Indiana who seeks to escape the ghetto of Compton works by his side hoping that a bid for a Congressional seat will take them to Washington to live among the beautiful people.

But standing in the way of this move is the Mayor's discovery that something is very rotten in his city and that millions of dollars earmarked for this transformation is missing. He decides that he can not make the Congressional run; much to his wife's horror and he decides to stay in Compton and find out where the missing millions went and to see his project through.

Just as he is about to make a public announcement; he is assassinated by his detractors. Indigo is also wounded but survives to find herself a widow in the midst of a conspiracy to blame her husband's murder on a young gang member who is set-up to take the fall. Indigo remembers her husband's dying request, that she see this thing through to the end so she puts herself in harm's way in an effort to find the true murderer by running for Mayor of Compton.

This is when the real action begins. This murder mystery combines political drama and intrigue with the social ills of urban America. There is even a romantic twist in this mix. A full cast of characters that Tucker has deftly developed gives the reader a very entertaining novel that is both suspenseful and true to life. The storyline is very complicated and the reader is easily lost if attention to detail is not adhered to. The behind the scenes ins and outs of municipal government, the struggle for power and money, and a myriad of personalities creates a fast-paced thriller that keeps the reader guessing from one chapter to another.

Martha Tucker has penned a novel that should stand the test of time in the tradition of African American writers who write stories of substance and truth. I'd rate The Mayor's Wife Wore Sapphires a five star read as this reviewer was thoroughly entertained.

Idrissa Uqdah
Reviewer, BAHIYAH Woman Magazine

DISILGOLD SOUL BOOK REVIEW: The Mayor's Wife Wore Sapphires by Martha Tucker-----Martha Tucker's newly well-crafted novel, The Mayor's Wife Wore Sapphires, is a spine-tingling murder mystery mixed with explosive high- energy, suspense- filled drama and engaging dialogue. Tucker masterfully intertwines a plot around the assassination of Compton Californian Mayor, Melvin Ray Tate, and the story carries through with precision. She allows readers to get a behind-the-scene look at the life of a mayor from lush congressional parties commanding $2000 per plate to fancy meetings between town officials.

His wife, Indigo Tate, is sassy, beautiful and in search of fulfilling her dreams for a better life despite a law that forbid her husband to live outside the borders of Compton as the Mayor. She holds a big title as Mrs. Mayor, but the harsh underworld of Compton backfires with vehemence as more than 2 million dollars is found missing from a World Hub Project and drug warlords are running amuck prior to her husband's mysterious killing.

Indigo is determined to find out who shot and killed her husband and stole her dreams. She suspects Councilman Kahn as a possible suspect and others. After all, he was interested in her husbands seat in office. She is encouraged by Congressman Frank to run for Mayor herself to replace her husband's seat, a bold and daring move. Will she win the sympathy vote from the public? Her intentions become entangled with more sub-plots until she is faced with the true murderer of her late husband Is it Councilman Kahn or someone readers least suspect?

Tucker has created a work fit for a movie script. You gain a sense that she took extra care to write a completed novel with thorough beginning, medial and ending development. She is a well researched writer, exudes excellent pacing, has believable characters, and uses extraneous language well enough to draw the eye of the intelligent reader.

The intricate layers of this work shows evidence of a seasoned writer with a gift of storytelling. She utilizes Indigo as a modern day heroess who is determined to stop at nothing to avenge her husband's death to the very last moment. Prepare to be taken away by "The Mayor's Wife Wore Sapphires."

I recommend Tucker's book for readers who love engaging plots with real substance along the lines of Karen E. Quinones Miller and Donna Hill. An extraordinary and fulfilling work has arrived.

*****5 STARS! THE DLNA YOUNITY REVIEWERS

Reviewed by Heather Covington,
Editor-in-Chief of Disilgold Soul Literary Review

I am a member in a yahoo group that this author frequents. After hearing her talk about the positive message that this book presents, I was eager to read the novel, despite being disappointed by the ho hum cover. Unfortunately, the story was a very slow read that wasn't able to capture my attention. :( I felt like the story dragged on in many parts, and it sits halfway read on my nightstand because of that. I give the author two stars just for the effort of trying to send a positive message to her readers - if it would have been done with more excitement, the story would have been better.

An exceptional work, easily the best book on the subject available, and comprehensively researched and detailed. Instead of the usual diatribe by conspiracy buffs relying on half truths, I found it rock solid. It's hard to imagine any impartial, intelligent, logical reader concluding anything but that there was more than one gunman in the kitchen, and that the LAPD engaged in an almost wild and foolish coverup of the facts. Their blatant arrogance to this day about their handling of this case, at best preposterously incompetent, continues to infuriate and continues to cast a poor light on your average, decent LA cop who just wants to do a good job and go home at night.. A very well written, fast paced read - I couldn't put it down.

i was kinda dissapointed in this book. the book looks awsome from the picture above, then you start reading it, and it kinda dissapoints you. the book is almost way in depth that you get lost. it mostly talks about the lawyers and how they got on, what they did during the trial, how Sirhan Sirhan can't remember jack squat from the assassaintion, and how this lawyer had another case going on and this and that. it's pretty dissapointing in my opinion. i'm gonna read it again though, more carefully. it's just that you get worn out that's all. it's like watching a 4 hour version of the movie Mars Attacks. anyway, if your'e interested in the RFK assassination, then buy the book. i just wish it would talk more about the actuall assassination that's all.

oh yeah, one more thing i can't understand at all. the book says that Sirhan Sirhan's lawyer in his opening statement says that he knows Sirhan killed RFK. but he was gonna prove that at the time he was under a transe. he was there pyshically, but not mentally. ha ha ha....a defense lawyer saying that when the evidence was clear that Bobby had a bullet hole in the back of his head when some 65+ witnesses stated that Sirhan fired from only the front. how can that be? 65+ witnesses see Sirhan fire at Bobby from the front, he's got a hole in the back of his head, nothing from the front, and the defense lawyer says his defendent is guilty of killing the would be 37th President????

alot of mystery surrounding this assassination. read the book.

This book is well researched and well written.

It pieces together the events before and after the shooting of Robert F Kennedy.

It attempts to go into the mind of Sirhan Sirhan the "forgetful" assasin who certainly has more to him than meets the eye.

It also delves into the unfortunate and basically unlawful behaviour of the LAPD, which includes the systematic destruction of crucial evidence which points to more than one shooter in the pantry, the harrasment and intimidation of witnesses refusing to slide into the the scenario the LAPD wished to put forward.

This book unknowingly shows for me anyway, why OJ Simpson could get away with murder because of the LAPD being simply so deceitful.

Whilst the writers certainly prove that there were more than one shooter involved they do not put forward their own opinions as to who was behind the murder and for what purpose RFK's killing served and why Sirhan Sirhan was then "patsy".

However, the LAPD have a lot to answer for and until we really find out what happened this book should tide any interested person over until then.

The authors provide us with what is probably the most complete investigation of the trial of Sirhan Sirhan, and it is almost unbelievable at times how badly his defense team acted (or didn't act at all) on Sirhan's behalf. The description of the destruction of the evidence by the police is also something you have to read to believe. The procedures that they followed in investigating this case are suspect, and it there is so little left that it makes you wonder if there really was (dare I say it) a cover-up?

Sirhan remains an enigma, still claiming no memory of the events. The ballistic evidence contradicts that he acted alone, but with so much of the evidence missing, it is hard to make a case for his innocence. A conspiracy? A cover-up? Another case where we probably will never know the truth...

Poyer handles his characters growth well. Much action is off screen. As it would be given the character's position. The author's insights are always interesting and sometimes enlightening.

As is expected, Pyron has all of the military and technical details spot on. However, I found some of the plot to be a wee bit unbelievable and the ending extremely abrupt. In sum, though, it was still a true page-turner and as difficult to put down as the other Dan Lenson tales. Pyron is truly spell-binding in his yarns!

I am a fan of David Poyer. The long-suffering Dan Lenson feels like my friend. But, in his early books Poyer had what I call his "Crazy Captain" theme. Seemingly every Captain that Dan served under was a nut case. I can only assume that David had some "Crazy Captain" experience of his own that makes the theme so real for him.

I was thrilled when he left that theme behind in "The Command" for example.

But in "The Threat" the theme of the psychologically tortured mind makes my friend Dan into a bumbling jerk who screws up every good thing in his life.

David, your readers don't buy your books in order to read about screw-up heroes with performance problems. We have enough problems of our own.

Stick with the great settings and high adventure. Drop the mental angst.

Buy the book and read it. But, don't be surprised if you come away angry at Poyer over what he does to our friend Dan.

This is easily the best Lenson story in the entire saga. I got the book and read it in a day and a half. I was riveted. The action was
great, moving along constantly. It literally had me on the edge of my seat. Character development was super. As was the descriptiveness of it. I could see myself there. I also developed an extreme dislike for some of the characters. If that is what it is like in DC, I want nooooooo part of
politics.
I could see this one being made into a movie pretty easily. I think it
would play well on the screen and would be pretty easy to do I think.
Get this book. If you haven't read the rest of the series, or Mr Poyer's other series' get them to.
I'm retired Navy, and this author has it down pat. Almost feel like I'm still in when I read them. Great Read!

Harold Weisberg is the Dean of conspiracy writers. He has spent an incredible amount of time and energy researching the Warren Report, and its exhibits. Those who have viewed the video series, "The Men who Killed Kennedy," will recognize Mr. Weisberg as the wrinkled man with the quiet, well-reasoned voice.

Now 87 years old, Weisberg here gathers much of the material from his prior books into a comprehensive and readable volume.

There are many books that deal in pure speculation to show that the Mafia, or the CIA, or the FBI, or others, killed John F. Kennedy. This book is not one of those.

Weisberg uses the Warren Report, the 26 volumes of exhibits, the autopsy of President Kennedy, and numerous documents he has forced to be released, using the Freedom of Information Act, to make his points. He boldly calls Arlen Specter, the author of the "Single Bullet Theory," a liar, and invites Specter to sue him for libel.

This book does not attempt to identify the persons who killed President Kennedy. It does prove, however, that it was done by conspirators, and that the U.S. government deliberately covered up the truth. The proof uses mostly the government's own evidence.

Occasionally, the editing is slightly ragged, and the comments of Mr. Weisberg are opinionated. This book was not written to be a best-seller, but to "tell it like it is." For that reason, it is valuable to a serious reader about the assassination.

Decades from now, when the complex mystery of the JFK assassination is still a fascinating topic, Mr. Weisberg will still be respected and honored as the man who forced out the truth.

I strongly recommend this book.

If Oswald had lived and Weisberg had been his lawyer, the case against Oswald would have been quickly dismissed. Weisberg simply uses facts, objective observations, photographs, eyewitness testimony, and what was NOT said in the Warren "Omission" to prove that Oswald could not have been the shooter and that there were gross injustices done in Dallas. I am convinced that Weisberg is honest in his portrayal of facts. He doesn't attempt to answer who killed JFK; he attempts only to prove that Oswald is innocent based upon the facts available. I found the book to be very interesting. The first half of the book held my attention while my attention began to roam during the second half of the book. Why? Weisberg quotes too much evidence without the benefit of giving the readers a picture with which to make comparison. In other words, it's often difficult to "see" what he is describing. This makes the reading somewhat dry on occasion. I believe the book would have been much more entertaining had photographs of the evidence he sites been included.

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

BEST JFK ASSASSINATION BOOK: ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
BEST JFK SECRET SERVICE BOOK: SURVIVOR'S GUILT BY YOURS TRULY :)

Unlike most conspiracy theorists, Weisberg tackles the assassination of Kennedy through exhaustive analysis of the facts as presented by the Warren Commission. Weisberg is not a sensationalist with a financial agenda (he in fact lost economically, putting forth his own money to sue the government for Freedom of Information disclosures several times), but rather an objective mind searching for the truth.

Weisberg is a surprise to anyone who has read extensively about the assassination as well as to the novice. He thoroughly analizes both the official investigation and acts as the oversight the Committee should have performed prior and after the report was issued.

While some may like to call his observations and conclusions subjective (as if any government's conclusions could not be), others like myself would argue his conclusions are the most probable in every instance while the Commission's most famous
points appear to be a farce, unsellable except probably to a population in the 17th century.

Critics of the critics always claim a hidden agenda, such as financial gain, however this speaks very little of the truth, as the truth in every instance of life is independent of what one wishes to have or even think. This is only avoiding the tackling of the issue. Perhaps if all who consider themselves intellectuals were to read all sides and gather conclusions, having an honest dialogue (and when I say honest, I don't mean people who think like me or even agree), we can communicate. But, to name call and segregate those who do opine that the murder of the President was foul play is only to breach the bottoms of stupidity.

This book ought to interest a wider audience, who are concerned about civil liberties and abuses by government agencies. In this case, Clay Shaw was hounded by Jim Garrison, who announced when indicting Shaw that he Garrison had no case, but he expected Shaw to commit suicide, thus proving his guilt. Shaw did not. Shaw was found innocent in less than an hour by a jury. On the Monday following, Garrison indicted Shaw again for perjury, Garrison had a crowd picture showing Shaw and someone else whom Shaw had declared under oath he didn't know. Garrison produced a picture in which the two appeared. but were not talking to one another! It took another 2 years and an order from a federal judge to Garrison to stop harassing Shaw. Shaw died broke from all the court costs. .... Yes, this book should be reprinted and have the wider audience it deserves.

In the late 60's, New Orleans district attorney, Jim Garrison (played by Kevin Costner in the Oliver Stone move, "JFK") indicted businessman Clay Shaw for his alleged participation in a plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. A true and bizarre story told by a reporter covering the daily happenings of the trial. Although the author's bias is evident due to his personal liking for the defendant, nonetheless, his insightfulness into the legal wranglings is incredibly interesting. This book may have limited appeal to only those keenly interested in the details and history of the Kennedy assassination. If that is the case, you won't be disappointed.

This book should be considered a novel of fiction rather than non-fiction. It is a very interesting book if one has never done a full study of the Garrison investigation. Much of the information contained in this book is inaccurate, and when reading at the very beginning, he tells which side he is on, and rather than bring about the truth, he only brings forth evidence in which will side with the defense, leaving out very pertinent information. This book is in the category of "plot or Politics" By Rosemary James, and "False Witness" By Patricia Lambert, whom all attack Jim Garrison. One must look at the sources in which they use, and when you look, you see that the sources in which they use is reworded to fit their account of the investigation. Don't take this book seriously if you are seeking the truth!

The killing of Prime Minister Verwoerd of South Africa in 1966 was considered a blow against white supremacy. In fact, it was the work of a crazed assassin who was acting on his own notions.
The assassin Tsafendas was a half breed of Greek/black descent who was torn apart between both races. His illegimacy was also a source of tension in his life. Both factors contributed to stress on his mind and the result was the killing of the Prime Minister of South Africa.
This was a little known event in the rest of the world but traumatic in South Africa. Tsafendas by thrusting his knife into Verwoerd demonstrated his hatred of a system that hurt him.
Tsafendas was a lunatic, but his action showed the resistance of some to white supremacy. The book is a short but good read about a little known event.

Demetrios Tsafendas' life was one of rejection, depression, yearning, and mental illness. Try as he might, he could not fit in. Nor could he get acceptance for his bi-racial heritage. The author, Henk Van Woerden, writes a succinct biography of the man who murdered Hendrik Verwoerd, the "architect of apartheid". He peppers his story with his own perceptions of the South African policies that destroyed communities in order to segregate the races. South Africa's policies, however, of separating the black and white races (among other races and ethnicities), left those of mixed heritage with nowhere to go - not accepted by either race. Tsafendas lived in this nowhere land.

A really beautiful book that makes you feel sorry for the assassin and for the country of South Africa.

Henk van Woerden describes the life of Demitrios Tsafendas who killed the South-Afrcan prime minister Verwoerd in 1966. Demitrios was born in Mozambique from a Greek father and a black mother, a fact that haunted him for the rest of his life: there was no place where people really accepted him en his existence was a series of deportations (Mocambique, South Afrika, USA, Greece, Portugal) and rejections (by his father, his stepmother, his stepbrothers and -sisters and a potential wife. No wonder that this would make a human crazy. In the end he destroys the roots of evil by killing the face of apartheid.

In between all this we can read the writers own experiences during a number of visits (1989-1998) to South Africa, the country where he lived from age 9 to 21. There is no reason to celebrate: a torn country full of violence.

This book was not exactly what I expected. I thought it would be a focused look at the reason the authors thought that Napoleon was assassinated, but much of the text is actually his campaigns and political life. It almost seems that they were trying to make the book look big by adding information that you can easily read in other texts. I really thought this one was going to be different but it fell a little short in my opinion.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who likes history and/or true crime stories. It's amazing that so little has been known about Napoleon's last days, and that so little attention has been paid to such a wonderful book that seeks to explain Napoleon's demise. Through a mix of science and story telling, Weider and Forshufvud weave a tale of intrigue and murder. Their analysis and conclusions are so compelling, and their evidence so convincing, that it would seem impossible for anyone, after reading this book, to believe anything other than Napoleon was poisoned. As someone who is trained in these same forensic sciences and investigative principles, this is a fantastic and accurate book.

This formidable story brings us to the magnificent life of one of the greatest heroes ever existing on earth, and of his mysterious death. It all begins on a lavish sofa at Ajjacio, Corsica, on August 15th 1769,when the second child of the Buonaparte family was born.Then it continues with his becoming general, emperor of France, and conqueror of Europe, until his disastrous attack at Moscow, his abdication, the hundred days,and his exile to a little island in the middle of the Atlantic. It culminates with his poisonment of arsenic and goes through a great detail in his last days before his death.It expands new evidence of his intoxication behind the miserable and tragic life inside the walls of Longwood. Was he really poisoned? Who was really the culprit? How can the author be sure of that? Is there a possibility that Napoleon comitted suicide? You can find all of it in this book. If you're a great admirer of this Eagle of France, I'm sure you won't regret.

This book lays bare the role of the U.S. government, New York City authorities, and capitalist news media in the killing of Malcolm X.

Only the gullible did not suspect FBI and CIA involvement in the 1965 assassination of Malcolm. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, the FBI was forced to reveal documents in 1974 regarding its sordid goal: to "prevent the rise of a `messiah.' "_____(expunged name) might have been such a `messiah'. He is the martyr of the movement today," read a FBI memo dated August 25, 1967. This book's analysis is crucial for those seeking the truth today.

Suggested Other Reading: Cointelpro: The FBI's Secret War on Political Freedom, by Nelson Blackstock;
New International No. 6: The Second Assassination of Maurice Bishop with "Washington's 50-year Domestic Contra Operation by Larry Seigle;" Malcolm X: The Last Speeches

This is what I thought of the book. I thought it was a good book, it was interesting to read. Basically, the book was about Malcolm's plans and his murder. He went to jail when he was young then became a Muslim. He eventually broke away from the Muslims and started his own movement. The police didn't like Malcolm or his organization of Negroes. He thought blacks and whites should be seperated. Unlike Martin Luther King, he believed in the violent approach. He was killed in a ballroom. The author wants to know the reason the police didn't look further into the investigation. That's what the book is written about.

This book combines on the spot reporting of the murder of Malcolm X that exposes the flaws in the NYPD's claims about the murder with a look back at the murder taken after COINTELPRO, the FBI's campaign against the civil rights, antiwar, and other progressive movements which included following and disrupting the life of Malcolm X. This is combined with political defense of Malcolm's ideas and his course of struggle in the time after he broke with the Muslims. For those who think the NYPD and the FBI are heroes, and who think that the US government should not be feared in regard to protecting the civil liberties of people in struggle, this is the book to read!

While this book is not always available on Amazon, it is always available from BooksfromPathfinder, an Amazon Z store that you can get to by clicking on New and Used further up this page!

I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald alone killed Kennedy. I've also read about five books that tout various conspiracies in the JFK case, and _Six Seconds in Dallas_ is the best of them. Thompson appears to be one of the more honest conspiracy researchers who attempt to find an answer to the mystery rather than just endlessly find fault with the Warren Commission. His theory of the shot that hit JFK in the back (or throat, depending on how you see things) is particularly interesting and almost compelling. I recommend this book whether or not you believe Oswald acted alone. It's very readable and to the point.

A marvelous study for the time it was written. And fortunate for all, Dr. Thompson has just recently "re-surfaced" - showing that the Zapruder film was NOT altered...contrary to recent books like "Assassination Science" and "Bloody Treason." Have Amazon.com try to obtain a copy of "Six Seconds..." - it is a worthwhile addition to the bookshelf of any serious Kennedy assassination student.

There are some real wacky conspiracies out there. A lot written just to make a fast buck. There are books out there that claim as many as 15 gunmen, and over 20 shots fired. Some people will believe anything they read, thats why The National Inquirer makes millions upon millions each year. However, I honestly think Thompson really wanted to find the truth, and even though his book is a first generation conspriracy book, it is an essential book to read if interested in the Kennedy Assassination. I would start with reading 1.The Warren Report, then get a copy of 2.The Zapruder film on DVD to study. Then I would suggest reading 3. Accessories After the fact (or another well written) book that blast the Commissions way they mishandled the case from the beginning. I would then suggest an early period Conspiracy book before 1970, that doesn't go into UFO's killing Kennedy. 4. Six Seconds In Dallas, is the best book that I've found for being open minded to some degree, and looking at both sides. Some of the things he states has been proven incorrect. However, considering the first edition came out over 35 years ago, it stands the test of time well. I was impressed with the charts, and maps of where the witnessess were shown to be located, and what they saw, and when they said, and what they told the commission, and why the commission didn't bother to interview key witnesses. I will probably get some criticism here, but I would then pick up a copy of 5. Case Closed - it's almost like a rewrite of the Commissions report, showing that their conclusions were correct - However, the fact findings they used were flawed, and they dismissed a lot of important information or ignored what they didn't wish to hear. But the strong point of this book, is that it tells the story, and in the footnotes it criticizes all the crazy (and some not so crazy) ideas that the modern day pro-conspirators have. From that point, you should be able to figure which route to go. I have not read Crossfire, but have been told it covers just about all the main conspiracies. There are some more books out there I could suggest, but I would have to say that most researchers into the Kennedy assassination, would have Six Seconds In Dallas on their bookshelf.