Assassinations Books

This is a fairly good book but nothing like Orders to Kill by William Pepper which is much more detailed and conclusive in it's arguments. Thinking about it I guess these guys probably re-released to cash in on the time, effort and money that Pepper spent on the the case. Still it is much better than Posner so...

As it is a particular field of interest to me, I have probably read more about the trilogy of 1960's assassinations than most. Most conspiracy theories, however, involve a certain suspension of disbelief, and the reader, as investigator, must decide what they believe or not. Not so in Mark Lane and Dick Gregory's Murder in Memphis; without pointedly trying to be, their simple stating of the facts is the single most damning, disturbing, and convincing indictment of the FBI and others involved that I have ever read. Brilliantly written, the book is also meticulously researched; every source used is clearly identified and the reader gets the impression they could independently verify every statement made with relative ease. A non-stop page-turner from beginning to end; it is a must read for anyone who enjoys non-fiction.

Actually this essentially "no conspiracy" book is rather good in that the author especially given his background, shares useful insights into the minds of the intelligence agencies and indicates how unlikely it would have been that Oswald was part of a plot. The author is open minded enough to accept possible conspiracy. A rare level headed book on a subject that invariable gets clouded by myth, blurred fact and fiction and heated passionate but frequently ill informed debate.

As the leading civilian authority on the U.S. Secret Service (and President Kennedy's interaction with the agency), I was much interested in this book by Brian Bugge; his pedigree speaks for itself. If you are at all interested in the anti-Castro Cuban connection to the case, as well as the CIA's responsibilities in this area, you will not go wrong in purchasing this work. Vince Palamara

This book more or less covers topics instigated by the Elite that we all already know about. What interests me is the Nazi connection. I (we) all need to know more facts about how the SS cult survived the fall of the 3rd Reich, who they were, how they still exist (sans the cool uniforms),and most importantly, how they have infiltrated the American government, especially the Republican National Commitee and NASA. This book falls a little short of these details.

This book, although somehwhat cryptically written--in the uncomfortable vernacular of JFK assassination research buffs--nevertheless is in my estimation a valuable addition to JFK assassination research. Anyone who is up on this literature has to have a good "crap detection" system, and this selection seems to have passed the test with flying colors. Since the early 70s, all serious roads to discovering who killed JFK seem to be leading back to tying up the loose ends left by the Jim Garrison New Orleans investigation. And since there were many such loose ends to tie up, doing so is not a small job. Torbitt has hit pay dirt, and at the very least, pushes Garrison's investigation to the next research frontier--if not to the very edge of completely uncovering the assassination plot. Yet, there are questions this research raises itself. For instance, I am not yet convinced of the Nazi connections--even though there is much circumstantial evidence to support Torbitt's point of view. Despite my misgiving, this piece is coherent in the extreme and can stand on its own. We know that when the conspiracy is finally uncovered, the truth will have its own unmistakable context, and this book has the "smell of truth."

If you want to know a little bit about the 4 darks day, buy it. It's quite complete. There are a few photos. If you want to know more about it buy JFK by Jim Garrison .

This is a very good book from the Dallas Morning News. There are some nice photographs, as well. I was happy to see this book come out on an "off" anniversary (1990), as the other book that came out that year was "Conspiracy Of One (yuk!). Get this!
vince palamara

This is absolutely the most comprehensive and objective book on the assasination of JFK. Mr. Blakey analyzes all theories regarding the assination up to the date of publication and discusses and compares them in detail. He is a great authority on the subject and has been at the heart of more contemporary investigations into the death of JFK. His reputation precedes him. If you do not know him, just look for his appearance on any cuurent programs or documentaries on this subject. His views are often the point of comparison for other theories and analysis. Once you start reading this, you will not put it down. I read the book under it's second title, Fatal Hour, in paperback and I am still intrigued by it after more than ten years.

When G. Robert Blakey wrote this, he had spent a good part of his career trying to bring down organized crime. I can't help but think that his "the mob killed Kennedy" HSCA theory was, in the end, his own pure speculation, crafted to help further his agenda. But you have to hand it too him, his Jihad against the mob (through his RICO legislation etc.) worked. I'm just not sure how honest his book is about the Kennedy assassination.

Ms. Ashdown provided an interesting exposition of royal murders throughout the centuries and what was particularly pleasing about this book was the fact that she did not limit herself to British royalty but rather extended her analysis to Russian, Hungarian, French and Spanish monarchy. She was truly original in her analysis, establishing various lines of review - killings by poison, magic, for political purposes,self-aggrandizement etc. She also showed how the reasons for royal murders have changed over the centuries, reflecting in part the declining importance of royalty throughout the world. After completing this book, I was much more informed about this particular topic and I heartily recommend this to all. Ms. Ashdown's style is exciting, holding the reader's interest throughout.

This book contains a great number of anecdotes connecting royalty and murder, as victim and perpetrator. I found it very interesting, but at times, very difficult to follow. Until it resolved itself around the middle to be organized along a sort of time line, I couldn't figure out if it was sorted by country, family, or time. The author doesn't go into a great deal of detail in regards to each crime, so if you want an interesting overview of royals as murderers or victims, this book will suit your purposes well.

And in the center ring, standing somewhere between 5'8" and 5'11", Lee "The Assassin" Oswald!! And right there beside him, the man who has solved the Kennedy assassination more times than swiss cheese has holes, Robert "The Brain" Groden!! Now after a certain point, everyone feels that way. Bob Groden must be given his due: He has managed to squirrel away quite a collection of JFK visual materials, and the results are pretty stimulating. But the biggest problem comes in the text. Some of the sources and conclusions in this "definitive" text are open to quite a bit of speculation. Interpretation (this picture shows this, here we see Clay Shaw, and OHMYGoodness a Grassy Knoll shooter) could be easily contested.

This book is great for the coffee table as people WILL pick it up and WILL have great fun discussing it. Just be careful what kinds of words a picture can put into your mouth. Bob, I'd love to hear from you.

Being Groden's follow-up to "The Killing Of A President", this book is a little anti climactic. That said, it is still very good as an overview of Oswald with some nice photos. Worth getting.
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 :)

In 1955 Havana, Victor Salazar pays the ultimate price when the Mafia's accountants realized he was skimming money from the casino operation. Before he dies, Victor arranges with the Don to allow his son Raul to relocate in the States. Victor tells Raul to look for his grandfather's cigars.

In 1963, President Kennedy imposes an embargo on Cuba. However, just before shutting down imports from the island, the President obtains 1,000 elite Cuban cigars. Raul calls South Florida Congressman Wesley Cameron to ask if he would have any interest in stealing Kennedy's thousand cigars sitting in Massachusetts. Wesley and his elderly patron, father-in-law Cornelius Gessleman, agree to finance the plot as a prank to get back at the president they loathe.

In November, Raul calls Wesley to inform him that he has obtained the cigars by using a sleight of the hand to distract everyone. Now Raul blackmails the member of Congress and his relative who fear their link to the assassination. However, the Mafia trails Raul who they think possesses the missing money embezzled by his father. That loot was converted into diamonds lying within the former president's cigar collection.

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE is a wild ride that offers a different explanation to the Kennedy assassination. The main plot is well-designed centering on the need of vengeance and retaliation by several of the key, but offbeat players. The flashback sequences seem laggard and just slows down the plot. However, due to the wonderful cast of characters and the unique plot, this droll thriller makes for interesting entertainment.

Harriet Klausner

You just know Mel McKinney spawned this tale in a richly paneled study while enjoying a warm brandy buzz and the deliciously forbidden smoke of contraband. It has the delightful feel of plausible good-natured nonsense among friends.

Fascinating, quick read about people's reactions and memories of November 25, 1963, the day and hour and minute that President John F. Kennedy was shot in Texas. Written in 1968, interesting now in view of 9-11-01. Two events that mark our times.

Miles Hudson looks at eighteen assassinations of history, including Ceasar, Collins, Martin King, Gandhi, Sadat, and Lincoln, just to name a few. All are useful inclusions except Jesus Christ, who was really not assassinated and doesn't belong here (we learn little about him in any case). The author examines each with an eye to how effective they were in fulfilling the goals of the assassin. Interestingly, he concludes that only Trotsky's killing could be called a success in this regard. All the others were failures. Readers will want to explore the conclusion to see how Hudson scores the murders on his scale.



While excellent, I gave this four stars instead of five because so little is said about the assassinations themselves or the assassins. What allowed the killings to be successful? What mistakes were made? Why did the assassins carry out the job? The book is mostly silent here, focusing on the lives and times of the murdered. We are not even told that the Russian Czar was killed by one of Lenin's brothers! But I would still recommend this work to all interested in the history of great men and villians