1 comments about Hitler's Personal Security: Protecting the Führer, 1921-1945.

1. This is by far the best work every on Hitler's secruity and the various assassination plots against him. It's especially strong in the early, seminal years of the Nazi party and there are some extremely rare photographs of Hitler in Munich in the mid to late 20's. Hoffman's research is extensive and he unearths material not found in other books. He relies on primary sources for many of his arguments and these interviews enhance an already strong book. If you have an interest in Hitler's incredible knack in evading assassinations, this is the preeminent book on that subject.

5 comments about Come Retribution: The Confederate Secret Service and the Assassination of Lincoln.

1. Come Retribution is opaque, at times difficult but a wonderfully fresh look at the official role of the CONfederate government in the assasination of Abraham Lincoln. Unlike most works on the Civil War, it is not a re-comilation but a new look at an old subject using new evidence. And the evidence is damning -- the authors, all modern day intelligence experts, argue convincingly that the death of President Lincoln was a runaway operation that was designed to kidnap the president and/or blow up the War department. The authors ability to uncover fresh evidence at so late a date is an indication that modern research and analytical techniques used by the intelligence community have a strong and valuable role in historical reseacrh as well. This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in the assasination of Lincoln, the Confederate Secret Service or historical detective work. MichShul@aol.com



2. While not as readable as a novel or even a narrative history, this book is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the subject of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. While everybody and his brother has been accused of killing John F. Kennedy, few have questioned the "lone gunman" theory that John Wilkes Booth was a madman who acted on his own. Some years back there was an inept attempt to blame a conspiracy involving Union secretary of war Edwin Stanton, but no one seems to have thought to explore the obvious possibility of Confederate involvement--at least not since Stanton himself gave up trying to pin it on Jeff Davis shortly after the event. Now this book presents a sizable body of circumstantial evidence to show that, at the very least, the assassination was a last-minute perversion of a Confederate plot to capture Lincoln and thus bargain for its independence, or at least for its soldiers in Federal prisoner of war camps. The book is well written, and the thesis it presents is convincing. No one who has not read this book really understands the end of the American Civil War



3. "Come Retribution" is a lengthy and often technically detailed effort to place the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln into the context of Confederate Secret Service operations during the Civil War. The first half of the book lays the ground work by an extended discussion of Confederate intelligence and covert action activities. This discussion highlights the difficulties of reconstructing activities that were highly secret and poorly documented, especially in the chaos of the closing months of the Civil War. The second half of the book is the application of what is known about the Confederate secret service to the events around Lincoln's assassination. What emerges is a more richly nuanced explanation of those events, in which an extended effort to orchestrate Lincoln's kidnapping becomes an assassination plot after the fall of Richmond in April 1865. The gaps in the record, based both on the passage of time and the secrecy in which these actions would have been carried out means the authors must often imply or suggest links in their explanation based on their characterization of the assassination as an organized secret service mission. The motley band of misfits led by an allegedly insane actor found in traditional histories are in this version replaced by a purpose built organization recruited, financed, and directed to some significant degree by the Confederate Secret Service. The authors' explanation is reasonable and plausible, if not fully documented. The writing in this book is sometimes tedious and repetitive, and will be of most interest to serious students of the Civil War and especially of Lincoln's assassination. This book will be of particular interest to those with a background in intelligence or special operations; indeed, a full understanding of the book almost presupposes such a background. Those who choose to favor exotic conspiracy theories about the Lincoln assassination will be disappointed; Tidwell and his fellow authors prefer simpler explanations.



4. Although many people today have assumed that Booth acted to kill President Lincoln, Seward and Johnson as an act independent of Confederate complicity, the authors of 'Retribution' document that Booth was well connected with the Confederate special operations unit and agents. The complicated Confederate special operations provided agents not only in Washington D.C. and Maryland but also NYC, Canada and other keys areas inside Union lines. After describing in detail the clandestine activities of the Confederates, the authors outline how the network of agents were implanted that were active in gaining and transferring information but also prepared to support Booth and his companions in the kidnapping of Lincoln aiding his transport through Maryland all the way to Ashland, Virginia and beyond. Unfortunately, definitive proof of the Confederate secret operations may not be explicitly connected to Lincoln's death, it is apparent that Booth was active with operatives in NYC, Canada and agents in eastern Maryland, the flight of his escape. When Booth determined to assassinate Lincoln, there is no conclusive evidence that Confederate authorities approved of his action; however, as the authors point out, the approved element of kidnapping risks death of the object of that kidnapping. In that sense authorities knew with the initial kidnapping plan, that the possibility of Lincoln being killed was a risk does indicate complicity in the possibility of his death. This is a very detailed and well documented book that demonstrates that the Confederate special operations were very active whether in germ warfare with a failed effort to contaminate NYC with yellow fever or to contribute to anti-war sentiment particularly in NYC or even to free Confederate prisoners in the Great Lakes, it is very apparent that Confederate agents were willing to use extraordinary measures to end the war. It's amazing that Lincoln was so vulnerable to being kidnapped or assassination and that he was virtually unafraid, leaving it all to fate as he often rode off alone and refused protection unless coerced upon him. It is ironic that perhaps an unwritten code not to assassinate Lincoln protected him when he was vulnerable during most of the war and just a reasonable complement of bodyguards in the end would have saved his life. While Stanton somberly stated, "Now he belongs to the ages," upon Lincoln's death, it appears that Lincoln trusted a higher authority in protecting his life or in determining his time. How good is this book? The author of one of the most recent and acclaimed books on the Lincoln assassination, "Blood on the Moon" frequently references "Come Retribution" calling it a great scholarly history on the Confederate spy and special operations network and its activities.



5. I read all the reviews on this book, and was really looking forward to reading it. With all due respect to the author, the book is hardly referenced, speculative, and relies on highly circumstantial evidence in support of its thesis: namely, that Lincoln was the victim of a Confederate plot. Also, the writing style is dull and unimaginative, hardly provoking much desire to turn the next page.

1 comments about The President Has Been Shot!: True Stories of the Attacks on Ten U.S. Presidents.

1. Contrary to what you might infer from my rating, this book was pretty accurate and informative up to the Reagan assassination attempt-then the author started playing politics. In said attempt, a crazy guy (who already couldn't legally own a gun) in love with actress Jody Foster, empties a .22 caliber revolver at President Reagan, wounding him and nearly killing his Press Secretary, James Brady. At this point the author goes off on a tangent in which she idolizes Brady's wife Sarah, who has since made it her goal to disarm America, and uses quotes from Reagan's would-be assassin to support Mrs. Brady's gun-control bill. That the author mentioned "devastator" bullets, which she claims explode on impact (they don't exist in .22 caliber), suggests to me that she should perhaps educate herself further on the ageneda she promoted. To conclude, if I wanted a book promoting gun-control, I'd have bought one entitled like, "Guns: the Evil of Inanimate Objects", not "The President Has Been Shot". I am 14 years old and first read this book in 4th grade.

2 comments about The Search for Lee Harvey Oswald: A Comprehensive Photographic Record.

1. 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.




2. 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 :)

4 comments about National Nightmare on Six Feet of Film: Mr. Zapruder's Home Movie And the Murder of President Kennedy.

1. I love reading Richard Trask's books about the JFK assassination; and this one, published in late October 2005, is certainly no exception. It's very informative and definitely a worthy addition to anyone's collection of written materials surrounding the shocking murder of President John Kennedy in November of 1963.
   
   "National Nightmare On Six Feet Of Film: Mr. Zapruder's Home Movie And The Murder Of President Kennedy" is a softcover volume containing 392 pages packed with just about every conceivable piece of information revolving around the infamous 26-second color motion-picture film taken by Dallas dress manufacturer Abraham Zapruder on November 22, 1963, which is a film which shows, in all its morbid detail, the assassination of an American President in broad daylight on a city street in Dallas, Texas.
   
   Mr. Trask details the full history of the film and provides a good deal of background and biographical information on Mr. Zapruder, an ordinary Dallas businessman, born in Russia, who, by pure happenstance and coincidence, turned out to be the amateur filmmaker whose name will forever be associated with the death of JFK.
   
   But, if it weren't for the prodding of his secretary, Lillian Rogers (who encouraged Zapruder to go back home and retrieve his 8mm Bell-&-Howell movie camera shortly before the President's motorcade arrived in Dealey Plaza), that brief and awful 26 seconds in history would probably have never been captured through Mr. Zapruder's lens.
   
   Like Richard Trask's other books on the JFK assassination which focus attention on the photographic aspect of the tragedy, the text of "National Nightmare" is ever-readable, easily-understood, and refreshingly-non-biased when it comes to taking a "Conspiracy vs. No Conspiracy" position by the author. Mr. Trask lays out the facts and leaves it at that.
   
   This book's endnotes/footnotes are all positioned at the back of the book in one separate section, so as to not clutter up the main text of the volume. (So keeping two bookmarks handy is recommended, because a lot of interesting info can be gleaned from some of these endnotes too.)
   
   One big surprise to this writer when perusing this book was seeing a COLOR version of the Robert Croft photograph printed on Page 67 (within a 16-page spread of mostly all-color photos and Zapruder Film frames). I had never seen the Croft picture in color previously. And it's an excellent-quality print of that famous amateur photo that I found in this volume, too. The picture is needle-sharp and the color is virtually perfect.
   
   The Croft photo, by the way, depicts the President's limousine on Elm Street, just after the car has made its sharp left turn from Houston Street in front of the Texas School Book Depository. It was taken at a point equivalent to Zapruder frame #161 (per this book's text and captions), which is just about the time the first gunshot was being fired in Dealey Plaza.
   
   Other highly-recommended publications authored by Richard B. Trask (centering on the photography of President Kennedy's assassination) ..... "Pictures Of The Pain" (1994) and "That Day In Dallas" (1998). The latter is a condensed version of the former, focusing attention on just three of the photographers who took pictures in Dallas on the day JFK was killed (Cecil Stoughton, James Altgens, and Jim Murray).*
   
   * = Although condensed into a smaller number of pages than that of its predecessor "POTP", "That Day In Dallas" does contain "revised and enlarged" material throughout its limited number of chapters. And the specific photographs represented within that volume are unrivaled in their clarity and quality of physical presentation, in this writer's personal opinion.
   
   I truly enjoyed both of those books, and was very glad to see "That Day In Dallas" come out a few years after "POTP", because "That Day" provides a larger-print format for many excellent-quality assassination-related photographs, including several pictures you're not likely to see in any other book on the subject.
   
   As a companion piece to "National Nightmare", I would also recommend highly the MPI Home Video DVD "Image Of An Assassination: A New Look At The Zapruder Film" (released in the summer of 1998), which contains four "digital" versions of the entire 26-second Zapruder Film in various formats, including "zoomed-in" variants and a previously-unseen "Widescreen" version of the movie, which includes the imagery between the "sprocket holes" from Mr. Zapruder's "camera original" film.
   
   That DVD also contains some valuable and collectible "bonus" video programming, including interviews with Zapruder associates, as well as the March 1975 "Good Night America" program (hosted by Geraldo Rivera), during which U.S. audiences first saw the horrifying images of Mr. Zapruder's movie. The DVD also has a crystal-clear video copy of the Live interview that Abraham Zapruder gave on WFAA-TV just hours after he had filmed the assassination.
   
   Many of the above-mentioned items from that "Image Of An Assassination" DVD are also referenced by Mr. Trask throughout the well-written pages of "National Nightmare".
   
   ---------------
   
   In "National Nightmare On Six Feet Of Film", Richard Trask has admirably filled in yet another in a seemingly-never-ending series of pieces of subject matter that comprise the wide and varied fabric that form the mosaic of literature covering the topic of the John F. Kennedy assassination.
   
   Nowhere can be found a more detailed and fact-based history of Abraham Zapruder's historic film than that which resides within these 392 pages.



2. I whole-heartedly agree with Mr. Von Pein's extremely comprehensive review. If you are into the photographic and film record of the Kennedy Assassination, as I am, than Mr. Trask's published works will satisfy your desire for an in-depth analysis of the major photos and films taken during the November 21st-November 22nd period of time. All three of his books are worth the investment for the wealth of photos they contain and the analysis of those photos.
   As to NATIONAL NIGHTMARE, I liken it to that first cup of cold water after a long run. It is satisfying and quenches the thirst. Mr. Trask approaches the history of the film and his analysis of it with no agenda. He is not out to change anyone's mind as to "who dun it," unlike David R. Wrone, who does a good job of describing the history of the film in THE ZAPRUDER FILM: REFRAMING JFK'S ASSASSINATION, but then goes off into the wacky world of Zapruder film tampering by unknown conspirators. I consider myself a historian, an as such, am much more impressed with Mr. Trask's objective approach to his subject. One gets the impression that he discounts the conspiracy theories in favor of the Warren Commission findings, but it serves as an undercurrent, not as a presumptious raison d'etre for the existence of the book. Mr. Trask simply presents the photographic record in wonderful detail, leaving the theories for the reader to muddle over.
   This is really an extaordinary book, and my hope is the Mr. Trask (I hope you're reading this, sir) publishes a book of all 400+ frames of the Zapruder film in the largest, clearest, most colorful format that technology can provide and takes a page to analyze each frame of the film. One frame per page accompanied by a page of analysis would amount to a holy grail of sorts for me and no doubt for all those who understand the importance of analyzing the history of November 22, 1963 through the numerous photographs and films taken on that day.



3. Richard Trask's objectivity must be maddening to the conspiracy nuts since he clearly doesn't give credence to their silly theories, while at the same time he doesn't openly criticize their ideas. He isn't looking for a fight. He simply researches the objective photographic history and refuses to jump on the bandwagon of insanity currently awash in the country by those claiming the Zapruder film has been altered. I was glad that he did not spend a lot of time in this arena, it would have cheapened the high quality of work Trask is known for. ALong with "Pictures of the Pain" Trask must be ranked among the great photographic historians of this case. I highly recommend this work



4. I'm almost finished reading this book and I must say that it is one of the best books about the Kennedy assassination. It has everything from the detailed history of the Zapruder film to a 16 page color section that includes the famous photos by Mary Moorman, James Altgens and Phil Willis, to over 100 black and white photos and diagrams of Zapruder frames and rarely seen photos and still frames from other movies made that day. I took the advice of another review on this board and bought the book with the DVD 'Image of an Assassination'. When the book references frames from the Zapruder film you can view the DVD to see exactly what it is the author is talking about. What else can be said about a book that comes in it's own wrapper. Probably a lot. A treasure.

No comments about A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination.

5 comments about JFK: The Book of the Film (Applause Screenplay Series).

1. "JFK, The Book of the Film "is really an extraordinary achievement....

   The screenplay incorporates practically every rumor, fact, factoid, and theory regarding the events of November 22, 1963.

   Almost every line of dialouge is meticulously footnoted....

   The second half of the book is a compendium of op-ed articles both in defense of and attacking (as in the case of Tom Wicker, Alexander Cockburn, et al) both Oliver Stone and the film. At times these attacks seem both humorless and hysterical ("hey guys..it's a MOVIE!")

   Though the book is ten years old, I find myself taking it off the shelf every six months or so to browse both the screenplay and the media barrage surrounding it.

   A great book!




2. This is an absolute travesty. Every possible conspiracy element - discredited or not - is added in. Garrison's investigation of the innocent Clay Shaw - the least substantive theory - is the platform for Stone's delusions. And it would HAVE to be about the Vietnam War wouldn't it !
   Take one example, the three tramps arrested in Dealey Plaza: Stone has them armed in the film , but they were not connected in any way and were later released.Read Anthony Summers instead and ignore this rubbish.



3. Among all the stories which popup every day, this is one story that we should tell our children exactly how and why it happened, the book as the movie did, presented the whole enigma in such a fantastic realistec way, you feel actually living with the characters breathing with them, at times joining in discussions... the complexity and huge number of names and sides in the story means it is not for teatime at all, you really need to concentrate well with this one.
   The event was a tragedy no question about it, and what the late Mr.Garrison tried to do was to prevent what we are witnessing now a days by disclosing the truth, to tell the truth is a courageous mission, to stick to it and face such enormous powers ready to do any thing even kill the president is even harder.
   I do recommend that we should have a copy of this story whether as a book or as film, for the sake of history which is always twisted by the claws of the most powerful .



4. In Oliver Stone's 1991 motion picture "JFK" (and in this book version of that film), a major stepping "stone" to "conspiracy" that's used by Mr. Stone (and nearly all other conspiracy theorists who have studied the John F. Kennedy assassination since that sad event occurred in 1963) is the contention that the controversial "Single-Bullet Theory" is and was a completely preposterous myth that could never have happened in a million lifetimes, and was placed into the Warren Commission's final report re. the Kennedy assassination solely out of NECESSITY. I, however, cannot disagree more strongly with such an allegation.
   
   While it's true that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is given the most credit for having come up with the "Single-Bullet Theory" to explain the simultaneous wounding of President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally -- as a point of fact, the "SBT" was in reality "More Than Half Way Home" (so to speak) as early as November 23rd, 1963 (well before Mr. Specter had ever gazed at any of the evidence in the JFK assassination case).
   
   Why? --- Because the seeds that ultimately sprouted the wholly-acceptable and utterly-logical "Single-Bullet Theory" are right there in the November 1963 autopsy report signed by Drs. Humes, Boswell, and Finck.
   
   It wasn't Arlen Specter who just arbitrarily decided (on a whim or ON HIS OWN) that a single bullet had gone completely through the upper back of President Kennedy and had exited his throat in the front. It was the AUTOPSY DOCTORS who made this critical determination on November 23, 1963 (one day after Kennedy's death and the FIRST DAY when ALL available and required information had been assembled and evaluated by the autopsy doctors; i.e., the first day when Drs. Humes, Boswell, and Finck had any knowledge at all that a bullet hole had been located in the front of President Kennedy's neck).
   
   The remainder of the SBT was, of course, pieced together in the early portions of 1964 by Specter (and probably other WC people as well) while utilizing other important information and evidence surrounding the assassination.
   
   The WC testimony of Robert Frazier of the FBI was an integral part of the "SBT puzzle". Frazier testified to the very important information about there having been no limousine damage in the rear-seat areas of the vehicle, proving that no bullet or bullets had penetrated the back seats or the Connally "jump" seats; nor did any whole or nearly-whole bullet(s) come to rest anywhere near JFK's or Connally's seats on 11/22/63.
   
   And there's, of course, the other vital (bodily) link in the "SBT chain" -- John Connally's body and his wounds (with the "elongated" entry wound on the Governor's back being a tell-tale sign that the bullet which struck Mr. Connally almost certainly had hit something or someone else first before entering the Governor's back); plus the lack of ANY bullets in Connally's body (and none found in JFK's body either, which was determined at his autopsy); and the determination by Connally's doctor (Dr. Shaw) that Connally's wounds were all most likely caused by just one single bullet.
   
   Which leads us to the ONLY BULLET ever discovered anywhere near the victims that could have been linked in any fashion to the wounds sustained by Kennedy and/or Connally (the non-fatal wounds to JFK that is) -- famous Bullet #CE399, which was found on a stretcher at Parkland Hospital by Darrell Tomlinson prior to 2:00 PM (CST) on 11/22/63, which would have been a ludicrous time for any conspirator(s) to have wanted to "plant" such a bullet -- because it was WAY TOO SOON to know for certain if OTHER missiles would be recovered from either of the victims, other bullets which (if found) would have rendered a "Planted CE399" completely useless and superfluous and, above all, PLOT-BLOWING!
   
   CE399 was linked to Lee Harvey Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano rifle (to the exclusion of every weapon ever made), and, via NAA analysis, that very same bullet has been linked (with near certainty) to the bullet fragments removed from the wrist of wounded Governor Connally.
   
   Given all of the above (in its totality), can someone please explain how in the "Real World" (where most of the population resides) the Warren Commission could have come to any conclusion OTHER than the Single-Bullet scenario to explain all of these above-mentioned factors?
   
   Obviously, they could not have explained the wounds themselves (and the wounds' physical arrangement on the two victims' bodies)....and the lack of bullets....and the lack of limo damage via ANY other logical and reasonable way -- other than to say what the Warren Commission ultimately did say: One single missile (CE399) travelled through John Kennedy's upper body, exited his throat, entered John Connally's back (sideways), traversed the Governor's chest (taking out a rib en route), exited the Governor's chest just below the right nipple, continued on its flight into Connally's right wrist, then exited the wrist where it became spent in the Governor's left thigh .... where it then was dislodged at some point (in the car or in the hospital), ending up on Governor Connally's stretcher, where the bullet was then discovered by hospital employee Darrell Tomlinson at approximately 12:50 PM to 12:55 PM, Dallas time, on November 22nd, 1963.
   
   But the literal genesis of the Single-Bullet Theory lies NOT within the Warren Commission or Arlen Specter specifically -- it lies in the autopsy report itself, a report which was signed by three different doctors WEEKS before the Warren Commission even began to assemble its panel of counsel members and legal assistants (which didn't occur until mid-December 1963).
   
   
   Let's have a look (verbatim) at just exactly what was determined to be the truth concerning the details of President Kennedy's back and neck wounds as of November 23, 1963 (six days before the Warren Commission was even created):
   
   "Summary: Based on the above observations, it is our opinion that the deceased died as a result of two perforating gunshot wounds inflicted by high-velocity projectiles, fired by a person or persons unknown. The projectiles were fired from a point behind and somewhat above the level of the deceased. .... The fatal missile entered the skull above and to the right of the external occipital protuberance. .... The other missile entered the right superior posterior thorax above the scapula and traversed the soft tissues of the supra-scapular and the supra-clavicular portions of the base of the right side of the neck. This missile produced contusions of the right apical parietal pleura and of the apical portion of the right upper lobe of the lung. The missile contused the strap muscles of the right side of the neck, damaged the trachea, AND MADE ITS EXIT THROUGH THE ANTERIOR SURFACE OF THE NECK. As far as can be ascertained, this missile struck no bony structures in its path through the body."* (Added emphasis my own.)
   
   * = From Page 6 of the Official Autopsy Report on President John F. Kennedy (aka: "Pathological Examination Report"); Bearing the signatures of all three doctors who were present at JFK's 11/22/63 autopsy at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, Maryland; Signed by: Commander James J. Humes, Commander J. Thornton Boswell, and Lt. Col. Pierre A. Finck.
   
   --------------
   
   The above passages from John F. Kennedy's official medical legal autopsy report absolutely destroy the idea spouted by conspiracy theorists of TWO separate bullets striking the back and neck areas of President Kennedy. And, in essence, this reference to an 'Into-The-Back-And-Out-The-Neck' bullet path, as described by JFK's autopsy doctors, results in (literally) two-thirds of the "Single-Bullet Theory" being purported just ONE DAY after Kennedy's death. The "two-thirds" being -- An OFFICIAL explanation by the autopsy doctors themselves linking .... #1.) The entry wound on JFK's upper back to .... #2.) The exit wound on the front of his neck.
   
   Why it is that the word of ALL THREE of these pathologists who signed off on the Official Autopsy Report describing the wounds of a murdered American President are tossed into the nearest ash can by virtually ALL conspiracy promoters is something I have a difficult time reconciling (except to say that the "CTers" desperately NEED that autopsy report to be dead-wrong in order to further the notion that THREE separate bullets struck JFK and John Connally that day in Dallas, instead of just the one "SBT" missile).
   
   But the OFFICIAL record is crystal clear regarding the back and neck wounds to President Kennedy....and has been crystal clear since November of 1963.
   
   To repeat this ultra-important point -- The doctors said that just ONE bullet passed clean through John F. Kennedy!!
   
   Therefore -- unless every last one of these three autopsy doctors are (to a man) hopeless and utter incompetents or all three of them are lying scumbags who would deliberately falsify the most important autopsy report any of them would ever sign in their entire lives -- then the very first (and verifiably-TRUE) seeds and important links to the Single-Bullet Theory lie in that 1963 Autopsy Report -- and not just in Arlen Specter's mind (nor in any unsubstantiated "theory" placed on the table by Mr. Specter alone, as many CTers seem to believe).
   
   Conspiracy theorists should begin to accept the obvious -- that "obvious" being: the Single-Bullet Theory is the most logical and valid scenario to explain the seven wounds sustained by John F. Kennedy and John B. Connally in Dealey Plaza. And it is the ONLY possible explanation of the event that stands up to critical scrutiny, detailed analysis, and common-sense interpretation of the evidence when the ENTIRE batch of Single-Bullet-favoring evidence is gathered together in the same place.
   
   Denying this fact is to play Oliver Stone's game -- a game highlighted by mystery killers firing from the Grassy Knoll, unexplainable disappearing bullets, and a series of bullet holes (made by THREE different gunmen) in TWO different victims that mirror a SINGLE-BULLET EVENT so closely as to be deemed "perfect" for the adoption of the "SBT" in the months following the shooting.
   
   And I ask with the utmost sincerity -- Who in their right mind would have any desire to play that conspiracy-filled game of impossible-to-pull-off nonsense? Not I, that's for certain.



5. This book presents factual information that should be known to every American. Where the movie about the assassination of John F. Kennedy presents a plausible scenario, the book provides a list of essential elements that points, as the movie, to a conspiracy. It is disquieting to read, so many years later, that some believe a single bullet inflicted such wounds to two men but supposedly survived in near pristine condition. This book should be read along with Trauma Room One by Dr. Crenshaw who was there at Parkland Memorial Hospital and examined the President's wounds. The first version of Dr. Crenshaw's book was declared by the American Medical Association to be a fabrication but he won a judgement against them in court.

5 comments about Close Quarters: A Michael Vaughn Novel (Alias).

1. Vaughn is shocked at his new assignment for the CIA. Instead of another important, high profile case, he's told to guard Italy's first daughter while she's in New York for a few days. Meeting the spoiled young woman doen't make him think any less of his job as "babysitter." But things begin to happen that makes him think there might be more to this assignment then he first thought. And when he begins to fall for her, things really get complicated.

   I loved this book. We got to understand Vaughn a little more in a story that holds together much better then his last prequel did. It has a fun surprise for series fans in it. And the plot was the most original of the prequel novels so far.

   Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, quick book to read.




2. Wow! I have read oh, 4 of 5 of these books and this was by far my favorite... I might be a little bias as Vaughn is my personal favorite character on the show but learning a litle about him from before he met Syd was a good break from the usual Alias story line, not that I don't love the show, I have never missed an episode since I started watching it mid-season 1, but getting to know Vaughn before Syd Bristow came into his life was a nice change. In this book you really get to know the real Michael Vaughn. I recomend this book to fans and non-fans alike. If you havn't seen the show, you might want to read this and recruited before tuning in. Happy Reading!



3. Michael Vaughn, what do we reall know about him? We know that he was Sidney's handler, and we know that he works for the CIA, but how much do we know about him as a person? This book really opens our eyes to the wonderful world of Vaughn. A few suprise twists really make the story.

   This book is an easy read and will be enjoyable to fans and non-fans alike. Happy reading!




4. However, that being said, i have thoroughly enjoyed all of the books i have read so far. i think i enjoyed this one the best because while Vaughn tries to uncover who wants the Italian president dead (when he's really only responsible for entertaining/babysitting the president's gorgeous and sassy adult daughter) his path actually crosses with someone we all love!

   Mystery novels normally follow a certain formula and the antagonist is supposed to be the person you least likely suspect. a good writer will make this surprise believable and as we look back see with excellent hindsight all the clues we missed. for me, this book followed the formula; however, when the antagonist was finally unveiled i wasn't all that surprised. the antagonist was understandable but it also kind of seemed like, "oh, this is the person no one will suspect so here!" and for that reason, i only give 4 stars.

   i love the tv series and have enjoyed reading the books because it allows me to see these characters develop from the young adults they were when first recruited, the maturity and experience they seem to be gaining as each mission is completed with ultimate success (amid their own human folly) and seeing how it relates to the characters that i wait to watch sunday night.




5. As a fan of the show, I found myself addicted to all of the prequel novels, but I especially enjoyed reading about Vaughn and learning about his past. This, like all the prequel novels, is far less elaborate than the show but I found myself enjoying it nonetheless. There are a few interesting tie-ins with Sydney Bristow to keep you wanting more. Overall, this is an interesting one to read with a good plot.

No comments about November 22, 1963.

5 comments about Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America.

1. I'm sure the statement, as fact, that Emma Goldman "dismissed [Czolgosz] as a police informant" would come as a great surprise to Miss Goldman. Anyone who read her autobiography, living my life, or looked into the subject at all would know that it was her friend, the Mennonite anarchist Abraham Isaak, who published a warning about Czolgosz being a spy in his newspaper "Free Society." Goldman didn't really know Czolgosz (or even his real name), but she demanded Isaak publish a retraction as he had no proof of his allegation. She later blamed this kind of hostile treatment from the very Chicago anarchists she'd introduced Czolgosz to for driving him to "prove himself" through his attentat.
   
   If you want to know about Anarchism and the period, don't buy this book. Buy "Living My Life," or read it right here for free: [...]
   
   Frankly, that's what the author would have done if he'd cared about getting even the most basic facts correct.



2. The authors goal of trying to show how the 20th century was going to be radically different from the 19th is a tough one to pull of but Rauchway makes a valiant effort. This book deserves five starts because it takes a topic that no one else has attempted and presents the information well. There are a few minor errors that I discovered but on the whole it presents a useful history that when taken in context is an excellent segway into the era of American imperialism. Overall this is a good book that is a great read for those who have knowledge about the Gilded Age.



3. Those who have noticed my growing list of reviews will find a lot of things reviewed, including several books on history. If you are one of those, you may notice that these books deal with presidents of the late 1800's and early 1900's. Considering that McKinley is my favorite president, this book captured my interest. However, it failed to maintain it.
   
   I noticed it goes along with the traditional view that McKinley was basically conservative, and that progressive Roosevelt became vice-president to get him out of the hair of NY boss Sen. Tom Platt. Having read Kevin Phillip's biography, I disagree with this assessment. I also found the comparisons between McKinley's assassin Leon Czolgosz (pronounced "Cholgosh") with Garfield's killer Charles Guiteau interesting, having read "Dark Horse" about Garfield.
   
   This book looks at various aspects of the turn of the century outlook. It seems to see Roosevelt as the beneficiary of Czolgosz's crime. I find some of the former interesting, but the book continued to bore me. Like "Dark Horse", it is told as a story, but it would make an excellent bed-time story because I would be asleep in no time.
   
   If you have a keen interest in the mindset of that period of time, I would recommend this book to you. Likewise, if you want to deal with what constitutes insanity, I would also suggest you read this book. However, if you want a book to keep your interest, this is not it.



4. The assassination of William McKinley is far less examined than those of Lincoln and Kennedy. If only for the relative obscurity of the topic alone, this deserves a look. While somewhat disappointing for a lack of focus, the book is quite informative.
   
   The author's thesis seems to be that the assassination of McKinley was symbolic of America's discontent with conservativism and big business's hold on politics, bringing about the progressive movement and the emergence of Theodore Roosevelt. The title of the book would seem to imply a focus on the assassination of McKinley, which is not accurate. Make no mistake about it, the title of the book is deceiving. Rauchway goes for several pages at a time examining nothing but the rise of Roosevelt. In that respect, the author strays from delivering what the title of the book suggests and at times from supporting his apparent thesis.
   
   One of the issues the book does a reasonable job of addressing is the story behind McKinley's assassin, Leon Czolgosz. Alienist Vernon Briggs investigated the life of Czolgosz only to find the powerful businesses that McKinley shielded were a key part of the environment that created the assassin. In the process of his investigation, Briggs brings the issue of the insanity defense to the attention of the American justice system. In this respect, Briggs's research had a major impact on the judicial system.
   
   Without the significant digressions into the social changes brought about by the Roosevelt administration, this book would be much thinner. Perhaps that is why Rauchway chose to include it. Even with the digressions, the book is decidedly thin. I enjoyed the book even though I believe it could have been composed with a much better sense of focus.



5. Book was shipped promptly within the projected time frame. Quality of book met my expectations. Speedy delivery.