No comments about Assassinations.

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 JFK: Breaking the Silence.

1. As confirmed to myself from the author, Bill Sloan, the unnamed agent at the beginning of the book who spoke with much trepidation was former Dallas office agent Robert Steaurt (I spoke to Steuart in 1992 and 1993). Although good, the best parts of the book are the aforementioned comments from Steaurt as well as the chapter on former Secret Service officer John Norris (since deceased).
   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 :)

5 comments about The Inside Ring: A Novel.

1. I really enjoyed this thriller. From beginning to end, it kept me enthralled. This is the first novel I've read by Michael Lawson and sure not to be the last. I have one small gripe. When you get some really evil characters I think they should suffer some evil deaths. Not quick and painless.



2. The other Lawson book I read, Second Perimiter, was pretty good, so I got this earlier book - That was a mistake. Maybe he was just learning his trade on this one, but the hero, DeMarco was doing things like refusing to arm himself or take simple precautions when he knows his life is threatened. Later, we have the scene where he is talking to a woman at her remote house when Surprise! the bad guy and his elderly boss suddenly join the conversation. They were not heard driving up or walking on the porch ? That was too much for me and I tossed the book.



3. This book was good, but the characters should have been more fleshed out. But it was definitely enjoyable and the 'bad guys' weren't paper tigers like you find in Nelsen Demille and Vince Flynn books. I look forward to reading other books by Lawson.



4. Mike Lawson has created a great first novel. While you will find the same complex plot and intrigue as other leading authors in this genre, Lawson approaches the task with an interesting set of characters and a refreshing sense of humor. The novel is a good read without taking itself too seriously.



5. After reading House Rules, the third novel by Lawson involving Joe Demarco, I decided that I should take a look at the first two. I'm glad I did as Mike Lawson's first effort with this character is a tightly woven political thriller that is hard to put down.
   
   Others have detailed the story quite well so there is no need to repeat it. Add Lawson to your list of writers who use Wahington politics as a background for their stories to great success. The Second Perimeter awaits on a rainy day here in Maine which should make it more enjoyable.

1 comments about Felaheen.

1. The assassination attempt using a poisonous snake could have come from anyone who had access to Emir Moncef. The viper bites his calf, but he survives because his twelve year old son witnessed the incident and screamed for help. His wife and his heir believe the obvious culprit is either a family member, an un-loyal servant, or another member of the inner retinue. However, an unrecognized son by a different woman Kashif Pasha believes the NR is behind the assault.
   
   To protect the Emir and to uncover the assassin, former cop turned private investigator Ashraf Bey, who may be another unacknowledged offspring of the prolific Emir is hired. The genetically altered Ashraf struggles to uncover who wants the Emir dead; he leans towards the North African rebellion as the source so he goes undercover as a laborer in the lair of the enemy the metropolis of El Iskandryia while his maybe ten years old niece Hana al-Mansour better known as Hani decides to become Uncle Raf's "apprentice".
   
   The Third Arabesk alternate history Ottoman Empire Noir (see PASHAZADE AND EFFENDI) is a terrific who-done-it starring a fabulous hard boiled sleuth who is softened by his niece. The story paints quite a vivid picture of a world in which the Ottoman Empire still exists in the twenty-first century. The complex sty line takes the audience all over from Manhattan to the Ifriqiy Desert to El Iskandryia and elsewhere without missing a beat so that the reader knows this is the real stuff. Reading the previous novels would be worth the effort as they are amongst the best in the sub-genre, Jon Courtenay Grimwood cleverly intertwines the key elements into this excellent entry. FELAHEEN makes three winners in a row.
   
   Harriet Klausner

5 comments about Triangle Of Death: The Shocking Truth About the Role of South Vietnam and the French Mafia in the Assassination of JFK.

1. Plenty of interesting ideas and some new takes on old information but otherwise a very badly written book in serious need of editing and counseling. Material is repeated and re-examined endlessly throughout the book giving the impression the authors initially finished at 88 pages and realized they desperately needed to pad the thing to get it published.
   
   I'm still stuck on "Mortal Error"--the book that gives a whole different take on part of the assassination, that the last shot was an accident. That book, right or wrong, has very interesting explanations of a lot of material and the author is a ballistics expert.
   
   The Kennedy Assassination was not an isolated event--as the public and even conspiracy theorists like to view it--but a "systems" event of astonishing complexity. This book, despite its huge flaws, is one of the best to tap into that mentality. There explanations of French politics of those years in regard to Algeria and Viet Nam and subsequently the assassination are cogent. I just think a systems approach was a bit beyond the authors.
   
   We need to understand, especially today, that an assassin, or anyone else, can be a terrorist, a double-agent, a patriot, a mobster, a politician, a drug dealer, a compassionate and loving parent, and a number of other things somewhat simultaneously. There is a front office world and a deep dark back office world and unfortunately that back office world, especially since WWII, is really what's now driving the modern world. One can find a straightforward conspiracy or two behind Lincoln's assassination or simple motives behind Garfield's or McKinley's but Kennedy's will always be elusive. It gnaws at us, whether we realize it or not, because it was the first major global event to publicly, even if for a few moments, reveal the workings of that hidden world.
   
   The assassination did not go off as planned. As the authors state, Officer Tippet was certainly supposed to have killed Oswald and Oswald would have been yet another kook killer in the history books. Case closed. Jack Ruby was pure desperation and subliminally we all caught that. That single moment in the basement was the point of ignition for doubt. It looked and smelled so wrong. If the last shot was also a dumb mistake then this one probably had even the insiders panicked for a few days until the information got sorted out. No triangulation--one shooter, one patsy.
   
   Don't blame the Warren Commission--all nice guys who weren't about to rock the boat. They looked at all the info, realized what it meant, and did the best PR patch job they could. Nobody had to say boo to them, they just all had to be individuals who knew how the system worked, not even active participants in that system. What was to be gained by the truth? Nothing but disruption, nothing but wearing on the nerves of a lot of content and sleeping people. What was to be gained by letting Kennedy live? Less than nothing--the man was a major liability on too many fronts alive and a major asset to too many people--even his own party--dead. This wasn't about anti-communism or oil or even heroin, as the authors speculate. All that is linear-think. This was about the maintainence of a smoothly functioning global system.



2. As a group, JFK conspiracy theorists are the lesser breed.
   
   JFK conspiracy theorists are almost, to an individual, sexually dysfunctional far left-wing grassy knoll flyboys routinely distorting evidence incriminating the Marxist Oswald and otherwise looking for the missing fascist under every bed. Hunters of fascists - ha ha!
   
   Their own assassination scenarios invariably contradict one another, and they never stop to consider that since only one of those scenarios (at most) could possibly be right, then the others must obviously be wrong and that this impugns them as a group. And if 99.9% of JFK conspiracy theory is bilge, as it must be, why should one assume that there is anything to the remainder?
   
   JFK conspiracy theorists only agree among themselves on a handful of things: 1) historical study is to be used as a tool of leftist political activism, not as a means of discovering the truth; 2) the Marxist assassin Oswald must necessarily be regarded not as an assassin but as a martyr; and 3) JFK was a leftist saint who was murdered by the forces of reaction that he opposed.
   
   Conspiracy theorists want you to look at the evidence through their own specially-convexed glasses in order to exonerate Oswald and implicate The Right. And after you've done that, they want you to join them in avenging JFK by liquidating The Right and making America once again into a groovy Woodstock nation where long hair (facial and cranial), psychedelic drugs, and casual sex with far-out hippie chicks can once again run wild - all without cost or consequence.
   
   Yes, I know that Woodstock took place six years after Dallas, but still, that's what grassy knoll lefties have in mind. If you doubt this, go find a photograph on the Internet of the long-haired Martin Shackelford, his face permanently frozen in a tantrum of Sixties dissent. If they can kill a president, how come the forces of reaction can't step forward again and shut these hippies up?
   
   OK, but I picked up "Triangle of Death" and read it - not because I expected to be convinced of anything but because I recognized from the jacket cover that this would be a different type of JFK conspiracy book.
   
   And to their credit, the authors, Brad O'Leary and L.E. Seymour, don't seek to portray JFK as a leftist saint or as any sort of saint. They disdain the Stone/Prouty view of history, including the notion that Kennedy had any intentions of withdrawing American troops from Vietnam or that speculation to this effect had any part in his death, admirably placing the documentary evidence of a proposal to reduce American troop involvement in its proper context.
   
   Also, they disdain the notion, popular in leftist circles, that JFK's botched Bay of Pigs invasion played any role in his death.
   
   This is all to the good, and O'Leary and Seymour also remain largely inoculated from the disease of terminal leftism, though they do insist that Ho Chinh Minh was a political reformer mistreated by the colonial powers, instead of a genuine Commie - echoing leftist Castro apologia.
   
   The authors acknowledge the recklessness of JFK's actions in Vietnam - particularly with regard to his role in the coup of the Diem brothers. Indeed, they suggest that JFK had a hand in their assassination, not just their overthrow. If E. Howard Hunt had access to this material, he wouldn't have needed to forge anything.
   
   An informative account of the "triangle of death" involving the French heroin syndicate, the American Mafia, and the South Vietnamese government is included. JFK was killed, they say, because his secret campaign against the Diem brothers (actualized three weeks before his own death) threatened the heroin-based profits enjoyed by this network.
   
   By the way, the idea is not an original one. A version of it first surfaced in 1975 or so in a work of FICTION; i.e., Charles McCarry's "Tears of Autumn" from his "Paul Christopher" series of novels. History imitates art!
   
   What the authors haven't done, of course, is prove their theory of a connection between this triangle and JFK`s death. It largely rests on speculation plus a declassified CIA document, dated April 1, 1964, that noted that a French assassin was in Dallas on the afternoon of November 22, 1963 and was whisked away afterwards.
   
   But how is this factoid to be distinguished as genuine history, as opposed to any one of a number of rumors that swirled and continue to swirl around JFK's death? The source of this information, according to the memo, was a "Mr. Papich". The authors of this book acknowledge that they don't know who he is and dismiss the issue as unimportant.
   
   This betokens a lack of thoroughness on their part, since a quick Google search discloses the identity of one Sam Papich, who was the FBI's liasion with the CIA, and whose name is connected in other such memos with CIA plots against Castro and post-assassination investigations by American intelligence. Papich passed away only recently and was alive while this book was being written. He would have been available (if not necessarily cooperative) for an interview with the authors, if they had only discovered him, but there's nothing in any other memo in which Papich is mentioned to suggest that he maintained any continuing interest in a possible "French connection".
   
   The sheer accumulation of happenstance involved in the homicide itself renders the possibility of conspiracy extremely unlikely. But the authors don't get around to discussing ballistics until the end of the book, and I'd already put the book down because its dry treatment of an interesting but already-overcovered topic exhausted me.
   
   Until the end, they blandly accept the conspiracists' version of ballistics as the defining one and they refer all discussion to Robert Groden - a waxy-mustachioed leftist who couldn't catch a cold, let alone a Presidential assassin.
   
   Notwithstanding these criticisms, I'm awarding as much as 3 stars to O'Leary and Seymour as a reward for a certain amount of originality and independence.



3. While I thought this book was worthwhile in many respects, especially with regard to the info. on Mertz/ Soetre, 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



4. ...enjoyed this book alot. sad what happened to JFK, but also shows the left was not a bunch of political virgins either. He made one to many enemies, and this book explains why.
   
   fast read too, considering the amount of backup material. so JFKs brain was never found huh? very strange indeed.
   
   read the book and find out another angle on who did what and why to "Camelot's King."



5. SANTOS TRAFFICANTE DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES!HE WAS NOT SHOT!
   HELMS WAS NOT IN THE PICTURE WITH LYNDON JOHNSON WHEN HE WAS SWORN IN ON THE AIRPLANE.
   TO THINK THAT SUCH A MAJOR HIT CAN BE DECIDED,ORGANIZED AND CARRIED OUT WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AS A ACT OF REVENGE IS NONSENSE.THE FACT THAT WE STIL DONT NOW EVERYTHING IS THE RESULT OF PARTICIPATION AND COVER-UP ACTIVITIES OF THE FBI,CIA,LYNDON JOHNSON AND SEVERAL OTHER GOVERMENT OFFICIALS.EVERYBODY IN THE ADMINISTRATION WAS INVOLVED AND THATS WHY EVERTHING TO THIS DAY IS UNDERWRAPS.

5 comments about A Simple Act of Murder: November 22, 1963.

1. Not having studied this case before, I took most of what this book presented at face value, it seems that the the lone gunman theory is correct and that there wasn't anyone on the grassy knoll or some big conspiracy in the government to hide what "really happened". All that said, it still seems that the Ruby connection wasn't explained to my satisfaction. I mean, criminals everyday probably deserved to be shot dead like dogs, but it doesn't happen that often...
   
   As for the book as something to read, it was a bit dry, I find reading true life crime books by Ann Rule very fascinating because she makes them read like novels, even though they are true stories. This book read more like a text book, which I guess gets the point across, but didn't make it all that fun to read.
   
   I'll give credit where credit is due, I think Fuhrman did justice to the fact that this case can be looked at like any other murder in that the facts are the facts and just because someone is famous doesn't change basic criminal detective work. I will however reserve a final word that just because somethings seem obvious, doesn't mean that they are, sometimes things are hidden, sometimes there are conspiracies to hide the truth, etc., etc,....



2. Perfect example of disinformation and subterfuge to mask the obvious. How many writers have been on the take from the cia in the past and present. No, how stupid to think that those in power would do such a thing. Follow this guys history and see where he's been. This guy has done no research, he just rehashes and totes the offical line with some disagreement thrown in for cover. He shows up at every forum on the NET where there is any discussion of facts that may not side with governments story line and automatically starts with the conspiracy theorist are blind and i.e. stupid. In other words, this is the truth and you must believe it. Sounds like religious dogma except this is the officially sanctioned dogma of certain parties in the gov. and power elite. Don't worry though because it will never be proven to the brainwashed masses that elected bush (the same who's dad was miami station chief for the cia), as long as they are still alive and maybe never. To many people have taken the koolaid.



3. I suppose this review reflects my dislike for Mr. Fuhrman himself in addition to that of his book. An insight to his thinking and personality can be found in Chris Darden's book 'Contempt'.
   He claims to 'stick to the facts' and he does, but he doesn't give enough facts to make a case. If my facts are correct, there were no records kept of the police interview with Oswald. Yet, Fuhrman quotes answers given by Oswald that must have come from those interviews. The police can say anything they want! Who can refute it?
   As far as the magic bullet is concerned, Furhman did some reverse engineering to try to explain something that no other bullet out of the trillions of bullets ever fired has ever done.
   I would have liked Furhman to have explained in detail one 'fact', the routing of the caravan past the TBS building. An interview with Gov. and Mrs. Connelly should have been included. The people in the motorcade said 'THEY are going to kill us all'.But then, I suppose you would get into conspiracy country.
   This book is not worth buying. I agree with another reviewer that Fuhrman
   had to write another book.



4. I didn't expect much from this slim, 232-page book. After decades of people endlessly rehashing and debating the JFK assassination, what could Mark Fuhrman possibly have to add? However, I must say I was pleasantly surprised by A Simple Act of Murder.
   
   Imagine what might have happened if, immediately after the events of 11-22-63, an ordinary Dallas homicide detective had been assigned to crack the case. No Warren Commission, no blue-ribbon committees and elaborate reenactments ... just a cop doing what cops do: looking for motive, means, and opportunity, examining the forensic evidence, and interviewing witnesses. That's essentially what Fuhrman does here; he analyzes the case the way an experienced detective would and treats the assassination as a murder much like any other. This is the Occam's Razor approach to the JFK case.
   
   Most people think there isn't enough information to solve the JFK killing. Fuhrman argues, quite convincingly, that there is actually too much information about the case, and what should have been a simple investigation became hopelessly cluttered with implausible theories in a misguided attempt to explain everything. He reduces the case to its essentials: the forensic and ballistics evidence; Oswald's means, motive, and opportunity; and copious eyewitness reports that point to Oswald. Fuhrman contends that none of Oswald's shots missed (the second hitting only Connolly) and that the single-bullet theory is implausible and unecessary. He also emphasizes an interesting bit of often-overlooked evidence: a dent on the stainless steel trim around the windshield of the Presidential limousine.
   
   Conspiracy buffs will undoubtedly dismiss this book out of hand, and others will complain that it's too short and omits too much. It's true that Fuhrman doesn't bother trying to refute many of the popular theories that surround the JFK case. But that's beside the point; Fuhrman shows that, treated by the accepted standards of conventional police investigation, the assassination is quite simple and the evidence against Oswald is overwhelming.



5. There are many controversies about JFK's assassination, but the main controversy is about whether or not Oswald was part of a conspiracy. An author who holds that Oswald acted alone can either argue against the myriad and contradictory arguments for a conspiracy, or he can simply make his case that the evidence does not persuade against and in fact justifies the conclusion that Oswald planned and carried out his plan to kill Kennedy without any involvement in any way from others.
   
   Mark Fuhrman holds that Oswald acted alone, and he makes his case that the evidence justifies that conclusion. This book does not contain detailed biographical information on Oswald or Kennedy. He contends that there were 3 shots fired. The first hit Kennedy alone, the second hit Connally alone, the third hit Kennedy alone. The "magic bullet" was from the second shot, and did not first hit Kennedy.

4 comments about The Awful End of Prince William the Silent: The First Assassination of a Head of State with a Handgun (Making History).

1. This is a very short book about a very obscure ruler who death sent shock waves thru the ruling class of Europe with his death with a handgun,and it took two try by two different men to get the job done,you would think that after the first attempt he would have forbid guns to be in his presence,but no and that was his downfall the second try did him in and every since then assassination have plauged the famous and not so famous. Not a great way to go done in history as a trivia fact.



2. Lisa Jardine has another home run! Her histories are the most readable and clear and obviously very well researched. The wheel-lock pistol had a very great influence on warfare and weapons development. And the influence and interaction of French, Dutch, English, German and Spanish interests is clearly depicted.
   
   If weapons history is of interest try "Of Arms and Men" by Robert L. O'Connell.



3. Book of a very unusual title, the author Lisa Jardine make her case in her short but informative study of the assassination of Prince William the Silent of Orange, one of the moving leaders of the Dutch Protestant rebellion against Imperial Catholic Spain. The book covers both the major events of William's life that led up to his death as well as the development of the wheel lock pistol which made such an assassination so easy. Influence of wheel lock pistol went beyond the military uses and civilians began to used themselves for protection as well as for other uses.
   
   It was interesting to note that this was the second effort on William's life by a pistol but considering how rare such an event was the first time, I don't think William took proper precaution against a second effort. In some way, this would make a great movie, a Spanish double agent worming his way into William's trust and confidence before blowing him away. Of course, the assassin's fate wasn't too pleasant but he seem to to bear it well.
   
   The author states that now that one of the leaders of Europe can be assassinated by a pistol, this make all leaders equally vulunerable. This was especially true for William's close ally, Queen Elizabeth of England which had her own Cold War with Spain going at that time and she herself, victim of many assassination plots.
   
   Book proves to be well researched and well written. Its a short book but it don't waste any pages. I did wish there was a good photo or a drawing of type of wheel lock pistol that the assassin used to killed William as well as Spanish reaction to his murder which was strangely absent.
   
   You would think that no matter who the enemies may be, foreign head of states would refained from using assassins on other foreign head of states since this will lead to copycat policies. But obviously, Hapsburgs leadership weren't thinking that way.
   
   The book come well recommended to anyone interested in the tidbit of history that had a long lasting impact. A new trend of assassination was born when William the Silent was murdered, it will be replayed in history as the author stated, in murders of Lincoln or Archduke Ferdinand (which launched the murderous World War I).



4. A small, but eloquently written study, dealing with the assassination of the Prince of Orange. Many of you may expect to read about the birth and evolution of the wheel-lock pistol, others - extremely detailed information about the day of the "red herrings", as Albert Finney (in his role as Hercule Puarot) calls the day of murder. Don't want to spoil it for you, but on the evolution of the "dag" the information is not very detailed. There are a few paragraphs speaking about the pistoleers and the change of tactics, but its mostly about the diplomatic background and the diplomatic gains and losses of the "potentati" of the period. A large part of the book deals with the impact of the Prince's violent death on the English society and diplomacy, and also gives an overview of the English intervention in the Netherlands.
   The account of the killing itself is not very extended, yet it doesn't seem to lack anything important to the common reader. A small part is dedicated to the assassin himself, but personally I would like to read a more detailed analysis of the man's character, psychology, ideology, of his connections, political, religious... (maybe what lacks here is an overview of the depositions, of the witnesses, of the inquisitorial proceedings).
   On technical issues... The language was clear and easy to read. The scholar will find it perhaps a little complicated where structure is concerned. To me it appeared that there was no clear division between the chapters, with the exception of the one that deals with the killing itself. This of course is a strictly personal opinion.
   The general impression is that this book is more about the diplomatic "game" around the killing and especially its aftermath and its results on the English policies in the Netherlands. Not a lot of information on the Spanish though, nor indeed on the French. The pistol (the wheel-lock "dag" specifically) is treated more as a revolutionary new tool of the potential assassin than a new weapon which played a part in the transformation of the way of war and tactics. The structure is a bit without a system, but its not very damaging to the contents of the book.
   In all a rather pleasant read; educative; not boring; in most cases very informative; but lacks information which even if it is less crucial, would be very useful. In two words: not bad. In another three: could be better.
   
   (this is a copy of my review of the same at the UK branch of Amazon)

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.

2 comments about Kennedy Contract: The Mafia Plot to Assassinate the President.

1. In 1979, after a wide-ranging two-year investigation, the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that President John F. Kennedy's assassination was most likely the result of a conspiracy, and that the Mafia had the motive, means and opportunity to execute JFK. Identified as the probable conspirators were Jimmy Hoffa, Santos Trafficante, Jr., and Carlos Marcello. But until 1993, there could be no corroboration by a living witness of the Committee's supposition.
   In early January of 1992, Frank Ragano, attorney for Hoffa and Trafficante and friend to Marcello, decided to break his twenty-nine-year silence. John H. Davis (the author), here reveals the riveting story behind Ragano's allegation. Included is new informatiion from key witnesses and shocking details surrounding the cover-up. This 1993 book blows the lid off the most fascinating murder case in U.S. history!



2. In 1979, after a wide-ranging two-year investigation, the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that President John F. Kennedy's assassination was most likely the result of a conspiracy, and that the Mafia had the motive, means and opportunity to execute JFK. Identified as the probable conspirators were Jimmy Hoffa, Santos Trafficante, Jr., and Carlos Marcello. But until 1993, there could be no corroboration by a living witness of the Committee's supposition.
   In early January of 1992, Frank Ragano, attorney for Hoffa and Trafficante and friend to Marcello, decided to break his twenty-nine-year silence. John H. Davis (the author), here reveals the riveting story behind Ragano's allegation. Included is new informatiion from key witnesses and shocking details surrounding the cover-up. This 1993 book blows the lid off the most fascinating murder case in U.S. history!