No comments about Final Report of the House Select Committee on Assassinations.

2 comments about Betrayal.

1. This purports to be a firsthand account by a participant in the JFK assassination. If you like your conspiracy theory served up with a heaping helping of unverifiable detail, and a little sex & violence, you may find this book an interesting read. Be forewarned though that even a person with only passing knowledge of assassination trivia (like me) will spot factual errors, simple stuff like getting Oswald's alias wrong, throughout the book. A prime example: Morrow claims the hit squad was checking out Dealey Plaza shooting sites two weekends before the President's visit to Dallas; problem is, the downtown parade route wasn't part of the original plan --- it was adopted at the last minute after JFK insisted on a downtown appearance --- so how could the assassins have known he would come by there? Must have been psychic. For that matter, Oswald's employment at the school book depository wasn't part of some master plan --- he got a heads-up from a friend of a friend that there was a job opening there. This is historical fact, as opposed to the fantasy which "Betrayal" seems based upon. I recommend reading Sneed's "Silence No More" as a reality-based counterpoise to some of the wilder claims in this odd little book.



2. very good book. gives firsthand account of events leading to assassination and why. no wonder its out of print. as for the previous review, it stated in the book that there were some very fortiutous events that helped out and also some things that didnt, such as the printing of false cuban money, that led up to the assassination. there are some references in the back to the whereabouts of the participants afterwards, if one was given to following those leads.

No comments about IN THE CROSSHAIRS; FAMOUS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS FROM JULIUS CAESAR TO JOHN LENNON.

5 comments about Appointment in Dallas: The final solution to the assassination of JFK.

1. To me this is one of the most important written works of this century, and yet it is relatively unknown. I absolutely believe this account as being the truth about the Kennedy assassination. And yet it isn't the whole truth! Why are we to believe that Saul knows all the details of this conspiracy? He was after all, just a hired gun, and played only a part, albeit the most important part of this mystery. In my opinion, there are numerous parts of this puzzle that Saul had no knowledge of, just as Oswald had no knowledge of Saul. Take the grassy knoll for example: Just because Saul had no knowledge of a shooter there, I feel the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming, and can't be discounted. I believe there was a gunman on the knoll, not necessarily an assassin, but an individual with instuctions to fire a gun a few times as soon as he heard Oswald's shots. His job wasn't to commit murder, but to add to the confusion factor, a job he performed very well indeed. When added to other oddities such as the "pristine bullet", unusual surgical procedures on the president's body, etc, etc, one can see that none of the players knew all the goings on in this drama. That information belongs to the producers & directors. But the fact remains that the assassination itself was the most important "act", and if you want to at least know the truth about the murder and the man who commited it, this book is the ultimate authority.



2. I actually knew Hugh C. McDonald. In the early 70s, I worked for a talent manager, Bob Marcucci ("The Idolmaker"), who represented Mr. McDonald in the promotion of his books, "Appointment In Dallas" and "The Hour of the Blue Fox." When I met him, Hugh was retired from the CIA and was writing his books and working in security for a southern California racetrack (Hollywood Park, I think) and interfacing with the IRS and FBI on matters such as illegal gambling and racketeering. I had the good fortune to read the follow-up manuscript to "Appointment In Dallas" entitled, "The Kennedy Conspiracy," in which he not only released more details about the Kennedy murder, but he also named three men whom he said were directly involved in the conspiracy and, at the time he wrote the manuscript, were still living. By the time I read his manuscript, two of the three men mentioned were dead with Ralph DeMorenschild being the only one remaining alive. A couple of months after I read the manuscript, an article appeared in the L.A. Times (not in a prominent location) telling of the death of DeMorenschild. It stated that he had given an interview some place in Belgium in which he said that he was going to go public with what he knew about the Kennedy assassination. A few days after the interview, he was killed by a shotgun blast to the head in a hotel room in Belgium. The article stated that the wound was self-inflicted.

   The upshot of this is that Hugh tried for years to get "The Kennedy Conspiracy" published and no publisher would touch it. I've often wondered why.




3. Appointment in Dallas is an essential addition to the library of any serious scholar of the JFK murder. My background is criminology. Years ago, as a short term graduate student at USC, I sat through a four hour lecture by Hugh McDonald on crime scene investigation. He was then Chief of Detectives of the LA Police Department. He lectured on the "Starved Rock" murders in Chicago, a case that had stumped the Chicago authorities, and which he solved in a period of days. He lectured on concepts, rather than nuts and bolts, and it was evident to the class (all professional law enforcement officers) that he was one of the premier detective investigators in the country. You will see this for yourself when you read Appointment in Dallas. It's a meticulous look at the crime scene and the author's own investigation. In the early days following the release of the Warren Report, Hugh McDonald was treated somewhat cavalierly in the media for his belief in the existence of a second assassin. Time has certainly vindicated his judgment.



4. 
   I bought and read this book back in 1975, and I've never found a book about the assassination which betters it. McDonald discusses his own bonafides (and includes facsimiles of various documents in the back), introduces us to one of his sources (who is deceased by the time the book is published; J. Edgar Hoover attended his funeral), and most importantly, introduces us to the actual assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Then interviews him.
   
   No, there wasn't a gun firing from the grassy knoll. Watch the footage sometime -- first Kennedy reacts, then Connolly, which exactly corresponds to the testimony of the passengers in the open car. The police ran right up to the grassy knoll, because the shots sounded like they'd come from that direction. There were no shooters there, no spent casings, not even the smell of a firearm discharge. There's simply nothing to the "grassy knoll" shooter. The counsel for the House Select Committee on Assassinations assumed there was, and concocted one out of thin air, in a failed attempt to extract more funding. The myth of the grassy knoll shooter has persisted for nearly 40 years, perhaps most notoriously in the ridiculous movie "JFK".
   
   One of the ironies of Oliver Stone's messterpiece was immediately apparent to me when I saw it in the theater. During the montage of period still footage, a photo of McDonald's "Saul" appears. That photo appears in this book, along with another taken the same day, outside the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City.
   
   



5. This is a decent volume from Hugh McDonald. It's a "good read" but, factually, it's 'erratic.' That said, some interesting info. on Saul and especially the concept of Oswald believing the assassination (attempt) in Dallas was a Secret Service security test (echoes of what is also said in Farewell America and my book...)
   [...]

No comments about The Dark Secret of Bealnablath.

No comments about Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns.

1 comments about The Martin Luther King Assassination: New Revelations on the Conspiracy and Cover-Up, 1968-1991.

1. I cannot believe there are no reviews for this book.
   
   Today is not a good day for me to review any of Phil's wonderful books, he just died. But that said, if you like a really well-written "who done it?" read this.
   
   I read it several years ago when it was first published and read many parts of it aloud to my husband Erick. It's that good. I could not put it down, even in the car (No, I was not driving).
   
   Like with the murder of JFK- there was much mystery surrounding the 4/4/68 murder of Dr. Martin Luther King. Unlike JFK however there has not been a lot written on this case. This is a great place to begin your study.
   
   In 1994 James Earl Ray had a chance, during the hotly contested mini trial in Memphis presided over by Judge Joe Brown. Until Brown was removed. If Ray was the killer, why not have a full hearing? Why remove the judge?
   
   Because like LHO, Ray did not kill MLK. Another "patsy".
   
   Don't take my word for it, read Dr. Phil Melanson's meticulously researched book.
   
   Then support recently introduced legislation into this unsolved murder.
   
   Take back America folks, soon it will be too late.
   
   Dawn Meredith
   Austin, Tx.

No comments about The Assassination Affair (Man from U.N.C.L.E., 10).

5 comments about The Warriors of God.

1. After Iranian commandos sink a US warship in the Persian Gulf, the US retaliates by destroying the facilities on Kharg Island, vital to Iran's oil industry. Rather than risk a head on confrontation with the vastly more powerful US military, the Iranians seek their revenge on US soil. A daring planned is conceived, using commandos and suicide bombers, to first strike the marine base at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and then launch an attack on the White House to kill the president. The rest of the story unfolds with the perfect combination of action, exposition, and characters. In a genre where it's easy to resort to the use of cliched stock characters, this book offers characters with depth, particularly the Iranians. Instead of portraying them as nothing more than religious fanatics, the author does an excellent job of explaining their tactics from their perspective. Add to this the chillingly plausible, relatively low tech methods of attack and you've got a real page-turner.



2. The original copyright for this book is 1992. But just about everything described in this book has happened for real since it was written.

   First the Iranians attack the USS Makin Island with a devastating bombing that almost sinks the ship (can you say USS Cole). The United States retaliates with an attack on Iran's main oil depot at Kharg Island (cruise missiles and high technology weapons). The Iranians respond with a command attack on a major oil pumping station in the United Arab Emirates, and then go one step further. They decide it is time to take the war to the United states and target the President. A small dedicated terrorist group penetrates America and slips behind the barrier of missiles, ships and planes defending the country (it is a 9-11 style attack except with commandos).

   Through it all defense analyse Rich Welsh suspects the truth and tries to get somebody to listen. (I suspect he has a few real life aanalogues who saw the coming storm, but whose warnings went unheeded.) The Welsh character conveys the author's feelings about structural problems that plague the Marines and the Pentagon mentality.

   This is a well written and well paced book. Get a copy today, this guy deserves a better sales ranking!




3. AWESOME! I actually bought this for $1 in a hardware store, thinking it was gonna be junk! Non-stop action and a REAL believable story. The shootout at the end in the White House was insane!

   This is a book that HAS TO be made into a movie.




4. Bill,
   Excellent book, an edge of the seat read that I couldn't put down. The details were amazing but it was the story that held my attention and made me want to read more......I'm on to the next book!!! I can't wait.
   Sincerely,
   Connie McCall-Suminski



5. If you have ever put up with mickey mouse bull in the military, or been horrified at the actions of politicians, you will feel right at home with this book.

3 comments about Junius And Joseph: Presidential Politics and the Assassination of the First Mormon Prophet.

1. The founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormon church), Joseph Smith was always a controversial figure. Considered by his followers to be a prophet of God charged with the mission of re-establishing His church and people on earth, he established Nauvoo, Illinois, a militia, and was deeply involved in the politics of the day. At the time of his death in 1844 at the hands of a mob who attacked and killed him while he was under arrest in a Missouri jail, Joseph Smith was also an active candidate for president of the United States. In Junius And Joseph: Presidential Politics And The Assassination Of The First Mormon Prophet, historians and co-authors Robert S. Wicks and Fred R. Foister lay out a persuasive case that the death of Joseph Smith was no random act of mob violence, but a carefully planned and orchestrated political assassination to prevent Smith's election to the nation's highest office -- the presidency. Key individuals engaged in the conspiracy, as well as those who took part in the assault on Carthage jail are identified. Evidence that the lethal effort to remove the Mormon leader from political power through his assassination extended to include prominent Whig politicians as well as the Democratic governor of Missouri. Also available in a hardcover edition (087-4216079, $45.95) Junius And Joseph is a seminal, ground breaking work of truly impressive scholarship, and critically important reading for students of Mormon Studies and American Political History Studies.



2. Fascinating information about the time and era of Joseph in Nauvoo; including all the facts leading up to his presidential nomination, the presidential campaign and subsequent assasination.
   
   The one major complaint I have is that I found some of the presentation a bit overly academical, with long sentences and fancy words. I prefer a simpler approach to writing. One that the average and simple-minded (like myself) can easily follow. This is not to say that it was all very complicated, but I sometimes had to read paragraphs or sections two or three times to comprehend the meaning. (Jan Shipps is another example of bad academic-styled writing, while Richard Lyman Bushman is an example of comprehensive writing.)
   
   In spite of this weakness, I nearly gave it 5 stars for the sheer audacity and boldness with which it attacks its subject matter - not to mention the plethora of documentation and factual information surrounding General Joseph Smith's presidential campaign, the council of fifty, the 'Kingdom of God' and all the facts leading up to Joseph and Hyrum Smith's assasination at Carthage.
   
   The final chapters conclude by giving us the names of the men responsible for the assasination (including the men who pulled the trigger!) and what became of them following the act.
   
   Junius & Joseph paints a clear picture of the political times of the 1840's, including the ambitions and tactics of politicians including Henry Clay, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, James Polk, Thomas Ford and several others. It also lists names of 30 of the 50 members of the 'council of fifty' and describes exactly what we know about the somewhat secret organization.
   
   A fascinating read for anyone interested in the politics and conspiracies surrounding the death of Joseph Smith. It will place you completely into the time, and give you an understanding of the event that is as complete as possible with the documents available to us today. It may never get clearer than this.



3. I hesitantly give Junius and Joseph four stars. It is a comprehensive study of the events leading up to the assassination of Joseph Smith and gives the most detailed reconstruction of the assassination I have read. The authors successfully argue that the assassination was result of a conspiracy of local and state politician, but their attempt to link the conspiracy to Henry Clay and a nation-wide conspiracy seem tenuous at best.
   
   While the authors try to present their material objectively, a lurking anti-Mormon sentiment clouds their analysis. Most notably is the chapter in which they argue that the Mormon's actively sought to avenge Smith's murder. For example, the authors make the gratuitous statement that number who lost their lives to Mormon vengeance "can only be guessed at." Their attempts to show that anyone died are remarkably weak.
   
   They color the death of Frank Worrel, a conspirator in Smith's murder, with a love letter Worrel wrote and his tender leave-taking of his wife and child on the day of his death. (Significantly, Smith's leave-taking of his wife and children before his death is not even mentioned.) However, the authors do not give the circumstance of Worrel's death are not given and their conclusion that Worrel was a casualty of Mormon vengeance cannot be evaluated.
   
   The authors' attempts to link the Mountain Meadows massacre to Mormon vengeance are based solely on one statement by John D. Lee, who was then disaffected from the Mormon church. Again while they discuss the massacre in some detail, they neglect to mention that Brigham Young sent orders that the wagon train was not to be attacked.
   
   Readers must be wary of these and other flaws as they read this important work.