No comments about Were We Controlled: The Assassination of President Kennedy.

5 comments about The Killing of Robert F. Kennedy: An Investigation of Motive, Means, and Opportunity.

1. As a 10 year student of the RFK assassination,I was eager to get ahold of Dan Moldea`s work on the case.A prior magazine article of his had been primarily responsible for the release of the long witheld LAPD files on the case.
   The book does not dissapoint.Moldea carefully and articulately moves through the entire case and looks under every stone in the search for answers.NO other researcher has interviewed so many personnel connected with the case.He is not biased to any side,as the reader can easily see in Moldea`s scathing comments on LAPD,and in his meetings with Sirhan.
   Moldea`s thoroughness had me enthralled and by the time the dramatic end arrived I realised that I simply had to read it again...it was that good...and most of all,it closed the door on my research into the case.This account of the RFK case cannot be bettered,in my opinion.



2. The author of this very readable book has specialized in reporting on organized crime since 1974. He re-investigated the assassination in 1987, and began to accumulate evidence from the police investigators. Robert Francis Kennedy earned a reputation as an enemy of mobsters and labor racketeers while chief counsel of the Senate Rackets Committee (p.17). No one has ever prosecuted organized crime more than RFK did while Attorney General.

   June 4, 1968 was primary day in California. At first RFK was trailing, then he and his friends went to the Ambassador Hotel to await results. When the results showed RFK ahead, he went to the Embassy Room to make his victory speech. They then retraced the same route to return to the hotel suite. Sirhan was able to get into the kitchen although he didn't belong there. When RFK walked there, Sirhan opened fire. None of those shot admitted to seeing the gunman (p.43)!

   Pages 85-89 discuss the 8 shots, and the other five victims. RFK was shot from a gun at his right rear side angled upwards, not from his front at 1 to 3 feet away. The fatal wound behind his right ear came from a one inch distance. There are discrepancies between the testimony of the eyewitnesses and the coroner's analysis from the autopsy (p.91). This is critical evidence (pp.95-98). The history of Sirhan is on pages 101-109. Two weeks after the shooting Sirhan was represented by a lawyer who formerly represented mobsters (p.116). The Defense and the Prosecution agreed to a guilty plea and a life sentence (p.120). The judge wouldn't allow this. Sirhan was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death (p.123).

   The next month the 'Los Angeles Free Press' printed an article that cast doubt on the official theory (p.13). Extra bullet holes suggested a second gunman. There was a discrepancy between eyewitness testimony and the muzzle distance. A criminalist and firearms expert disputed the claim of a lone gunman (pp.138-9). The Coroner said there was no eyewitness to testify Sirhan fired at point-blank range (p.159). The American Academy of Forensic Sciences recommended a re-examination of the physical evidence (p.170). A court-authorized study concluded the original bullets were matches, but could not be matched to Sirhan's gun (p.175)! Note 123 tells about the traces of wood found on spent bullets in Sirhan's car (p.176). Chapter 19 says the case was badly mishandled by the LAPD in regard to physical evidence (p.192). There was a report of removing two bullets from a strip of molding (p.263). A former FBI special agent said he saw two bullet holes in the center divider (p.269).

   A polygraph test was administered to the guard; he passed and could not have been involved (p.290). DEM interviewed Sirhan" he doesn't remember the shooting, only what happened after (p.299).

   What really happened? "Complicated investigations sometimes have very simple solutions" (p.305). DEM thinks the LAPD and FBI erred in not thoroughly investigating organized crime as a possibility; they had the strongest motive, means, and opportunity (p.307). Chapter 30 provides his answer: Sirhan alone did it. DEM acknowledges the LAPD's error of omissions, and tries to explain the discrepancies between the eyewitnesses and the physical evidence. Sirhan's story of drinking and of amnesia are just a way to escape responsibility.

   Page 313 claims there were no bullet holes in the door frames; those who say different were mistaken. But earlier DEM wrote of bullets with traces of wood on them (p.176); could the many police officers there have all been mistaken?




3. As with the death of his brother, Robert F. Kennedy's assassination sparked immense controversy that provided a field day for conspiracy theorists everywhere. While not quite reaching the magnitude of the grassy knoll, the evidence suggesting that Sirhan Sirhan may not have acted alone provides plenty of fodder for debate. Dan E. Moldea's investigative look into the case as it was handled, or mishandled by the LAPD and thus resulting in such a fervor, covers every possible angle with great detail.
   
   Starting with a captivating recount of the lead up to that fateful walk through the Ambassador hotel kitchen and continuing through the years that eventually see Moldea himself get involved (and actually conduct a stunning polygraph of the person most often accused of being that second shooter), this book manages to balance a wealth of information with the ability to remain interesting. Too often these types of tomes can veer off into the textbook arena and become overly dry as they bog you down in minutiae. Moldea avoids that trap and keeps the book at a breezy 326 pages when it could've easily surpassed 600 had he let himself get carried away. Laced with detailed footnotes and a handful of revealing photos, "Killing" leaves no stone unturned before offering Moldea's closing arguments with a comprehensive review of the preceding 304 pages.
   
   As part of my favorite time period in American History, I was immediately drawn to this book when I saw it in the store a few weeks back. Both of the Kennedy assassinations have provided volumes of literature, but this was my first deep-dive into the RFK's plight. I learned a lot about the details surrounding the RFK case and was able to gain a better understanding of what went on in June of 1968. I'd offer a favorable recommendation on this book, especially for history buffs looking for a clear view on the jumbled mess that was made of the investigation.



4. I read this book after reading and being favorably impressed with Dan Moldea's book "The Hoffa Wars".
   
   This book is a result of Moldea's lengthy investigation and the research of many individuals.
   
   "The Killing of Robert F. Kennedy" is composed of three sections.
   Part 1 concerns the official police investigation. Part 2 explains the controversy arising from the official probe. Part 3 is Mr. Moldea's own investigation.
   
   He interviewed Sirhan Sirhan and Thane Cesar many times.
   
   The most troubling aspect of the Robert Kennedy murder investigation was that the controversy was self inflicted.
   The crime scene wasn't properly secured, the disposal of possible evidence, the controversy surrounding DeWayne Wolfer, and numerous "clerical errors" in related documents are just some of the factors that helped fuel conspiracy theories.
   
   Were there bullet holes in the center divider of the pantry? That's a question which a second gunman theory hinges on and Mr.Moldea hasn't convinced me that they weren't there.
   The girl with the polka-dot dress is another theme that was addressed.
   
   I do agree that the conclusion that he arrived at with the aid of Thomas Noguchi is correct. Especially after reading "Whoever Fights Monsters" by Robert Ressler ,his interviews with Sirhan Sirhan seem to confirm Moldea's theory.
   This is a good book and it reads like a novel with different twists and turns in the investigation.



5. Moldea's study is a valuable contribution to the dialogue surrounding the RFK murder. Prodigiously researched and devoid of ludicrous speculation, the book possesses an extra layer of credibility, written as it was by someone who revisited the subject after initially subscribing to a conspiracy scenario. He supports his conclusions with extensive interviews of relevant subjects and a clear-eyed examination of the record. He's genuinely fascinated by the murder and it shows in his balanced, careful approach.
   
   My complaints are relatively minor. The prose, while generally spare and reportorial, is stilted and clumsy in places. The unfortunate selection of the footnoting system disrupts the narrative flow, with many pages consumed almost entirely by the footnotes themselves. There are too many photographs of secondary figures in the event (police officers, officials, researchers) which don't add anything of importance to the reader's experience - additional photos of the crime scene and the immediate aftermath of the assassination would have been more compelling. I think in the end he devotes perhaps too much energy to convincing us of what we already know - the LAPD's sloppy handling of and destruction of evidence.
   
   Definitely worth reading for anyone who can accept the possibility that unanswered questions and lingering discrepancies don't always have to be interpreted in a paranoid and sinister fashion.

1 comments about The Secret War Against Hitler (Der Widerstand : Dissent and Resistance in the Third Reich).

1. Abraham Lincoln often stated that the Weems book on George Washington was his favorite book next to the Bible. Well, this is definitely my favorite book in the whole world, next to the Bible. I believe the motivations of the author and many others in this book are best expressed by the forward in another book from the same crisis, The White Rose. The forward in one its publications by a sister of one of the members of the White Rose expressed the general sentiment of that group. They had to do something even if it was hopeless, so that other countries and future generations would know that there were people in Germany who had true compassion for the innocent and were not themselves animals like the Nazis! A warning about reading this book: If you are anything like the author, Count Von Stauffenber, or a relative handful of others from Hitler's Germany, this will be a terribly hard book to read emotionly. I venture to say that it aged me ten years in the days that I obsorbed it (or was obsorbed by it, reading is definitey too shallow a term). If you can stand by and see the innocent put to death by the guilty and not be overwelmed by righteous indignation then don't waste the time on this book! I would like to add some more detail to this review at some point when I get some more time. I pray that with this short testimonial I have given the true heros of America who see this a hunger to pour themselves into this work of extreme pathos!

No comments about Assassination Of Lincoln A History Of The Great Conspiracy Trial Of The Conspirators By A Military Commission..

No comments about Assassin: Theory and Practice of Political Violence.

No comments about Forgive my grief III.

2 comments about Passport to Assassination: The Never-Before-Told Story of Lee Harvey Oswald by the KGB Colonel Who Knew Him.

1. This fascinating account of Oswald's attempt to go to Cuba can be told by no other writer. Oswald went to Mexico City 7 weeks before the JFK assassination and tried to get a visa to go to Cuba. The Cuban Consulate said they could not issue such a visa on such short notice and suggested he go to the Russia Consulate. He did and had an encounter with Comrade Oleg Nechiporenko that explains Oswald's attempts to manipulate authorities. Oswald tried to solve his feelings of insignificance by coaxing Russian authorities to let him have a visa to go to Russia via Cuba and tried to demonstrate his affiliation with communism. He also pulled a gun and explained that he had to carry it because of persecution by the FBI. Nechiporenko recounts Oswald's manipulations, instability, and desperation in a way that no other person has ever done. This book should be re-issued for the general public to understand Oswald.



2. I think that when the curtain came down on the good old Soviet Union the author looked around and decided he would make a little money with a book. Unfortunate for him the spy tell all books were coming out of Russia faster then one could count. The author must have then decided well lets milk the JFK assignation market. There are interesting bits about how the KGB worked and what good old Henry did in the USSR, but overall a bit of a dull, less then built up book. The author took a 15 page magazine article and made a 300-page book out of it. If you are interested in this topic go straight to the tour de force of the group - Crossfire by Jim Marrs.

1 comments about The Death of Lincoln: A Picture History of the Assassination.

1. The book "The Death of Lincoln" is one of the best books I ever read. I liked it because it has lots of pictures, neat stories, and interesting facts! "The Death of Lincoln" describes when he was elected, his time as president, and his death. It also mentions what happened after the killer and his cronies were brought to justice. And it also states how Lincoln knew he was going to be assassinated!

2 comments about The Lost Fortune of the Tsars.

1. So much of the fascination the Russian Tsars still hold for us today is connected with their great wealth and fabulous possessions. William Clarke's book is a detailed examination of the sources of the property of the House of Romanov before World War I and of its disposition and possible whereabouts today. In the process of his search Clarke also proved and disproved several theories as to the fate of the wealth, clearing some notable persons of some unsavory accusations



2. Whilst Clarke does an admirable job of tracing the wealth of the Tsar he missed his best opportunity - in the United States. He missed opportunities to demonstrate that some of the very people he writes about - George Romanosky and Sidney Reilly to name a few - were attempting to arrange letters of credit at the New York City Bank. Moreover the failed conclusion on the link between Sidney Reilly and the Remington Rifle Company is an oversight that can not be excused.
   
   It would have been overly generous to grant more than one star because he could have shed so much more light on the trail if he had not gotten off the trail prematurely. His effort was brave and worthwhile but I was severly disappointed in the outcome. Perhaps he should have employed a top notch research assistant in the United States.

1 comments about Who Shot the President? The Death of John F. Kennedy.

1. Having long held a fascination with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, I was curious to see what this Step Into Reading book aimed at children in grades two through four would say about the event. Written in 1988 by Judy Donnelly, Who Shot the President? The Death of John F. Kennedy gives a surprisingly objective look at the case. Illustrated with a number of color and black and white photographs, this definitely could serve to not only spur a child's interest in reading but impart to the child a deeper sense of American history and tragedy.

   The book gives a short, rather glowing summary of Kennedy's life, leaving out anything negative, but it gives a good appraisal of Kennedy's final moments. It mentions shots possibly coming from in front of the motorcade (although it wrongly claims no evidence of activity was found in that area), describes the discovery of evidence on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository, and covers Lee Harvey Oswald's movements from the killing of Officer Tippet to his arrest inside a local movie theatre. There are several pictures of the assassination, none of which are graphic, of course. There are a couple of shots of Kennedy's reaction to the first bullet, and I was surprised to find two critical frames of the Zapruder film included, as well: the frames just before and after the kill shot - the frame showing the impact of the bullet that killed Kennedy is not shown here, and rightly so in this context. The book goes on to describe Jack Ruby's murder of Oswald, then talks about the Warren Commission Report and the 1978-79 Select Committee on Assassinations of the House of Representatives reexamination of the evidence. Most impressively, it refers to some of the questions that conspiracy buffs such as myself continue to ask, thereby achieving an impressively objective look at this crucial moment in American history. This would make an excellent book for young readers.