5 comments about American Assassination: The Strange Death Of Senator Paul Wellstone.

1. "American Assassination: The Strange Death of Senator Paul Wellstone" expands the report filed by the NTSB with the information received from eyewitnesses, U.S. government log files, local government reports and interviews with people related to those who died in the crash. Using this information and deductive reasoning/logic to sort through the gathered evidence, the authors display their conclusion: Wellstone, his family and friends, and the pilots were killed through sabotage. Conspiracy theories generally don't hold my interest too long unless there's proof, but I found this book to be well-written and strong in the use of logic. The book was extremely interesting to me, as I had suspected that the Senator's death by plane crash (another plane crash death) to be very peculiar, to a very suspicious degree. Read the book with an open mind, and see what kind of death you believe this to be.



2. I am Four Arrows, the lead author of this book.(See also my newest text from the Univesity of Texas, "Unlearning the Language of Conquest: Scholars Expose Anti-Indianism in America).
   I recently read Abruzzese's review and find it to be fairly on target, in spite of its negativity. I'm at least happy he recommended that people read it "as a starting point," for this is all we intended it to be. We express state that the questions, inconsistencies and logic of our arguments should be sufficient for a more in-depth investigation.
   As for the book being too short, our motive for writing this book was to get it published before the 2004 presidential elections in hopes that it would at least offer a prima facia case sufficient to raise the kind of questions that MIGHT dissuade people to vote for Bush. We only had a few short months to turn the "new evidence" that sparked our writing the book to get in published in time. Perhaps such hopes were unwarranted in spite of rigged elections and an relatively apathetic, hegemonized public, but it was our long-shot hope nonetheless.
   In our book we have some substantial "evidence" from interviews and analysis, but mostly we simply show enough inconsistencies and provide enough motive to make a good enough case to stimulate further investigation, which we ALMOST got from Senator Barbara Boxer, who has a copy of the book.
   I agree that some of the language about JFK comparisons and "scientific rigor" were unnecessary, but three people being involved with the content, such things, as unfortunate as they might have been to our message, might be persuasive for other readers. In any case, the bottom line is there needs to be further investigations and on this Abruzzese agrees.
   In our new book from Elsevier, "The Hidden History of 9/11," I think this reviewer would find more "evidence" but still realize that it as well is a call for more investigation.
   For example, how can "we" continue to ignore all of the testimony relating to bombs going off in the WTC or to the physics of falling buildings?
   At any rate, it is past time to allow a fear of being a "conspiracy theorist" keep us from discussing the probability that our corporation, military and government institutions have reached a point where assassinations, false flag operations and rigged elections must be taken seriously as a fact of life.
   Four Arrows, aka Don Trent Jacobs



3. This book for me was very good. There seems to be some "connecting of the dots" with other topics during a certain administration and other 'strange occurences'. Not a conspiracty theorist, but some things are more than obvious.



4. I read this book primarily because I wanted to be able to dismiss in my own mind any questions about the death of this amazing man. Growing up in an era when so many of the rich and famous had died in light planes, I was predisposed to accept it as an unforseeable tradgedy. I also felt compelled to listen with an open mind to other possibilities.
   
   Before I read this book, I was unaware of the number of light plane crashes involving key House and Senate members, paticularly those up for reelection. You would think that such an event would merit a close examination by a trusted apolitical agency, particularly when the death is of a potential Presidential candidate such as Senator Wellstone. The author details several fatal crashes that tipped the balance (or prevented a change in) the House or Senate.
   
   I've long been aware that the FAA has often been subject to political staff changes when key investigations arise. It is an agency easily manipulated by swift changes in top level appointments (see Egal Krough overnight appointment by Nixon after the questionable death of Dorothy Hunt). This may be due to PR concerns, not cover-ups, but it is a potential problem in high profile cases. Many questions are raised here about the lackluster NTSB investigation, and the almost immediate FBI presence of large numbers of agents...The FBI does not have dozens of agents prowling farm country waiting for plane crashes. Where did they come from? The authors demonstrate that the official investigations are obvious rubber stamps that leave troubling questions that were clearly ignored.
   
   If someone told you that one of these pilots had been a fight trainer for a 9/11 hijacker, you would not believe it...but the book clearly documents this as a fact, which can easily be confirmed by anyone. The details of the crash, officially always attributed to snow, are far more complex, as many reliable sources, includibg the tower, connsidered it a negligible factor.
   
   The authors postulate EMP interference with the aircraft, which is something I was only vaguely aware of, but it is a difficult charge to prove. I was most puzzled at the odd connection between a 9/11 hijacker and the co-pilot...a very strange connection that I've never seen mentioned in mainstream media, yet is very well documented here. The connection may be simply a coincidence, but deserves mention if only to dispel suspicion.
   
   Overall, this book made me aware that there ARE questions about this event that Senator Wellstone's legacy requires be answered. Don't dismiss this book as some crackpot conspiracy tome, as I almost did. If ANY of the facts related here are true, then they must be resolved and put to rest, otherwise the tide of distrust in our government wiill continue to rise.



5. In "American Assassination" authors Jim Fetzer and"Four Feathers" alledge that Senator Paul Wellstone was the victim of a government orchestrated assassination...They make these allegations because,firstly,they are by thier own admission,conspiracy advocates,citing(in this volume alone)thier belief that the murder of JFK,the TWA 800 crash,united flight 93,and a host of other incidents ALL are government orchestrted incidents and/or incidents in which the"true"facts have been"covered up"..For this reason ALONE I would have to doubt thier notions..Secondly thier "evidence" while interesting,and certainly worthy of further study,is all circumstantial..Few cases are ever won in a courtroom based SOLELY on circumstantial evidence ..
   Finally,it is evident that neither author trusts the government of the united states to give the american public an accurate daily weather report,much less the"true facts" regarding some controversial incident such as this one..Bias dilutes objectivity,and the clear anti-government bias demonstrated in this book makes the"findings" here suspect.

5 comments about The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich: The SS 'Butcher of Prague'.

1. Reinhard Heydrich was a horrible Nazi. Tall. Blonde. Amoral.A killer whose convening of the Wannssee Conference in early 1942 began the implementation of the plan to destroy European Jewry;
   the Butcher Boy of Czechoslovakia who ruled from a castle in
   Prague. This repulsive human being was assassinated in May,
   1942 by daring Czech patriots who attacked his car with a bomb
   and a sten gun!
   Reprisals following Heydrich's death were horrific leading
   to mass arrests and the wiping off the map of the village of
   Lidice.
   The brave men who plotted the murder of Heydrich were martyrs to Czech freedom whose names as sons of liberty should never be forgotten.
   The late author Macdonald examines how the assassination was planned among Czech exiles in London; the politcal and strategic repercussions of the assassination and the fate of the families of those responsible for the assassination are reported.
   The book would make a marvelous thriller espionage motion picture with its picture of parachutists landing in occupied
   Czech,; daring escapes; the final showdown to the death in a large Prague church and the daring daytime attack on Hedyrich's
   car.
   In the unholy pantheon of Nazi monsters the name of Heydrich is today little known among the general public. This chief lt. to Himmler is however emblematic of the Nordic evil incarnate of fascism.
   This book will prove interesting to the World War II buff and
   the general reader interested in the period. Good!



2. If there was ever a face of evil, then it had to be Reinhard Heydrich and Adolf Hitler. Hitler once said about Heydrich that he had a heart of iron. Reinhard was sadistic and was the architect of the Final Solution. This was no man with a humane touch, he was in short a monster. The Czech government in exile and the British sent this man to where he belonged at a terrible cost.
   The book details the plot to kill Heydrich. Surprisely, the murder and details took up perhaps three to four chapters, with the rest of the book dealing with internal Czech politics and how the government balanced between the English and Soviets. There was some good information on the wartime policies of Bohemia and Moravia (Czech Republic) and the government in exile under Benes in England.
   The world was a better place without Heydrich. A short biography is included in the writing, and it shows Heydrich in all his bloody lust. His own killing was because he had so much contempt for the Czechs. He and his driver were the only ones on the road, and the killers had a big target, especially when Heydrich told the driver to stop when he saw the guerillas. This was truly an evil man.
   The book is a nice read. It details the bio of Reinhard, plus the detail of plot and murder, and finally the end of those who killed Heydrich. A good book.



3. Very detailed and thorough with a good overview of the events leading to the assassination. Too repetitious of the political motivations of Benes, et al in London. Terminology is confusing for the reader new to this material, but helpful index in the back to all the abbreviations. Overall very interesting read. To those traveling to Prague the church crypt is open to the public for a small fee with small museum and self-guided tour, complete with machine gun bullet holes on outside of church.



4. The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich by Callum MacDonald is the best account in English of the assassination of Heydrich that I'm aware of. It presents background on Heydrich's life before he became the "Reichsprotector" of Bohemia and Moravia in late 1941. It continues with fine chapters on the development of the Czech plans to assassinate Heydrich, the assassination, and the German reprisals. For me, it communicates very well the harsh drama of these events.
   
   One matter I would like to understand better is the apparent lack of an escape plan on the part of the two parachutists who carried out the assassination. A chapter in Prague in Danger by Peter Demetz, to be published in early 2008, may provide new information on this matter.
   
   The comment of a Czech friend may be a suitable ending to this brief review: "The question as to whether the assassination was justified, given the brutal German reprisals, may never be settled. What remains is the courage of the parachutists and those who helped them, and the murderous folly of men."



5. Callum Macdonald is a historian at the University of Warwick in England. This 248 page biography of Reinhard Heydrich tells of his early life and the actions that determined his career first as a Naval officer then as one of the high-ranking Nazi officials. Imperial Germany was an aristocracy where class prejudice prevented recognition of those who acquired material prerequisites (p.6). There was bias against the Heydrich family for the wrong reasons. A charge of "breach of promise" caused Reinhard's discharge from the Navy (p.15). He found a new career in Himmler's SS (p.16). The SS investigated people in the Nazi party and their enemies (p.17). Reinhard was picked to organize the Security Division (p.18). His skills, talent, and ambition made his career (p.20). Reinhard hated the old imperial Germany: officer corps, bureaucracy, and churches (p.21).
   
   After Hitler was given power the SS sought to control the police, especially the political police. Each province (or state) controlled its police force (p.23). When the Enabling Act gave total power to Hitler the takeover of state governments began (p.24). The unrestrained administrative terror began, leaders of political parties and trade unions, and Jews, were put into the new detention camp at Dachau (p.25). The next victim was the SA; the German officer corps wanted them eliminated. Himmler's SS purged their rivals (p.27). The mission of the SS was the internal defense of Germany, a never-ending task (p.28). Reinhard considered Catholics as a danger (p.30). He planned to destroy the Church from within (p.31). Reinhard had a "bad reputation" among prostitutes (p.44).
   
   Chapter 3 provides an important history of Czecho-Slovakia during the late 1930s. After Munich the Czech military intelligence bureau fled to England with their secrets (Chapter 4). Their information was important to Britain and the Soviet Union. The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union meant the repudiation of the Munich pact and hope for an independent Czecho-Slovakia (Chapter 5). But there would have to be resistance and sabotage by the Czechs to aid the war effort. Political intrigue put Reinhard in charge of Bohemia-Moravia (Chapter 6). Repression followed against the resistance (p.113). Rations were increased (p.114). But Reinhard had one weakness: he avoided the usual security escort (p.117). This made him an accessible target (p.118).
   
   Heydrich organized the economy to improve war production (pp.132-133). Propaganda aimed to control thinking (p.135). Chapter 7 tells of the return of the parachutists to Czechoslovakia. The preparations and the discussions on the politics are in Chapter 8. It was almost like luck that the team was given an opportunity on May 27, 1942. The wounds of Heydrich proved fatal (Chapter 9). Reprisals were taken, the village of Lidice was razed and its population destroyed (p.187). Then an amnesty and a reward resulted in a letter that named the two men (p.189). No parachutist was taken alive (p.195). More reprisals followed, over 5,000 victims (p.199). Heydrich's death was the only good news in Europe for the Allies. Britain repudiated the Munich agreement and recognized the Benes government (p.200). Sudeten Germans would be later expelled (p.201). The Nazi leaders would face future retribution (p.203). The murder of over 50,000 Czechs halted resistance until 1944 (p.205). Their relative isolation was different from France and the countries nearer England.

5 comments about The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.

1. Full disclosure: This reviewer is an avowed "no single shooter" believer, whether it be JFK, RFK or MLK and is predisposed to look favorably on any effort to shed a conspirational light on any of those tragic events. "The Assassination of RFK" raises all sorts of red flags about the tragic events of that June, 1968 night but fails to close the circle of doubt and deceit. The problem lies in that the authors have given us 3 books in one: It attempts to prove that Sirhan Sirhan was not the sole assassin at the scene. ARFK also tries to demonstrate that Sirhan MAY have been pre-programmed to kill Senator Kennedy in a "Manchurian Candidate" scenario. The most consuming effort herein lies with exposing the egregious effort by LAPD to destroy or withhold items of evidentiary value to a complete investigation AND the steadfast obstinence of the LA courts, justice system and "Establishment" toward reopening or expanding the case. This is a tall order for a work of only 321 pages in fairly large size type. Sadly, the authors Turner and Christian fall short; they certainly raise lots of smoke but do not prove any of the 3 cases outlined above. Another issue with the RFK assassination is that there is nowhere near the amount of "questions" that surround the JFK incident. One wonders what might have transpired had the LA authorities and "Establishment"simply allowed a full and complete investigation to run its' course. But they didn't!! Readers should take pains to read the introduction here. It outlines the eerie publishing history of ARFK. "Someone" did not want this story to see the light of day? Why? Previous reviewer Hildebrand has correctly stated that Americans are naïve concerning assassinations. We owe it to ourselves as a nation to inform ourselves about critical events. Justice may never be done even if we ARE informed, but at least Turner and Christian have tried. For that they deserve our collective gratitude.



2. The murder of Robert Kennedy has never gotten the attention lavished on the death of his brother, for a variety of reasons. RFK was, after all, not the President, but a Senator and a potential candidate for the Presidency. In addition, his murder appeared, on first glance, to be far more of an open-and-shut case. After all, his alleged assailant, Sirhan Sirhan, stepped forward in a small kitchen pantry and opened fire with some 77 eyewitnesses standing there in the room. You didn't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure this one out, it would seem...and yet...
   
   Bill Turner and Jonn Christian do an admirable job of bringing out some of the questions that remain about the killing of RFK. I myself would have preferred a somewhat farther-reaching and more distanced view of the events, as opposed to this narrative, which closely follows the actual doings of Turner and Christian as they wade through the increasingly bizarre cast of characters that seemed to be involved in the events that culminated in the Ambassador Hotel. Where is Jim Marrs when you need him?
   
   That being said, there are few books available on the RFK case, so this one gets high marks for effort, if it is not always perfect or even convincing in its execution.



3. This is a history of the strangest assassination that you could imagine. It looked like an open and shut case. The LAPD made darn sure that those looks stayed that way. In spite of the objectivity, it becomes clear that there is more to this assassination, and cover up, than meets the eye.
   
   The case seems quite strong that there were more bullets fired than Sirhans gun could hold. All of the shots into Kennedy were identified as entering from the rear. Sirhan was in front of Kennedy. The fatal shot was placed within inches of Kennedy's head. The LAPD ripped the pantry apart and destroyed the evidence while doing so. A photographers camera was seized at gun point, actually six LAPD cops at gun point. All of the photos from inside the pantry were not returned.
   
   There is a shady hypnotist with a proclaimed CIA past and an even shadier preacher man who went to the LAPD on the following day and claimed to have met Sirhan strictly via picking him up as a hitch hiker on the day of the assassination. The preacher has a law record as long as your forearm and it is proved that he had known Sirhan for a considerable amount of time. The allegation that he had previously bought clothes for Sirhan will make you rub your eyes. The biggest story is that he suddenly had a nice Lincoln and was flashing up to thirty $1000 bills about the time of the assassination. This in spite of constantly being broke before the event.
   
   There are LAPD members with CIA connections who squeezed in some side work in Latin America. One may wonder if their "other" employment was that of "jackals" (hitmen).
   
   Then you have the well built lady with the funny nose and the polka dot dress, and her partner, that is reputed to have ran from the scene yelling that they had just shot Kennnedy. They had recently entered the building via the fire escape stair case that is attached to the rear of multi-level buildings.
   
   Sirhan had also been warned by a friend to quit placing himself under hypnosis so much.
   
   If you think this all seems pretty strange, get ready for more. Then consider that the books were ordered destroyed by fire shortly after publication.
   
   This assassination deserved a lot more investigation. At least we got a serious effort from the authors.



4. I bought this book a while back at a local book store and I was blown away by how well researched this book was. I highly recommend this book to anyone researching the death of RFK. Just fasten your seatbelt first.



5. This book is--far and away-- STILL the best book on the RFK hit. It is also a masterpiece of writing in any genre and in some ways creates a new one. This is the type of book whose subject matter made "gonzo" necessary but whose writing style makes gonzo seem worse than immature: a lie.
   
   The breadth of investigation is stunning and only matched by the solid research and professional restraint in writing and analysis.
   
   This also happens to be the single wildest narrative I have ever read in my life. You will not be able to believe the characters you meet in this book, yet in the end they are enlivened not by fictive writing but by the charge of a turning point in American history, documented to by a former FBI agent and a former corresponedent for ABC TV in San Franciso. This work is still respected in the field and Turner was featured in the 2007 Times Discovery channel.
   
   At times this book reads like The Crying of Lot 49 but written by Hemmingway.
   
   Also PLEASE PLEASE LOOK UP THE ARTICLE ON THE PUBLICATION HISTORY OF THIS BOOK! THE BOOK SUFFERED AN ATTEMPTED MURDER WHEN SI NEWHOUSE BOUGHT RANDOM HOUSE IN 1978. Jim Di Eugenio is the author of the review and it is must reading!
   http://www.ctka.net/turner-christian.html
   
   
   This book is not simply a who dun it. It is full of deep structural connections that show the direction the bullet was taking us as a nation.

5 comments about Henry and Clara: A Novel.

1. The book, Henry and Clara, written by Thomas Mallon, is about the couple who sat with the Lincolns on the night of Abraham Lincoln's assasination. Lovers from the ages of young teenagers, the basic plot is about Henry and Clara trying to convince Clara's father for them to marry, while Ira Harris (father) keeps putting it off longer and longer.
   The basic plot of this book was very imaginative and could be useful to people curious about Lincoln's assasination, though it lacked depth. In some parts of the book, it was horribly slow, and most of the military information really was not necessary. In the end, Thomas Mallon was most likely trying to speed up the writing process to get his book off to the publisher because the ending was the worst I have ever read IN MY LIFE.
   Though it was a fairly decent plot, it would be stretching the limits to give this book a rating of any more than a three because of the dullness in parts, occasional lack of description and terrible ending.



2. This is simply one of the best books I have ever read, and I've been recommending it to people ever since I first read it. I've even been known to grab people in bookstores and convince them to buy it.

   These are not 20th century people dressed in funny clothes. They are real, live, breathing 19th century people come to life. I think too many of us have read too many bad historical novels or seen too many Hollywood films to recognize the aura of truth when it appears.

   The simple facts of Henry and Clara Rathbone's lives are interesting enough. Raised together as stepbrother and stepsister after his mother married her father, they fell in love, and had to battle social conventions to marry. They had the supreme ill fortune to be with President and Mrs Lincoln on that terrible night when the President was assassinated, and forever after Henry Rathbone was blamed for not preventing the murder.. His descent into madness and its terrible effect on Clara and their marriage is well presented.

   In the end, what eventually happened to them is revealed. I found myself reading the last thirty or so pages with my mouth open in astonishment. I'd never heard of these two, and yet they were a footnote to history we should all know about.

   Thomas Mallon is the rare writer who can bring an era to life. He puts us inside the minds and souls of the people who lived long ago. They are like us, and yet not like us. They grew up and came of age in a completely different world, and he shows us both their similarities and differences to us, to our time.




3. Mallon writes about Clara Harris and Henry Rathbone, the last-minute couple that shared the Lincolns' box at Ford's Theater that fateful night in 1865. Their lives are remarkable beyond this historical footnote, with their scandalous engagement and marriage (they were stepbrother and stepsister raised from a young age ) to the unforunate mental problems of Henry later in life due to the stress of being in the Civil War and also witnessing the murder of Pres. Lincoln.

   Mallon does a good job of giving a feeling of decent into madness of a proud family, but lacks a bit in the historical liveliness of the period. The forced mentionings of the presidents of the various eras and the descriptions of witty historical nuances do little to bring the era alive for the era. In fact, the third part of the book could have taken place anytime, anywhere else.

   The tale itself is interesting, and gives a tragic and surprising end; it's a shame mallon didn't do the story justice though. Also, a better author's note about what was real and what was not would have been appreciated.




4. I really tried hard to get into this book; the subject sounded very interesting. I even took another reviewer's advice and skipped ahead to the assasination (after forcing myself through the first third of the book), but try as I might, I couldn't get into this book. The characters were dull and the story boring. I was immediately drawn in by the prologue, but then the story went nowhere quickly. The part about the assasination was interesting, but the monotony quickly took back over soon after. It is unlike me to not finish a book once I'm already halfway into it, but I just can't seem to muster up the desire to stick it out. I think I'll just skip to the epilogue and see what happened during all those dull pages.



5. Last year I visited Washington DC for the first time. I walked for hours and hours. And I was charmed, as I never expected that I would be. Soon thereafter, I read Henry & Clara - a novelization of real people and events.
   
   Henry and Clara Rathbone - two people who grew up together in the pre-civil war era. Henry went to war; was damaged by war. Clara fell in love - with Henry, with politics, with Washington. What would their story have been like without the war? By the time they came together in marriage, their interests and goals in life had diverged. Clara's interests drove them to Washington where she befriended the troubled Mary Todd Lincoln.
   
   Most beguiling are the descriptions of Washington as a small southern town. Clara crossing the square in front of her house to the White House across the street; meeting up with Robert Lincoln in the park. The carriage rides and salons. In that time, the President and family lived in and were part of a neighborhood .
   
   Look at any picture of a momentous event, of famous people. Who are the people in the background? The other people who were there? A hundred years from now, looking at a picture of the motorcade in Dallas, will we know that was Nellie Connelly in the car with the Kennedys? Henry and Clara were at the theater, in the box with the Lincolns that night when John Wilkes Booth struck. What happens to people who experience such trauma? People who, in memory, replay in slow motion the events of the evening until their lives resound with could have beens, would have beens, if onlys, maybes and guilty wishes coming true. Did I wish it? Did I want it? Could I have done something? Should I have done something? Did I even want to do something?
   
   It is a book about loss as much as anything else. Mrs. Lincoln lost her husband. The nation lost its innocence. Henry lost his way and finally lost his mind. Clara lost her dreams and finally lost her life. And what was the real trigger? The war? The assassination? Conflicting goals in the marriage? The sweep of events that was too momentous to survive? Who and what died in the theater box that night? I think it was more than just Lincoln

5 comments about Day Lincoln Was Shot.

1. "The Day Lincoln Was Shot" takes the reader through an minute by minute account of the events involving the principal characters involved in the Lincoln assassination. The story actually starts weeks before the assassination and traces the Booth conspiracy, first to kidnap, and then to murder Lincoln as well as Lincoln's activities amid the rumors of conspiracy and murder. The roles of others, prominently Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, are artfully woven into the book. Author Jim Bishop skillfully switches between Lincoln and the conspirators while relating the events. Although I have long studied Lincoln Lore, I learned new things about the tragedy, and was reminded of other things which I had known. Never did my attention drift from the story. This is first class, minute by minute history, at its finest.



2. The Day Lincoln Was Shot is, in fact, about the entire day of Lincoln's death. If you decide to pick up this book make sure you set aside a lot of time and anything else you could be doing. This book is a very detailed hour by hour account of the day Lincoln was murdered. I do give the author credit for being historically accurate. Although it was accurate, this book did not have the ability to capture and hold on to my attention. The plot was pretty straight forward and I felt as though i was reading something straight out of a history book plus what's inbetween the lines. Mr.Bishop did make a good effort and put alot of time into this book judging by how detailed it is. The level of detail however, was my biggest problem with this book. I understand that Lincoln got shot and it was tragic but I don't need to know his murderer's every action throughout the day to get to where he was when he shot Lincoln.
   In conclusion, reading this book was comparable only to cruel and unusual punishment and I can only hope to never read anything this horrible ever again.



3. All history books should be written by Jim Bishop. He is able to bring the past to life with wonderful story telling that doesn't lose any details. This book taught me more about Lincoln than I have ever gotten out of classes and lessons. I had no clue that he disliked his wife and that John W Booth had failed so many times in his attempts. The deep research involved in such a writing must make it almost impossible to create history books in its image. Yet, we could do with less encyclopedia-like accounts of our past so that we keep our heritage instead of trying to wade through it. I will make sure to add Bishop's other masterpieces to my collection as soon as possible.



4. Strange that this book is still in print while Bishop's other book about the murder of a President, "The Day Kennedy Was Shot," is out of print. That book similiarly examines the day Kennedy died as this one examines the day Lincoln died, and both are stellar examples of the researcher's craft and the storyteller's art. Oddly, another book which minutely examines the day of Kennedy's murder, William Manchester's "Death Of A President," is ALSO out of print. Conspiracy? At this point, who knows? Who even cares anymore?
   
   JFK asked Bishop to write an article about him on the basis of having read this book about Lincoln; the original article was titled "A Day In The Life of a President." Kennedy suggested Bishop expand the article into a full book, which Bishop was in the process of doing when JFK was killed, and so the book turned into a sequel of sorts to this one about Lincoln that the murdered President loved. In the words of William Shatner, "Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes."
   
   I have no idea why the Kennedy book is no longer in print. The Lincoln book is still out there, but "The Day Kennedy Was Shot" has apparently fallen out of favor. Strange.
   
   So why a minute-by-minute examination of a single day, even a day as momentous as this one? That's not necessarily an easy question to answer; it is a kind of subset history genre, the close examination of Kennedy's death, or Lincoln's, or Christ's, or 9/11, or D-Day, or Hiroshima, etc. On first blush it might seem of value only to the researcher writing from a larger historical perspective, but in fact a work of history with this kind of focus can be far more interesting than any other approach to the subject. In the case of JFK, for instance, the incredible tension that builds naturally from a chronicle of the day he was killed makes for a more thrilling story than a novel on the same subject could ever hope to achieve.
   
   The book follows not only Kennedy but all the players, Jackie, Oswald, his mother & his wife, LBJ, RFK, J.D. Tippett, and so on. At times these separate strands converge, but mostly they're followed separately and Bishop does a masterful job of keeping all the threads tight. It's hard to imagine the amount of research and organization that went into telling this story so cleanly, because it is certainly one of the most confusing, contradictory days in world history, but Bishop makes it look easy. He is a brilliant storyteller, and anyone will tell you that is what a great reporter has to be. It's not just the facts, ma'am, it's the narrative drive, and this one moves like a supercharged Hummer.
   
   So why has it fallen out of print? And why has another book on the same topic, William Manchester's "Death of a President," also fallen out of print? I'm not much on conspiracy theories; there's nothing in either book that the "military-industrial complex" would find terribly distressing. Bishop does mention several eyewitnesses who saw or heard shots coming from the famous grassy knoll---as, incidentally, do the live news accounts of November 22---but by far most of the evidence Bishop (and Manchester) collects points squarely at Lee Harvey Oswald. I think this excellent book is out of print now because people just don't care who killed Kennedy anymore, and they certainly aren't interested in a blow-by-blow account of the assassination.
   
   To say this is "too bad" would be an understatement of biblical proportions. Every day, every hour, we are losing our sense of wonder and curiosity about our world, and we are most particularly forgetting the lessons the Sixties taught us: don't trust the official story. They may be right (in this case, I think they actually are: I believe Oswald did act alone and the "coverup" all these years has been the CIA, FBI, Dallas police dept., etc. covering up how incompetent and ineffectual they were protecting Kennedy that day), but you should ALWAYS look into the story for yourself. Books like "The Day Kennedy Was Shot" (and Oliver Stone's masterwork film "JFK") help us do that, by marshalling all the available information into a powerful narrative thrust. If we forget, or more importantly if we simply cease to care, then the ones who want us to sleep our lives away have won before we're even out of the starting gate.
   
   Read this book, not just because it is about one of the most important days in American history, and not just because it is a remarkably well-written thriller, but also because it is important, SO important, that we never forget this man and how he died and the lessons his death taught us.



5. This is a very entertaining book. Bishop draws the reader into this familiar story from the start and holds our interest. It is by no means the definitive account of what happened (for example, there are those historians who believe Mrs. Surratt was quite aware and involved with the doings of her boarding house) but it's a good read and it brings an important chapter of American history to life.

5 comments about Regicide: The Official Assassination of John F. Kennedy.

1. Regicide provides a good overview of the the facts surrounding the JFK assassination, and offers what it claims to be documentation that the plot originated in the CIA. Regicide relies heavily on a DIA reports which summarizes Soviet intelligence investigation into the assassination, and what it claims to be the original documents of something called OPERATION ZIPPER; the removal of President John F Kennedy. The DIA documentation is believable because, it basically summarizes that physical evidence and provides background information on Oswald and Jack Ruby which is pretty much known fact at this point. As for the OPERATION ZIPPER documents, I suspect they're antoher case of planted disinformation. The facts show that there was a conspiracy to kill JFK, however, I'm yet to see any credible evidence that that the CIA authorized the plot. CIA Director John McCone was Kennedy's appointed man, it doesn't make sense that he'd authorize a plot to kill JFK. Overall, Regicide is a very quick read for background information on the JFK assassination, but far from the final word on the topic.



2. Mr. Douglas purports to be in possession of "secret files" furnished to him by Robert Crowley.
   
   In fact Gregory Douglas never met Robert Crowley.
   
   Robert Crowley regarded Douglas as a harmless eccentric.
   
   I know this to be a fact because I am Robert Crowley's son.
   
   Legal action was considered pointless since Douglas has no assets and a trial would only produce publicity for Douglas's book.



3. Good, but ULTIMATE SACRIFICE the best book ever
   While I thought this book was worthwhile in many respects, 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. Interesting how the detail of the DIA report confirms data that is already available from various other sources and books. Particularly interesting that the DIA report states that the final, frontal, head-shot bullet was mercury filled so as to explode and fragment. This is exactly what James Files claims in his confession to being the grassy knoll assassin. [...]
   
   Of course, everything depends upon the DIA report being genuine, but there is nothing in this report that stands out as being incorrect.



5. I tried to contact both, but it was fruitless. Like one fellow said, there may may a number of facts here, even those which are accidentally correct.
   
   I'd still like to be able to submit a question to the author or publisher....

5 comments about Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery.

1. The first was Posner's awful "Case Closed", while this was the second; the ole one-two punch from the media and publishing world to try to close---kill---the JFK assassination case. Thank God for the ARRB, COPA, Probe, even (gulp) Lancer, as well as the hundreds---thousands---of researchers and authors who battled to keep the case alive and not to rot on the vine like Mailer and Posner would have prefered.
   Mailer, a legend once upon a time (and now one in his mind), does an inferior cut-and-paste scrapbook of a volume here. I saw so many "50% off" stickers on this book when it first came out, it reminded me of that 1987 book on Reagan that bombed! Avoid.
   Vince (not to be confused with Bugliosi) Palamara ;-)



2. Norman Mailer's book does not resolve the question of the existence of a conspiracy in JFK's assassination (for that see The Man Who Knew Too Much by Dick Russell), but it does provide critical pieces of information about Oswald's psyche that help us assess the liklihood that Oswald was involved in the assassination. For that reason I highly recommend this book.
   
   Mailer provides interesting and frequently relevant detail about Oswald's life with Marina in Russia and their lives back in the US after they moved from Russia. The portrait that emerges of Oswald is one that is crucial to understanding what happened to JFK. Mailer provides convincing evidence that Oswald's activities were largely, if not completely, based on his own agenda and psychological makeup. It is highly unlikely that he was anyone's agent while living in Russia.
   
   Most important is the information about Oswald's desire to live in Cuba after his return to the US from Russia--this was his personal agenda in mid-1963. Mailer takes us that far. Dick Russell's The Man Who Knew Too Much fills in the missing pieces. Russell's book shows that this agenda of Oswald made him vulnerable to a ploy to enlist him in the conspiracy.
   
   Mailer's book on the psychological makeup of Oswald combined with Russell's book on how that makeup was manipulated solves the case.



3. Although an earlier reviewer gave OSWALD'S TALE a withering assessment, I couldn't possibly be quite that uncivil myself, as aggravated as I am. For, the book does serve history by providing much new background information on Lee Harvey Oswald. But I must agree with that reviewer in principal. I have not seen a book that more personifies the classic "2 plus 2 equals 7" logic warp. OSWALD'S TALE seems to set forth most of the facts, repeatedly flirt with and caress the truth, then suddenly to disregard it in favor of twaddle. A good example is Mr. Mailer's omission of the dictation belt discovered in the 1970s in Dallas. The belt contained a sound recording of the assassination recorded over the air as a result of a jammed "transmit" button on a police motorcycle radio. Analysis of the recording by the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978-9 revealed that two shots were fired almost simultaneously. An obvious impossibility with a bolt action rifle, this shattered forever the fairytale of a lone assassin. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle coined a phrase many years ago, "profound and ineffable twaddle", which well sums up the illogic of OSWALD'S TALE. Brimming with massive and impressive information, but arriving at conclusions that are an utter nonsequitor, OSWALD'S TALE is very reminiscent of the original Warren Commission Report. Unfortunately for Mr. Mailer, the Warren Commission's thesis has long been discredited and relegated to the category of claptrap. Amazingly, so many reviewers have been overwhelmed by the quantity of information in OSWALD'S TALE, but are oblivious to the book's total failure to make anything of the information. It looks very much as if Mr. Mailer is either daft or has quixotically written yet another book to try to prop up the long-collapsed thesis of the Warren Commission, and in the process comes across as having compromised himself totally. Such a book seems particularly strange coming from someone who used to seem like such a radical and champion of the truth in the 60s. Mr. Mailer remarked in the book that "Jack Ruby buggers reasonable comprehension". However in the end, OSWALD'S TALE itself buggers the truth...



4. Long as it was I regretted reaching the end of this book. Oswald's Tale purports to be a work of fiction. In fact, it impossible not to appreciate the wealth of research and analysis that informs the pages of this dense text. It becomes increasingly clear that Oswald very likely acted alone. Indeed, this is only a question because of the tributaries of zealots that seemed to work on the fringes of formal organizations, including the FBI and the MAFIA and so on. Yet, Oswald very likely acted independently; it would have been practically impossible for any one organization to control him. The novel Libra had it very nearly correct with its assessment that, had Oswald be chosen, it would very likely have been because he could have been depended upon to miss his target, or otherwise bungle the job. No one but Oswald propeled himself onto to the stage of Cold War history. In Oswald's world, his sense of destiny was confirmed by the chance occurrence of being employed in the Texas Book Depository in Dallas, stationed along the very route that President Kennedy's motorcade took that day in November. In addition to the quality of the writing and analysis, the book is to be commended for focusing so intently on Oswald's marriage to Marina, and the relationship he had with his mother, Margueritte. Like so many tragedies, one is all too easily reminded of Shakespeare's Richard, "my kingdom for a horse." Had Cuba provided Oswad a visa enabling him, ultimately to return to the Soviet Union he had already abandoned, history might well have taken a different course. Instead, Oswald's dyslexia, his sense of greatness, his determination and his lack of abilities in so many areas coupled with his gifts in others: all conspired, with chance playing its part, to place Oswald in the book depository from which he assasinated President Kennedy and subsequently murdered Dallas PD Officer Tippit.



5. At almost 800 pages, Tale is weighed down with endless detail. Still much of the detail is fascinating in itself, such as the KGB's procedure in following Oswald in Russia. Mailer actually got the reports of KGB agents following Oswald. Mailer put incredible effort into retracing Oswald's travels in Russia, New Orleans, Mexico and Texas and speaking to dozens of people who had contact with him. Mailer quotes numerous other writers. Only the last hundred pages got down to the action. His account of whodunit and why is necessarily speculative, but I don't know of a more credible one.

5 comments about On the Trail of the Assassins: My Investigation and Prosecution of the Murder of President Kennedy.

1. Garrison believed the CIA, with the help of the mafia, Cuban exiles formerly involved with Operation Mongoose & the Bay of Pigs, and extreme right wingers in DoD killed Kennedy. He also believed Clay Shaw had a hand in it. Generally I think he was on the right track, but it is unlikely that CIA and DoD would have cooperated to such an extent. We know from ARRB releases that, unlike the later Iran-Contra and Tipped Kettle Ops, CIA and DoD were severely at odds with each other. CIA's emergence as an outlet for covert ops was seen as encroaching on DoD holy ground. Defense has perfected the art of the black op and black program with so many Sensitive Compartments, Special Access Programs, and Unacknowledged Units, that one has to admit they had a valid argument. The great black op success stories during the Cold War (success in terms of tactical goals, not whether I agree with their motives or means) were primarily carried out by either DoD (sometimes through the NSA, which is heavily connected to the military) or British MI6, acting on behalf of CIA. The agency rarely succeeded by itself on these matters.

   We also know that DCI Richard Helms held high-level staff meetings on the topic of Garrison's investigation. CIA certainly did sabotage it, but according to Victor Marchetti (whose opinion I've learned to trust) it was clear Shaw had not been involved with the assassination. However, it also appeared from the discussions (and hush-hush nature of certain topics when brought up even in these meetings) that Shaw was more than just a domestic intell contact and that he & CIA were probably covering for someone after the fact. This was the same motive behind the agency suppressing their surveillance of an Oswald-imposter who had been trailing the real Oswald in Mexico City. Someone else had an operator there, not CIA.

   The clincher was when Helms was called before Congress & the Justice Department and threatened during Watergate & the Family Jewels (intell ethics and black ops scandals like MK/ULTRA and BLUEBIRD). He walked out to reporters and said if Justice wanted to keeping playing hardball he'd be happy to open the biggest can of worms of them all. He implied this would not implicate himself or his agency, but other portions of the government. At that point Justice freaked and halted their strong-arming. Considering the pervasive spread of right-wing extremism in DoD at the time of the assassination (stretching all the way to the Joint Chiefs) the meaning of all this is fairly clear.

   Some individuals with former CIA ties were likely involved, but the agency was simply forced to suppress this (and by default aid the conspiracy) in order to avoid their own false implication in the assassination itself. Certainly if Garrison couldn't keep this separate then the public couldn't be expected to not blame CIA when they found out a few of its former employees or contacts were involved. So Garrison was close, but he was a little too obsessed with Shaw and CIA to see the real picture.




2. The definitive JFK conspiracy book. Sober, well documented, rarely sensational. The focus is on fact, not speculation. Why has so much evergy been used to discrediting his investigation? Even if some of the conjecture is hard to swallow, it seems like you gotta work pretty hard to explain away most of this stuff. I'm convinced.



3. Jim Garrison's powerful book, "On the Trail of the Assassins," is important reading. In it, Garrison recounts his investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and a possible cover-up of the real facts of the case. It questions the validity of the Warren Commission Report, and provides startling evidence that the Central Intelligence Agency may have been involved, and that Kennedy's assassination was a coup d'etat. The evidence Garrison presents leaves little room for doubt.
   If there wasn't a conspiracy involved to assassinate Kennedy, then why does the U.S. government, OUR government, withold information in connection to the assassination? I think that we have a right to know who killed Kennedy, why he was killed, and who benefitted.
   "On the Trail of the Assassins" is a superb book. A great resource for those new to the conspiracy theories, and a great companion piece to Oliver Stone's "JFK." Grade: A+



4. New evidence has now surfaced that Oswald was hired by Cuba to kill JFK in Dallas all those years ago. Now, character assassination is continuing from that area. John Seigenthaler was a close friend and supporter of the Kennedys: "I was a close friend of Robert Kennedy, and I worked closely iwith the president...helped to edit [Robert's] first book. We were close friends until his death and the most painful thing was to have them {Brian Chase] to suggest I was suspected of their assassination."
   
   Chase, after being traced by Daniel Brandt of San Antonio, confessed that he created a fake online biography of Seigenthaler in May, 2005, as a gag "to shock a co-worker who was familiar with the Seigenthaler family." This was allowed to go global on Wikipedia. This is going on now on other web sites including these reviews, from Dallas. John Seigenthaler, father of the NBC journalist, was falsely accused of being involved in both assassinations of JFK and his brother, Robert. Character assassination is prevalent these days and must be stopped. Anybody can write anything about an unsuspecting person and put on their web page as indignities, as racial and ethnic slurs and worse.
   
   The online cncyclopedia to which anyone can contribute used a false article which implicated him in the Kennedy assassination. The jokester, Brian Chase, claims he didn't know the free internet encyclopedia was used as a serious reference tool. Others, such as Daniel Brandt of San Antonio, has been "hurt" by an unflattering biography of himself. How many other Brians are out there doing their moral and unethical damage to the lives and psyches of others -- and allowed to continue.



5. I've read several books relating to the conspiracy surrounding the murder of JFK. This is one of the best. It's detailed and to the point, there is no sidetracking, like in many of the other highly recommended books (Jim Marrs: Crossfire & Ultimate Sacrifice).
   
   The book is hard to get your hands on, since its no longer in print, but well worth the money. Everything in the book is fact driven, and when it's speculation, it clearly states so.
   
   Alot in the book, that was interesting, and did not make Oliver Stones movie, as well, as lots of subjects in this book not covered in other books.
   
   This is the best overall book Ive read relating to the JFK murder, however, its mainly focused around Garrisons investigation, so it's only 1 point of view, and it does not have ALL the facts.

4 comments about Assassination of Marilyn Monroe.

1. I have always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe and often wondered how and why she died so young. There are so many conflicting theories, but the contents of this book are little short of explosive. They may not be correct, though someone must know the truth? Seems never published in the USA. Why not? Has someone got something to hide. Methinks... probably YES!
   I would not part with my hardback English copy for $1000.



2. I have always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe and often wondered how and why she died so young. There are so many conflicting theroies, but the contents of this book are little short of explosive. They may not be correct, though someone must know the truth? Seems never published in the USA. Why not? Has someone got something to hide. Methinks... probably YES! ....



3. This book was simply superb, and it contained a lot of hidden information unknown to me. For instance, the lovechild between
   Marilyn and Kennedy and the scandalous secrets about the ... Kennedys that led to her death. The author has a very introspective view of the complete chaos her life was in during the end, and of treacherous friends who had woven a web of deceit around her plying her with drugs to keep her off balance
   and confused. Luring her to Cal-Neva to be sexually abused and silenced by threats if she persisted in pursuing the Kennedys and vowing to hold a tell-all news conferance that would have been the end of Camelot. Oh! the shame of it all, heres a girl who had it all, beauty, fame and fortune but no inner peace for the tortured Norma Jean. For as it says "What does it mean to gain the whole world but lose your soul"!

   I highly recommend this book for anyone who holds a good thought
   for Marilyn, and is searching for the truth asto how she really

   died, laying to rest the lies and coverup of the suicide theory,
   kept in place for over forty years. Dynamite!! 3 thumbs up!!!




4. This book touched me. Not only does it give you insite in to what really happened that terrible night so long ago, but insight into who Marilyn Monroe really was and some of the reasons behind some of the things she did. The inter-linking of people that entered her life, the Kennedy's, her childhood, marriages, and the details of that terrible night of her death (murder to be sure) are all there. There have been so many books on Marilyn Monroe and speculation of how she died. I read it and kept shaking my head that so many people "got away with" so much! The lies, the cover ups, the "lost" evidence. It's all there. You can't help but feel sorry for a woman that just wanted to be loved, and discusted at the way the investigation (what a joke) was handled. People went to their graves with secrets, but the secrets are out now. If you are a Marilyn fan or into conspiracy theories, this is a great book!

5 comments about The Skewed Throne.

1. I was so totally hooked on this book from page one. Fantasy novels are one of my favorites and Joshua has an awesome imagination. Varis is an extremely fun character to follow and it is interesting to see what will happen to her every time you turn the page. She has a very exciting and interesting life. Very, very good and can't wait for the second one.



2. I'm very happy to have discovered Joshua Palmatier. His books are page-turners-- I read the first two in one absorbed afternoon, and then promptly ordered the third. The characters are vivid and real, and grow convincingly through the trilogy. While he uses classic themes, the books are not formulaic, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. Some of my other favorite authors are Roger Zelazny, Robin McKinley, any Wollheim anthology, Theodore Sturgeon, Delia Marshall Turner, and Patricia McKillip. It's great to add a new writer to this pantheon.



3. This book is awesome. The characters are portrayed in such a way that they come to life. You get sucked in to the plot and don't mind that it has a couple of slow chapters. I love how Varis is written and how the author let her stay true to her personality as the book goes along. I have found a new author to enjoy and am truly glad that I bought all three books in the series at once. I was hesitant to try a new author, but I am glad that I did.



4. "The Skewed Throne" follows an orphaned girl (V--) in a fantasy city. Surviving by stealing food, V-- meets a cop and starts earning food (no money, just food) as a spy, locating criminals. V-- has a fascinating magical power, that enlivens this novel. Expect the poor part of town, dagger fights, and great character motivation.
   
   The ending is forecast way too strongly, the length a bit long, and the fights entirely rediculous. Reminiscent of old Westerns, the least wound kills instantly, but V-- can receive any wound without consequence. V--'s motivations are well presented and consistent, and I liked that she stays desperately poor for most of the book. Overall, an entertaining and fun read, worth the purchase.
   
   This book will appeal to readers who enjoyed Devlin's Luck (Sword of Change, Book 1) or Forged Without Fire: A Champion for Catlover or Cast in Shadow (The Chronicles of Elantra, Book 1).



5. This first book in a series of three leaves me at the edge of my seat for more. With a dark start, this book begins by catapulting you into the shoes of parent-less teenager who needs to do whatever it takes to survive including steal and kill. Though stealing and killing would usually not keep me compelled, the vivid descriptions of all of senses from the main character's point of view; a strong story line culminating in twists, turns, and surprises; and a slow methodical journey into a girl's development of sense of self and ultimate revelation of fate kept me turning the pages.
   
   I've now read the second book of this series, and am thoroughly impressed.