Misleading title for a book that demonstrates that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in Dallas in 1963. I don't think I've read any other books on the topic and other than seeing that dopey movie JFK, I've never had much exposure to the various debates on this murder, but this book was interesting.
A recent thread on "conspiracy theories" made me think I should post this book review.
I guess I'm kicking a fire ant nest by bringing this topic up again, but...
I just finished this book and would recommend it to anyone who harbors doubts about the conclusions of the Warren Commission. The author is a little bit sassy at times, but presents a clear and reasonably well organized argument. It's a short book, but presents a good picture of how Oswald could have - and must have - done it himself and in fact acted almost on the spur of the moment, when he found out two days before the event that the President's route would pass directly below the window of the building where he worked.
There are interviews with the medical examiners at Bethesda who conducted the autopsy as well as with the ER medical staff in Dallas - including the ME there - all of whom support the Warren Commission study.
He shows with photos taken from the window in the book depository building, through the actual scope of the murder weapon, that the shots weren't as difficult as many would think. He also concludes that of the three shots Oswald fired, it was the first one that missed (and you can see from the photo through the scope that the shot could easily have been deflected by branches of a tree). Another thing he brings up is that if it was the 1st shot that missed, about eight seconds elapsed between the first and last shots (longer than generally supposed). This seems to be supported by eyewitness accounts and the Zapruder film where Kennedy suddenly glances to the side about 2 seconds before he's hit.
One interesting thing I learned in this book was that Oswald had previously attempted - unsuccessfully - to assasinate a rabidly anti-Castro General with the same rifle he shot Kennedy with. In fact, he purchased the rifle not to shoot Kennedy, but to shoot this General.
He also details the mob involvement of Jack Ruby and indirectly by Oswald, and lays out a fairly convincing rationale for Ruby to have killed Oswald on behalf of the mob: in order to cover up the gun-running operations by the mob to Cuba that Oswald was aware of. This is the reason for the title - the mob wanted to silence the assassin to prevent him from blabbing about the gun-running.
Also recently read a book about Charles Whitman - the only other "ex-"Marine (except when describing Oswald and Whitman, the the term is "former" Marines) - by the title of "Deadly Tower." What an evil schmuck that guy was! Too bad they didn't bring him in alive so they could make him ride the lightning.
This book was OK, but had several errors about firearms and a left-wing view of why Whitman did what he did. At one point the author tries to make Whitman's childhood experiences with guns and hunting to be the foundation for his later acts of premeditated murder. Arg!
Semper fi.
A recent thread on "conspiracy theories" made me think I should post this book review.
I guess I'm kicking a fire ant nest by bringing this topic up again, but...
I just finished this book and would recommend it to anyone who harbors doubts about the conclusions of the Warren Commission. The author is a little bit sassy at times, but presents a clear and reasonably well organized argument. It's a short book, but presents a good picture of how Oswald could have - and must have - done it himself and in fact acted almost on the spur of the moment, when he found out two days before the event that the President's route would pass directly below the window of the building where he worked.
There are interviews with the medical examiners at Bethesda who conducted the autopsy as well as with the ER medical staff in Dallas - including the ME there - all of whom support the Warren Commission study.
He shows with photos taken from the window in the book depository building, through the actual scope of the murder weapon, that the shots weren't as difficult as many would think. He also concludes that of the three shots Oswald fired, it was the first one that missed (and you can see from the photo through the scope that the shot could easily have been deflected by branches of a tree). Another thing he brings up is that if it was the 1st shot that missed, about eight seconds elapsed between the first and last shots (longer than generally supposed). This seems to be supported by eyewitness accounts and the Zapruder film where Kennedy suddenly glances to the side about 2 seconds before he's hit.
One interesting thing I learned in this book was that Oswald had previously attempted - unsuccessfully - to assasinate a rabidly anti-Castro General with the same rifle he shot Kennedy with. In fact, he purchased the rifle not to shoot Kennedy, but to shoot this General.
He also details the mob involvement of Jack Ruby and indirectly by Oswald, and lays out a fairly convincing rationale for Ruby to have killed Oswald on behalf of the mob: in order to cover up the gun-running operations by the mob to Cuba that Oswald was aware of. This is the reason for the title - the mob wanted to silence the assassin to prevent him from blabbing about the gun-running.
Also recently read a book about Charles Whitman - the only other "ex-"Marine (except when describing Oswald and Whitman, the the term is "former" Marines) - by the title of "Deadly Tower." What an evil schmuck that guy was! Too bad they didn't bring him in alive so they could make him ride the lightning.
This book was OK, but had several errors about firearms and a left-wing view of why Whitman did what he did. At one point the author tries to make Whitman's childhood experiences with guns and hunting to be the foundation for his later acts of premeditated murder. Arg!
Semper fi.