BOOK REVIEW -- "RECLAIMING HISTORY: THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY" (1 Viewer)

[David Von Pein]

F.Y.I. ......

On May 29th, 2008, W.W. Norton & Co. publishers will release "FOUR DAYS IN NOVEMBER: THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY" (by Vincent Bugliosi).

At 704 pages, "Four Days In November" will be only one-fourth the size of "Reclaiming History". I've received word from Vince Bugliosi's personal secretary (Rosemary Newton) that the "Four Days" paperback will only contain a reprinting of Chapter 1 from "Reclaiming History" (possibly also including the 101 pages of Chapter-One Endnotes that appear on the CD-ROM for "RH" too; but I'm not positive about that).

""Four Days In November" is just that. That was a section I thoroughly enjoyed working on (as well as "Oswald's Biography")." -- Rosemary Newton; 11/21/07

 

[David Von Pein]

KENNEDY PHOTO ALBUMS AND SLIDESHOWS (CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW):

 

[Johnny Angell]

David, this pic of Jackie cradling JFK's head is a recreation, a painting of some sort? I've never seen an actual photograph of this scene.

Edit: Never mind, I clicked on the gallery and saw that this is described as a painting. I presume there is no such photograph.

 

[David Von Pein]

Yes. An artist by the name of Mark Balma created that painting. The link provided below contains more information about the controversial painting:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/dis...1/15/jfkpieta/

 

[David Von Pein]

Linked below are some fun and rarely-heard John F. Kennedy audio files, including some complete press conferences (which are ones that cannot be found at the JFK Library website), speeches, and JFK's Inaugural Address. Some of these items are quite rare too:

CLICK HERE

==========================

One of the links at the webpage above provides access to a very interesting (and sometimes funny) speech given by Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy when he was featured as the keynote speaker at the "Jefferson-Jackson Day" dinner in Los Angeles, California, on November 2, 1959, two months before Kennedy announced that he was officially running for President.

This edited 28-minute audio program begins with a few comments from Frank Sinatra ("It's really a marvelous pleasure for me to be here tonight, on behalf of Peter Lawford's brother-in-law")....and the program also includes remarks made by California's recently-elected Governor, Pat Brown.

My favorite Jack Kennedy quote during that 1959 speech is this one.....

"It seems to me that in the 1960 election...that we should take into that election words which were spoken by Franklin Roosevelt in 1936. .... In that speech he said..."Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in the spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference." It seems to me in the United States in the last seven years, we have come very close to a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference, and I do not look with pleasure upon going through another decade of it....and therefore I think this election is most important." -- Senator John F. Kennedy; 11/02/59

HERE'S A DIRECT LINK TO THAT 1959 PROGRAM

 

[David Von Pein]

Vincent Bugliosi's 2007 JFK book, "Reclaiming History", has been nominated for an "Edgar Allan Poe Award".

The "Edgars" are presented by "Mystery Writers of America". "Reclaiming History" was nominated as one of the top five books published in 2007 in the category of "Fact Crime".

The "Edgar Allan Poe Awards" date back to 1946, and Vince Bugliosi has won two such honors -- the first being for his 1974 best-seller "Helter Skelter" (which is still to this day the top-selling true-crime book in publishing history), and the second award was for 1978's true murder mystery, "Till Death Us Do Part".

EDGAR ALLAN POE AWARD FOR BEST FACT CRIME BOOK

Nominees: The Edgar® Awards

Mystery Writers of America - Home Page

 

[David Von Pein]

An expanded list of JFK Audio Links (just in case anybody might be interested):

 

[Shakey67]

Holy smokes!

I can't even remember what I put into the search engine to make this pop up, but boy, am I glad I did! As a hardcore skeptic (which means I won't believe EITHER side until I hear first-person testimony from an actual participant -- so until I talk to Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, or JFK, the jury is OUT), I'm always willing to listen to any side of a discussion to gain as much knowledge as possible. (And as someone who wasn't alive in 1963, I had no idea how grating this could be until I started hearing the 9/11 conspiracy theories.) This sounds like a crackerjack book, and I intend to check it out as soon as I can; thanks very much for bringing it to our attention!

By the way, my favorite conspiracy theory: Today's "Extra Crispy" was yesterday's "Original Recipe"....

 

[David Von Pein]

Thanks, Shakey.

For those interested in rare archival film and TV coverage of the events surrounding JFK's murder, KDFW in Dallas (via its website "JFK VIDEO: THE DALLAS TAPES") has placed online three intriguing video clips regarding the Jack Ruby trial:

myFOXdfw.com | JFK Video: The Dallas Tapes

myFOXdfw.com | JFK Video: The Dallas Tapes

myFOXdfw.com | JFK Video: The Dallas Tapes

 

[Chris Lockwood]

Wow- how long did that review take to write?

 

[David Von Pein]

Well, Chris, let me think.....

It took me exactly one month to read all of Mr. Bugliosi's (excellent) book, including the 1,100+ pages of Endnotes and Source Notes on CD-ROM (and I was writing portions of the review as I was reading the book; it would have been impossible to read the entire 2800 pages and then try to write this kind of review, with extended quotations included, from sheer memory)....and it took additional time to assemble and organize all of the other stuff I wanted to incorporate into the 3-part review (e.g., pertinent photographs, audio clips, video clips, and related links).

All totalled, I guess it took approximately 5 to 6 weeks to put together my HTF version. (I have several other "versions" of this review too, in varying sizes.)

That 5-6 week period, however, doesn't count any of the literally hundreds of times I've edited something within the 3-part review (in order to add an update of some kind, or a new video or audio clip, etc.).

Anyhow, I'm very proud of the review. I know that it is excessively lengthy in the minds of some people. But I look at it as a deserved Mega-Review For The Mega-Book On The JFK Case.

And, btw, to restate something I emphasized in Part 1 of the review, I have obtained express written permission from the publisher of "Reclaiming History" (W.W. Norton & Co.) to use all of the many quoted passages that appear in my review within this Home Theater Forum thread. (Just in case a copyright lawyer might be looking in and getting ready to pounce. )

I, of course, have encountered the usual batch of lone-assassin critics who bark at me and scold me because they think my "RH" review (and general thoughts on this historic murder case) are nothing but pure "propaganda". And I've been accused (many times in fact) of actually being a paid "disinformation agent" for the Government and/or the CIA and/or Vincent Bugliosi himself! (I always get an especially big kick out of those accusations.)

But, anyway, no matter what any of the hardline conspiracy theorists call me, I am (and always have been) sincere in my belief that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone on November 22, 1963 (which is a belief that extends back many years as well, certainly well prior to the publication of Mr. Bugliosi's mega-tome).

And I'm sincere in my opinion that Vincent Bugliosi has, indeed, written the best and most accurate book ever authored on the John F. Kennedy assassination. (It's certainly the lengthiest and most comprehensive book ever penned on that subject, to be sure.)

 

[David Von Pein]

The link below contains an audio file of a very rare program -- Jim Garrison on "The Steve Allen Show" in 1971 (which was two years after Garrison's case against Clay Shaw collapsed like a house of cards via the jury's ultra-swift Not Guilty verdict in a New Orleans courtroom).

This interview is more than just Garrison, too. Way more, in fact. It's practically a "Vietnam War battlefield", with the JFK assassination tossed into the fray as well.

The program also featured another famous name, Mort Sahl, plus a politician named Robert Dornan, who (as a lone-assassin believer with respect to JFK's murder) gives Garrison a really good run for his money, as he calls Garrison's CIA theory "idiocy". (Good for him!)

Anyway, I thought perhaps some people here in the "Lounge" might enjoy listening to this old and rarely-heard Steve Allen Show. (I know I did.)

CLICK HERE to access the program.

 

[Jeff_CusBlues]

I think penned is an accurate statement. Didn't Mr. Bugliosi write the entire book longhand on yellow pads? The yellow pads must take an entire garage to store. LOL

 

[Jeff Gatie]

He must have done that to keep the CT's from claiming someone broke into his computer and changed his manuscript which formerly agreed with Oliver Stone to this absurd coverup version.

 

[David Von Pein]

Indeed he did. (At least the majority of it anyway. Some stuff he dictated into a tape recorder.)

But the conspiracy-happy kooks have even decided to start up a rumor about that too. They never stop.

Have a look.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Very weird. What I don't understand is that even if it were true that parts of the book were "ghostwritten", how would that have any bearing on whether or not the facts presented were accurate and the arguments persuasive? Yes, I get the "if he lied about this, he could have lied aboutu that" argument, but you can check and judge the contents of the book without regard to Bugliosi's honesty. I might have an accountant who cheats on his wife, and from that you could argue that he might be prone to cheat in other areas, but that doesn't mean he does. When I check the numbers, they're either going to add up or they won't. If they add up, his infidelity to his wife is irrelevant to his work for me, and I need not worry about it.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Attack the messenger when you can't attack the message. The invective I've seen hurled at Bugliosi on the few (very mainstream) review sites I've read is frightful. It scares me to think the fervor of some of these people rises to such anger, not to mention downright hate. Traditional religious nuts have nothing on those who adhere to this religion of conspiracy.

I'm about 400 pages in and I'm hooked. The overwhelming clinical analysis by Bugliosi would be almost annoying if it wasn't tempered by the complete and utter respect he has for the material. Astonishing book.

 

[David Von Pein]

Exact-tilly-oso. This is what conspiracists very often do. Mr. Lifton being an excellent example.

And please note (if you didn't already) the fact that Lifton's kneejerk "ghostwriting" accusation directed at author Pat Lambert has been proven to be 100% B.S., with Lifton not offering up any kind of apology to Ms. Lambert (that I am aware of).

Why anyone would suddenly start believing a known teller of falsehoods (as some CTers have) is simply ludicrous.

That's the same kind of argument I have made in the past regarding Oswald too -- i.e., why anyone would believe a known liar like LHO when it comes to his "I'm just a patsy" remark is just beyond all semblance of sensible thinking.

BTW, regarding the "Patsy" comment made by Saint Oswald, a lot of people probably don't fully realize just WHO it is that Oswald is aiming his "Patsy" remark at.

Most hardline CTers think Oswald was being "set up" IN ADVANCE by a band of always-unidentified conspirators. But when we listen to the ENTIRE "Patsy" statement uttered by Oswald in the halls of the DPD, it becomes quite obvious that Oswald is full of feces and is aiming the remark at the Dallas Police Department (which was, after all, the organization that "took him in", per part of his "patsy" statement).

LHO wasn't aiming his patsy remark at the Mob, or at Clay Shaw and that ragtag group of supposed New Orleans-based "plotters" (Ferrie, Banister, et al).

Just listen to the whole Oswald quote for yourself, and see what I mean. The unedited "patsy" statement is linked below via a streaming audio file.

BTW, Mr. Bugliosi, in his incredibly-comprehensive JFK book, also touches on this exact subject that I'm talking about here, and have talked about on other forums years prior to VB's book being published (i.e., the fact that Oswald's "I'm just a patsy" whitewash has been completely skewed by the conspiracy community over the years).

Please also take note of another interesting admission made by Oswald during this famous 21-second audio clip -- when Oswald admits to having been inside the Book Depository Building at the precise time when John F. Kennedy was being gunned down on Elm Street.

So much for the theory (still believed by some people to this day) that Oswald was standing on the front steps of the TSBD when JFK was being murdered. Oswald himself inadvertently debunked that theory, via his own words that he spoke within the audio clip linked below:


LEE HARVEY OSWALD'S "PATSY" DECLARATION


"They've taken me in because of the fact that I lived in the Soviet Union.....I'm just a patsy!" -- LHO

 

[David Von Pein]

INTERVIEW WITH "RECLAIMING HISTORY"
AUTHOR VINCENT BUGLIOSI
(Recorded April 30, 2007):

http://www.ReclaimingHistory.com





Edited by David Von Pein - 6/30/2009 at 10:43 pm GMT

 

[David Von Pein]

FUNNY INTERVIEW
FEATURING VINCENT BUGLIOSI;
VIA "COMEDY CENTRAL";
JUNE 21, 2007:



The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cVincent Bugliosiwww.colbertnation.comColbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorJeff Goldblum
Edited by David Von Pein - 6/30/2009 at 10:48 pm GMT