One of the most extraordinary books I have read. An incredibly detailed, minute-by-minute account of JFK assassination; a seismic event for which everyone knows the outcomes and yet this is an utterly compelling and tense retelling.
The level of research is quite something. Underpinned by key sources such as the Warren Report, the narrative stays completely factual and is clear at all times as to when details are not fully known or are still debated. But this commitment to facts does not detract from tension or emotion; the book is soaked in drama.
Nor does the author lead or steer the reader towards a specific theory. By presenting the evidence and sequence of events, various conclusions seem unarguable to me:
- that Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald
- that Oswald was in the Texas Book Depository when he shot Kennedy
- that Jack Ruby acted alone in killing Oswald
However, whether or not Oswald was acting alone or on behalf of a organisation or nation does not seem conclusive either way. Links to the Soviet Union, his accurate marksmanship, and his unemotional demeanour afterwards leave open questions.
Perhaps the most astonishing aspect is the manner in which the Dallas police Chief Curry gave preference to exceptionally open press access inside the police headquarters over security, privacy, and focus for his officers. His preoccupation with ensuring the press had continual updates and exposure to both officers and Oswald led to accidental misinformation (the source of conspiracy theories to this day) and ultimately the murder of the assassin by Ruby.
If you have any interest in the topic whatsoever, this book is a must read.
