David Jarvis’ tasteful rendering of President Kennedy on both covers encases an equally-respectful 64-page selection of articles and book excerpts from both sides of the debate. Includes “Discounting the Critics” by W. David Slawson (Commission assistant counsel looking into possible conspiratorial relationships) and Commission staff member David M. Mosk. Five years before Best Evidence, Fred Newcomb and Perry Adams contend the President’s wounds were altered. Skeptic later examined the King assassination before going under.

major pro/con anthology covering the JFK assassination (“Dallas”), and the “Beyond”: King and RFK assassinations, plots against Castro, Vietnam escalation, Watergate and the Wallace shooting. Obviously reflecting the conspiratorial atmosphere of the post-Watergate/Nixon-pardon mid-70s which contributed to the formation of the HSCA in 1976. Book excerpts and articles (many hard-to-find even then) selected and abridged by editors (and Commission critics) Peter Dale Scott, Paul L. Hoch and Russell Stetler. Contributors include LBJ, Lane, Meagher, Roffman, Weisberg, O’Toole, Lifton, Thompson, Wecht, Belin, Noyes, Kaiser and Fensterwald. A beautifully-designed and organized book, the first half devoted to Dallas. Despite the imbalance, a relatively sober means to ease into the debate; recommended for the novice researcher. Hardcover/softcover, 552 pages.

nthology edited by Sid Blumenthal and Harvey Yazijian, that served as a virtual handbook for their Washington DC-based lobby group Assassination Information Bureau. Features a good many of the more-important conspiracy-leaning articles and essays from the likes of Groden, Katz, Prouty, Oglesby and Policoff, among others. Very nice collection that explores beyond Dallas, into Watergate, the CIA, the media and even Black Panthers. Exceptional essay by Peter Dale Scott that defined the conspiratorial view on JFK’s desire to exit Vietnam. Introduction by Philip Agee. Paperback, 266 pages, 25 B/W photos.

48-page ad-free tabloid edited by Mark Lane and Steve Jaffe. Robert Groden received $20,000 for some dubious contributions, including a graphic Z-335 color enlargement of the President’s head “avulsed rearward,” a shape in Moorman that “reveals indistinctly the face of the man visible in Z-413,” and Oswald as “The Man in the Doorway.” $1,000,000 reward posted on back cover by Larry Flynt was never collected. Many B/W and color photos, poorly reproduced on newsprint.

ice collection of morbid-themed essays, all but one previously published in magazines like Esquire and Vanity Fair, but here amended with brief updates. “Oswald’s Ghost” (Texas Monthly, November 1983) recounts New Yorker Rosenbaum’s early interest in the conspiracy evidence, identification with the buff in the film Greetings, and his cross-country visit to Dallas and New Orleans. Includes a fascinating tour of assassination landmarks with the legendary Penn Jones Jr., and a visit to Gary Mack to view his state-of-the-art analysis of the Dictabelt tapes, Bronson film, Carolyn Arnold, the head snap, and Oswald’s craniotomy. Work of Lifton, Eddowes, Summers, Ferrell and Hoch mentioned. Overview of mob-hit and Psychedelic Oswald theories, the latter based on suspicions that Lee may have used CIA-sanctioned LSD; arguably the two theories overlapped in New Orleans. The essay ends with a visit to Rosenbaum’s “intellectual hero” Josiah Thompson, now a PI in San Francisco, who enlightens him to a newfound respect for the validity of the Single-Bullet Theory and distrust towards eyewitness impressions; though still doubting Oswald’s participation and positing evidence contamination. An essay called “The Mysterious Death of J.F.K.’s Mistress” (New Times, October 1976) examines the officially unsolved murder in October, 1964 of socialite-artist Mary Meyer, sister-in-law of JFK chum Ben Bradlee. “Shadow of the Mole” (Harper’s, October 1983) looks at Angleton and Nosenko. Book title refers to article of same name, about Texas forensic psychiatrist Dr. James Grigson. Hardcover/softcover, 482 pages.

ice rounded collection of 21 short pieces from Massachusetts free-lance writer encompassing two decades of research and activism. A student radical opposed to the Vietnam War, Oglesby drifted to a new issue in the early 1970s when he co-founded the activist group Assassination Information Bureau. The AIB’s lobbying was instrumental in the formation of the HSCA and arguably the most wounded by its failings. Seven of the essays are AIB briefs or articles from its newsletter Clandestine America. Two are excerpts from the 1976 book The Yankee and Cowboy War, including a polemic that JFK would have de-escalated in Vietnam had he lived. Oglesby’s afterword to 1988 On the Trail of the Assassins included. A new essay on the JFK movie urges a more-detached look at the romanticized Kennedy. Author of 1992 quickie Who Killed JFK? Preface by Norman Mailer. Paperback, 319 pages, 1 illus.

emarkable collection of nine articles from the Dallas Morning News that originally appeared in 1988 as a News commemorative section. Central portion “In Their Own Words” devotes 75 pages to a chronological recounting of the events in Fort Worth, Dallas and Washington from 7am Friday to midnight Monday. Oswald, Ruby and conspiracy theories rate short articles. Three insightful articles deal with atmosphere of city and its reputation. John Connally and opening of Sixth Floor museum round out coverage. Wide range of photos with several unique to the News. Recommended overview for casual readers or novice researchers. Large-format softcover, 112 pages, 112 B/W photos, 2 illus.

omplements the 1998 Assassination Science anthology, from the same publisher and also edited by James Fetzer, philosophy professor at the University of Minnesota. Book has appearance of peer-reviewed academic collection of essays, ultimately undermined by contributions and dubious claims from researchers like Jack White. Attempts to apply speculative analysis to disclosures from the Assassination Records Review Board, in hopes of understanding the conspiracy through “unravelling the cover-up.” Evidently, there’s no point in establishing a conspiracy to begin with, as the “case [for conspiracy] has been settled beyond reasonable doubt.” With that perspective, Fetzer’s “new evidence” is actually new speculation, and new methodology applied to old speculation, such as eyewitness impressions and Zapruder film alteration. Fetzer’s “research group” originally united to counter JAMA’s “blatant abuse.” Group came out with the book The Great Zapruder Hoax in 2003. Softcover, 468 pages, 16 pg. color section, many B/W photos & illus.

uilds on Zapruder allegations in 2000 anthology Murder in Dealey Plaza, from same editor and publisher. Featured is Fort Worth researcher Jack White, who has a tendency to take unproven claims and overstate their significance, thus little supposed errors and artifacts White notices but can’t figure out are presented as evidence of a massive conspiracy. Other contributors include physicist John Costella, film expert David Healy and Dr. David Mantik, all blowing inconsistencies out of proportion. The allegations of optical printing and special effects seem beyond the reach of Pixar Studios. Longtime critic David Lifton (1980 Best Evidence) has the best paper, on his personal research efforts and doings with the film. Softcover, 480 pages, color section, many B/W photos & illus.