Despite the size, the book is easily readable, apart from a few volumes that might be a bit too technical for the average reader, and full of critical data and justified speculation. That being said, this is one of those Kennedy assassination books that are best to read only after you have a general understanding of the JFK assassination conspiracy, which you can get through reading some of the other books on this list. The prominence of Mexico and Cuba in the Kennedy books means that those countries are likely to be among the most frequently searched words in the latest archive release. And those of us who find The Tears of Autumn the most plausible explanation of the assassination will look with particular interest at any CIA documentation dealing with Diem’s death.

Where there are problems with the evidence and conflicting interpretations he fairly and succinctly summarizes the state of the debate and puts it in context. When I fault historian Robert Dallek or Washington reporters for showing signs of “denial” in writing about JFK’s assassination, it is because I feel they do not engage new and conflicting evidence the way Summers does. Don DeLillo, after extensive reading of the 26 supporting volumes to the Warren report, presented Oswald in his 1988 novel, Libra, as the stooge of a CIA attempt to promote war with Cuba. James Ellroy’s American Tabloid(1995) begins with Castro’s coup and ends with the Dallas assassination, which the novel attributes to a conspiracy involving the Cuban interests of the CIA and the mafia. Full disclosure: I thought “Not In Your Lifetime” was the best introduction to the JFK story before I met its author. Since then I have become a personal friend of Summers. Readers must decide for themselves if I am biased. The best way to do that is to read “Not in Your Lifetime.” John F. Kennedy was born to a wealthy family that was very familiar with the political world. His studies include Harvard University and immediately joining the U.S. Naval Reserve shortly after graduation. Let’s stop with the spoilers and uncover 10 of the best books on JFK’s assassination.That said, while I have full admiration for the above books for shining a spotlight on the man and not the deed, I still credit Bugliosi’s book as being the gold standard. Leading up to October 2017, the Archives released a batch of material that July, including a total of 3,810 documents. Some 441 had been withheld in full until that point, and 3,369 previously released in redacted form. Among the released information were 17 audio files of interviews conducted with a KGB officer, Yuri Nosenko. Nosenko, who defected to the United States in early 1964, claimed to have been in charge of a file the KGB kept on Oswald during the time he lived in the Soviet Union (1959-62). Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. chronicles the short life of the Kennedy family’s second presidential hopeful in “a story that leaves the reader aching for what cannot be recaptured” ( Miami Herald). Schlesinger’s account vividly recalls the forces that shaped Robert Kennedy, from his position as the third son of a powerful Irish Catholic political clan to his concern for issues of social justice in the turbulent 1960s. Robert Kennedy and His Times is “a picture of a deeply compassionate man hiding his vulnerability, drawn to the underdogs and the unfortunates in society by his life experiences and sufferings” ( Los Angeles Times). On November 22nd, 1963, Bobby Kennedy received a phone call that altered his life forever. The president, his brother, had been shot. JFK would not survive.

Sparked by the Zapruder 'head snap' footage he pulled on a thread that began a fifteen year trawl through U.S. Government archives. The Warren volumes, the House Select Committee, a huge list of released documents under the freedom of information act. 'Best Evidence', published 1980, is not chasing after a shooter on the grassy knoll, or concerned with Oswald, Ruby or JM Wave. Lifton's body of evidence is the body of John F. Kennedy, following it's path from Elm Street to Parkland to Love Field to Andrews AFB to Bethesda. He combines old with newly discovered evidence on the topic and is certain that a sniper placed looking directly straight at president Kennedy is the one who ultimately delivered the fatal shot to the president’s head. As with most other books on this topic, Moore also talks in detail about the many irregularities involving the Warren Commission. 50 Years of DiggingI went through all the books mentioned in this post. Summers is a real classic (and might even become still better with it’s updates), Bugliosi left me unimpressed despite its volume, Waldron contains some very good research but suffers with a very implausible plot-theory, James Douglass’s “JFK & The Unspeakable” I’ld highly recommend not only for beginners but also for advanced JFK-scholars, his “spiritual” angle is imho no disadavantage at all.

Most of the books that you are going to see on this list ultimately focus on the assassination of John F. Kennedy. However, you will also get to see a lot about his personal life, years of the past, and many other aspects of this man’s life. John was born on May 29, 1917. We all know him as a strong politician and the 35th President of the United States of America. Kennedy also served during the Cold War, and most of his acts during his presidency had something to do with the Soviet Union and Cuba. Personal Life There are countless books on Robert Kennedy, and it comes with good reason, he was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General under his brother President John F. Kennedy, and as a U.S. Senator from New York until his assassination in June 1968. Among the strip mines, one-room schoolhouses, and dilapidated homes, however, Kennedy encountered a strong mistrust and intense resentment of establishment politicians. The reason for that is because while this book goes in-depth on some aspects of the conspiracy, other important aspects that are important for getting the full picture are left out. The reason why this is one of the best Kennedy assassination books out there is that it goes very in-depth on the topic and explains every detail of what was going on at the time. James explains how the CIA was trying to put JFK in the middle of a full-blown US invasion of Cuba, and how that raised tensions between the agency and the Kennedy administration. Covering More of John’s Lifesomewhat beside the point when it comes to understanding what DID happen in Dallas. Waldron focuses on proving his theory about