Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK Kindle Edition

I just started reading this. While I tend to go with Occam's Razor, that the most logical assassin was Lee Havey Oswald, two VIPs in our Nation's history give me pause.1-In former Speaker Tip O'Neill's autobiography, the following quote-FROM MAN OF THE HOUSE, by Tip O’Neill, Random House: 1987.page 178I was never one of those people who had doubts or suspicions about the Warren Commission’s report on the President’s death. But five years after Jack died, I was having dinner with Kenny O’Donnell and a few other people at Jimmy’s Harborside Restaurant in Boston, and we got to talking about the assassination.I was surprised to hear O’Donnell say that he was sure he had heard two shots that came from behind the fence."That’s not what you told the Warren Commission," I said."You’re right," he replied. "I told the FBI what I had heard but they said it couldn’t have happened that way and that I must have been imagining things. So I testified the way they wanted me to. I just didn’t want to stir up any more pain and trouble for the family.""I can’t believe it," I said. "I wouldn’t have done that in a million years. I would have told the truth.""Tip, you have to understand. The family—everybody wanted this thing behind them."Dave Powers was with us at dinner that night, and his recollection of the shots was the same as O’Donnell’s.2-Former President Gerald Ford, a warren Commission member had the report changed so as to move JFK's wound from the back to the neck as reported in the Washington Post in July 1997-By George Lardner Jr. July 3, 1997As a member of the Warren Commission that investigated the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Gerald R. Ford suggested that the panel change its initial description of the bullet wound in Kennedy's back to place it higher up in his body.The change, critics said, may have been intended to support the controversial theory that a "single bullet" struck Kennedy from behind, exited his neck and then wounded Texas Gov. John B. Connally Jr. The Warren Commission relied on it heavily in concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald was Kennedy's lone assassin, firing from a sniper's nest above and behind the president in the Texas School Book Depository.Ford's handwritten editing, revealed in newly disclosed papers kept by the commission's general counsel, was accepted with a slight change.The initial draft of the report stated: "A bullet had entered his {Kennedy's} back at a point slightly below the shoulder to the right of the spine."Ford wanted it to read: "A bullet had entered the back of his neck slightly to the right of the spine."The Warren Commission's job was to find the facts. These two documented instances of fraud leads one to believe that the whole Report was fraudulent. Did/does the American public need their "facts" altered to conclude that LHO was the sole assasin?

CASE CLOSED did not convince me that Oswald was the lone assassin and there was no conspiracy. It did convince me that it's POSSIBLE that Oswald acted alone. The JFK assassination was an extremely strange event. There are aspects of it that are mysterious and difficult to explain. It's extremely improbable, for example, that Oswald was able to get off all those shots from that window, with that weapon, with that target. But, extremely improbable things happen on a daily basis. Psychologically, we don't like that mystery. This is often how conspiracy theories develop. I'm not disrespectful or dismissive of those who believe in a conspiracy in this assassination. There's more than a decent chance there was a conspiracy. But I think we have to always be conscious of our tendency to be troubled by unexplained things and motivated by a desire to explain the unexplainable.

Posner's text presents an in-depth review of Lee Harvey Oswald and factors that led him to commit the assassination. The strength of the book is Posner's use of original documents. His footnotes are replete with references to original testimony from individuals who were there, in multiple senses: witnesses at Dealey Plaza, attending physicians at Parkland, police officers, the autopsy team at Bethesda, etc. I particularly liked that he interviewed doctors from both Parkland and Bethesda. Obviously, those physicians have important insight into the case.The one weakness in the book concerns events following Oswald's arrest, as the author almost immediately switched to discussing Jack Ruby. I, personally, would have liked to know more of what happened during Oswald's time in custody.Those who are committed to conspiracy theories will not like this book. Yet, if you approach it with an open mind, Posner presents a compelling argument for Lee Harvey Oswald as the lone assassin of JFK.

I doubt this case will ever be truly closed, as the book title suggests, but Posner’s book puts many nagging doubts to rest. Did Oswald do it? Yes. Was there another shooter? No. Is the magic bullet theory credible? Yes. Was Oswald put up to it? Probably not.Posner does serious research and makes, for me, a convincing case for the Warren Commission conclusions. Given the amazing amount of misinformation about the assassination, this is no small feat. This is a book that should be read alike by those who think there was a conspiracy and those who don’t.For me, the sticking point has always been the lack of a clear motive for Oswald who, to the best of our knowledge, never expressed any animus toward Kennedy. Posner convinced me that no motive is needed. His careful reconstruction of Oswald’s demented personality convinced me that this was a crime of opportunity, to feed the the hateful ego of an embittered loser.I do have some criticisms. Ruby’s motives are equally unclear to me, and Posner’s construction of the Ruby personality is less complete and convincing. Also, a central player in this drama is Marina’s friend Ruth Paine. I always there was something fishy there. She was Marina’s close friend up until the assassination, and then they part ways and never see each other again. Also, Paine visited her sister who had CIA connection in September 1963, before returning to Dallas and helping Oswald get his Texas Schoolbook Depository job. Worth writing about.Posner spends some time on the conspiracy theories, but too much time on the crazy Garrison/Oliver Stone circus and not enough on the more reasonable theories, including the possible involvement of LBJ. After all, cui bono?That said, a well researched and well written book. Highly recommend.

First of all, the book arrived much earlier than stated, so that deserves top marks.The book is in fantastic condition, it doesn't even look like it's ever been readThe assassination of JFK has always interested me, and I have lots of books (and kindles) on the subjectI read this book before but didn't own my own copy,Definitely worth a read, it's a big book but has everything you need to decide for yourself who did actually kill the president

I enjoyed this book as it sets out the facts to the assassination of JFK. It also debunks the myths around CIA, FBI, the Mafia, the Russians, the Cubans and uncle Tom Cobbley and all involvement.

An excellent book. Very well researched and written. Totally convincing in asserting that Lee H Oswald acted alone in killing President Kennedy.

There has been considerable speculation regarding the assassination of JFK. This book brilliantly presents the evidence in great detail and puts to bed every theory. Lee Harvey Oswald DID IT.

Love the book, found this is one of the best books written about the assination of JFK.