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Title: Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs ISBN: 0-88184-648-1 Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub. Date: November, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.02 (44 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An invaluable intro to JFK assassination facts and theories
Comment: Jim Marrs' Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy, published in 1989, still offers, in my opinion, the best introduction to the JFK assassination newbie. It was not the first book on the subject I read, but I wish it would have been. The book I picked up first dove deep into some very specific aspects of the case, and a pretty comprehensive overview of the assassination and the theories offered as to the truth about it would have made my initial plunge much easier. Not only does Marrs seek to bring together and distill the bulk of information out there, he does so in an orderly and systematic fashion. Part One looks at the assassination itself: the motorcade route and security, the movements of JFK and John Connolly at the time they were hit, the accounts of all manner of witnesses in and around Dealey Plaza, a detailed look at activity in and around the Texas School Book Depository as well as the Grassy Knoll, etc. In Part Two, he pontificates on the motives and means of all of the most likely culprits behind the murder: Lee Harvey Oswald, the Soviet Union, pro-Castro as well as anti-Castro Cuban exiles, the Mafia, the CIA, the FBI, big business (especially oil), right-wing extremists, and the military. In Part Three, he examines all manner of evidence with a critical eye. The chaotic aftermath of the shooting offers up much food for thought in terms of unusual sightings and events, not the least of which is the murder of Officer Tippet and the movements of Lee Harvey Oswald from the time of the assassination to his capture in a local movie theatre. Jack Ruby's history and links to organized crime are threshed out, revealing many intriguing possibilities about the possible extent of Ruby's role in events. Marrs then attacks the basic foundations of the Warren Commission analysis, going into a good bit of detail about the probably forgery of incriminating photographs of Oswald, revealing unforgivably sloppy breakdowns in the chain of evidence, easily explaining how the bullet that miraculously appeared essentially intact on a stretcher in Dallas could not possibly have done all the damage the Warren Commission's "magic bullet" officially did. From there, he explores Jim Garrison's case against Clay Shaw for conspiring to kill the president and goes on to summarize the workings and findings of the House Select Committee on Assassinations in 1979. Only at the conclusion of the book does he express in a straightforward manner his own theory as to what happened.
Crossfire just offers one important piece of information after another, easily preparing the way for the reader to pursue a more detailed study of the assassination. Marrs is not totally objective at all times, yet he does touch upon just about every important facet of what is a most complicated case. The number of coincidences and links between different suspect groups is nothing short of incredible, and you really need to have an understanding of how, for example, the CIA and Mafia were linked together in efforts to kill Castro, how Oswald's possible role in intelligence plays into different scenarios, etc., in order to come to terms with all of the theories out there. The medical evidence in this case is amazingly frustrating and controversial, and one can get lost without an understanding of the differences in the testimony of employees of Parkland Hospital in Dallas and the findings of the undeniably unprofessional and sloppy (not to mention illegal) autopsy. Marrs isn't afraid to summarize the most controversial of opinions, which can help the assassination novice look out for potential landmines in his/her further reading.
In his concluding chapter, Marrs finally offers what he believes is a possible scenario to explain all of the facts he has attempted to address in the main body of the book. He in no way presents these ideas as facts or probabilities. He goes farther than some Warren Commission critics go, pointing fingers of potential culpability at a significant number of different groups somehow coming together to eliminate a man each group had reasons for opposing; he clearly sees the assassination in terms of a coup d'etat with some level of complicity (be it passive or active) at the highest levels of government. Many, including myself, find this to be a little far-fetched, but Marrs' personal theory does not get in the way of all the facts he presents throughout the book. Anyone who accepts the official story of the tragedy without question will naturally find fault with Marrs for his differing conclusions, but those willing to examine the case with an open mind will find much food for thought in this remarkable book. There are no footnotes to be found here, but Marrs lists a significant number of sources alongside a selected reading list. Basically, this book prepares you for a more detailed look at all of the evidence, making this an invaluable introductory guidebook to the tangled world of JFK assassination theorizing.
Rating: 5
Summary: Most comprehensive JFK ever!
Comment: In college I had no life. So read every JFK assassination book there is and let me tell you this one is the best!
Other good JFK books do first hand research and are good for hard facts, but 'Crossfire' puts the whole thing into perspective. It gives us the best comprehensive overview of what really happened.
Marrs has lost much respect because after this book he went crazy and started talking about aliens and Egyptian cults. But don't let that scare you, this is before Marrs moved back to his home planet. It is a decisive look at ALL the assassination evidence.
If you're new to the assassination theme then this is the book for you because it spells out everything in layman's terms.
If you think Oswald killed JFK or are a Posnerphile then you'll love this book as well since it examines so many conspiracy theories you can try and debunk them all.
If you've read other JFK books then this book may help you see the assassination in a whole new light.
Marrs also has a great writing style.
Rating: 4
Summary: The JFK Reference book
Comment: If you're looking for a an overview of the facts/theories surrounding the JFK assassination, this is the book.
I read "Crossfire" once, 10 years ago and still recommend it to anyone interested in knowing more about assassination of our 36th President. A good starting point of amateur researchers
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Title: Alien Agenda by Jim Marrs ISBN: 0061096865 Publisher: HarperTorch Pub. Date: 01 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison ISBN: 0446362778 Publisher: Warner Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1991 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Murder in Dealey Plaza: What We Know Now that We Didn't Know Then by James H. Fetzer ISBN: 0812694228 Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company Pub. Date: August, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Warren Commission Report : Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy by President's Commission on the Assissination ISBN: 0312082576 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 15 February, 1992 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title:The Men Who Killed Kennedy ASIN: B00005UW74 Publisher: A & E Home Video Pub. Date: 26 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $26.06 |
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