Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK

The main title of this book is apt: the author effectively closes the case once and for all. In his Afterword, he mentions that a German journalist asked him ten years after its first publication what he would entitle his book in view of new information and he replied "Case Still Closed." After reading this book, I see no reason for him to change it. Posner also indicted that the trove of declassified documents to be released at a future date (within the past few years) would not shed any more light on the case other than some minutia. That also turned out to be true. Further, he noted that none of the major conspiracy theory authors, who have made the tragedy of the assassination into a cottage industry, has made any substantive rebuttal to his book.This is not a book of cogent arguments, much less idle speculation or wild conjecture. As any credible career investigative journalist would be expected to do, he sets out to methodically recount the people and events leading up to the assassination and afterward. In short, he allows the evidence to speak for itself. While he does address some of the major points made by the conspiracy crowd in a few chapters toward the end of the book, he concentrates his efforts on developing a detailed character sketch of Oswald and Ruby, with some focus later on Garrison as well. All evidence is corroborated, mostly by multiple eyewitness accounts, a continuous and cross-referenced timeline of events, and developing technologies unavailable to the Warren Commission in the mid-1960s or even the House Hearings in the late 1970s. Most importantly from a research standpoint, the crucial evidence is triangulated.But what also impressed me about this book and engrossed me in its retelling is Posner's ability to tell a narrative concisely without straying from the facts. It helps, at least for this reader, that his tone is evenhanded rather than scornful or mocking. Indeed, he seems to be conscious of the need to present all the information he has marshalled as neutrally as he can to retain his credibility. And that is really what I take away from his approach, his unwavering concern for the credibility of what he is reporting. Posner is clearly an old school reporter of whom we have far too few in this age of infotainment.The book's initial publication was very timely, coming as it did on the heels of Oliver Stone's fantastical theatrical account, JFK, and a spate of bestselling conspiratorial tracts. Posner must have been keenly aware of that propitious moment but, again, in keeping with his modest presentation, he does not even mention it.What I found most dramatic in the sense of a Shakespearian tragedy is how two otherwise unnoticed individuals, Oswald and Ruby, were so much alike in personality and demeanor. Both suffered from illusions of grandeur, were grossly insecure, and possessed persecution complexes. Both were prone to violence to those in their lives, both came from broken families, and led rather bleak existences. To his credit, however, Posner does not try to hammer this point home. Rather, he allows the profiles he depicts to speak for themselves. Even the most cynical or self-serving conspiratorially minded reader should be impressed by the flow of these biographical sketches. In an odd way, both are deserving of a measure of pity and would be all the more if they were not also sociopathic and had ruined the lives of so many people who did not deserve it.Obviously, I cannot recommend this book enough. I only wish I had read it before I went to the premiere of JFK and left feeling utterly betrayed by my government. But I was much younger then. As an aside, I put off reading this book for decades for no particular reason. The passage of time (and I'd like to think more perspective and a bit of prudence, if not wisdom) has allowed me to see how the other great tragedy of November 22, 1963 was the effect it had on the majority of Americans--how we lost faith in the very government officials (minus many in the CIA and some in the FBI) who serve us, thus unwittingly generating the very outcome that they falsely suspect the assassination plot was intended to demonstrate. Occam's Razor applies; sometimes the truth of historical events is a lot simpler than we make it out to be. But yet again, the author leaves such judgments to the reader.

Never having done any serious reading about the JFK assassination, I chanced to view a two-hour video about reporter, syndicated columnist and TV personality (panelist on "What's My Line") Dorothy Kilgallen’s 1963-65 investigation of certain aspects of the case. Kilgallen was supposedly in hot pursuit of a “big story" re the JFK and Lee Harvey Oswald assassinations when she unexpectedly wound up dead at the age of 52.Suggested conclusions: (1) the “Oswald alone theory” didn’t make sense, i.e., this 24-year-old misfit must have received help or guidance from someone to go after the nation’s president; (2) Ruby’s appearance at a Dallas police station just in time to shoot Oswald was a little too convenient for whoever could have been behind the assassination, and (3) Kilgallen didn’t commit suicide or die of an accidental drug overdose as investigators concluded at the time, she was murdered to ensure her silence.Intrigued, I decided to purchase one of Mark Shaw’s books (Denial of Justice) about the Kilgallen theory, and also an acclaimed summation of the generally accepted version of events: Posner’s book.Posner’s book proved to be logical, informative, and very readable. He obviously researched the subject thoroughly before it was initially published (circa 1993), and has kept up with many of the theories and evidence that have surfaced since then (the Kindle edition includes a closing note written in 2013).Oswald’s family background and upbringing – Marine Corps service – political leanings – sojourn in Russia, which didn’t turn out in accordance with his expectations – unhappy marriage – social relationships – acquisition of firearms – previous assassination attempt (General Edwin Walker of the John Birch Society) – chain of events that led up to his presence on the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository, prepared to shoot the president, when the JFK motorcade rounded the corner and drove by – the fatal shots, meticulously supported by a review of the forensic evidence – and Oswald’s subsequent movements, which ended with his arrest at a movie theater, interrogation, and death two days later.A similar review is provided for Jack Ruby, whose timeline eventually intersected with Oswald’s at the police station on November 24, 1963. The Ruby back story seemed to cover most of the obvious questions, although it would have been helpful to know whether he usually carried a gun and had ever used it. Ruby was tried for the murder of Oswald, without taking the stand, and subsequently questioned by the Warren Commission in its investigation of the JFK assassination.The lead defense attorney (Melvin Beli, “the king of torts”) in the criminal case put on an unsuccessful insanity defense. Ruby was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to death. A new trial was granted on appeal, but Ruby was still incarcerated when he died of cancer in early 1967. From Posner’s account, there was no suggestion that Ruby had done anything other than of his own volition, e.g., by killing Oswald to prevent facts from coming out that might have embarrassed some mob boss or public official.Almost every chapter of the book includes voluminous notes (in smaller type) re various points and conjectures that have been raised by other researchers. I skimmed some of the notes, which were interesting but typically provided more detail than I wanted to get into.Overall, this book is outstanding – it didn’t win a Pulitzer prize but was one of the finalists in the year’s competition – and should be particularly helpful for anyone planning to research the JFK assassination.Despite its title, Case Closed doesn’t resolve all possible questions about the subject – as Posner himself has said, one can never be 100% certain of the explanations for historical events. The book does make clear, however, that Oswald was a resourceful and determined person, he was in position to fire the fatal shots, a second shooter wasn’t needed to explain the results of the shots fired, and there wasn’t any obvious evidence of a powerful figure behind the scenes who was orchestrating the action.Suitably armed, I look forward to reading Mark Shaw’s book to see what he may have come up with.

800 pages of excruciating detail about every aspect of Oswald's life was just too much. To make his case, the author left no stone unturned, and I suppose he needed to do that. But be forewarned, it's a tedious tale because of it. But he certainly makes his case, and I applaud his efforts to do so.

I am really impressed by the author's detailed work.The key question "why" Oswald dit it never will be completed answered but the first third of the book delivers with its comprehensive biography of Oswald a clear indication - based on his shaken character.Another part I appreciated very much is about Ruby's days in Dallas around the assassination.For me, the main/only "mystery" of the case about refers to Oswald's trip to Mexico a few weeks before and his contacts with Russian, Cuban and local left-wing representatives. I don't believe that he received any concrete support but maybe he was at least "motivated" to carry on with his plan.

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

Comprehensive and convincing.Also a very good read. I found it unputdownable. It explains the motivations and demons driving Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby, and is a sobering review of how conspiracy theories grow from nothing and distort history.

I read this book in hardcover soon after its first edition in 1993.Being in Grade 11 in Winnipeg and in the same time zone as Dallas, Texas,I was at my locker at 1:10 PM on Friday, November 22,1963 when I heard the news ofPresident Kennedy's assassination. First from a fellow student, and later bythe announcement over the school PA in French class, shortly after 2:00 PM.I then learned of the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby thatfollowing Sunday afternooon, again by word of mouth from a friend. Gerald Posner clarifies the events and debunks all the conspiracy theories.I purchased the book so I could lend it to my brother, who was eight years old atthe time. He became a true believer in the Hollywood glorification of Jim Garrisonin Oliver Stone's film JFK. Between 1993 and the second edition of this book in 2003, computer analysis has confirmed the single bullet theory. The President and Governor Conally were seated at an angle to each other, not in a straight line, and Conally's wrist was raised to remove his Stetson and turn around to better view the direction of the first shot which he heard fired from behind. Posner focuses on Oswald's life and demostrates that he was an ultra-leftist megalomaniac, melancholiac, psychopath, pathological liar, cheapskate, wife beater and a sullen loner and egotist without a driver's licence, anxious to prove himself to the Communist Party in America and Cuba. It becomes more and more evident and beyond plausible that Oswald acted alone. All supposed ties to the CIA, FBI, Castro, theSoviet Union and Mafia are dealt with in depth as remote possibilities, but shown to be dead ends and red herrings. The book is methodical, rational, and a triumph of investigative journalism.To all the conspiracy buffs and authors, Posner's details are painstaking and overwhelmingin setting the record straight. There were three assassins, Lee, Harvey, and Oswald.

Les réponses aux qq questions inexpliqués laissées par le chef d'œuvre de William Manchester, Death of a President.Case Closed jamais traduit en français. Grrrrr