The Death of a President: November 1963

A great book by Manchestor about the assassination of JFK. Precise detail and characters are colorful and fully drawn. Supports conspiracy with logic and facts. Manchestor's role of insider pays off during the Crime of the Century.

Bought it and read it again after 30+ years, having seen the article in Vanity Fair about Mr. Manchester and what the project did to him personally. I confess that when I first read it, I didn't focus upon the political climate in Dallas at the time of the assassination. Comparing it with the political hatred and vitriol present today gave me chills and made me want to warn Mr. Obama to be careful. I am assured the Secret Service is much more competent today. How I hope so!

I was continually left in wonder at the depth of Manchester's attention to detail. For a book that basically only chronicles 6 days in the history of the U.S., the 700+ pages almost seems insufficient given the level of information the author gives the reader. Early in the book Manchester states that he personally visited many of the key sites described in the book, and that dedication is rewarded in almost every situation that can benefit from a precise description. I really wouldn't recommend this book to anyone bent upon proving some "conspiracy theory" because the author does a sound job of debunking many of the sources of the myths that the current conspiracy fans hold dear. If I could have asked for anything more from this book, it would be that a second reflection could have been written after the end of the Johnson presidency and the assassination of RFK. So much more has been learned and revealed in the years after this book was finished (in 1967), that I think even more material on those 6 days could be written. And I suppose that is the best testimonial I can give.