There is little doubt in my mind that if of you were to ask a group of fifty people to name the two biggest conspiracies of the 20th century most would cite the assassination of President John F Kennedy, and the happenings at Roswell/Area 51. Both events illicit huge amounts of heated discussion.
I am not a conspiracy theorist but I am a person with a keen interest in the JFK story, I am old enough to remember the events, although too young at the time to have grasped their true significance.
Over the years I have read many books on the events of November/22 in Dealey Plaza, some have been scholarly and well researched, others have been written by ‘wingnuts’ espousing theories that only a fellow wingnut could love!
Rarely does a Kennedy book cause any serious level of controversy. People read them and just move on. That is not true of The Kennedy Detail. Within 24 hours of posting a harmless article about the upcoming release I had messages from JFK ‘researchers’ that were mainly negative.
So what makes The Kennedy Detail such a controversial book? At face value it would seem to be the ideal companion for and collector or historian. It is not a rehash of the many books before, it is the telling of the story through the eyes of Gerald Blaine. Blaine was part of the elite secret service detail tasked with keeping the president out of harms way.
This viewpoint of the JFK assassination is not one that I had read before.
In retrospect I now understand the frustration from the researchers that contacted me, but I do feel they are completely off the mark. Gerald Blaine is not trying to rewrite history, he is telling his story, the way he remembers it. The Kennedy Detail for me was more of an autobiography than an analysis of the events.
There is an old saying about history, there are always three versions, there is mine, there is yours, and then there is the truth, which is somewhere in between. Read Don Brackens excellent book Words Of War for concrete evidence of this. Gerald Blaine is like every other author writing what I call ‘living history’, they are his recollections, they are his feelings, and they form a very important part of the mosaic surrounding the assassination of JFK and the fall out that followed.
Certainly he is very soft on criticism of the Warren Commission, but surely that should come as no surprise. And most certainly he avoids treading in the mire of JFK’s supposed womanizing world, but again, this is not surprising. Gerald Blaine as part of the presidents personal security team swore an oath of allegiance to JFK. It is clear that even after 47 years Gerald Blaine keeps that oath. I admire him for doing so.
I enjoyed The Kennedy Detail a great deal, for me it revealed a side of the story that I had never heard. It puts a face on those Trench Coated, Black Suited, White Shirted, Aviator Sunglasses wearing and generally unsmiling gentleman that protect our presidents.
Kudos to Gerald Blaine! I did notice that The Kennedy Detail is moving faster than a snipers bullet up the Amazon Bestseller list, so if you know someone that is interested in the JFK story this would make a perfect addition to their collection. You can order your copy by clicking on the Amazon link above.
Simon Barrett
10 users commented in " Book Review: The Kennedy Detail by Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackVince Palamara is not just a ‘researcher’: he has appeared on the History Channel (and dvd), in over 55 books, in a government report, and has interviewed over 80 former agents, including Blaine and many who died before his book came out. There is value in “The Kennedy Detail”, but there is also selected fiction.
Blaine blames the victim in his book. Who cares whether Oswald acted alone or not. The point is-JFK did not order the agents to do anything and Blaine and Co. KNOW this.
P.S. “Climbing up the best-sellers list”? More like bombing and diving. Not even in the top 200 (let alone the top 10-50: true best-sellers) and already half off. Next…
Gerald Blaine owes EVERYTHING to Vince Palamara~if it wasn’t for his anger towards Palamara’s research, HE NEVER WOULD HAVE WROTE HIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!
Blaine takes the great leap deciding that because President Kennedy kindly told the agents they didn’t have to ride holding onto handles and standing on a small metal step on the rear of the limousine while in Florida that they were somehow “ordered” by JFK not to guard him closely while in Dallas??? The record shows that JFK gave no such order, Agent Clint Hill, the First Lady’s agent rode on this rear step several times during the Dallas motorcade and, in fact, the agents in the followup car were too hung over to react with any speed regardless of where they stood. They had gone out drinking most of the night before. Only agent Hill, one of the late night agents, moved to help — jumping to the president’s vehicle but too late to be of any help to the president. Still, Hill helped the First Lady and lay himself over them both in that bloody back seat at great risk as the limousine sped to the hospital. This is the real story.
Nothing against Debra Conway’s assessment of Clint Hill’s reasons for his actions on 11/22/63, Debra is a moving force behind JFK/LANCER based in Dallas and does tremendous work in keeping JFK’s memory alive, however…if you believe John Kennedy’s life was taken in a brutal conspiracy how can you not believe that anyone with the president’s detail who had a hands on task that day involving the president’s body wasn’t an integral part of this conspiracy? It could not have happened without their involvement.
I just love how Vince Palamara toots his own horn in his above blog (speaking in third-person no less, ugghhh! I hate when people’s egos allow them to do this) trying to “correct” the record of Blaine mentioning him as a “researcher” and “Secret Service expert”. I don’t think Blaine even mentioned him by name in the book, which probably hurts him more than pointing out Rybka was the WRONG agent alongside the limo. Simply because Palamara has harrassed dozens of agents over the years hardly makes him a Secret Service expert–in my book he’s little more than a Secret Service stalker.
The ONLY competent SA agent on hand that day was SA Youngblood.He jumped on Johnson right after the first shot..The rest were just lame ducks..The WC and HSCA called these nitwits out on charges of serious derelict.No wonder Blaine does not want to go there..Yet now bold enough to blast conspiracy buffs.with misleading buzzwords like “new information”.. good money pitch…Blaines own admission that he almost blew away Johnson adds to the whole joke..SA Greer stunned FBI when told them he had no ideal what to do in dallas but get in the limo and drive..Some detail huh?.I’m sure this new book makes no mention of pressuring JFK best friend Dave Powers who was in the SS 2nd car and also Kenny ODonnell to change their testimony of front shots they are sure of..those FACTs are inTip Oneills best seller MAN OF THE HOUSE p.178…Revisionist my arse..just another blame game.
The book is a winner. We could not put it down. The truth had to come out at some point and all the conspiracy theorist who have made a name for themselves over a tragic day in our country’s history will have a counter balance now. They have been able to say what they want and make a name for themselves. These men were there and know what happened. It has taken its toll on all of them and we are so grateful that they finally have their say in the truth of it all. Thank you for your bravery and your service to our country and for allowing the truth to be told once and for all.
Jesse Ventura recently interviewed E. Howard Hunt’s son who said his father confessed on his deathbed that he, as a CIA Agent, was part of the assassination of JFK. What better evidence is THAT?
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