Review: A Concise Compendium of the Warren Commission Report on the Assassination of John F. Kennedy

A Concise Compendium of the Warren Commission Report on the Assassination of John F. Kennedy by Robert John Donovan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I read a well-composed, well-researched conspiracy book, I can believe that conspiracy. I can see believing this Commission line of the lone gunman. I find the weakest argument to me is that the shot that first hit JFK was also the same that hit Connally. First in the Zapruder film we have the gov. looking back toward POTUS, twisted back far and holding in this right hand his hat, all while he supposedly was shot with the same bullet, including into this hat-holding wrist. Connally's own recollection surfaces:

Governor Connally testified that he recognized the first noise as a rifle shot and the thought immediately crossed his mind that it was an assassination attempt. From his position in the right jump seat immediately in front of the President, he instinctively turned to his right because the shot appeared to come from over his right shoulder. Unable to see the President as he turned to the right, the Governor started to look back over his left shoulder, but he never completed the turn because he felt something strike him in the back.” In his testimony before the Commission, Governor Connally was certain that he was hit by the second shot, which he stated he did not hear.

JFK was reacting to the 2nd shot when Connally was turned to the right, so Connally turning to the left was a third show and thus the JFK headshot was a 4th one. But, since the Commission needs a long gunman, they conclude "The weight of the evidence indicates that there were three shots fired." Actually this second reading of the Report still leaves me thinking the case is for four shots.

Also, despite police HQ disorganization,

Oswald was questioned intermittently for approximately 12 hours between 2:30 p.m., on November 22, and 11 a.m., on November 24. Throughout this interrogation he denied that he had anything to do either with the assassination of President Kennedy or the murder of Patrolman Tippit. Captain Fritz of the homicide and robbery bureau did most of the questioning, but he kept no notes and there were no stenographic or tape recordings.

Gosh that level of mishandling of a subject like this beggars belief.

Conspiracy or none, the period leading right up to Ruby killing Oswald reads like a script for a fast-paced movie. Ruby is constantly on the move, hither and thither running on little sleep, hardly any food and affect by Preludin while emotionally unbalanced by the assassination. He comes across like a man in a fugue state liable to do anything.

The first two thirds of the book, which oddly starts with the conclusion (maybe typical of federal commission reports) feels biased to this true crime reader. Where are all the blind alleys and false clues? Those emerge in the final act, such as the improbable Nov 14 1963 meeting of Bernard Weissman (ostensible head of an anti-JFK ad campaign) with Jack Ruby And JD Tippit at the Carousel Club. Now there is grist for the mill!

Regardless of all, good job Commission on suggesting such assassination be a federal crime and Cabinet-level or NSC attention to protective plans of the overworked Secret Service. I wonder if that hole is filled by Homeland Security, now? Much didn't change it seems since the Commission then said the FBI and CIA needed to be more collaborative (would have been nice before 9/11 to have that worked out) and that we needed really to pay attention to those who still prove to be our most prevalent domestic terrorists:

Subversives, ultrarightists, racists and fascists (a) possessing emotional instability or irrational behavior, (b) who have made threats of bodily harm against officials or employees of Federal, state or local government or officials of a foreign government, (c) who express or have expressed strong or violent anti-U.S. sentiments...

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