Assignment: Oswald

Rating:
Summary: Little to learn from this book
Review: Aside from personally destroying potential evidence in the Oswald case--a note from Oswald in November 1963 that could have shed light on Oswald's frame of mind around the time of the assassination--what does Hosty know to increase our understanding of the JFK assassination? He knows nothing about the real nature of Oswald's activities in New Orleans in 1963--events leading up to the assassination. He knows nothing about the possible role of the USG in the assassination. Forget about Cuba or Russia's role in the assassination events. Could they have switched key frames in the Zapruder film for the use of the Warren Commission? Hoover himself admitted to the FBI's role in this "mistake." Did the Cubans or Russians hide information from the Warren Commission? No, Allen Dulles did so. Did the Cubans or Russians manipulate the writing of the Warren Report? No, Gerald Ford admitted that he changed the language of the report regarding where one of the bullets struck Kennedy (making the report inaccurate but trying to force data into a preconceived notion). Try the books of Dick Russell or Jim Garrison or Gaeton Fonzi instead in order to gain understanding of the events of 1963.

Rating:
Summary: A Candid Recounting of JFK Assassination
Review: Hosty's book provides a candid recounting of the tragic events of Nov. 22, 1963. While Hosty acknowledges his own mistakes, he tries to put the president's assassination in proper context and explain what was really happening behind "closed doors." An exciting read, and a must read for buffs. Hosty's candid recounting will surely get under the skin of conspiracy theorists.

Rating:
Summary: A Candid Recounting of JFK Assassination
Review: It seems as though Hosty&Son decided to cash in on the cottage industry that has become the JFK assassination. While revealing nothing new here, Hosty manages to continue the Warren apology in a rather boring fashion. Rest assured, there are a lot of answers concerning the death of JFK that Hosty could give us, but he doesn't here, and probably never will.

Rating:
Summary: NOT MUCH HERE FOR SERIOUS STUDENTS
Review: LARGELY BIOGRAPHICAL IN NATURE, HOSTY DWELLS IN (TOO MUCH) DEPTH ON HIS PROBLEMS WITH THE HIERARCHY OF THE FBI. IN MY OPINION, THERE ARE POTENTIAL NUGGETS WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BUT WERE SHORT CHANGED IN HOSTY'S SELF DEFENSIVE NARRATIVE.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting read
Review: Like I said in the title, it is an interesting read. Hosty deals with the assasination as he perceived it (and it was he who investigated Oswald). He also tries to brush off any conspiracy theories pertaining to the shooting, in particular Stone's "JFK". I must say he does a pretty good job at it, with his claims being solidly motivated. However, I still stubbornly choose to believe in the conspiracy.