Rating: 
Summary: Courageous and Meticulous
Review: A former University of Utah professor of mine concluded that the Kennedy assassination represented the "consummate slippery slope" issue -so much so, that we should not expect to see a solution in "our lifetime." I regret that I allowed such thinking to infect my objectivity, especially after reading Dr. James Fetzer's Assassination Science. Dr. Fetzer has clearly and irrefutably demonstrated the mechanics of the cover-up, from the machinations and improprieties at Bethesda, to the deception and disguise related to the Zupruder film. Anyone who has a modicum of interest in the future political integrity of this nation, should have a copy of Assassination Science on their book shelf.
Rating: 
Summary: Another fictional book made to make money.
Review: A perfect example of how fictional this work is are the claims that the photo of Oswald holding a gun was faked. To this day his wife states that she took this photo. To this day Oswald's brother states that he believes that Oswald did the assassination.
Readers would be better off getting the DVD "ABC News presents The Kennedy Assassination-Beyond Conspiracy" which produces evidence that Oswald did perform the assassination,refutes incorrect sound evidence by five scientists that got it wrong and also has a statement by director Oliver Stone that he used "dramatic licence" when he falsified history in the fictional film JFK.
To show how ridiculous this industry has become-if you could put all the claims in all the conspiracy books and films together,there would be a total of 50 assassins and 150 accomplices. They have found assassins under bushes,over fences,in buildings etc.
It's a wonder that President Kennedy wasn't a pincussion with all these fiction assassins firing shots in different conspiracy books and documentaries.
It has become a money-making industry.
Rating:
Summary: VOODOO ECONOMICS AND ASSASSINATION SCIENCE.
Review: A visit to the library to consult the usual sources discloses that "Assassination Science" was deemed worthy of receiving only a few reviews in the print media. "Publisher's Weekly" pointed out that the book was "marred by reproductions of Fetzer's many letters of protest to the Justice Department, the New York Times and everyone else he felt distorted the truth." A brief review by Ernst-Ulrich Franzen in the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" pointed out that the book wasn't "worth the time and money of the average reader." Franzen went on to say that parts of the book "are of no interest to anyone except James Fetzer, the book's editor, and his immediate family and friends." The longest review was in "Humanist." Here, the reviewer pointed out that the book "is yet another sectarian attempt to win converts" and directly places Fetzer himself in his sights: "Fetzer has very little evidence for any of these claims... Fetzer also offers a preposterous tale that... This is nonsense... That Fetzer would believe such drivel calls into question his judgment on other matters." The reviewer concludes by saying: "What we do not need is the creation of fables, either by the Warren Commission or by Fetzer." In the 1980s we had "voodoo economics" and here we have "assassination science." Much of the technical analysis in this volume designed to show that the Zapruder film has been altered by some shadowy government entity is junk science done by people unknowledgeable about film or photogrammetry. Accordingly, much of this analysis has been shown to be mistaken in the years since the book appeared. Many of the authors of this book are not "scientists" but lawyers or ordinary joes. Fetzer himself does not do research himself but contents himself with being a cheerleader for the more outrageous conspiracy claims. Wrapping all this in the robes of "science," he pontificates again and again on what we should make of it all. Through the last thirty-five years, serious investigation of the assassination has been undermined again and again by individuals like Fetzer. His extravagant claims only alienate the thoughtful reader. All in all, this book should be labeled a "hazard to navigation" in the swift flowing stream of assassination research.
Rating:
Summary: VOODOO ECONOMICS AND ASSASSINATION SCIENCE.
Review: A visit to the library to consult the usual sources discloses that "Assassination Science" was deemed worthy of receiving only a few reviews in the print media. "Publisher's Weekly" pointed out that the book was "marred by reproductions of Fetzer's many letters of protest to the Justice Department, the New York Times and everyone else he felt distorted the truth." A brief review by Ernst-Ulrich Franzen in the "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" pointed out that the book wasn't "worth the time and money of the average reader." Franzen went on to say that parts of the book "are of no interest to anyone except James Fetzer, the book's editor, and his immediate family and friends." The longest review was in "Humanist." Here, the reviewer pointed out that the book "is yet another sectarian attempt to win converts" and directly places Fetzer himself in his sights: "Fetzer has very little evidence for any of these claims... Fetzer also offers a preposterous tale that... This is nonsense... That Fetzer would believe such drivel calls into question his judgment on other matters." The reviewer concludes by saying: "What we do not need is the creation of fables, either by the Warren Commission or by Fetzer." In the 1980s we had "voodoo economics" and here we have "assassination science." Much of the technical analysis in this volume designed to show that the Zapruder film has been altered by some shadowy government entity is junk science done by people unknowledgeable about film or photogrammetry. Accordingly, much of this analysis has been shown to be mistaken in the years since the book appeared. Many of the authors of this book are not "scientists" but lawyers or ordinary joes. Fetzer himself does not do research himself but contents himself with being a cheerleader for the more outrageous conspiracy claims. Wrapping all this in the robes of "science," he pontificates again and again on what we should make of it all. Through the last thirty-five years, serious investigation of the assassination has been undermined again and again by individuals like Fetzer. His extravagant claims only alienate the thoughtful reader. All in all, this book should be labeled a "hazard to navigation" in the swift flowing stream of assassination research.
Rating: 
Summary: A significant addition to the vast literature on the case.
Review: ASSASSINATION SCIENCE is an important addition to the literature on the JFK assassination. Fetzer has compiled a series of essays, reproductions of documents, and photographs that add significant new insight into the case. The book makes no attempt to present both the lone assassin and conspiracy points of view. Rather, Fetzer clearly believes that the assassination resulted from a conspiracy. Indeed, the thesis of the book is that through the use of modern scientific analysis of the audio-visual and medical evidence in the case, conclusive proof is offered of at least two gunmen firing at President Kennedy. By using such authorities as Drs. David Mantik, Charles Crenshaw, and Robert Livingston, Fetzer makes a very strong case for conspiracy. Mantik's dissection of the establishment line that the JFK autopsy x-rays prove only one assassin, and Livingston's analysis of the medical evidence are among the book's strong points. Perhaps the weakest section of the book is Fetzer's contention that the famous Zapruder film was altered. If so, then he and the authors who contribute to this section of the book fail to explain how virtually anything that we know of the assassination is valid. This fault notwithstanding, ASSASSINATION SCIENCE is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in learning more about the official cover-up of the truth about the murder of a President of the United States.
Rating: 
Summary: Objective and scientific studies of the death of JFK.
Review: ASSASSINATION SCIENCE provides a collection of studies byphysicians, scientists, and other serious students that is intended to place the investigation of the death of JFK on an objective and scientific foundation. The contributors are among the best qualified individuals to ever examine the medical and the photographic evidence in this case, including a world authority on the human brain who is also an expert on wound ballistics, a physician with a Ph.D. in physics who is also board certified in radiation oncology, a philosopher who is an expert on critical thinking and also a former Marine Corps officer, a physician who attended both the dying President and Lee Harvey Oswald at Parkland Hospital, a leading expert on the photographic evidence who served as a special advisor to the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), and other highly-qualified students of the assassination of JFK. ASSASSINATION SCIENCE is distinctive among works on the assassination of President Kennedy for several reasons. First, it is the only collaborative study that brings together the original work of physicians, scientists, and other serious students; there are ELEVEN contributors rather than only one. Thus, readers have the benefit of exposure to the research efforts of multiple investigators who set forth their findings in clear and accessible language. Second, it includes the most important studies of the medical evidence since the publication of David Lifton's BEST EVIDENCE in 1980 and the most important studies of the Zapruder film ever presented. These results completely undermine previous investigations of the death of JFK, including especially the official government inquiries of the Warren Commission and of the HSCA. Third, it provides the only comprehensive and detailed critique and response to a series of articles published in the JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JAMA) in 1992-93. These articles, which were based upon interviews with the physicians who performed the autopsy at Bethesda Naval Hospital, were hyped by the Editor-in-Chief of JAMA, George Lundberg, M.D., who proclaimed that they were being welcomed into the "peer reviewed" literature on the assassination, in spite of the fact that they had not been refereed by experts on the crime and he knew that at the time. Nevertheless, they received enormous attention by the national press, even though they were based upon the selection and elimination of evidence to provide a biased report in support of a predetermined conclusion. Fourth, it reports and explains the most important scientific findings in the history of the study of the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, which include: * the discovery that some autopsy X-rays have been fabricated to conceal a massive blow-out to the back of the head caused by a shot from in front; * the discovery that other autopsy X-rays have been altered by the imposition of a 6.5 mm metal object that was not present on the original X-rays; * the discovery that diagrams and photographs that are supposed to be of the brain of JFK must be of the brain of someone other than John Kennedy; * the to his throat (fired from in front), one to his back (fired from behind), and two to his head (fired from behind and from in front); * the discovery that the official "magic bullet" theory cannot possibly be true; * the discovery that an absolute minimum of at least six shots were fired in Dealey Plaza during the assassination; * the discovery that the Zapruder film of the assassination, which has been viewed as the nearest thing to "absolute truth" by some, has been extensively edited using highly sophisticated techniques; * the discovery that Lee Harvey Oswald appears to have been framed using manufactured evidence, including the back-yard photograph; and, * the discovery that the Warren Commission inquiry was a political charade featuring -a phoney bullet -a phoney limo -phoney wounds. Fifth, it reports and records repeated efforts to bring these discoveries to the attention of the American people, including a national press conference held in New York City on 18 November 1993, which explained many of these findings and how they were discovered, but which the nation's newspapers have yet to print; strenuous and repeated attempts by telephone, letter, and fax to convince the American Broadcast Network (including NIGHTLINE and ABC EVENING NEWS WITH PETER JENNINGS) to cover this story that were without success; repeated efforts to inform the nation's leading newspaper, THE NEW YORK TIMES, that its coverage of the assassination, including book reviews and even obituaries, was biased and irresponsible, but which THE TIMES has chosen to completely ignore. Sixth, it reports and records repeated and strenuous efforts to bring these new findings and discoveries, which completely undermine previous investigationsby the federal government, to the attention of the Department of Justice. The correspondence between James H. Fetzer, Ph.D., and Mary Spearing, Chief of the General Litigation and Legal Advice Section, provides a case study of the difficulties encountered in the pursuit of justice in a bureaucracy. In spite of his best efforts, he was unable to convince the Justice Department that the new findings concerning the fabrication of X-rays and the substitution of diagrams and photographs dictate a reinterpretation of the evidence in this case, even though previous government inquiries took for granted that this evidence was authentic. Seventh, it reports and records sustained efforts by American citizens to contribute their time and their talents to clarifying the nature of what has previously been assumed to be the "best evidence" in this case in an effort to bring closure to the American people. The members of this group, including distinguished scientists and recognized authorities within their respective fields, have sought to fill the vacuum created by the failure of the government to adequately investigate the assassination and to compensate for the dismal record of the press by reporting new discoveries that appear to demonstrate conclusively that there was a large-scale conspiracy and cover-up by the government in the death of JFK. The studies published here are thus intended to convey at least three general lessons. One, that even journals as prestigious as JAMA are not immune from political abuse, indications of which abound with respect to its coverage of the medical evidence in this case. Two, that new discoveries, including scientific findings of fundamental importance, continue to be made, supporting the possibility that truth is not beyond our grasp. Three, that journals, newspapers, and agencies on which we all depend do not always serve the people's interests. The pursuit of truth, the protection of justice, and the preservation of democratic institutions require eternal vigilance. As long as we are ignorant, we are not free.
Rating:
Summary: A Welcome Analysis
Review: Dr. Fetzer and his contributing authors have offered more than persuasive evidence that the Zapruder film and/or its available copies have been extensively altered and edited; Dr. Fetzer has also offered more than persuasive evidence that key Bethesda autopsy photos and x-rays have been tampered with and/or are not legitimate representations of JFK's cranium. Assassination Science also has offered irrefutable conclusions that the Journal of American Medical Association engaged in reprehensible behavior in their attempts to ridicule or diminish the credibility of Dr. Charles Crenshaw -one of the attending JFK physicians at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Dr. Fetzer has laid the evidence -face up- on the table for scrutiny or refutation. The ball is in the court of the Warren apologists to (either) produce a "movement" or get off the pot.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but TOO Drawn-Out
Review: I agree that there's no way Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone if at all in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. And this is from a right-wing Conservative! However, this book is too repetitive, full of misspellings, and the interior design is very reader-unfriendly (the switching of fonts and type sizes, etc.). The book is filled with extremely interesting points, but, unfortunately, it is all balanced out with very hard-to-understand medical talk, etc. It took me a very long time to finish the book, which was recommended by a friend, because it was so difficult to read. I refused to read MURDER IN DEALEY PLAZA because once I finished ASSASINATION SCIENCE, I perused the former, only to find it too similar in all the aspects listed above. We already know most of the points brought up in the book; a paper from each of the contributors would have been more effective.
Rating:
Summary: OK, but TOO Drawn-Out
Review: I agree that there's no way Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone if at all in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. And this is from a right-wing Conservative! However, this book is too repetitive, full of misspellings, and the interior design is very reader-unfriendly (the switching of fonts and type sizes, etc.). The book is filled with extremely interesting points, but, unfortunately, it is all balanced out with very hard-to-understand medical talk, etc. It took me a very long time to finish the book, which was recommended by a friend, because it was so difficult to read. I refused to read MURDER IN DEALEY PLAZA because once I finished ASSASINATION SCIENCE, I perused the former, only to find it too similar in all the aspects listed above. We already know most of the points brought up in the book; a paper from each of the contributors would have been more effective.
Rating:
Summary: Zapruder Film a Fraud?
Review: I find a great deal of Assassination Science to beun-objective and unSCIENTIFIC. One author's "proof" thatthe Zapruder film was altered is his list of nine "anomalies" that appear on his Robert Groden slide set. NONE of these "anomalies" appear on the new MPI Home Video release, nor on any of the 12 renditions from several sources of the Zapruder film that Groden himself offers on the video, "The Assassination Films." Yet we are to believe this author's ONE slide set and its alleged "anomalies" to prove tampering. I don't buy it. Another author shouts, "The Zapruder film is tampered!" - yet fails to define the heritage of what he is looking at. (! He has promised, though, to clarify his chapter for future printings of this book.) A common theme among a couple chapter authors is that they see Secret Service Greer's head turn around in a super-human manner. In one frame, or 1/18th of a second, they claim. Again, this "proof" of tampering is not apparent in many, many copies of the Zapruder film. Greer's one head turn lasts from Frame 300 to Frame 306 - and is VERY natural and fluid, albeit quick. These authors want us to believe, I guess, that if we see any copy of the Zparuder film that shows a natural head turn by Greer, and the Presidential limousine slowing down right before the moment of the final head shot(s), then we must be looking at altered film, because THEIR copies don't show it. And another major chapter author has promised to amend future printings of this book to eliminate his accidental mis-quoting of witnesses and mis-attributed citations. We deserve better. Maybe future printings will ! be better on this topic. We need to work together and advan! ce the cause of justice for our dead President. -end-
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