Rating: 
Summary: Posner the Poser
Review: Anyone who has ever shouldered a rifle, to fire at a static OR moving target, knows for a fact that what Oswald supposedly did with a 6.5mm Carcano (known in WW II as the "friendly rifle" because of it's infamous inaccuracy)is not possible. I watched a Kennedy assassination program on 20/20 I beleive it was, wherein an octagenerian who owned a similar rifle cycled the action 6 times within the allotted timeframe that Oswald supposedly had. There were no rounds in the rifle, no recoil, no adrenilin "rush" to make his aim shaky, no tree obstructing his aim. I am a very good shot at long and short range with a rifle (need more practice with a pistol), and i guarentee that if i were shooting at Kennedy with a Carcano I MAY have hit him, by sheer luck, once. Even with a telescopic scope, which, to me makes hitting a moving target a little more difficult when firing multiple shots, the deed did not happen as Posner and the utterly inept and corrupt Warren commission said it did. Posner comes off as nothing but a shill for the Government, one of the fools who believe that the Government would NEVER lie to the people, when they do it on a daily basis. Let Posner reside in his never-never land of denial, the rest of us know that something is rotten in Denmark, though it may be another 50 years before the truth comes out. The Federal Govt should give Posner a medal for greatest [...] in modern history.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent defense of the Warren Commission
Review: As a longtime believer in the conspiracy argument (though not the Oliver Stone-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink variety), I at first refused to read Posner's book because I was sure it was a hack job. However, after 11 years of putting it off, I finally read this spring and have to admit, it is one of the most credible accounts of the assassination that I have read.
Posner's approach differs from many other authors in that he attempts to reconstruct a psychological profile of Oswald. Although, as many reviewers have said, he often makes assumption about what Oswald thought, he does use enough documentary evidence to create a generally coherent picture of a semi-literate, impotent loner with delusions of grandeur. The Oswald in Posner's account wouldn't have been recruited to join a office betting pool let alone any complex CIA or FBI-derived complots to assassinate the president. A fantastist with an exaggerated sense of his importance, Oswald was clearly too mentally unstable and too intellectually incompetent to be involved with anything beyond the menial tasks which he did during his day jobs. This account makes a mockery of those who believe that Oswald was either a skillful double agent or a patsy.
The details on Oswald's personal and mental life make for fascinating and depressing reading (although Posner relies heavily on the accounts of Marina Oswald, his Russian wife, whom he later discounts as "being too influenced by conspiracy theorists.") As a psychological profile of a marganilized loner, "Case Closed" is utterly compelling.
But its clear that Posner's main objective is to destroy all credibility for Jim Garrison and Oliver Stone's "JFK." Posner does not hide his contempt - the book is almost a line-for-line refutation of Stone's movie (which is riddled with flaws and merits most of Posner's criticisms) and shreds Garrison as a self-inflated poseur - and child molester - who destroyed lives to build his own career. I was appalled by the Garrison portrayed here but also curious that Posner's account was so viciously one-sided. The obvious hostility Posner exhibits here forces one to consider how "Case Closed" may be less about solving the JFK assassination than in assassinating Garrison's character and I would have preferred to see a bit more balance - was Garrison always a self-aggrandizing buffoon? did he have absolutely no justification for any of his JFK research?
Yet, I have to give Posner a lot of credit: except for his chapter on Garrison, his approach is reasoned and he lays out his examination of Oswald with great skill. I seriously doubt we've heard the last word on the JFK assassination but Posner provides us conspiracy advocates a very serious refutation that can not be lightly dismissed.
Rating: 
Summary: Eleven Years and Still the Best
Review: Eleven years after its publication this book remains the best explanation of President Kennedy's assassination. Believing in JFK assassination conspiracies after reading this book would be as sensible as believing the Earth is flat.
Rating:
Summary: The logical side is finally revealed!
Review: I admit that at one time I was an avid follower of conspiracy theories. I truly believed that JFK was murdered by our government and that Jim Garrison was a saint. Although I was steadfast in my beliefs, there were creeping little questions that continued to disturb me. Why had no one been charged? How could that many people keep that many secrets for so long? Why haven't computers been used to solve some of the questions involving timing, direction, and angles of the shots? Posner delievered big time on all my concerns. He profiles Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald with such vivid description that I feel like I know them personally. Photographs and computer simulations reveal how the bullets ripped through JFK. Unreliable witnesses are exposed and accurate, first-hand testimonies are revealed. Posner explains the motivation for witnesses to change stories 20 years later, and he theorizes on why the conspiracy vehicle has such momentum. This is a great book an! d a must read for all open-minded people that are bothered by the simple questions that plague conspiracy notions.
Rating:
Summary: calm down
Review: I find the negative reviews listed here quite amusing. Sure, you can diss Posner all you want but none of you list any hardcore facts that work against Posner's claim. For those interested, go look at the Conspiracy web pages. Look at how they make personal attacks on Posner but avoid a substantive attack on his work. For the record, his work is fabulous. As for the Harold Weisberg comment, go ahead and read his Case Open. Any level headed individual will realize that Weisberg's work takes Posner's work out of context and can be understood with a little research (Yes, I've done it, and Posner is all in all quite correct). I'm sorrry if Posner busted all of your little conpsiracy bubbles, I know it was exciting to believe that the President couldn't possibly be killed by a lone nut!! Too bad. Posner's book is powerful and very effective, and certainly better than anything Lane, Weisberg, Josiah Thompson, or certainly the LaFontaine's could produce. Please, read this book. It's absolutely great. If your logic is based on speculation and personal attacks, you might be offended. If you want hard core facts that prove the single bullet theory (with nitrate tests and advanced optical blowups of the Zapruder film), read this book. If you're concerned of Lee Harvey Oswald's actions with any mysterious government plots, take a look at the obvious sociopathic behavior and make the smart decision. Look at his past and look at the credibility of the so many who have claimed to have seen him being involved with the mystery men (Ferrie, Banister, CIA, KGB). Give me a break, use your heads for this one. Conspiracy babies, bow down before Posner 'cause the roosters come home to fry you! END
Rating:
Summary: Open Minded
Review: I have read many of the conspiracy based books, from the sublime (Garrison's ON THE TRAIL OF THE ASSASSINS) to the ridiculous (Lifton's suggestion that the body of JFK was surgically altered before the autopsy). I too strongly believed that a conspiracy was responsible, and I enjoyed the film JFK.
However, I think Posner does a very good job of refuting many of the conspiracy theories, even those approaching credibility. The book, as pointed out by other reviewers here, is not perfect. And I admit I don't have a firm grasp on the minutiae of the case that has propelled so many theorists into infamy. However, on a basic "gut" level, the book feels right.
My endorsement of the book goes beyond feelings (and the fact that I have known people with Oswald's personality problems and could very well see them performing similarly infamous acts, given the opportunity). The case is made with solid documentary evidence, though much of it comes from the Warren Report itself (which may invalidate it in the eyes of the harshest critics.)
New research, such as Max Holland is doing with the LBJ tapes, is bringing much to light, and the passing of Jacqueline Kennedy and John Kennedy Junior may hasten the opening of some files within my lifetime. It is hard to imagine that these files would contain anything startlingly out of synch with the "official" explanation behind the assassination.
Posner does expect the reader to have a working knowledge of some facets of the case beyond that of the layman, so be advised the book may not be aimed at them. The language is not overly scholarly or dense, however, and there are some interesting appendices, diagrams and photographs to support some of the discussion.
The book is logically organized into different areas of interest, and is easily read.
The book may seem superficial to entrenched conspiracy theorists, who would probably need a more detailed point-by-point rebuttal of their pet theories, which is fine. As a general knowledge book, I think Case Closed successfully demolishes several theories quite handily, though in a very generalized manner. Posner could be busy for the next 99 years if he decided to refute each single theory or book about the assassination one by one.
Given the amount of ink that has been spilled over this issue, no single volume could ever hope to refute all that has been written. Nor is it likely that one single volume (and several have been written making the attempt) can refute CASE CLOSED either.
Recommended to all, whether you are a conspiracry theorist, a backer of the Warren Commission, or honestly undecided or completely ignorant of the entire case. All you need is an open mind to get value from the book.
Rating:
Summary: Oswald Was Violent And Mean -- No Two Ways About It
Review: I write this review in loving memory of M. N. McDonald, a patrolman with the Dallas (Texas) Police Department who died last week (January 2005).
Known as "Nick," Mr. McDonald was the officer who arrested Lee Harvey Oswald in a Dallas movie theater a little over an hour after the gunfire in Dealey Plaza. For decades after this event Nick told his story to friends, researchers and tourists. He said Oswald pulled a gun and tried to shoot him.
Mr. McDonald was kind enough to share his story with me for publication in a newsletter I have distributed for 15 years. It's called Probe. I've repeated his story in a nutshell for those who haven't bought and saved every edition of my thing.
Author Gerald Posner omits Nick's story, but can you blame him ? Many people can attest to Oswald's capacity for violence. Others include Peggy Caserta, today a 65 - year - old rock & roll club owner in Oceanside, California. She told her Oswald story in her 1973 memoir "Going Down With Janis." It's hard for conspiracy people to take.
Peggy was a classmate of the 12 - year - old Oswald at a junior high school in Covington, Louisiana in 1951. She says he locked the woodworking teacher in his classroom closet on a Friday afternoon, imprisoning him there for three days. When the doody hit the fan following the Monday blahs, Oswald denied the deed while laughing wickedly.
Gerald Posner didn't come across that story, either, probably because it is best known to rock & roll history fans. But people should heed the evidence that Posner presents, evidence that Oswald was a hot - tempered failure in the American job market. He never got a driver's license. He made stupid mistakes in the marines. Upon discharge (honorable later changed to dishonorable) he failed working in graphic arts. He failed at distributing coffee.
At the end of his life this intelligent man earned minimum wage stacking textbooks. How could that be a cover for him trying to infiltrate a conspiracy on behalf of the FBI ? If the FBI hired ME to change an imminent event of global significance, I would demand a lot more than minimum wage for my efforts. Oh, and please teach me to drive.
We know Oswald took out his frustration on his wife who didn't understand English. She dumped him temporarily with the encouragement of her friend Ruth Paine, who spoke her language. The couple lived apart at the time of the assassination. The night before the tragedy Oswald visited his estranged wife to say goodbye. Why else would he give her his wedding ring ?
We will never know the whole truth about November 22, 1963, but Gerald Posner proves that Oswald had a lot to do with the crimes. (Don't forget Officer Tippit.) He wasn't the hero conspiracy people make him out to be. Please read this book before you believe stories of Oswald the hero trying to save John Kennedy's life. Why would conspirators share the secret with an angry young loser unless his hands are just as dirty as theirs ? Face it. Lee Oswald was a criminal. He wasn't James Bond. James Bond never existed.
Rating:
Summary: Convincing.
Review: In the interests of full disclosure, I probably should note that I have long been of the mind that Oswald most likely acted alone in assassinating Kennedy. Accordingly, I would be the first to admit that I was definitely predisposed to find favor with Posner's treatment of the subject before I had yet read a single page of Cased Closed. That having been said, I do honestly believe as though Posner did a masterful job of systematically rebutting all of the major conspiracy theories that have been advanced over the years.
Posner begins with a streamlined yet comprehensive biography of Oswald that paints a picture of a maladjusted, extremely disturbed young man, simultaneously laboring under both an inflated self-worth and a nagging sense of inadequacy and impotence. Most startling to me was the revelation that there is very solid evidence upon which to conclude that Oswald attempted to assassinate a right-wing activist living in Dallas just shortly before the assassination of Kennedy. Even as someone interested in the assassination, I had never before heard of that particular allegation and it imparted a new understanding of Oswald's damaged psyche.
As is the case with any good attorney, Posner's strong suit is his attention to detail, as evidenced by his thorough and exacting examination of virtually each and every witness to the assassination and its immediate aftermath. In debunking some of the more familiar conspiracy theories, Posner does an excellent job of demonstrating that nearly every such theory rests in large part upon the unsubstantiated testimony of a disparate cast of individuals, many of whom have given wildly inconsistent and blatantly erroneous statements over the years. As the credibility and competency of each witness is impeached, yet another conspiracy theory falls crashing to the ground. On a broader level, Posner points out the numerous conceptual flaws plaguing these theories, aptly demonstrating that the events of November 22, 1963 happened far too quickly for any of the alleged conspiracies to take shape. Cross-indexing the conspiracy theories with verifiable dates and occurrences, Posner presents an exhausting time-line which conclusively establishes that virtually any conspiracy necessarily would have had to involve dozens of every day, "average-Joe" citizens whose actions and motives have never been questioned by even the most zealous and dedicated conspiracy theorists. Finally, Posner comprehensively points out all of the scientific and technical shortcomings inherent to many of the conspiracy theories.
Posner posits that many Kennedy assassination conspiracy theorists hold firm to their conspiracy theories, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, simply because they are unwilling to accept that a solitary malcontent, acting on a whim, could possible take down a popular president of the United States. As unsettling as the notion of a lone gunman without any discernable, cogent purpose may seem, Case Closed goes a long way to proving that same is exactly what took place in Dallas.
Rating:
Summary: The one to read
Review: It shouldn't be necessary to read this book given how overwhelming the evidence is but Posner brought it all together in a way that hadn't been accomplished before. Not only is it absolutely convincing but one is almost disappointed that there isn't more to it. Well, I guess that is THE reason conspiracy theorists continue to soldier on.
All of the ballistic and physical evidence is airtight, but perhaps a little dry, so here's what I find convincing beyond that evidence:
--The more specific a conspiracy theory becomes, the more awry it goes, and the bigger laughingstock the author becomes. The single shooter explanation may not answer every single question one has, but it stands up to all challenges
--A great point Posner made: if witnesses were being killed, why were no conspiracy buffs ever killed? After all, they were doing substantial 'research',naming virtually every powerful individual alive at the time as conspirators. Why not? Because it was all completely irrelevant.
--Oswald was a "patsy"? let's look at his actions that day: He goes and stays at Marina's on a Thursday night for the very first time. Why? Because he had to pick up his gun from the garage. The next day he leaves almost all of his money and their wedding ring for Marina. Pretty strange coincidence. He then carries a package he termed 'curtain rods' on the very day when a gun was taken to the Depository to kill the president. Pretty amazing coincidence. After the assassination he, alone among Depository workers, leaves the scene (and within minutes of the assassination-I guess he found the matter humdrum) and goes back to his room and gets a gun. He then (we'll assume the 'innocent man DIDN'T kill officer Tippett) sneaks into a cinema without paying and when approached by a policeman attempts to shoot him (the gun misfired). Just another day in the life of Lee Harvey?
--The 'magic' bullet was placed on a stretcher by a conspirator? Why would he place a bullet when all the autopsy and ballistic information was going to be faked anyway? Or, if it's not faked, why would he place a minimally-damaged bullet when the investigation could prove it NOT to be the one, and obvious evidence of a conspiracy?
There's so much more and you'll find it all here. I strongly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: This book convinced me that Oswald killed JFK
Review: It's kind of funny to look at the reviews of this book. Half the people loved it and have been convinced that Oswald did kill JFK, while the other half hang onto the conspiracy theories. I never thought anybody would convince me that Oswald acted alone, but Posner converted me.He does a great job of shooting holes all over the conspiracy theories. The book was thoroughly researched and well-written. If you have made up your mind that it was a conspiracy and no facts will ever convince you that it wasn't, don't waste your time and money reading this book. On the other hand, if you have not already decided that Oswald was not the one who killed JFK, this book should help you see the light.
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