THE JFK CONSPIRACY

5 stars out of 5

As a slightly-under-21 adult back in 1959, I liked Ike - just like most of the people around me at the time. But while I wasn't quite old enough to vote in the 1960 Presidential election (and, for better or worse, definitely would have opted for Eisenhower's former Vice President Richard Nixon just because of my family's strong Republican leaning), I was fascinated with the young "upstart" who was running against Nixon for President of the United States. By the time he emerged victorious, I was totally on board with his enthusiasm, values and plans for our country (and had left my childhood behind for college and marriage).

But all that's well didn't end well. Tragically, I'll always remember when a relative called in November 1963 frantically tellling me John F. Kennedy had been shot - after whichi I quickly plopped our three-month-old son in his baby carriage and turned on our tabletop black-and-white TV with rabbit ears to watch Camelot crash and burn in real time right before my eyes.

When I had an opportunity to get my hands on a pre-release copy of this book, then, the memories came flooding back. I even had some recollection of someone once being arrested for trying to kill JFK before the man who was successful, but it was vague. So since I have a personal interest in the details - and I'd read and enjoyed another of the authors' "conspiracy" books - I was eager to read it. It took me all of two days, brought back many memories and enlightened me with many details I never knew about back then, or since. And for those who need proof, it's all backed up with an almost exhaustive list of sources.

The focus of the book is Richard Pavlick, who came frighteningly close to ensuring that Kennedy never took the oath of office. But there's much, much more about what it was really like for Kennedy, his much-heralded wife Jacqueline and others around him between the time he was elected and actually moved into the White House. And at this point, I'll say this is one of the shortest book reviews I'll ever write. That's not because I have nothing to say - trust me, I have plenty - but because much that is in here is new to me, so I'm not about to spoil it for others. Highly recommended!

The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy - and Why It Failed by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch (Flatiron Books, January 2025); 304 pp.