Not only is it thought-provoking to re-visit the short, intense lives of murdered President JFK and his Attorney General brother RFK– but there are many “I didn’t know that” moments in this book by David Talbot, the founder of San Francisco-based Salon.com. One example that shines a light on the conspiracy angle: A Texas publisher whose last name was Dealey reprimanded the brothers for being too soft on Cuba–and he told them so in colorful language.
[In case you forgot: Oswald (wink-wink) or whoever engineered the killing of JFK, chose Dealey Plaza as the place for the shooting]
Most intriguing are the similarities you can’t miss between then and now–I’m referring to the roguish CIA and the gung-ho-ish military. Without writing about today’s news, Talbott’s story, that takes place in the 1960s, proves that the bureaucracy and rigid military establishment do not change their ways with the inauguration of a new president.
For me, the book does bog down at times, just when I’m so anxious to read more of the good stuff– and although I love adjectives and understand their importance, I wish there hadn’t been so many on each page–I don’t mean to be so critical because I do admire the detail work.