Vince Palamara review of Douglas P. Horne's new book (s)

Pulitzer Prize, anyone? :)


There's an old saying: never say never. Well, this has been a strange and heady couple years with regard to literature in the JFK assassination case. After being a fervent believer in a conspiracy in President John F. Kennedy's death (from about the age of 12 to 41!), the Spring of 2007 yielded the Oswald-did-it-alone masterpiece "Reclaiming History" by the highly respected author and former prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi that, quite literally, made my world upside down and had me reassess everything I knew (or thought I knew) about JFK's murder. Result? While I still believed there mere multiple conspiracies (plural) to kill Kennedy, and that (speaking as the leading civilian Secret Service authority) the Secret Service was grossly negligent on 11/22/63 in Dallas, at the end of the day, Oswald beat everyone to the punch, so to speak; for all intents and purposes, that solved it for me, albeit with a great deal of discomfort.

Then came ANOTHER masterpiece of even greater length (spread over 5 volumes) that, once again, turned my world upside down (some would say, right side up)!


Douglas P. Horne, the author of this latest masterpiece, "Inside The Assassination Records Review Board," has achieved a literary feat worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. His 5 volume study (5 books in one, so to speak) reads almost like the Defense's side of the case; the perfect answer to the Prosecution's ("Reclaiming Historty") masterful plea to the bench. I am amazed and highly impressed with the book as both a very inspired, well put together piece of art (it's a great read!) AND for the substance--and length---of the (counter) argument. While Vince Bugliosi did the seeming impossible back in 2007 (convincing me, however begrudgingly, that Oswald acted alone, despite others who wished JFK ill), Douglas P. Horne has turned around and performed HIS own version of the impossible: convincing me I was WRONG in 2007---a delightful, soul searching, slightly embarassing, and honest appraisal. After all, it is somewhat painful, as a seasoned researcher with a "stake" in the case, to admit he was in error...twice!

Bugliosi's book cleans up the "junk" in the case and presents the best case for Oswald acting alone; STILL a terrific book (THE best Oswald-did-it book that will ever be written---infinitely better than Gerald Posner's "Case Closed" or the insufficient Warren Report). That said, Douglas P. Horne's masterwork trumps "Reclaiming History" and presents the best nuts-and-bolts-and-more case for conspiracy I ever thought possible, circa 2009 and post-Bugliosi. While I have sung the praises for many books over the years, no other book (other than David McCullough's triumphant "Truman") has moved me to the point where I would recommend the volume achieving the vaunted Pulitzer Prize...yes, I am THAT impressed with Horne's years of research and insider work on the case. Jim Douglass excellent volume "JFK and the Unspeakable" serves almost as a companion volume---the "warm-up act"---to Horne's masterwork.

The MEDICAL evidence is the keystone to the case, bar none. With this firmly in mind, Horne, as a respected insider into the U.S. Government's final investigation into JFK's assassination in the mid to late 1990's, has laid out the best case for conspiracy I have ever read, especially at this late juncture (and where my thinking on the case was at not long before his 5 volume study appeared). I won't spoil things by revealing anything specific in this review (sorry!). I will just say this: get these books asap---you will find yourself (like myself) reading them and refering to them many times over.

I recently admonished people in the research community (of which I am one) to, quote, "get a life" (shades of William Shatner, huh?). Well, disregard that bit of advice: instead, GET DOUGLAS P. HORNE'S BOOKS...NOW! 5 PLUS STARS; THE HIGHEST RATING HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

Vince Palamara