Why Gerald Blaine's book "The Kennedy Detail" backfired...big time

The public- not just myself- has spoken (just a sample):

"This is without doubt one of the worst accounts of the assassination I've ever encountered (and I've read quite a few). Gerald Blaine, who was on the Kennedy Secret Service detail, spends the first section of the book lauding himself for his courage to write the story. He spends the next section of the book lauding how brave and wonderful all of the secret service agents were. Throughout these sections he adds superfluous dialogue (recreated after 45 years) that are supposed to add a human touch to the book but instead seem silly and pointless. For example, there are myriad places where the author adds dialogue about agents saying "hi" to each other or talking about the weather" (using "he said" repeatedly). The author is also overly prone to cliches and hyperbole. Repeatedly he talks about the agents "knowing" President Kennedy "like a brother" or of agents "knowing" the Kennedy children as well as they knew their own children. The author equates the secret service agents' loss to that of Mrs. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and President Kennedy's closest friends and aids. Such hyperbole only detracts from the magnitude of the tragedy.

What might be most disturbing about the book--an issue that also differentiates it from Clint Hill's account--is that the author never wants to take any responsibility for Kennedy's death. The agents failed in their sole mission: to protect the President. Only Clint Hill showed any remorse and guilt, and he was there to protect Mrs. Kennedy.

This book is a waste of time. There are many other accounts--namely that of Clint Hill--that are far better, more balanced, and far less cheesy.

The unabridged audio book is even worse. The narrator has a cheesy movie-trailer voice actor sound that just doesn't fit the context. He reads a sentence and then there's a huge, audible sucking in of air. He also never seems to realize how to pronounce Caroline Kennedy's name correctly!"

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" In some ways, this book was a bunch of excuses from Secret Service Agents of not doing their jobs. Overworked, too hard, no family, lack in pay, and too much, but the assassination happened on their watch.

I am hard on this book because we probably lost one of our great leaders, due to resources and the lack of detail.

It's a shame that JFK wasn't able to complete his term. "
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"Awful in every respect"
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"Blaine's book is a piece of crap and so is he. He made things up in his book. READ VINCE PALAMARA'S BOOK- BLAINE HAS ZERO CREDIBILITY NOW. Because of Blaine, we lost JFK and gained the Vietnam War. Blaine almost killed LBJ, too---real nice guy... "
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"The book aimed at explaining why the Kennedy Detail failed to protect President Kennedy and that is: that the President didn't want them appearing too protective of him, thereby alienating him from the people. The President wanted himself as close as he could be to his people.

I'm not convinced. The Kennedy Detail should, at least, have devised a plan that would serve both ways. "
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"A non-fiction account with fabricated conversations! " [THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, LISA!]
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"Reads a bit like a petition for sainthood of secret service agents, second only to JFK and Jackie. Doesn't answer any of the perennial questions. Doesn't mention any of JFK's liaisons except to deny his affair with Marilyn in the epilogue. Yes, the SS agents were terribly traumatized by their sense of failure to prevent the assassination, and one has to feel for them. But this book descends into unnecessary and repetitive bathos. "
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"Blain's bizarre decision to include himself in the narrative in the third person is distracting to say the least. It makes the parts where he defends the secret service sound oddly defensive. And much of the reconstructed dialog doesn't sound genuine, and especially when the narrator magically know the intimate thoughts of one of the characters. Why an editor allowed this.. . dunno"
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"I do not know why these individuals have waited 48 years to talk about what happened that day. However, in a positive light it offers unique insight into what it was like to work with President Kennedy and Mrs. Kennedy on the Secret Service Detail. It is an oral testimony of history through the eyes of men that were that day and witnessed the assassination first hand. Interestingly, the book was written by one agent that was not in Dallas that day.
One of the problems I have with the book is that I get the sense that the authors are suggesting that President Kennedy invited himself to be assassinated. Much is made of an order that JFK gave during a motorcade in Tampa one week before the assassination in Dallas. It so happens that the advance agent that planned all the security detail for the Tampa visit was the author Gerry Blaine.Secondly, I do not agree with teh treatment that former Special Agent Abraham Bolden is given in this book. The public should read Mr. Bolden´s story and hear what he has to say before rushing to judgement based on what is written in this book. I should note that Mr. Bolden was the first African-American Secret Service Agent ever chosen to protect the President, and he was chosen personally by President Kennedy.
Next, my biggest disagreement is that the authors discourage consipracy theories. I truly believe, as most of America does, that one man did not act alone on that day. To believe in the Warren Commission findings is a conspiracy of cover up over the eyes and minds of the American people. Although technology and research techniques have advanced, it does not mean that we cannot search for clues in helping understand what happened that day. It is quite the opposite, we are able to understand more.
Finally, just because a person is born after the assassination, does not mean they cannot have an opinion or not have the right to research it and try to help the community pursue the truth. I full heartedly disagree with the authors in their assumption that we young people have no constructive or well thought out opinion on this."
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"There are some nice qualities about this book, like the insight from those that were responsible for protecting the president that awful day, but unfortunately it's what the book fails to include that leaves you wanting. You will enjoy being able see these Secret Service agents as human beings, but then your intelligence will be insulted when it's insinuated that Oswald acted alone. This book seems to be like some of the agents have a guilty conscious (and many of them should save Clint Hill). The fact that they lay the blame for that day at JFK is disturbing. What's worse is they play off the Oswald thing which by now anyone with a brain knows is not the whole story. If these men REALLY wanted to honor Kennedy's legacy they WOULD NOT continue to spew the Warren Commission garbage that's been proved wrong OVER AND OVER. In many ways this book desecrates the memory of JFK. It seems they forget to mention that MANY of the Secret Service agents WERE OUT PARTYING LATE the night before his murder. Clint Hill is the only agent I come out of this book with respect for. And where is the mention of the HORRIFIC driver practically stopping the car, instead of gunning it the second he hears shots? This book seems like it has an agenda, and that agenda DOES NOT involve seeking the truth about JFK's assassination OR honoring his memory. Save your money!"
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"this book is a vehicle for former Secret Service agents to defend themselves against dereliction of duty allegations in losing Kennedy. They turn the tables and blame the dead president himself for his own death, claiming that, in an insulting way, he ordered agents off of the back of his vehicle. The assumption seems to be, that had he not done that, he would have been saved on November 22, 1963. This allegation holds no water and is an abomination. Beyond that, the book is highly critical of Jacqueline Kennedy for determining to walk eight blocks in the Kennedy funeral to the Church. She only insisted that she walk, others were afraid not to walk if she did. They could have ridden in a car. I think Mrs. Kennedy showed the nation that even after an assassination attempt, leaders of men should not hide."
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"'a guide on how to cover your a** after a tragedy'

I am mixed on my review for this one... On one hand its an interesting read with some great inside info on the behind the scenes goings of the secret service; on the other hand I detested the third person narrative it was written in. It really could have been written without all of the whining about lack of sleep, etc.... I also didn't like how the book seemingly blamed Kennedy for his own murder or the ignorant stance that The Warren Report was correct.... Please! These men were enlisted to protect the president and failed. That is a terrible tragedy in its self but don't take the stance that Kennedy had a death wish when the agents rolled over and didn't stand up and realistically relay the risks."

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J. Walter Coughlin

 J. Walter Coughlin, a U.S. Secret Service agent from 1961 to 1977. Coughlin served on the details of President Kennedy, President Johnson, and Vice President Hubert Humphrey


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUS-w3f_EMA

6:17 JFK WAS VERY COOPERATIVE

10:55 THE ONLY TIME WALT EVER HEARD JFK (ALLEGEDLY) ORDERING THE AGENTS OFF THE LIMO WAS IN DALLAS (SECOND-HAND, OF COURSE...WALT WASN'T THERE)

22:00 CONCERN FOR JFK IN MIAMI- MOTORCADE CHANGED?

29:30 re: LBJ and

34:20 Secret Service animosity toward Clinton, too*

34:55 bubbletop- "may have deflected" the shot + THREATS

36:00 denounces Hickey theory

37:00 onward (long) "a lot of us believe it was ORGANIZED CRIME"! Giancana, Hoffa, Ruby, etc. "I think organized crime did it- it's pretty clear to me"

42:00 (the irony is rich:) outraged about Obama Secret Service agent shenanigans, yet NINE agents- including Clint Hill- did the same thing on the eve of the assassination

44:36 *...and Obama?

JFK El Paso, TX 6/5/63

Irish Grin Captures EP Hearts

06/06/1963
By GEORGE KINSINGER
President John Fitzgerald Kennedy unleashed political magic Wednesday to capture the hearts of El Pasoans who waited endless minutes to catch a glimpse of his arrival at Hotel Cortez.
Hair tousled, his face burned by the Southwest sun, and wearing his internationally famous Irish grin, the President brought forth spontaneous shouts of delight as he alighted from his special limousine and to the obvious consternation of his protective cordon of secret service agents, strode to the curbside to grasp the hands outstretched in warm welcome.
The President, slated to dash from his car to the protection of the Hotel Cortez, instead alighted on the street side, crossed to the waiting throngs and circled along the roped off crowd of greeters, shaking hands and giving the benediction of his smile to all within reach.
Amid a roar of heartfelt approval the President entered the Hotel to be met by Manager Bill Wiggins and ascend to the main lobby, again roped off to provide him free passage.
Again the President crossed up his guard of secret service men, clothed in the anonymity of crew cuts and dark business suits, to take a close look at the special cake baked in his honor by Cortez Chef George L. Young and to shake the hands of those who had waited nearly two hours for this arrival.
Close behind the President, wearing a grey suit with a silver striped blue tie, were Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Gov. John Connally, Sen. Ralph Yarborough, Ambassador Raymond Telles, Mayor Judson Williams, Richard White and a host of other national and local officials and political notables.
Among those to ascend in the elevator to his sixth floor suite were Ambassador Telles, former El Paso mayor called from his post in Costa Rica to accompany the President on his Western states tour.
A sidelight of the hotel crowd scene was West Texas Congressman Ed Foreman in animated conversation with Gov. Connally and The Times Washington Correspondent Sarah McClendon.
CROWD HUGE
El Paso citizens numbering in the hundreds lined the sidewalks on Mesa Street and overflowed onto San Jacinto Plaza, held back by ropes strung from hooded parking meters and closed ranked uniformed policemen.
Newsmen flanked the hotel entrance and, inside, other spectators jammed against restraining ropes to take snapshots of the President and his entourage as he approached the elevators.
The President arrived at the hotel at 7:05 p.m. and by 8:30 Secret Service men reported he was settled down for the night after an arduous day that started in the nation’s Capitol at 4 a.m., El Paso time.
El Paso Mayor Judson Williams was ushered to the President’s suite shortly after he arrived and spent 20 minutes in conference with the chief executive.
Mayor Williams, although not at liberty to repeat his conversation with President Kennedy, said he and the President went over developments of the Chamizal settlement “step by step” from the El Paso visit of ambassador to Mexico Thomas Mann last year to the present imminent settlement between Mexico and the U.S.
SEES CHAMIZAL
The President had a large, detailed map of El Paso in his suite and from his window could see the area of long dispute between the two sovereign governments.
“While the solution of the dispute was not initiated in El Paso, I assured the President we will certainly support any program in the best interest of bettered relations between Mexico and the U.S.” Mayor Williams said following their private talk.
“It was most encouraging to note the complete grasp the President has of the Chamizal situation and I left with the distinct feeling that the fullest consideration is being given by the President to the best benefit and interest of El Paso,” Mayor Williams said.
He said the meeting with president Kennedy was “most cordial” and the President indicated by his attitude during the prolonged conversation an intense interest in El Paso and its future progress.
“I sat alone in a room adjoining the President’s for several moments after being called. The President walked through the connecting door and we were alone for some 20 minutes,” Mayor Williams said.
“The President expressed thanks for the revolvers and Texas Ranger badges we presented to him and said they were terrific. He enthusiastically said he was going to take the special gold plated Ranger badge back to Mrs. Kennedy and that she would truly appreciate them. I then presented him with a pair of hand tooled Western boots and a Stetson hat. He looked them over appreciatively and said they were beautiful, and fine examples of El Paso’s western hospitality,” Williams reported.
He said he was not authorized to make any further statements regarding his conversation with the President, but they had covered the entire area of the Chamizal settlement.
Another popular visitor to El Paso, who was continuously surrounded by El Paso and Juarez newsmen, was Ambassador Telles.
The former El Paso mayor said he received a telephone call from the President asking him to fly from San Jose to Washington to accompany the Presidential party to Colorado Springs, White Sands and El Paso.
“It was somewhat frenzied arranging plane accommodations but Pan-American held its plane for me for a full hour,” Ambassador Telles said.
The former El Paso mayor said he was “filled with emotion” at the reception given the President by El Pasoans and the warmth of their welcome.
“I am so happy to be back home, if only for a brief time and it warms my heart to be again with my many dear friends and to be warmly received,” Telles said.
He said he would accompany the President on to San Diego, Calif., and had “several jobs” to do for the President before he returns to his ambassadorial post in Costa Rica. He said he is due in Panama Sunday to “carry out an assignment for the state Department.”
“When I have fulfilled my obligations as a servant to the U.S. government and feel there is no further challenge for whatever service I am able to give I will return to El Paso, my home and my people,” Ambassador Telles said.
“My family is well and send their best regards to all our El Paso friends,” he said.