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Four Days in November: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

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When Vincent Bugliosi wrote Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, published in May, 2007, the predecessor of the book being reviewed here, it was widely regarded as his magnum opus, a towering masterpiece which took twenty years and 1648 pages to write. In this new edition about the assassination, drawn from Reclaiming History, Bugliosi has now winnowed the original manuscript to approximately 500 pages, concentrating on the facts of the assassination and eliminating nearly all the material used by the conspiracy theorists because he has essentially disproved the conspiracy idea.

Four Days in November reconstructs the assassination, giving dates and times, sometimes second by second, to make these real events come to life, and he includes seventy-nine photographs and drawings. The resulting achievement is stunning, an intensely readable and compelling work of scholarship which should eliminate, once and for all, the idea that there was more than one gunman. Photographs of the shooting, broken down into tiny fractions of a second, anatomical drawings of the wounds of President Kennedy and Governor Connolly, fingerprint evidence in the "sniper's nest" at the Book Depository, extensive photographs of the grassy knoll at the time of the shooting, and accounts from many eye-witnesses provide weighty, seemingly incontrovertible, evidence that Oswald was the lone shooter.

Bugliosi, who prosecuted Charles Manson in the Tate-LaBianca trial and then went on to write Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders about that trial, is an accomplished writer who shares with the reader the kinds of details that he, as a prosecutor, counts as compelling evidence. At the same time, he is a painstaking recreator of scenes and observer of human nature. His intuitive sense of how people behave gives him an understanding of their psychology and, at times, motivations, all of which humanize this account of seemingly inhuman actions. Focusing on Lee Harvey Oswald and his dysfunctional family, the Dallas police and press, Jack Ruby and the underworld which he represents in Dallas, and the Kennedy family as it comes to grips not only with the loss of the President but with the loss of a loved one, Bugliosi provides an intimate and unforgettable look at a national tragedy which, in his hands, is also transformed into a moving series of personal tragedies.

Readers who begin this book will be as compelled to keep reading, as details unfold, as were all of us who lived through these events during that terrible long weekend in November, 1963, when we remained glued to our TV sets around the clock, and the entire country shut down. Bugliosi's total dedication to providing every relevant detail, his ability to convey the atmosphere and the understandable confusion following the shooting, his sensitivity to the feelings of the innocent people and families who were permanently scarred by these events, and his honesty in recreating events without trying to make the facts "fit" an agenda, make this book a milestone of historical research, endowing these terrible events with the respect--and finality--they deserve. n Mary Whipple

Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery
The Death of a President November 20-November 25 1963
The Warren Commission Report: Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Infamous trial lawyer, Vincent Bugliosi, (of Helter Skelter/Charles Manson fame) breaks down the most important "Four Days in November", (November 22 - 25), day by day, often minute by minute, and shows definitively how the evidence collected by the police, the FBI, and Secret Service, builds an airtight case against the lone assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. Reminicient of Gerald Posner's seminal work, "Case Closed", Case Closed, Bugliosi takes a slightly different track in showing how the evidence builds day by day in chronological order. (Both books are in my opinion the most logically compelling legal volumes on the assassination).

One cannot solve a murder mystery without hard physical evidence. And in this case, there is a literal mountain of evidence, and it is overwhelming and absolutely conclusive that Lee Oswald was the lone assassin of President Kennedy. Conspiracy theorists like to focus on their own particular perceived inconsistencies in the evidence to "prove" their own pet theories of conspiracy. However, the major fault of conspiracy theorists is that they singularly focus on relatively minor inconsistencies in the evidence, and fail to take in the whole grand scope of evidence which pieced together logically, (as Bugliosi meticulously does) definitively proves that Oswald fired the shots that killed Kennedy and injured Governor Connally. Much to the utter dismay of conspiracy theorists, Bugliosi builds a case against Oswald that cannot be broken.

Specifically damning is the following evidence: several eyewitnesses who saw Lee H. Oswald (or at least saw the gun in the window) fire upon the motorcade from the SE corner window of the Texas School Book Depository (TSBD), three expended shell casings below the SE corner window that match Oswald's Italian-made WW II vintage rifle, the paper wrapping found at the SE corner window of the TSBD that one eyewitness saw LHO carry into the TSBD that morning claiming he had "curtain rods", Oswald's fingerprints on the weapon, Oswald's signature for the purchase of the mail-order rifle and the handgun (which killed Officer J. D. Tippit in Oswald's fleeing from the scene of the crime), multiple eyewitnesses that saw Oswald murder Tippit, ballistic evidence that prooves without any doubt that the bullets fired from the handgun are those that killed Tippit, and finally, the evidence (visual and incidental) which places Oswald on the sixth floor of the TSBD on the date and time of the assassination, and also pins Oswald to the scene of the shooting murder of J. D Tippit.

Conspiracy theorists, who have written extensively on the Kennedy Assassination, have convinced nearly 2/3rds of the American public that Oswald could not be the killer (many conspiracy books absolutely exhonorate Oswald). They base their various theories (virtually none of them are in agreement with each other), on vague theories which cannot be definitively proven, especially in light of the evidence. Their most important work was to place into doubt the "Magic Bullet Theory", which they say could not have caused the wound to Kennedy's neck and all the wounds to Gov. Connally. The American public ate this up and sided with the conspiracists. Unfortunately for the conspiracists, but fortunately for justice and truth, the Magic Bullet Theory was not "magic" at all, and subsequent frame by frame (computer) analysis of the Abraham Zapruder film, combined with the autopsy facts definitively prove that the shots had to have come only from the TSBD, and the second shot (the so-called "magic bullet")caused the wounds to Kennedy's neck and Gov. Connally. Buffaloed for years by conspiracy theorists, the American public now can see the clear case against the true assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. No murder case is prosecuted from innuendo and wild imaginings that have no basis in truth; no, rather, a murder is solved by the application of the available evidence, and in this regard, Bugliosi makes his convincing case that only Oswald fired the shots that killed our youthful President and also killed Officer Tippit. To consider Oswald a "patsy", a set-up for a greater conspiracy, is not only a great miscarriage of justice, but further dishonors those killed, and those who were forever traumatized by the cold-blooded murders.

There are several good books on the Kennedy assassination, and many books, far too many to mention by name, that are a complete sensationalist waste of time. This book by Vincent Bugliosi is a fondational cornerstone in the case against Oswald. Please read the book, consider the evidence carefully, and then come to your own conclusion. Don't let others wild imaginings (especially Oliver Stone's ridiculous "JFK" movie) decide for you the most important political murder of the 20th century. The case has been definitively solved. It is unfortunate that the American public has been misled for decades by conspiracy theorists who turn the obviously guilty into innocent. Thank you Mr. Bugliosi for presenting the evidence to the American public in such a clear fashion.

konedog

Enjoyed the book very much, especially pleased with Mr. Bugliosi's writing style. I was a little surprised, though, to find that the entire photo section was omitted from my Kindle edition. It was a little frustrating to read a book that contains many references to photos and diagrams in a section that wasn't there. I called customer service and was told that perhaps the publisher wanted the photo section left out. He apologized and refunded my money.

Bugliosi has certainly researched and presented his case that supports Oswald's guilt as a lone assassin. He is an experienced and convincing narrator and the book is his best work that I have read. He neatly sets ups the evidence to coincide with a planned outcome (Oswald's guilt) and supplies the witnesses and each personal history, the cultural underpinnings,and political intrigues that create a rational but biased history. As any excellent prosecutor would do, he does not allow non-supportive witnesses or evidence to call to question any of the narrative. For instance, he smoothly slides over the medical documentation and reports from physicians and nurses at Parkland hospital who conclusively assessed a large exit wound at the right rear portion of the head. He has purposefully ignored evidence from witnesses that would not favor his narrative view. Read the book with this is mind and then read all the other related histories. Form your own opinion.

Even though I am not done reading this yet, I am very pleased. This is a great book with a great timeline that is noted throughout the book. Once again Mr.Bugliosi has written an excellent book. I bought this along with the "Reclaiming History" 1600+ page version not knowing that this was exactly the same as the beginning of that book. I thought I had read there was some additional things in this one since it came out after the other. After getting both of them I discovered this is just the 1st part of the bigger version & does not contain the information on the conspiracies. But it is a lot lighter & easier to carry and hold while reading.

Vincent Bugliosi's RECLAIMING HISTORY - the million and a half word tome on the assassination of JFK is probably the finest work of historical research that I have ever had the opportunity to encounter. But it is just that, a tome that is not easily carried around and read from cover to cover. In fact, I doubt if anyone has read it in its entirety. It is more of an encyclopedia that the reader uses as a source manual.

However, the condensation of that work, dealing with the the four days - Nov 22 - to Nov 26, 1964 - is extremely readable for both those like myself who remember the events and those who only know it as an historical event. I consider myself a serious JFK assasssination buff and I got a great deal out of the book and would recommend it highly. Like RECLAIMING HISTORY - it goes a long way to dismiss many of the conspiracy theories that still abound. The views of the author are fair and even handed to all sides and are supported by excellent footnotes and references to original source documnets.

I was 8 years old November 22, 1963. I remember being sent home from school and watching the President's funeral on our old B&W TV. Vincent Buglosi filled in the blanks for me. I enjoyed this book; a timeline of those 4 days, ending with the burial of Oswald. Reading it got me to talking with people about that time. Everyone who is old enough has a story about that day in November. I can't believe I never talked with my mom about what she was doing that day, but now I have. That's the kind of book I like--one I can use as conversation fodder!

Believe it or not, i have been someone who has not read anything major about the Kennedy assassination.So when i saw this book, i decided to give it a try and i was not dissapointed.This book is a very good account of what happened from the moment JFK was shot to the burials of Kennedy and Oswald.I like it because i did not wanted to know anything about conspirancies or the like.I just wanted a direct approach as to what transpired in Dallas and then i'll move on to the conspiracies.And this book certainly provided me with that.I guess this book is a good starting point for anybody who wants to know what happened first, and then read more about it.

Normally I can whip through a book in one sitting, but reading this one seemed like an endless session of starts and stops in 50 page increments. It was an interesting read and it brought back a flood of memories for me. I actually remember the four days of non-stop tv coverage and Jack Ruby shooting Oswald on national tv in real time. I was a kid back then, but it was probably the first time I actually paid attention to the news.
What I found particularly interesting about this book were the small and large details. Bugliosi starts essentially describing the events of November 22, 1963 in the morning when the Kennedys were in Ft. Worth TX preparing for events. The trip to Texas was an informal kickoff that was to continue for the next year as JFK ran for reelection. Bugliosi uses a technique that I can only describe as cross cutting. He details the activities of many people----famous as well as virtually anonymous---- whose testimonies and observations will later be used to document the event and stand as part of the public record concerning the actual assasination. In chronological order, as if a clock is ticking away in short order, he records the observations building up to shooting, the rush to Parkland Hospital, the search for Oswald and his capture etc. There is so much detail that I almost felt as though I was there experiencing it firsthand. It was interesting reading but in a way almost claustrophobic; I'd take breaks to remove myself from the action only to return later feeling a little less invested or involved.
The account carries through on the story of the assasination and its aftermath as well a government in quick transition as power is handed over to LBJ. The country prepares to bury its downed leader and Oswald's death asks more questions that can't be answered.
If you have read the Warren Report or the 9/11 Report, this book will seem like easy reading. In reality, it is fairly easy to process. I liked it and felt as though I picked up a lot of missing pieces such as the conditions existing at the Texas School Book Depository that facilitated Oswald's vantage point as an asassin. I think this book is a good choice for anyone who has an interest is U.S. History.

Just finished reading this book. As the former Prosecutor who tried the murder cases against Charles Manson, author Vincent Bugliosi tackles the assassination of John F. Kennedy as only a Prosecutor would. The book is deeply detail oriented, offering a minute by minute account beginning with the morning of Fri. November 22, up through the moments when both JFK and assassin Lee Harvey Oswald are both buried in their respective graves on Mon. November 25. In between, Bugliosi offers a narrative on the President's assassination itself, the murder of Dallas PD Patrolman JD Tippet, the manhunt for the killer, the law enforcement investigation which occurs at break neck speed, the interrogations of Oswald, and the murder of Oswald by Jack Ruby. Bugliosi leaves no stone unturned. I considered myself fairly knowledgeable about this event, but I learned many new aspects in this book. Just a fascinating read all around.