Live By The Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death ofJFK [Hardcover]

Gus Russo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 1998

Humiliated at the Bay of Pigs, John and Robert Kennedy sought desperately to eliminate Castro. Their strategies for overthrowing the Cuban leader were so elaborate and bizarre, they could only engender paranoia. Castro openly threatened to retaliate. Pro-Castro agitator Lee Harvey Oswald learned that Robert Kennedy was personally supervising groups plotting against the Cuban leader. Filled with rage and a sense of destiny, Oswald went to the Cuban embassy in Mexico, announcing he would kill America's president in exchange for sanctuary in Havana. Live By the Sword forces the conclusion that members of the Cuban regime accepted the troubled American's offer.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Russo, an investigative journalist long interested in JFK's assassination, concludes that it was precipitated by John and Robert Kennedy's secret efforts to depose Castro at all costs (the "Cuba Project"). Like Gerald Posner in Case Closed (LJ 10/15/93), Russo also believes that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman and views Oswald's still-disputed pre-assassination visit to Mexico City as proof of a Cuba connection. The book focuses on the post-assassination efforts of Bobby Kennedy, among others, to cover up JFK's role in plotting to kill Castro. Included are recent revelations by key players, such as the marine in charge of planning the Bay of Pigs invasion. A 15-page bibliography and extensive chapter notes are included, along with newly released photos, but there will be no indexAa real drawback for such a lengthy book. Because some new insights on the Kennedy assassination are provided, this speculative book is highly recommended for most libraries.AGary D. Barber, SUNY at Fredonia Lib., Silver Creek
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Probably the last book on the Kennedy assassination you will need to read. Veteran investigative reporter Russo has reported for both ABC and PBS documentaries on the subject. Here he begins with an autobiographical introduction to convince readers he is not a conspiracy theory nut. His description of the twists and turns in his beliefs about the Kennedy assassination suggest an open-mindedness that is reason to take this author seriously, as well as a serious obsession with the subject matter. Russo argues that the critical question is not who killed Kennedy but why, an inquiry that takes us far beyond Oswald as a lone gunman. In a nutshell, the Bay of Pigs disaster left the Kennedy brothers committed to removing Castro, even to the extent of endorsing bizarre James Bondstyle assassination schemes. Bobby was personally involved in this ``Cuba Project,'' an effort pursued through a Cuban-American community so porous that all such activities were known by Castro in advance, and none of them was even close to successful. Oswald was also familiar with these efforts through his contact with the Cuban community, and he acted because he believed Kennedy was out to kill his hero, Castro. Whether Oswald had support from the Cubans remains a mystery, but for Russo the bottom line is that ``JFK's actions towards Castro were so outlandish, in fact, that had it not been Oswald, someone else was bound to take a shot at him.'' The coverup that followed was not due to governmental complicity in the assassination, but was rather to protect Kennedy's reputation. ``For three decades, Kennedy loyalists would fight tooth and nail to perpetuate the `lone nut' hypothesis and to keep the lid on the Kennedys' attempts to murder Fidel Castro.'' Russo's extremely detailed account reveals much more that was going on, but the story in the end is that the Kennedy brothers were inexperienced and incautious, and they paid the price for a reckless foreign policy. Gripping and convincing. (50 b&w photos, not seen) ($75,000 ad/promo; first printing of 100,000; author tour; TV satellite tour) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Bancroft Press; 1 edition (November 25, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890862010
• ISBN-13: 978-1890862015
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For over twenty years, Gus Russo has been an investigative reporter, author of six non-fiction books, and writer and/or producer of many national and international documentaries for major networks. His books have received Book of the Month Club and History Book Club Featured Selections, three have been optioned for films, and one, "The Outfit," was a Pulitzer nominee. His October 2008 book, "Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the Castros, and the Politics of Murder," was named Winner of the 2008 History Prize by the New York Book Festival. April 2011 will see the publication of his memoir, "Boomer Days."

Russo has worked an investigative reporter for PBS' Frontline series, as well as ABC News Special Reports with Peter Jennings (Dangerous World: The Kennedy Years, and JFK: Beyond Conspiracy), Dan Rather's CBS Reports, and Jack Anderson Specials; he has been a consultant for programs such as Sixty Minutes, Sixty Minutes II, and Eye To Eye with Connie Chung; as well as documentary productions based in England, France, Germany, Japan, and Mexico. Russo has appeared on countless radio and TV programs, including NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!, The History Channel (numerous shows), A&E's Biography (Jack Ruby), Hardball with Chris Matthews, MSNBC's Nachman, and Dan Rather's 1993 special Who Killed JFK? Russo has been a research consultant to numerous writers, including Seymour Hersh, Gerald Posner, Anthony Summers, and Laurence Leamer, and has written for The Baltimore Sun, The Nation, The Washington Post, Book Forum, American Heritage, The Huffington Post, and for two years was a regular contributor to the health-related website Healthlynx.com. Russo recently produced and co-wrote a documentary feature film, "Generation 9-11," for Germany's WDR and Academy Award-winning director Nigel Nobel.

In another life, Russo was a professional musician, composer, bandleader, and private instructor. In that incarnation, he played with, or in tandem with, many well-known acts including John Phillips, The New Mamas and Papas, Phoebe Snow, Michael Murphy, The Byrds, Livingston Taylor, Poco, Mary Travers (Peter, Paul and Mary), Commander Cody, and Firefall (w/ Rick Roberts). Russo the musician also wrote commercial jingles and low-budget film scores ("Basket Case," "Brain Damage," etc.)

He currently feeds his musical passions as leader of the Baltimore-based sextet, "String Theory," which features ditties by Django Reinhardt, Johnny Mercer, Dan Hicks, and Nat King Cole.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't trust this book!, December 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Live By The Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death ofJFK (Hardcover)

Gus Russo is a man of many views, all of them contradictory. In the early 1990's, he embraced every conspiracy theory known to man, and was even listed as a "consultant" on Oliver Stone's JFK. He was a firm believer in the Stone school of conspiracy theories. He also endorsed Robert Morrow's dubious book "First Hand Knowledge" with a cover blurb. Then, came his conversion. After Gerald Posner's "Case Closed", Russo realized there was more money to be made in endorsing the opposite, i.e. "official", point of view espoused by the Warren Commission. Russo reversed himself 180 degrees and began hanging around with former CIA types who had been involved in the assassination plots against Fidel Castro (and possibly JFK as well). He was flattered by their attention and bought into their propaganda and disinformation. Hence this book. The book contains several theories, all contradictory: 1) Oswald did it, acting alone, 2) Castro was behind the assassination, and 3) It was all Bobby Kennedy's fault!! Russo also tried to persuade Seymour Hersh, and the Assassination Review Board, that the real assassin was a Cuban intelligence agent, but failed to convince either. Russo is being used, and is not to be trusted. His sources are dubious at best and have their own agenda. Don't believe everything you read.

13 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Flawed Book But Still Important, February 23, 2000

By 

William T. Parnell (Sherman, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Live By The Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death ofJFK (Hardcover)

As a believer in the guilt of Lee Harvey Oswald, I was intrigued by the thesis of Live By the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK (Bancroft Press, Baltimore-ISBN 1-890862-01-0). That thesis, stated simply, is that the Kennedy brothers' "secret war" on Castro (during which they tried to remove him from power through invasion, counterinsurgency, and even assassination) backfired resulting in JFK's death at the hand of Oswald. This concept, while not new, does go a long way toward providing the long sought motive for Oswald's actions and at the same time reinforces his guilt.

The author, Gus Russo, is a long time JFK assassination researcher who worked on the highly regarded 1993 PBS Frontline documentary on the life of the enigmatic "Marxist Marine" (Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald). Russo admits to being schooled in the assassination by early Warren Commission critics such as Mark Lane. This could explain his disturbing tendency to lend legitimacy to otherwise unsupported observations by a few of the "thousands" of persons whose interviews he accessed (and conducted) for this book. One has the sensation when reading certain passages that it could be authored by Jim Marrs after undergoing a conversion at the hands of Gerald Posner. This certainly does not destroy the value of the book but it does diminish it. In fact, for most serious researchers, Live By the Sword is bound to be something of a mixed bag.

The book's prose is generally very well-written. However, I did notice several typos that may be more the fault of the editors at Bancroft Press than Russo. There is a 32-page photo section near the center of the book that includes some never before published items. Live By the Sword features an "Additional Materials" section that includes three appendices, a bibliography, and 70 pages of endnotes which contain citations and the type of supplemental information sometimes found in footnotes. Russo divides his work into five "Books". These are Kennedy, Oswald, New Orleans, The Fall of Camelot, and A Coverup.

Supporters of the Warren Commission defend its work by saying that despite flawed methodology and other gaffes, they were correct in their basic conclusions. This statement is analogous to my feelings for Gus Russo and Live By the Sword. He makes some excellent arguments over the course of the book's 617 pages, but has failed to tie everything together - an admittedly difficult if not impossible task. Russo may have hurt his work by trying to "throw in everything but the kitchen sink" in an effort to prove his thesis. The sad thing is, he probably didn't have to. He certainly seems to have had enough legitimate material (his bibliography covers eleven and a half pages) to make his case without using some of the more questionable data - especially certain interviews. This "information overload" may be partly explained by Russo's frustration at the failure of the Kennedys to release RFK's private papers.

As one who believes Oswald acted alone, I was certainly ready to embrace Russo's book with open arms. It is definitely an appealing hypothesis. If the central thesis were more factually grounded, you could even think of it as Case Closed with a greater emphasis on motive. The truth is, history may ultimately prove Russo to be at least partly correct. However, wanting something to be fact doesn't make it so - at least not yet. Gus Russo has not proven his case with Live By the Sword. He comes very close in some areas but more often than not he leads the reader in a tantalizing dance only to stop the music. Having said that, I still recommend the book to any serious assassination researcher. There is plenty of food for thought and enough twists and turns to offer something for everyone. In fact, Live By the Sword may be remembered as being the first book on the JFK assassination that tried to be all things to all people.

Russo will win no new friends among believers in the myth of Camelot. His book shatters that myth and shows John and Robert Kennedy to be what they were -human beings. They were no more or less heroic or villainous than many leaders before or since. They made mistakes (some more serious than others) and enjoyed victories as well. They suffered from vices of the flesh and spirit as well as petty jealousies and burning ambition. This pragmatic interpretation of Camelot is likely to be Russo's literary gift to the body of JFK assassination research.

16 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A CIA cover story from start to finish, September 10, 1999

By 

Theodore M. Herlich - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live By The Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death ofJFK (Hardcover)

The earth is flat, the sun revolves around the earth, the lone assassin of JFK is Lee Harvey Oswald, and the single, magic bullet entered JFK's back, exited through his throat, entered Connally's back, exited through Connally's right breast, entered and smashed his right wrist and was then embedded in his left thigh. If you believe this, there is a bridge in Brooklyn that I'd like to sell you. The absurdity of the author's thesis, that Oswald acted as an agent of Castro, is not made more believable simply by virtue of the number of footnotes located at the end of the book. The author, in effect, puts forth the CIA cover story that Oswald, the lone gunman, acted upon his Communist, pro-Castro beliefs. Wasn't the lone gunman theory decimated by the accoustical analysis conducted by the House Select Committee on Assassinations which found at least 4 shots, one emanating from behind the grassy knoll? Didn't Alpha-66 leader Anthony Veciana observe his CIA handler [David Atlee Phillips]in Dallas in the company of Lee Harvey Oswald? Didn't Syvia Odio observe Lee Harvey Oswald attempt to solicit funds from her in the presence of two anti-Castro Cubans in order to support the anti-Castro cause? I refer intelligent readers to "The Last Investigation" by Gaeton Fonzi for an incisive analysis of the CIA's extraordinary efforts to block the House Select Committee on Assassinations investigation of the intelligence communities links with extreme anti- Castro Cubans and Lee Harvey Oswald, who was involved with them. Russo also takes as fact that Oswald was present in Mexico City, at the Cuban Consulate and Soviet Embassy, without any proof to back his assumptions up. The author is a talented spin doctor for the CIA. I suspect the CIA was involved in funding his research for the book. His reliance on numerous anonymous CIA and ONI sources is indicative of the partisan brief he is arguing. His subtle whitewash on behalf of the CIA may fool readers who long for simple closure in this matter. His pro-CIA spin and his propogation of what I believe is the classic CIA cover story in this matter made me nauseous.