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The Mind of Oswald: Accused Assassin of President John F. Kennedy

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Diane Holloway is a retired Dallas psychologist who was involved with the psychological assessment of one of Lee Harvey Oswald's assassination targets, Major General Edwin Walker (when Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered an evaluation because of Walker's bizarre anti-government activities). Holloway as painstakingly gathered the works of Lee Harvey Oswald over a period of ten years and in The Mind Of Oswald: Accused Assassin Of President John F. Kennedy, incorporates Oswald's letters, diary, book about Russia, miscellaneous papers, notes, address book, job applications, radio interviews, and post-arrest television statements into a remarkable presentation of Oswald and the times leading up to the Kennedy assassination. The Mind Of Oswald is a "must read" for anyone with an interest in the Kennedy assassination, its impact on the American political system, and the controversies that surrounded it then -- and some of which continue to linger in the public mind to this day.

Dr. Holloway has done a meticulous job of researching the career of Lee Harvey Oswald and sharing her findings with us. She has several unique perspectives working for her: being in Dallas at the time of the Kennedy assassination; having tested Gen. Edwin Walker, whom Oswald undoubtedly tried to shoot some months before JFK was shot; being a psychologist and thus able to give the reader her expert take on Oswald's capacity for violence. I felt as if I were able to watch Oswald virtually every day of his life right up to the moment he was killed by Jack Ruby. One has to feel a little sorry for Oswald, who never seemed to be happy no matter where he was or what he was doing. He couldn't spell, he lied about his height, he was just such a loser his entire life. Besides the close look at Oswald, Dr. Holloway gives us the historical background--what was happening in the world as Oswald was being Oswald.

The author presents in chronological order the writings of Lee Harvey Oswald, assassin of President Kennedy. She also presents the national and world events which occurred at the time of Oswald's writings. She then interprets Oswald's writing and state of mind from the writings and historical events.

In terms of presenting the writings of Oswald, the author certainly succeeds; however, I believe she falls short in describing the warped anti-social mind of Lee Oswald.

Frankly, I was expecting much more from this book in terms of psychoanalysis of Lee Oswald. Perhaps my expectations were too high. The author obviously never personally interviewed Lee Oswald, so she can therefore only surmise what he was thinking, and what psychological processes were operating in his mind. I wish she had presented a broader picture of Lee Oswald, his childhood, his adolesence, his service in the Marines, and his interactions with his wife Marina and associates. Some of these topics are barely touched in this book. Oswald was clearly a pathological liar, and this is more than evident in his writings. But he was also a wife beater, (he mistreated and abused Marina terribly), and a very unstable, paranoid, secretive, loner. He had no friends, and the few who tried to befriend him he rebuffed. The author barely touches on these documented behaviors. I believe had she presented a broader picture of Oswald, not only his writings, but his behaviors, both domestic and societal, the book would have succeeded in painting a much broader psychological picture of Oswald. In fact, I believe his behaviors speak louder than his writings, and his behaviors define his personality more competely.

I believe Priscilla McMillian's, "Marina and Lee", better captures the essence of Lee Oswald and enables the reader to understand with much more clarity the mind of the assassin. Marina and Lee I recommend it over this book.

kone

Dr. Diane Holloway's new book, The Mind of Oswald, is a breath of fresh air in the JFK assassination literature. As a former FBI agent, attorney, and judge (in fact, I was the presiding judge in the much celebrated case depicted in the recent movie "Boys Don't Cry"), I rely on facts. I am so pleased that someone, and especially a psychologist, has looked at the facts about accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. The facts are what he said and wrote. Then she looked at it from the psychological viewpoint. The psychological approach is much like our approach; the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. Dr. Holloway, a retired Dallas psychologist, has taken all of Oswald's words and life and tried to look at whether he was the kind of person who would kill a president. It is an excellent approach. I heartily recommend this book and give it a five star rating. Libraries would do well to add this to their list because there is too much crazy conspiracy literature available and the facts are needed about this important tragedy. Judge Robert T. Finn.

This will be a short one; Ruth Paine was deeply intergrated with the CIA and influenced by the FBI. There are several recent documents that well establish that after Lee Harvey Oswald was betrayed and captured, Ruth Paine, fraudently and lied about the contents of Oswald's items allegedly stored in her garage.

Ruth Paine amoung others, created a daming testimony image (mostly lies and corrupted facts) about Lee Harvey Oswald. If fact, Lee always referred to her as 'that Pain'....Lee expressed himself at times that he did not trust her but because of Lee's penatration of the plot to assissinate President Kennedy, he also understood the his life now was precarious as he became acutely aware of his 'CIA Control' had disappeared in Mexico as Lee tried to make contact.

Lee, a caring man was concerned about about his children as his Marina, was a 'player'....to that end, Lee (with trepidation), allow Ruth Paine to take his children and Marina to Dallas.

And Finally, when Lee was in the 'theater' after the assissination, witnesses inside the theater noticed that Lee was moving about, and sitting down with
differnt people asking in essence are you my contact? Lee, was directed to go to that theater to make contact. Witnesses also observed that a man
in the balconey, thought he was Oswald and was being lead out of the theater there while Lee himself was being lead out on the ground level at the same time.

Officer Tippet was killed by an automatic weapon - Lee did not have a gun on him - the gun that he had was a 38', long barrel gun (4-6'').

That evidence was not advanced to the 'Authorities' which if it would have been would exonerated Lee without doubt.

So, whatever this document suggests - is useless.