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Not in Your Lifetime

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This book is a completely revised and updated version of Anthony Summers's classic "Conspiracy", which was published in 1980 following a congressional committee's findings that there was a conspiracy to kill President John F. Kennedy. When it was released "Conspiracy" won rave reviews from such prestigious publications as Newsweek, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, and former Kennedy aides such as Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. and Pierre Salinger praised Summers for his thorough research and sensible approach to the problem. It also won the coveted "Golden Dagger" award as the best "true crime" book of 1980. Although there have been many "pro-conspiracy" books written on the Kennedy assassination, this book is BY FAR the best-written, most reliable, and most persuasive. Summers, a respected investigative reporter for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), did an exhaustive, years-long investigation into the Kennedy assassination. In this book he presents the various groups in America which had a good reason to try and kill Kennedy in 1963 - the mafia, the anti-Castro forces, rogue government agents, and of course Lee Harvey Oswald himself - and then presents the evidence he found for a conspiracy. Wisely, Summers doesn't advocate any single theory - he simply presents the evidence and leaves it to the reader to decide. The result is easily the best single-volume "pro-conspiracy" tome on the JFK assassination, and if you could only read one "pro-conspiracy" book this should definitely be it. However, there are always two sides to every story - and I would also strongly recommend reading Gerald Posner's "Case Closed" to get the single best "anti-conspiracy" book. After reading "Not In Your Lifetime" and "Case Closed" you will have seen the best and most persuasive arguments for and against a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. Highly Recommended!

This book by Anthony Summers is the best overview available regarding the JFK assassination and the case for conspiracy. Summers comes across as a very objective writer, as well an investigator who made a major effort to track down those who could shed light on the key events. Although believing that a conspiracy existed, and that Oswald was a patsy, he also clearly spells out the evidence, which is quite convincing, that Oswald was also involved in it somehow--given, for example, some lies that Oswald told his questioners after he was arrested on November 22. Summers presents more solid information than just about any other book on the topic. Many witnesses that the Warren Commission ignored are covered in this book. The result is a compelling case that there was a conspiracy in the JFK assassination. This book contains the information that any objective person should be willing to think about before coming to a conclusion about the case. If you bypass this book, you will likely miss some key information required to make a reasoned judgement about what happened in Dallas that day.

This work is certainly one of the best investigations into the murder of President Kennedy.
It is a new version of his former book 'Conspiracy'.

Although the author admits that he could not find the ultimate truth, he believes that Lee Harvey Oswald was framed by an alliance of anti-Castro militants, the Mafia and members of the CIA. He could not find out if or not Oswald was a low level CIA agent himself. The author believes however that Oswald was used by U.S. intelligence without his knowledge.

The author also proves convincingly that the version of the killing proclaimed by the Warren Commission is untenable.

This book is a real thriller about a diabolic masterstroke. The real protagonists behind the curtain could load all the suspicions on one person, whom they then ordered to be killed. The whole plot was buried by the Warren Commission.

A masterly investigation.

As far as all facets of the JFK Assassination with objectivity, you won't find a finer book than this. Summers is open-minded, yet, cautious, so he isn't a conspiracy theorist or a debunker, In other words he is one great reporter. Clearly, from Dealey Plaza-to-Parkland Hospital-Bethesda Naval Hospital-Mexico City-New Orleans and the secret war against Fidel..there is plenty of tangible evidence in each area for conspiracy. The new material on Mexico City and a death bed confession from one of the well-connected players in the covert apparatus against Castro is featured.

I have read about the JFK killing for decades; more books than I can remember.

Even with that, there was a TON in here I had no idea about. It was mind-blowing. As the others have said, the author doesn't push one conspiracy theory or "debunk" anything--except the shameful Warren Commission Report.

Once you've read this, you will have absolutely no doubt that we don't know the reality of what happened. I've always known about the anti-Castro groups and Cuba and how that was relevant to this; what I didn't know, and what this book strongly suggests, is that the Cuba issue was front and center with regard to JFK's death (that, and the mob, who were absolutely connected to the anti-Castro movement). The coincidences after coincidences the author reveals are, quite simply, stunning.

Those looking for an Oliver Stone-type conspiracy book will be out of luck; but even those people would be enthralled by the way the story unfolds (and horrified). I will say that with the regular theories circulating since then (the greatest hits, so to speak) that the whole Vietnam angle (a centerpiece of the movie) falls by the wayside here.

The author does a phenomenal job at not tossing out theories or giving answers, but rather opening new question after new question which were absolutely ignored by the Warren Commission, who clearly wanted to back into a narrative by picking and choosing what to investigate. Nowhere is that more exemplified than in this account.

Even after all I've read, if you read just one book regarding the JFK assassination, hands-down this is the one. It's a shame it's out of print. Find it.

In the years that have passed since the publication of Summer's book, we have had perhaps a hundred others that purport to shed more light on the events in Dallas so long ago. After replacing my well worn copy of this book, I decided to reread it. I am actually astounded at how timely this book still is. Investigative journalist Summers researched the minutiae of hundreds of loose ends, rumors, reports, and leads of all kinds to produce a book of stunning and responsible journalism. No theories, no conspiracy, just a well investigated and sourced book of extensive footnotes and an amazing bibliography that stands the test of time. I found "new" information here and you will as well. If you don't have a copy, get one while you still can.

I am still thrilled by the mystery of the last few seconds of President Kennedy's life but am growing tired of the same old same old, tell-tale information that these writers think is new to the general public. This book is well written and sets the grim scene well in it's wake of clarity and detail pertaining to some lesser known facts on the investigation such as the pristine bullet. Come on guys ,give me something I can use.