Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK (Paperback)

~ (Author) "President John F. Kennedy had been dead less than an hour..." (more)
Key Phrases: conspiracy critics, stretcher bullet, autopsy physicians, New Orleans, Warren Commission, Dealey Plaza (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Posner's sound and painstakingly thorough argument that Oswald was the sole culprit of JFK's murder was a PW bestseller.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The majority of books written on the assassination of John F. Kennedy focus on the various conspiracy theories. This audiobook, based on a critically acclaimed book by a former Wall Street lawyer, uses hard evidence and interviews to show that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and that none of the conspiracy theories hold any weight. Posner reads his own material, and his voice grates on the listener; however, as the story progresses, the listener has no choice but to forget the narrator and become wrapped up in the unfolding details. This recording should find a home in all public libraries where there is an interest in Kennedy and the assassination.
- Danna C. Bell-Russel, Marymount Univ. Libs., Arlington, Va.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Anchor; 1st Anchor Books ed edition (August 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385474466
• ISBN-13: 978-0385474467
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (322 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #183,727 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of the evidence, but has its faults, March 23, 2000

By A Customer

I've read about 15 books on JFK's assassination, both pro- and anti-conspiracy. I would say that Case Closed presents the most comprehensive overview of all the evidence that implicates Lee Harvey Oswald. However, there really isn't much *new* evidence presented, although that's what the book's editorial reviews say. The real value of _Case Closed_ is that Posner picks from works such as the Warren Commission, HSCA report, the experiments and observations of John Lattimer, etc., and summarizes these into one volume. He supplements those with some interviews he conducted with some of the players (for example, some of the ER doctors who attended to JFK, Jack Ruby's brother, the Soviet official who dealt with Oswald's case, Michael Baden, etc.). On the negative side, Posner does tend to summarily discount witnesses whose stories don't support his lone-assassin thesis, such as Silvia Odio. Also, he writes about several witnesses whose recollections support his theory on what happened to Oswald's first shot, but doesn't mention others whose Warren-Commission testimony would contradict his theory. I rate this book four stars, because it does present some good evidence that conspiracy books never mention and refutes many of the most common conspiracy canards. It's also very well written. I couldn't put it down the first time I read it. If you were going to read only one book on the lone-assassin side, I'd recommend this one. However, there are several other lone-assassin books that treat specific aspects of the JFK assassination better than did Posner. For a look into Oswald's possible motive, _Oswald's Game_ is excellent. A good interpretation of the medical evidence is given in _Kennedy and Lincoln_. _Case Closed_ is great if you just want a broad overview of the evidence against Oswald and have the time to read just one book.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A strong argument, but it doesn't "close the case"..., December 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Case Closed (Paperback)

There have been several books published in recent years which argue that the Warren Commission's infamous "lone gunman" theory is correct, and that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, did assassinate President John F. Kennedy. However, "Case Closed" by Gerald Posner is easily the best and most reliable of these "anti-conspiracy" books. Posner offers devastating arguments against many of the "loonier" conspiracy theories - such as that Lyndon Johnson or FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover murdered JFK. He also presents detailed arguments against many of the more "respectable" conspiracy theories, such as that Kennedy was killed by the Mafia or by Anti-Castro zealots who were angry at JFK for "abandoning" them during their CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961. However, I don't believe that Posner has completely "closed the case" on the JFK assassination, and I doubt that anyone will ever solve the case to the complete satisfaction of most people. If you are going to read this book (and I would highly recommend it), then I would also strongly suggest that you read one of the more credible "pro-conspiracy" books for balance, as there are always two sides to every story. In my opinion, the two best "pro-conspiracy" books are Josiah Thompson's "Six Seconds in Dallas", which is respected even by Posner and most defenders of the Warren Commission; and Anthony Summers's "Not In Your Lifetime". This book was originally published in 1980 as "Conspiracy", and it received rave reviews by such prestigious publications as Newsweek, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and former JFK aides such as Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. praised it. In "Case Closed" Posner made several stinging criticisms of "Conspiracy", so Summers responded by writing a completely revised and updated version in 1998 (with the new title) in which he offered detailed rebuttals to Posner's criticisms, as well as making his own criticisms of Posner's statements. I'm not saying that I fully agree with these "pro-conspiracy" books either - I just believe that if you read them, as well as "Case Closed", then you'll have seen the best and most credible arguments for and against a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. As for my own personal beliefs, some fifteen to twenty years ago I was convinced that there was a conspiracy, but over the years I have come to believe that it is entirely plausible that Oswald could have killed JFK all by himself, and that the "lone gunman" theory is credible. However, I also believe that there are still enough unanswered questions about the assassination that there will always be some legitimate doubt about whether there was another gunman, and that we'll never be able to state with total finality that the murder of JFK is "case closed". Bottom line: Posner's "Case Closed" is a detailed, well-written and persuasive argument for the "lone gunman" theory - but make sure that you get the "other side" of the story and read some credible "pro-conspiracy" books before you make a final decision about whether or not there was a conspiracy to kill John F. Kennedy.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and well researched, February 11, 2008

By	John Macri (Hopkinton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Case Closed (Paperback)

Gerald Posner's book, Case Closed is a real eye opener. If, like many people, you base all of your opinions on the JFK assasination on the Oliver Stone film, then you need to read this book.

Posner's book, incredibly well researched and annotated, demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that Stone's film, while remarkably entertaining, plays fast and loose with many of the facts surrounding this historical event.

As Posner details, most of the so-called "evidence" of a conspiracy presented in the film does not stand up to close examination. Some of it is no more than wild speculation, much of it flat out untrue, but has through years of retelling entered the public consciousness as if it were fact. For instance, the alleged eyewitnesses featured in the movie have largely been discredited over the years, many changing their stories several times, others having been shown not to have even been in Dealey Plaza on 11/22/63. Posner also takes on the so-called scientific evidence of the conspiracy buffs, dismantling their arguments piece by piece in convincing fashion.

The important thing to realize about this book is how thoroughly and meticulously researched it is. There is no conjecture - merely cold hard facts, presented as found. As convinced as I was before I read this book that there was a conspiracy to kill JFK, I am just as convinced now that there was not.