Assignment: Oswald (Hardcover)

by James Hosty (Author), Thomas Hosty (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Hosty, as Kennedy assassination buffs know, was the Dallas FBI agent delegated to investigate Lee Harvey Oswald before Nov. 22, 1963, and who later became the center of a firestorm over whether Oswald should have been under surveillance as a likely assassin. He is also the man who, following instructions from his supervisor, destroyed a note from Oswald warning him to lay off Oswald's wife, Marina (whom Hosty had interviewed in early November about Lee), thus giving rise to all sorts of dire conjectures among conspiracy theorists. Hosty, a sturdy, no-nonsense type who is finally telling his own story with the help of his lawyer son, has no truck with them. He remains convinced that Oswald was the sole shooter, though he also feels there was tacit approval of his action in certain Cuban and Soviet quarters, and that Oswald, who expected to get away, probably acted to bolster his position with his foreign handlers. Hosty's book is interesting more for its facts, however, than for his theorizing. He was present during Oswald's interrogation, conducted early post-assassination interviews with Marina (who he suspects was a Soviet agent) and is full of intriguing details about the pecking order at Hoover's FBI, the frantic efforts to shift blame, the jealous guarding of their own turf by police, FBI, Secret Service and CIA with the result that no one ever had a clear, complete picture of events before or after the killing. Hosty's book is therefore a valuable addition to the assassination bookshelf-as well as the self-portrait of a likable family man whose first thought after the shots were fired was for the safety of his wife, who was in the vicinity. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
The FBI agent assigned to investigate Lee Harvey Oswald a month prior to the president's assassination presents his testimony for the first time, revealing how political intrigue prevented the relationship of Oswald and the Soviets from coming to light.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing; 1st edition (November 22, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559703113
• ISBN-13: 978-1559703116
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,020,292 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down, April 4, 2000

By A Customer

I found Hosty's account of the events surrounding the JFK assasination to be very intesting, and highly accurate in comparison to actual film footage from that time period. This account will put to rest all of the illogical and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that have been circulating. And, it will focus light on the one conspiracy theory that hasn't gotten enough attention, and that is the one involving the Soviet and Cuban governments. Hosty has alleged that every commission and report to date has purposely down-played or ommitted evidence pointing to a Soviet/Cuba/Oswald link. His argument is well supported with facts and analysis. He also gives a perfectly plausible reason why Oswald could certainly have fired all three shots. I highly recommend this book for students of the JFK assasination.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A revealing work, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

This book reveals more, perhaps, than the author intended, about the atmosphere in the Dallas FBI during 1963. Hosty had been assigned to investigate Oswald but had lost track of him when he left Dallas for New Orleans. He eventually found out that Oswald had returned to Dallas and interviewed Oswald's wife, Maria, at her residence. This angered Oswald, who later left a threatening note at the Dallas FBI for Hosty. After Oswald's arrest, Hosty was sent to the office where Oswald was being interrogated because he knew the most about him. This caused a confrontation between Oswald and Hosty. Instead of gaining any good information about Oswald, Hosty made it look like the FBI had propelled him into action by their overbearing intrusions. No wonder J. Edgar Hoover later disciplined Hosty for his work on this case. Hosty, however, needed to justify himself in every step he took, so, he resorts to pleading that he was overworked during 1963. The rest of the books deals with Hosty in later years, analyzing this case in his own way, suspecting Maria of being a Russian KGB police plant. You can easily understand why Hosty did not meet his career goals and ended up being bitter about the whole thing.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Candid Recounting of JFK Assassination, June 27, 2000

By A Customer

Hosty's book provides a candid recounting of the tragic events of Nov. 22, 1963. While Hosty acknowledges his own mistakes, he tries to put the president's assassination in proper context and explain what was really happening behind "closed doors." An exciting read, and a must read for buffs. Hosty's candid recounting will surely get under the skin of conspiracy theorists.