Description
Peter Dale Scott’s meticulously documented investigation uncovers the secrets surrounding John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Offering a wholly new perspective―that JFK’s death was not just an isolated case, but rather a symptom of hidden processes―Scott examines the deep politics of early 1960s American international and domestic policies.
Scott offers a disturbing analysis of the events surrounding Kennedy’s death, and of the “structural defects” within the American government that allowed such a crime to occur and to go unpunished. In nuanced readings of both previously examined and newly available materials, he finds ample reason to doubt the prevailing interpretations of the assassination. He questions the lone assassin theory and the investigations undertaken by the House Committee on Assassinations, and unearths new connections between Oswald, Ruby, and corporate and law enforcement forces.
Revisiting the controversy popularized in Oliver Stone’s movie JFK, Scott probes the link between Kennedy’s assassination and the escalation of the U.S. commitment in Vietnam that followed two days later. He contends that Kennedy’s plans to withdraw troops from Vietnam―offensive to a powerful anti-Kennedy military and political coalition―were secretly annulled when Johnson came to power. The split between JFK and his Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the collaboration between Army Intelligence and the Dallas Police in 1963, are two of the several missing pieces Scott adds to the puzzle of who killed Kennedy and why.
Scott presses for a new investigation of the Kennedy assassination, not as an external conspiracy but as a power shift within the subterranean world of American politics. Deep Politics and the Death of JFK shatters our notions of one of the central events of the twentieth century.
Drew Max –
A must read!!!!!
The goal of this book is NOT to discover who assassinated JFK. The purpose of this book is to showcase how the cover up highlights the different interest groups jockeying for power in the early 1960s. Lee Harvey Oswald very clearly was a covert operative working for a myriad of different government agencies. Ruby was the Tony Soprano of Dallas. This books describes why different organizations could not let these two truths be revealed to the American public.
9 people found this helpful
dh –
“The devil’s in the details”
One of the most detailed research I have read about President Kennedy’s murder; especially the links between Alpha 66, US intelligence groups, and extreme, right-wing political opponents of JFK. Professor Scott is definitely one of the top researchers of President John Fitzgerald’s murder and cover-up.
James Mann –
Doesn’t get any better.
In a country such as ours, anyone attempting to voice an opinion that falls outside the mainstream is ridiculed and margainalized until no one takes them seriously. Not so with Professor Scott. Incredibly well researched and documented, he makes a strong case for who actually runs this country, and why.It is books like this that show you why your vote is meaningless, protest is generally futile, and how the US can skip around the world, bringing down governments (and at home) and no one says boo. Frightening book, and required reading for anyone interested in the death of JFK, a landmark event.
58 people found this helpful
The Yuletide Kid –
Whodunit?
Peter Dale Scott is a wonderful man and a fine author. I therefore feel a bit guilty giving this book only three stars. Though Scottreveals many fascinating aspects of the JFK assassination, he does not get at the source or the motives of the crime. As a result,I would suggest one of his later works.
3 people found this helpful
JT –
If you want to know who really makes the decisions, read this.
This book is not about the assassination of JFK. Peter Dale Scott presents the dour political milieu that existed on November 22, 1963. Criminals with resources comparable to the government’s and protection from the highest level officers of the national government conducted egregious criminal activities with impunity. This book concludes with convincing documentary support that the assassination of the President of the United States plotted, supported and carried out by multiple nefarious elements within corrupt government at all levels and private individuals from the overworld and underworld was inevitable. This book lays out the facts. The fact is, drugs, oil, bananas and political ambitions succeeded in eliminating the president of the United States.
11 people found this helpful
Al K. Mickel –
A far saner and wider analysis of JFK’s death
This book and JFK and the Unspeakable by James Douglass are the best written attempts at grasping and expressing the hidden psychosocial forces in modern political economy, as exposed by events such as the assassination of JFK, that I’ve read. They surpass theory systems like Marxism, conservatism, capitalist economics or popular conspiracy theories and manage to convey, at least on an emotional level, how truly disturbing our civilization is. Please buy or at least borrow and read this book.
2 people found this helpful
Kindle Customer –
Brilliant, deep, and unique.
Amazing for BOTH the depth of its theoretical insight and the breadth of its historical knowledge, this is a salient text for understanding American history. There is no one quite like Peter Dale Scott, and his contributions have been far more influential for the dissident community and its political thought than is generally recognized or acknowledged. He coined the term “Deep Politics” and has been a key documentarian of US and international power dynamics–the deeds of corporations, nation states, intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, police forces, and thousands of named individual persons–since the early 1960’s. You will learn much more than the outlines of the President’s murder, as Scott depicts (geo)political reality as a dynamic system that includes ongoing relationships between the legitimate state with its laws and ballots and the “deep state” with its violence and corruption.
12 people found this helpful
V-ROD –
Deep Politics and lots more!
This is the 2nd book I’ve read from Peter Dale Scott. There is no doubt; his books are heavy reading. The detail and meticulous research is amazing. In this book the author lays out the web of inter-connected politics involving narcotics, prostitution, the CIA, the mob, the FBI, Dallas P.D., and government employees; including Congress. After reading this book, I’m beginning to come to the conclusion that the reason the JFK assassination is hard to understand is because of the corruption that exists in this nation. The inner cabal that is intertwined in our financial, political, and military institutions. Those on the outside don’t know about it, but those on the inside do. The question always arises how could something so big be kept a secret? The answer being… All that is needed is key people in high places to dictate what is to be told and what is not to be told. In the case of JFK there were people that came forward with information, but they were either eliminated or discredited.What I didn’t like about this book is I always felt when I was reading that I was in a maze wondering where the path was going to lead me, but only to find myself hitting a wall and then looking back and being unable to see where I had been. The author lays out great information, but for me it was frustrating to try and combine all the facts into a coherent understanding of information I knew prior and the new information noted by the author. My advice to prospective readers…Grab a notebook, sharpen your pencil, put on your seat belt, and hold on tight!
32 people found this helpful
Luc REYNAERT –
Deep investigation.
Peter Dale Scott poses essential questions and his investigations lead to very disturbing answers.He uses the JFK assassination as a paradigm for the revelation and understanding of the real powers in the US.With parallels to 3 other political scandals (MacCarthyism, Watergate, Contragate) he shows that there are deep continuities in the US political system. He arrives at the most alarming conclusion that the US power system is intrinsically vicious, violent and murderous and that conspiracies form an essential part of it.He shows convincingly that the real powers in the US lay in a symbiosis of public government, organized crime and private wealth.Most diabolic are the FBI (lead by the insidious Edgar J. Hoover) and the CIA, which are both responsible for the ruthless destruction of opponents and dissidents without legal or moral restraint.This book gives an appalling picture of the Agency, fighting for the justification of its existence and its resources by prolonging the Cold War. It infiltrated the media in order to preach its Gospel. It used organized crime and drug traffickers as means for its ends.Very revealing also is the fact that 20 percent of the shares of General Dynamics were in the hands of the mob.His final analysis is devastating: ‘how far our office-holders, including our Presidents, have been reduced to the status of clients, dispensable when the more enduring patronage is withdrawn?’ and ‘To what extent has our visible political establishment become one regulated by forces operating outside the constitutional process?’After reading this book, I confess that posing these questions is answering them.A provocative, dark and disturbing book.A must read.
44 people found this helpful
Jeff Marzano –
OK For Experienced JFK Guys
This book attempts to describe the different criminal elements that conspired to assassinate President Kennedy and the relationships between those different individuals and groups.This is a very important subject in relation to the JFK case. I think many people feel the public has never been told the real truth about the JFK assassination but many are not clear about who was really responsible for this murder.Researchers have had over 50 years to unravel this greatest of American mysteries and I think a lot of progress has been made. Speaking in simple terms the forces that conspired to assassinate President Kennedy were composed of a bunch of greedy, lying murderers. The main point of this book is to show how diverse the groups involved in the conspiracy really were and that the activities of these groups were international in scope.For whatever reasons the Kennedy brothers became engaged in a crusade against dark forces which had probably always existed in America but which mutated into something truly diabolical after World War II. These were all individuals who had much to gain if JFK’s presidency was ended and in some cases much to lose if JFK was not killed. They were looking at 4 more years with John Kennedy as president probably followed by 8 years of his brother.The true masterminds of the assassination could only have resided in groups like the CIA and military intelligence as far as having the expertise to do something like that. Then there were people like Lyndon Johnson whose role was to stop all serious investigations after the assassination which he accomplished by setting up the Warren Commission whitewash.The lower level groups such as the Italian mafia and the anti Castro nuts probably provided a buffer to insulate the real masterminds of the assassination in case things went wrong and the cover up could not be maintained. And since the mafia doesn’t do things for free we can only imagine what this criminal empire received as payment for becoming involved with this monumental crime.To me another main point of this book is that level of absolute corruption within the power structures of the United States did not happen overnight. These nefarious relationships between all of the different groups had been entrenched for many years going back at least to World War II.Another interesting point for me is the idea that FBI director J. Edgar Hoover blackmailed JFK to accept Lyndon Johnson as his running mate. Hoover must have had enough movies of JFK in bed with women that he could have produced a full length film.Peter Scott doesn’t totally buy into that idea but he does concede that Anthony Summers heard this from President Kennedy’s personal secretary, the ironically named Evelyn Lincoln. Lincoln said she was present or at least within listening distance when the Kennedy brothers realized they were going to have to accept Johnson due to J. Edgar Hoover’s blackmail.I would not doubt that the theory about Hoover’s blackmail to force them to put Johnson on the ticket is true. And if it is true John Kennedy’s womanizing ultimately cost him his life.Because I don’t think John Kennedy gets killed unless Johnson or someone like him was the Vice President. They could not afford the risks of doing something like that unless they knew they would have the new president in their pocket. And there were very few as corrupt as Lyndon Johnson.Lyndon Johnson had a lot to lose if John Kennedy was not killed. Bobby ‘Lyndon, Jr.’ Baker was already being investigated for many greedy schemes that were going to lead directly to Johnson. If JFK had lived Johnson was going to be sitting right next to his old friend Bobby Baker in the penitentiary.In that sense perhaps Roger Stone is correct and Lyndon Johnson really was ‘the man who killed Kennedy’.This book contains a lot of interesting details but I wouldn’t say all of that information is woven into a coherent narrative perfectly. The book seems to start digressing sometimes where he gets into subjects like international drug trafficking. It’s definitely worth reading but I would not recommend it for someone who is just starting out reading about the JFK case.The first 3 books listed below provide a good overview of the JFK assassination conspiracy theories for new researchers.
Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years
Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters
A Deeper, Darker Truth
On the Trail of the Assassins: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Murder of President Kennedy
David Ferrie: Mafia Pilot, Participant in Anti-Castro Bioweapon Plot, Friend of Lee Harvey Oswald and Key to the JFK Assassination
JFK: The CIA, Vietnam, and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy
The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ
The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War
Hit List: An In-Depth Investigation into the Mysterious Deaths of Witnesses to the JFK Assassination29 people found this helpful
tom pavlick –
grat service
p-lease allow me to keep this book’ no problem’
Lawrence W. Narachi –
Best researched book on the death of JFK
Still keep rereading some of the chapters, as it is so fact filled that its impossible to digest whole in one reading. Really scary and terrible power structures are brought to light in this treatment of the killing. No ONE person is named but power elites are exposed. Never realized that the HUNT family in Texas were up to such mischief – I thought they were ‘merely’ funding the Campus Crusade for Christ and attempting to corner the silver market in the 80’s…
14 people found this helpful
Michael W. Rickard II –
Disorganized Mess
This book could have been so much better. While I don’t agree with all of Mr. Scott’s views, it’s clear he’s put some time into them. The problem is that the book’s presentation. It is a complete mess and it assumes you know all of the background on the people he discusses. The book is a rambling mess and if it was a college paper, it’d scrape by a passing grade. What a disappointment.
10 people found this helpful
Reader –
Disorganized r
This book was completely disorganized. The author clearly knows his stuff put he fails to give any context to half of the people he mentions in the book. Unless you know every small mobster, CIA, or FBI operative during the fifties and sixties then you will definitely get lost. This book was entirely incoherent and rambled on and on. I would not recommend it to anyone just beginning to read into the Kennedy assassination because the author does not give any external explanation. I regret buying this book and I would advise you against buying.
11 people found this helpful
Wade Tomlin –
Heavy, heavy reading
Note to any casually follower of this genre. Do not buy this book. Deep Politics And The Death Of JFK is a heavy academic read that doesn’t come off the page lightly or with any pace. Each page is filled with meticulous and exact information that grabs you fully. This isn’t a light read with a dramatic storyline, this is a real hard look into the facts surrounding the relationships that dominated politics at this time in U.S. history. While it is an impressive piece of work it is not to be read lightly.
39 people found this helpful
TLR –
Excellent look at the realities of the American system
Scott’s books focus on the “Deep State” and the interrelationship between organized crime, the military and intelligence agencies, elected and unelected officials, and big business/finance. This is a concept most Americans, after a lifetime of brainwashing by the mainstream media, are not familiar with. It’s similar to the concept of “Gladio” in Europe (which is simply part of the larger global network of criminal-government activities). Scott’s books are not light reading, as they are loaded with names of people and groups, and take a big-picture view of international “deep politics.” But they are worth investing the time to read.
5 people found this helpful
Terry Jennrich –
More light on the controversial topic of who Killed JFK and Why?
This book should be read along with the following:Ultimate Sacrifice by Lamar Waldron, Watergate: The Hidden History by Lamar Waldron, and the Road to Dallas by David Kaiser. Only then , can you the reader attempt to form a theory as to who killed JFK and why?terry Jennrich
2 people found this helpful
J R Berrios –
Thought Provoking
Absolute gem of a book for anyone looking for an in-depth analysis on the Kennedy assassination.The book is definitely geared to the advanced historian and not the novice. I don’t think it’s possible for anyone who has formulated their own viewpoint, to read it completely, however, the information contained inside will serve as a reference for years to come.Great Book.
One person found this helpful
anarchteacher –
Essential Reading for Understanding the Nature of the Deep State’s Criminality
Peter Dale Scott’s masterful Deep Politics and the Death of JFK, demonstrates that crime, ruthlessness, assassinations, and corruption are not aberrations or breakdowns of the American State, but absolutely endemic to it. Scott’s follow-up volumes on the criminality of the Deep State are among the most important works published in our lifetimes.
One person found this helpful
Douglas Doepke –
Innovative
It wouldn’t be fair to say that Scott is the first investigator to present a theory of conspiracy theory, but it is tempting. Instead `deep politics’ is presented as a method of investigation, and not as a more complex theory. Still, deep politics is probably the most interesting facet of the book, which consists mostly of facts already made familiar by literature on the crime. Unlike conventional social theory which excludes the role of the irrational in its researches – deep politics allows that criminal elements routinely participate in the actions of government at all levels.These elements – typified in the role of double agent, such as a Ruby or Oswald – exist as much within government as without, and represent a merging of otherwise disparate cultures at a deep level of contact. Therefore, traditional efforts to separate the underworld of crime from the overworld of government, or to render them merely accidental or temporary, are profoundly misleading, even if popularly accepted.Evidence of this deep symbiosis confronts us time and again, as in the case of Watergate, Scott argues. But as a nation, such knowledge is repressed because it’s too threatening to how we picture ourselves and our world. As a people, however, we need to confront this dark truth, not only to advance democracy but our self-understanding as well. Thus the Kennedy assassination with its undeniable ties to the twilight world serves as a national mirror through which we see ourselves only obscurely. True, most Americans reject official versions of the assassination, yet how many would acknowledge the role of deep politics and the symbiosis revealed in the details. Scott’s is a provocative thesis that presses the belief that the interests of government and crime coincide at key points, producing an unholy relationship at the very foundations of the society.Clearly *Deep Politics* with its professorial overtones does not typify the literature devoted to Kennedy and the end of the New Frontier. (What other book, for example, hints at a `deconstruction’ of organized crime, the Mafia, and `shadow government’ – innovations sure to catch the eye of French academic circles.) Though worthy topics in their own right, there is no discussion here of magic bullets, second shooters, or the immediate facts of the killing itself. True to method, Scott concentrates on those deeper interfaces surrounding key players, most obviously Oswald, Ruby, and Hoover, and the indications these might reveal as to the authors of the crime. I think it’s fair to say that the results are rather meager and unsurprising. Still the idea of deep politics (which as a method could be applied to any society) appears solidly grounded in the realities of 20th century America.
30 people found this helpful
Ms.Beyonce –
Peter Dale Scott is the Best
When it comes to the finding & sorting out of the “The Deep Politics” there is not scholar better than Professor Scott. In this great book he goes to the heart of the problem of American politics and finds the real power forces & blocks that dominate the American political scene. The military – industrial complex, such as General Dynamics & Halliburton who made millions from the Vietnam debacle, Iraq, and probably the future raid on Syria are among the real powerhouse of the American political establishmen. Henry Crown of General Dynamics is a key figure in this book, as well as the “Chicago mob.” Lester Crown, son of the late Henry, was a key figure in the election of Barack Obama as U.S. President, who plans(IMO) to launch an attack on Syria, with or without Congressional approval. Read “Captive City” by Demaris, and “Supermob” by Russo for more information on Henry Crown & ‘the Chicago Outfit.” 5 Stars
5 people found this helpful
Lucy Crawford –
Death and Deception
Peter Dale Scott tells us up front that his purpose is not to use the evidence to pinpoint the killer(s) but to illustrate deep politics. He mentions planting of evidence in various ways to paint Lee Harvey Oswald as part of a Communist conspiracy and as a lone-nut. Also discussed is the Oswald as double-agent idea, establishing a record of the mail-order purchases when guns were readily available locally and the difference between Marina Oswald’s testimony and the official record. Scott also mentions the 100 names missing from an index of Jack Ruby’s acquaintances. These names provided a negative template of organized crime and those with corrupt political backgrounds purposely deleted from official records. There are many other examples of suspicious activity cited. Hoover and the FBI figured prominently, though not alone in the fancy footwork and public relations (media) that made this at least temporarily satisfying to everyone that all was well as the killer was identified. Peter Dale Scott’s investigation and writing is thorough, intelligent and thought provoking. By the way, at the time of writing this book, Scott named three senior FBI officials most likely to be Deep Throat and one of them was correct, as we have recently found out.
36 people found this helpful
pulling cheek swirl better shake up –
provocation by patsy agitprop
I bought a 1996 First Paperback Printing with a new preface that mentions names like William Webster of the FBI and CIA admitting dirty realities of organized crime helping police by control of lesser criminals getting in trouble that has been set up. William Webster testified that activities of a top mob boss in the Teamsters had been authorized. Double agents became provocateurs for chaos theory reasoning on Vietnam. Jack Ruby is in the titles of chapters 8, 9, and 10.
One person found this helpful
Theodore M. Herlich –
Awesome research documents the killers’ network
The exhaustive research and documentation by Peter Dale Scott exposes the “network” of personal and institutional relationships which interconnect the CIA, FBI, Department of Defense, Army Intelligence, the Office of Naval Intelligence, foreign leaders and agencies connected to the CIA and multi-national corporations, organized crime, anti-Castro Cuban organizations [Alpha-66, CDC], exteme Right wing groups and their ties to big business. From theses relationships, a web, network or milieu of individuals and institutions is revealed which is cemented by a set of common interests and beliefs: the continuation of the Cold War, the deisre to remove Castro in Cuba, the goal of escalating the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, enlisting the assistance of foreign governments and their agencies in the war against Communism, enlisting the assistance of organized crime and international narcotics trafficers in the war against Communism, U.S. government’s domestic terrorism against dissidents, civil rights activists and anti-Vietnam War protesters. From this web or network of personal and institutional relationships arose the people who committed the assassination of JFK and devised and propagated the “cover story” regarding the lone nut/assassin. These people had common interests, all of which were threatened by the policies and new ideas of the Kennedy administration: a modus vivendi with the Soviet Union, including no further U.S. aggression against Cuba; withdrawal of all U.S. military forces from Vietnam by the end of 1965; crackdown on organized crime and their stranglehold on the American labor unions [prosecution of Jimmy Hoffa, Sam Giancana, Carlos Marcello]; promotion of the civil rights movement; transfer of all covert operations away from the CIA and under the control the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon; winding down of the Cold War in favor of detente with the Soviet Union. The exhaustive research conducted by Mr. Scott reveals the personal and institutional relationships which form the cement of the web or network discussed above. I highly recommend this book for scholars and general readers who wish to augment their knowledge and broaden their perspective on the forces/web/network behind the assassination of JFK.
100 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
Peter Dale Scott knows his deep political History VERY well
At the very real risk of putting a name with this review, I feel so strongly about this book and the ground that it covers that I will try to say something of value regarding what is now considered either ‘crackpot’, ‘paranoia’, or even treasonous. Mr. Scott has written a book of such depth and accuracy that it is hard to follow unless one is prepared by way of knowing something of REAL American history. That is a lot harder than one might think. Mr. Scott proves not only that the Kennedy assassination was a desperate defense of an already badly corrupt system, but goes on to link the players involved in and around it to Watergate, Iran-Contra, and up to the present. He also takes it the other direction – making a great case that the JFK murder had its roots going far, far back. If I had to try to explain in a sentence what I felt the central point would be to take from this book, it would be that the JFK assassination could very well serve as a “Rosetta stone” for deciphering operations involving the U.S. government and its supporting “deep partners” over the course of the entire 20th Century…and now beyond. Not only do the major scandals link, but events like Lockerbie are deeply suspect due to the U.S.’ role in drug trafficing and protection thereof by some in its intelligence agencies. Covering of prior misdeeds and scandals seem to serve as the basis for newly perpetuating ones. Scott makes a clear distinction between “conspiracy theory” and “deep political processes”, and the point is – now more than ever – very well taken. I believe this to be a must-read for anyone who loves what this country could be and is willing to take the time to consider why we should deeply question what we are.
85 people found this helpful
Dennis R Gill –
Interesting and well written book
Research into the Kennedy assasination
Bill –
Do not buy this book. It is poorly researched …
Do not buy this book. It is poorly researched, poorly written, lacks a point of view, and is in denial of generally accepted facts.
4 people found this helpful
Hector Lasala –
This one comes the closest to the dirty, rotten truth…
This is a complex book but it reaps the clearest, most compelling conclusions as to who were responsible for the JFK assasination.Reading the last third of the book is dizzying and alarming. The vertigo effect lingers long after you put it away.
31 people found this helpful
anarchteacher –
Essential Reading for Understanding the Nature of the Deep State’s Criminality
Peter Dale Scott’s masterful Deep Politics and the Death of JFK, demonstrates that crime, ruthlessness, assassinations, and corruption are not aberrations or breakdowns of the American State, but absolutely endemic to it. Scott’s follow-up volumes on the criminality of the Deep State are among the most important works published in our lifetimes.
One person found this helpful
Douglas Doepke –
Innovative
It wouldn’t be fair to say that Scott is the first investigator to present a theory of conspiracy theory, but it is tempting. Instead `deep politics’ is presented as a method of investigation, and not as a more complex theory. Still, deep politics is probably the most interesting facet of the book, which consists mostly of facts already made familiar by literature on the crime. Unlike conventional social theory which excludes the role of the irrational in its researches – deep politics allows that criminal elements routinely participate in the actions of government at all levels.These elements – typified in the role of double agent, such as a Ruby or Oswald – exist as much within government as without, and represent a merging of otherwise disparate cultures at a deep level of contact. Therefore, traditional efforts to separate the underworld of crime from the overworld of government, or to render them merely accidental or temporary, are profoundly misleading, even if popularly accepted.Evidence of this deep symbiosis confronts us time and again, as in the case of Watergate, Scott argues. But as a nation, such knowledge is repressed because it’s too threatening to how we picture ourselves and our world. As a people, however, we need to confront this dark truth, not only to advance democracy but our self-understanding as well. Thus the Kennedy assassination with its undeniable ties to the twilight world serves as a national mirror through which we see ourselves only obscurely. True, most Americans reject official versions of the assassination, yet how many would acknowledge the role of deep politics and the symbiosis revealed in the details. Scott’s is a provocative thesis that presses the belief that the interests of government and crime coincide at key points, producing an unholy relationship at the very foundations of the society.Clearly *Deep Politics* with its professorial overtones does not typify the literature devoted to Kennedy and the end of the New Frontier. (What other book, for example, hints at a `deconstruction’ of organized crime, the Mafia, and `shadow government’ – innovations sure to catch the eye of French academic circles.) Though worthy topics in their own right, there is no discussion here of magic bullets, second shooters, or the immediate facts of the killing itself. True to method, Scott concentrates on those deeper interfaces surrounding key players, most obviously Oswald, Ruby, and Hoover, and the indications these might reveal as to the authors of the crime. I think it’s fair to say that the results are rather meager and unsurprising. Still the idea of deep politics (which as a method could be applied to any society) appears solidly grounded in the realities of 20th century America.
30 people found this helpful
Ms.Beyonce –
Peter Dale Scott is the Best
When it comes to the finding & sorting out of the “The Deep Politics” there is not scholar better than Professor Scott. In this great book he goes to the heart of the problem of American politics and finds the real power forces & blocks that dominate the American political scene. The military – industrial complex, such as General Dynamics & Halliburton who made millions from the Vietnam debacle, Iraq, and probably the future raid on Syria are among the real powerhouse of the American political establishmen. Henry Crown of General Dynamics is a key figure in this book, as well as the “Chicago mob.” Lester Crown, son of the late Henry, was a key figure in the election of Barack Obama as U.S. President, who plans(IMO) to launch an attack on Syria, with or without Congressional approval. Read “Captive City” by Demaris, and “Supermob” by Russo for more information on Henry Crown & ‘the Chicago Outfit.” 5 Stars
5 people found this helpful
Lucy Crawford –
Death and Deception
Peter Dale Scott tells us up front that his purpose is not to use the evidence to pinpoint the killer(s) but to illustrate deep politics. He mentions planting of evidence in various ways to paint Lee Harvey Oswald as part of a Communist conspiracy and as a lone-nut. Also discussed is the Oswald as double-agent idea, establishing a record of the mail-order purchases when guns were readily available locally and the difference between Marina Oswald’s testimony and the official record. Scott also mentions the 100 names missing from an index of Jack Ruby’s acquaintances. These names provided a negative template of organized crime and those with corrupt political backgrounds purposely deleted from official records. There are many other examples of suspicious activity cited. Hoover and the FBI figured prominently, though not alone in the fancy footwork and public relations (media) that made this at least temporarily satisfying to everyone that all was well as the killer was identified. Peter Dale Scott’s investigation and writing is thorough, intelligent and thought provoking. By the way, at the time of writing this book, Scott named three senior FBI officials most likely to be Deep Throat and one of them was correct, as we have recently found out.
36 people found this helpful
pulling cheek swirl better shake up –
provocation by patsy agitprop
I bought a 1996 First Paperback Printing with a new preface that mentions names like William Webster of the FBI and CIA admitting dirty realities of organized crime helping police by control of lesser criminals getting in trouble that has been set up. William Webster testified that activities of a top mob boss in the Teamsters had been authorized. Double agents became provocateurs for chaos theory reasoning on Vietnam. Jack Ruby is in the titles of chapters 8, 9, and 10.
One person found this helpful
Theodore M. Herlich –
Awesome research documents the killers’ network
The exhaustive research and documentation by Peter Dale Scott exposes the “network” of personal and institutional relationships which interconnect the CIA, FBI, Department of Defense, Army Intelligence, the Office of Naval Intelligence, foreign leaders and agencies connected to the CIA and multi-national corporations, organized crime, anti-Castro Cuban organizations [Alpha-66, CDC], exteme Right wing groups and their ties to big business. From theses relationships, a web, network or milieu of individuals and institutions is revealed which is cemented by a set of common interests and beliefs: the continuation of the Cold War, the deisre to remove Castro in Cuba, the goal of escalating the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, enlisting the assistance of foreign governments and their agencies in the war against Communism, enlisting the assistance of organized crime and international narcotics trafficers in the war against Communism, U.S. government’s domestic terrorism against dissidents, civil rights activists and anti-Vietnam War protesters. From this web or network of personal and institutional relationships arose the people who committed the assassination of JFK and devised and propagated the “cover story” regarding the lone nut/assassin. These people had common interests, all of which were threatened by the policies and new ideas of the Kennedy administration: a modus vivendi with the Soviet Union, including no further U.S. aggression against Cuba; withdrawal of all U.S. military forces from Vietnam by the end of 1965; crackdown on organized crime and their stranglehold on the American labor unions [prosecution of Jimmy Hoffa, Sam Giancana, Carlos Marcello]; promotion of the civil rights movement; transfer of all covert operations away from the CIA and under the control the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon; winding down of the Cold War in favor of detente with the Soviet Union. The exhaustive research conducted by Mr. Scott reveals the personal and institutional relationships which form the cement of the web or network discussed above. I highly recommend this book for scholars and general readers who wish to augment their knowledge and broaden their perspective on the forces/web/network behind the assassination of JFK.
100 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
Peter Dale Scott knows his deep political History VERY well
At the very real risk of putting a name with this review, I feel so strongly about this book and the ground that it covers that I will try to say something of value regarding what is now considered either ‘crackpot’, ‘paranoia’, or even treasonous. Mr. Scott has written a book of such depth and accuracy that it is hard to follow unless one is prepared by way of knowing something of REAL American history. That is a lot harder than one might think. Mr. Scott proves not only that the Kennedy assassination was a desperate defense of an already badly corrupt system, but goes on to link the players involved in and around it to Watergate, Iran-Contra, and up to the present. He also takes it the other direction – making a great case that the JFK murder had its roots going far, far back. If I had to try to explain in a sentence what I felt the central point would be to take from this book, it would be that the JFK assassination could very well serve as a “Rosetta stone” for deciphering operations involving the U.S. government and its supporting “deep partners” over the course of the entire 20th Century…and now beyond. Not only do the major scandals link, but events like Lockerbie are deeply suspect due to the U.S.’ role in drug trafficing and protection thereof by some in its intelligence agencies. Covering of prior misdeeds and scandals seem to serve as the basis for newly perpetuating ones. Scott makes a clear distinction between “conspiracy theory” and “deep political processes”, and the point is – now more than ever – very well taken. I believe this to be a must-read for anyone who loves what this country could be and is willing to take the time to consider why we should deeply question what we are.
85 people found this helpful
Dennis R Gill –
Interesting and well written book
Research into the Kennedy assasination
Bill –
Do not buy this book. It is poorly researched …
Do not buy this book. It is poorly researched, poorly written, lacks a point of view, and is in denial of generally accepted facts.
4 people found this helpful
Hector Lasala –
This one comes the closest to the dirty, rotten truth…
This is a complex book but it reaps the clearest, most compelling conclusions as to who were responsible for the JFK assasination.Reading the last third of the book is dizzying and alarming. The vertigo effect lingers long after you put it away.
31 people found this helpful
tom pavlick –
grat service
p-lease allow me to keep this book’ no problem’
Lawrence W. Narachi –
Best researched book on the death of JFK
Still keep rereading some of the chapters, as it is so fact filled that its impossible to digest whole in one reading. Really scary and terrible power structures are brought to light in this treatment of the killing. No ONE person is named but power elites are exposed. Never realized that the HUNT family in Texas were up to such mischief – I thought they were ‘merely’ funding the Campus Crusade for Christ and attempting to corner the silver market in the 80’s…
14 people found this helpful
Michael W. Rickard II –
Disorganized Mess
This book could have been so much better. While I don’t agree with all of Mr. Scott’s views, it’s clear he’s put some time into them. The problem is that the book’s presentation. It is a complete mess and it assumes you know all of the background on the people he discusses. The book is a rambling mess and if it was a college paper, it’d scrape by a passing grade. What a disappointment.
10 people found this helpful
Reader –
Disorganized r
This book was completely disorganized. The author clearly knows his stuff put he fails to give any context to half of the people he mentions in the book. Unless you know every small mobster, CIA, or FBI operative during the fifties and sixties then you will definitely get lost. This book was entirely incoherent and rambled on and on. I would not recommend it to anyone just beginning to read into the Kennedy assassination because the author does not give any external explanation. I regret buying this book and I would advise you against buying.
11 people found this helpful
Wade Tomlin –
Heavy, heavy reading
Note to any casually follower of this genre. Do not buy this book. Deep Politics And The Death Of JFK is a heavy academic read that doesn’t come off the page lightly or with any pace. Each page is filled with meticulous and exact information that grabs you fully. This isn’t a light read with a dramatic storyline, this is a real hard look into the facts surrounding the relationships that dominated politics at this time in U.S. history. While it is an impressive piece of work it is not to be read lightly.
39 people found this helpful
TLR –
Excellent look at the realities of the American system
Scott’s books focus on the “Deep State” and the interrelationship between organized crime, the military and intelligence agencies, elected and unelected officials, and big business/finance. This is a concept most Americans, after a lifetime of brainwashing by the mainstream media, are not familiar with. It’s similar to the concept of “Gladio” in Europe (which is simply part of the larger global network of criminal-government activities). Scott’s books are not light reading, as they are loaded with names of people and groups, and take a big-picture view of international “deep politics.” But they are worth investing the time to read.
5 people found this helpful
Terry Jennrich –
More light on the controversial topic of who Killed JFK and Why?
This book should be read along with the following:Ultimate Sacrifice by Lamar Waldron, Watergate: The Hidden History by Lamar Waldron, and the Road to Dallas by David Kaiser. Only then , can you the reader attempt to form a theory as to who killed JFK and why?terry Jennrich
2 people found this helpful
J R Berrios –
Thought Provoking
Absolute gem of a book for anyone looking for an in-depth analysis on the Kennedy assassination.The book is definitely geared to the advanced historian and not the novice. I don’t think it’s possible for anyone who has formulated their own viewpoint, to read it completely, however, the information contained inside will serve as a reference for years to come.Great Book.
One person found this helpful
Drew Max –
A must read!!!!!
The goal of this book is NOT to discover who assassinated JFK. The purpose of this book is to showcase how the cover up highlights the different interest groups jockeying for power in the early 1960s. Lee Harvey Oswald very clearly was a covert operative working for a myriad of different government agencies. Ruby was the Tony Soprano of Dallas. This books describes why different organizations could not let these two truths be revealed to the American public.
9 people found this helpful
dh –
“The devil’s in the details”
One of the most detailed research I have read about President Kennedy’s murder; especially the links between Alpha 66, US intelligence groups, and extreme, right-wing political opponents of JFK. Professor Scott is definitely one of the top researchers of President John Fitzgerald’s murder and cover-up.
James Mann –
Doesn’t get any better.
In a country such as ours, anyone attempting to voice an opinion that falls outside the mainstream is ridiculed and margainalized until no one takes them seriously. Not so with Professor Scott. Incredibly well researched and documented, he makes a strong case for who actually runs this country, and why.It is books like this that show you why your vote is meaningless, protest is generally futile, and how the US can skip around the world, bringing down governments (and at home) and no one says boo. Frightening book, and required reading for anyone interested in the death of JFK, a landmark event.
58 people found this helpful
The Yuletide Kid –
Whodunit?
Peter Dale Scott is a wonderful man and a fine author. I therefore feel a bit guilty giving this book only three stars. Though Scottreveals many fascinating aspects of the JFK assassination, he does not get at the source or the motives of the crime. As a result,I would suggest one of his later works.
3 people found this helpful
JT –
If you want to know who really makes the decisions, read this.
This book is not about the assassination of JFK. Peter Dale Scott presents the dour political milieu that existed on November 22, 1963. Criminals with resources comparable to the government’s and protection from the highest level officers of the national government conducted egregious criminal activities with impunity. This book concludes with convincing documentary support that the assassination of the President of the United States plotted, supported and carried out by multiple nefarious elements within corrupt government at all levels and private individuals from the overworld and underworld was inevitable. This book lays out the facts. The fact is, drugs, oil, bananas and political ambitions succeeded in eliminating the president of the United States.
11 people found this helpful
Al K. Mickel –
A far saner and wider analysis of JFK’s death
This book and JFK and the Unspeakable by James Douglass are the best written attempts at grasping and expressing the hidden psychosocial forces in modern political economy, as exposed by events such as the assassination of JFK, that I’ve read. They surpass theory systems like Marxism, conservatism, capitalist economics or popular conspiracy theories and manage to convey, at least on an emotional level, how truly disturbing our civilization is. Please buy or at least borrow and read this book.
2 people found this helpful
Kindle Customer –
Brilliant, deep, and unique.
Amazing for BOTH the depth of its theoretical insight and the breadth of its historical knowledge, this is a salient text for understanding American history. There is no one quite like Peter Dale Scott, and his contributions have been far more influential for the dissident community and its political thought than is generally recognized or acknowledged. He coined the term “Deep Politics” and has been a key documentarian of US and international power dynamics–the deeds of corporations, nation states, intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, police forces, and thousands of named individual persons–since the early 1960’s. You will learn much more than the outlines of the President’s murder, as Scott depicts (geo)political reality as a dynamic system that includes ongoing relationships between the legitimate state with its laws and ballots and the “deep state” with its violence and corruption.
12 people found this helpful
V-ROD –
Deep Politics and lots more!
This is the 2nd book I’ve read from Peter Dale Scott. There is no doubt; his books are heavy reading. The detail and meticulous research is amazing. In this book the author lays out the web of inter-connected politics involving narcotics, prostitution, the CIA, the mob, the FBI, Dallas P.D., and government employees; including Congress. After reading this book, I’m beginning to come to the conclusion that the reason the JFK assassination is hard to understand is because of the corruption that exists in this nation. The inner cabal that is intertwined in our financial, political, and military institutions. Those on the outside don’t know about it, but those on the inside do. The question always arises how could something so big be kept a secret? The answer being… All that is needed is key people in high places to dictate what is to be told and what is not to be told. In the case of JFK there were people that came forward with information, but they were either eliminated or discredited.What I didn’t like about this book is I always felt when I was reading that I was in a maze wondering where the path was going to lead me, but only to find myself hitting a wall and then looking back and being unable to see where I had been. The author lays out great information, but for me it was frustrating to try and combine all the facts into a coherent understanding of information I knew prior and the new information noted by the author. My advice to prospective readers…Grab a notebook, sharpen your pencil, put on your seat belt, and hold on tight!
32 people found this helpful
Luc REYNAERT –
Deep investigation.
Peter Dale Scott poses essential questions and his investigations lead to very disturbing answers.He uses the JFK assassination as a paradigm for the revelation and understanding of the real powers in the US.With parallels to 3 other political scandals (MacCarthyism, Watergate, Contragate) he shows that there are deep continuities in the US political system. He arrives at the most alarming conclusion that the US power system is intrinsically vicious, violent and murderous and that conspiracies form an essential part of it.He shows convincingly that the real powers in the US lay in a symbiosis of public government, organized crime and private wealth.Most diabolic are the FBI (lead by the insidious Edgar J. Hoover) and the CIA, which are both responsible for the ruthless destruction of opponents and dissidents without legal or moral restraint.This book gives an appalling picture of the Agency, fighting for the justification of its existence and its resources by prolonging the Cold War. It infiltrated the media in order to preach its Gospel. It used organized crime and drug traffickers as means for its ends.Very revealing also is the fact that 20 percent of the shares of General Dynamics were in the hands of the mob.His final analysis is devastating: ‘how far our office-holders, including our Presidents, have been reduced to the status of clients, dispensable when the more enduring patronage is withdrawn?’ and ‘To what extent has our visible political establishment become one regulated by forces operating outside the constitutional process?’After reading this book, I confess that posing these questions is answering them.A provocative, dark and disturbing book.A must read.
44 people found this helpful
Jeff Marzano –
OK For Experienced JFK Guys
This book attempts to describe the different criminal elements that conspired to assassinate President Kennedy and the relationships between those different individuals and groups.This is a very important subject in relation to the JFK case. I think many people feel the public has never been told the real truth about the JFK assassination but many are not clear about who was really responsible for this murder.Researchers have had over 50 years to unravel this greatest of American mysteries and I think a lot of progress has been made. Speaking in simple terms the forces that conspired to assassinate President Kennedy were composed of a bunch of greedy, lying murderers. The main point of this book is to show how diverse the groups involved in the conspiracy really were and that the activities of these groups were international in scope.For whatever reasons the Kennedy brothers became engaged in a crusade against dark forces which had probably always existed in America but which mutated into something truly diabolical after World War II. These were all individuals who had much to gain if JFK’s presidency was ended and in some cases much to lose if JFK was not killed. They were looking at 4 more years with John Kennedy as president probably followed by 8 years of his brother.The true masterminds of the assassination could only have resided in groups like the CIA and military intelligence as far as having the expertise to do something like that. Then there were people like Lyndon Johnson whose role was to stop all serious investigations after the assassination which he accomplished by setting up the Warren Commission whitewash.The lower level groups such as the Italian mafia and the anti Castro nuts probably provided a buffer to insulate the real masterminds of the assassination in case things went wrong and the cover up could not be maintained. And since the mafia doesn’t do things for free we can only imagine what this criminal empire received as payment for becoming involved with this monumental crime.To me another main point of this book is that level of absolute corruption within the power structures of the United States did not happen overnight. These nefarious relationships between all of the different groups had been entrenched for many years going back at least to World War II.Another interesting point for me is the idea that FBI director J. Edgar Hoover blackmailed JFK to accept Lyndon Johnson as his running mate. Hoover must have had enough movies of JFK in bed with women that he could have produced a full length film.Peter Scott doesn’t totally buy into that idea but he does concede that Anthony Summers heard this from President Kennedy’s personal secretary, the ironically named Evelyn Lincoln. Lincoln said she was present or at least within listening distance when the Kennedy brothers realized they were going to have to accept Johnson due to J. Edgar Hoover’s blackmail.I would not doubt that the theory about Hoover’s blackmail to force them to put Johnson on the ticket is true. And if it is true John Kennedy’s womanizing ultimately cost him his life.Because I don’t think John Kennedy gets killed unless Johnson or someone like him was the Vice President. They could not afford the risks of doing something like that unless they knew they would have the new president in their pocket. And there were very few as corrupt as Lyndon Johnson.Lyndon Johnson had a lot to lose if John Kennedy was not killed. Bobby ‘Lyndon, Jr.’ Baker was already being investigated for many greedy schemes that were going to lead directly to Johnson. If JFK had lived Johnson was going to be sitting right next to his old friend Bobby Baker in the penitentiary.In that sense perhaps Roger Stone is correct and Lyndon Johnson really was ‘the man who killed Kennedy’.This book contains a lot of interesting details but I wouldn’t say all of that information is woven into a coherent narrative perfectly. The book seems to start digressing sometimes where he gets into subjects like international drug trafficking. It’s definitely worth reading but I would not recommend it for someone who is just starting out reading about the JFK case.The first 3 books listed below provide a good overview of the JFK assassination conspiracy theories for new researchers.
Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years
Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy
JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters
A Deeper, Darker Truth
On the Trail of the Assassins: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Murder of President Kennedy
David Ferrie: Mafia Pilot, Participant in Anti-Castro Bioweapon Plot, Friend of Lee Harvey Oswald and Key to the JFK Assassination
JFK: The CIA, Vietnam, and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy
The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ
The Brothers: John Foster Dulles, Allen Dulles, and Their Secret World War
Hit List: An In-Depth Investigation into the Mysterious Deaths of Witnesses to the JFK Assassination29 people found this helpful