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Post-war Period, 1946-Present
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 Customer Reviews
Perlstein Land, 19 Jul 2008
Perlstein is a scion of the 60s. Through reading a lot of newspapers and mining a lot of television, he has constructed an imaginary world called Nixonland. Nixonland, like Hobbitland, exists in the mind of the fabulist. Perlstein has also reconstructed, in this same manner, many of the events of the 50s and 60s in fascinating and often compelling narrative detail. As a popular history of these times, Nixonland is an exciting and sometimes fresh read. As a paradigm for understanding America in the postwar era, the concept of `Nixonland' is extremely limited. The limitations of the concept are readily apparent, for example, in the race narrative that Perlstein grapples with throughout the book.
To conclude, as Perlstein does, that Nixonland `has not ended yet' is true but meaningless. Nixonland does exist, but not in the way Perlstin imagines. It is in fact the place where the 60s go to die. It is the remote magic mountain nursing home for those unable or unwilling to recover from the past, where the patients live in the twilight of a rapidly fading era. Most of the kids today don't visit the nursing home, except occasionally on grandpa's birthday, when he tells them stories of cities burning, John and Yoko in bed for peace, and `radical' philosophy be-ins, but leaves out the part where he took acid and ran half-naked in the streets before becoming a lawyer and moving to the suburbs. Nixonland is the same kind of invented place as John Ford's American West.
Had Nixon never become president, the arc of his career would have still held some interest for historians, but he hardly invented the Orthogonians versus Franklins (Perlstein's rhubric) conflict, a theme that has been salient throughout American history. Nixon was one player in the postwar drama, and a fascinating one, skilled at exploiting social rifts for political gain, but hardly the master metallurgist forging a new social alloy. The subtitle of the book includes the phrase, `the fracturing of America'. It's hard to know what that means, especially after reading the book. Fractures, fissures, social conflict (think FDR and his `moneyed interests'), and violence have marked American life for centuries, driving the social dynamic of the country. Nixon is one variant of the venal, cynical, manipulative, and corrupt American politician. In this he has keen competition, including among those who achieved the presidency.
The book repays reading and one should anticipate with enthusiasm a further instalment where Perlstein will presumably draw out the picture of a fractured America.
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The Dark Side
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Nemesis
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Customer Reviews
Perlstein Land, 19 Jul 2008
Perlstein is a scion of the 60s. Through reading a lot of newspapers and mining a lot of television, he has constructed an imaginary world called Nixonland. Nixonland, like Hobbitland, exists in the mind of the fabulist. Perlstein has also reconstructed, in this same manner, many of the events of the 50s and 60s in fascinating and often compelling narrative detail. As a popular history of these times, Nixonland is an exciting and sometimes fresh read. As a paradigm for understanding America in the postwar era, the concept of `Nixonland' is extremely limited. The limitations of the concept are readily apparent, for example, in the race narrative that Perlstein grapples with throughout the book.
To conclude, as Perlstein does, that Nixonland `has not ended yet' is true but meaningless. Nixonland does exist, but not in the way Perlstin imagines. It is in fact the place where the 60s go to die. It is the remote magic mountain nursing home for those unable or unwilling to recover from the past, where the patients live in the twilight of a rapidly fading era. Most of the kids today don't visit the nursing home, except occasionally on grandpa's birthday, when he tells them stories of cities burning, John and Yoko in bed for peace, and `radical' philosophy be-ins, but leaves out the part where he took acid and ran half-naked in the streets before becoming a lawyer and moving to the suburbs. Nixonland is the same kind of invented place as John Ford's American West.
Had Nixon never become president, the arc of his career would have still held some interest for historians, but he hardly invented the Orthogonians versus Franklins (Perlstein's rhubric) conflict, a theme that has been salient throughout American history. Nixon was one player in the postwar drama, and a fascinating one, skilled at exploiting social rifts for political gain, but hardly the master metallurgist forging a new social alloy. The subtitle of the book includes the phrase, `the fracturing of America'. It's hard to know what that means, especially after reading the book. Fractures, fissures, social conflict (think FDR and his `moneyed interests'), and violence have marked American life for centuries, driving the social dynamic of the country. Nixon is one variant of the venal, cynical, manipulative, and corrupt American politician. In this he has keen competition, including among those who achieved the presidency.
The book repays reading and one should anticipate with enthusiasm a further instalment where Perlstein will presumably draw out the picture of a fractured America.
A cracking read and terrific investigative journalism, 03 Jul 2007
I disagree completely with the long winded 1 star review. the 'reviewer' is missing the point. This is a terrific read and an insight into the character of one of the most charasmatic, interesting and colourful figures of the 20th century. The author interviewed people WHO WERE THERE!!
You will find 'Ari' available somewhere but I would recommend this book as one of the definitive books on Onassis.
I salute you Mr Evans ONASSIS DID NOT MURDER RFK, 12 Jul 2006
The most sensational claim Evans makes is that Aristotle Onassis indirectly paid for RFK's murder.His 'proof' is shockingly inadequate.
Central to Evans's thesis are entries in Sirhan's notebooks which purportedly connected Aristotle Onassis to the assassin. Evans alleges Sirhan's notebooks make reference to Alexander Onassis's girlfriend Fiona, whom his father detested, and Stavros Niarchos, his shipping rival, whom he also hated.
However, Evans's juxtaposition of names to prove Sirhan wrote about killing Onassis's enemies is misleading. Sirhan had placed the name FIONA in a list of racehorse names - Fiona, Jet-Spec, Kings Abbey and Prince Khaled. The Arabic script consists of one sentence "He should be killed" (not "They should be killed" as Evans alleges) and does not refer to either Niarkos or Fiona.
The diary entry "Niarkos" remains unexplained, as do many other entries in Sirhan's notebooks, but there is no indication it refers to anyone on a Sirhan 'Death List'. The words in Sirhan's notebooks were the result of simple stream-of-consciousness ramblings he learned from Rosicrucian literature as ways to improve his life. The notebooks are filled with names of people Sirhan knew - Bert Altfillisch, Peggy Osterkamp and Gwen Gum for example, and people he didn't know like Garner Ted Armstrong. The entries which refer to $100,000 were simply Sirhan's obsessions about wealth and appear a number of times in the notebooks.
Also central to Evans's thesis was the implication that Sirhan had spent a three month period before the assassination being trained by terrorists or undergoing hypnotic indoctrination. Evans was wrong in stating Sirhan's movements were unaccounted for, or "a blanket of white fog" as he put it. Sirhan's movements in the months prior to the assassination leave no unaccountable period when the assassin could have spent a considerable amount of time being "hypnotically indoctrinated." In the year preceding the assassination Sirhan was seen frequently in the Hi-Life bar in Pasadena by waitress Marilyn Hunt.He was also seen in Shap's Bar during this period. In July 1967 Sirhan filed a disability complaint for workmen's compensation. Between July and September 1967 Sirhan's mother and brother Munir said Sirhan went often to the Pasadena library.Library records confirm he borrowed books during the so-called 'white fog' period. Sirhan's mother said her son `..stayed at home for over a year (sic) with no job'(October 1966 to September 1967). Sirhan, by his mother's account, often drove her to work during the time he was unemployed. On 9th September 1967 Sirhan began work at John Weidner's health food store.Weidner reported no long periods of absence up to the time Sirhan left his employ in March 1968. So how did Sirhan `emerge(ed) from this `white fog' in March 1968, (and) joined the (Rosicrucians)' as Evans states? (Author's note: Sirhan actually joined the Rosicrucians in June 1966.) And, as I point out in my review of Evans' book in Crime Magazine, (http://crimemagazine.com/05/robertkennedy,0508-5.htm ), Sirhan's movements in the three month period before the assassination leave no time unaccounted for.
Dominick Dunne is wrong - this book will not change history.
The Powerful in the 60's, 12 Dec 2004
As I was born in the seventies this book was an excellent introduction to the remarkable world of the rich and famous during the sixties. The main body of the book describes the entaglement between the Onassis and Kennedy clans. Each key player is well introduced and Evans makes it easy to see the motives that drive these people. Throughout you will find yourself asking 'Does this kind of thing happen nowadays?'. As you would expect the last few chapters of the book describe the demise of Onassis. This part of the book I found very powerful as it really helps to open up Onassis' character. Overall, highly recommended.
A great read!, 11 Aug 2004
A great read that takes you to the very centre of the lives of the rich and famous. Couldn't put it down.
Nemesis - The True Story, 21 Jul 2004
Great read! I read Peters Evans' biography of Onassis (Ari)a couple of years ago and this book really adds to the story. I strongly recommend it.
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Customer Reviews
Perlstein Land, 19 Jul 2008
Perlstein is a scion of the 60s. Through reading a lot of newspapers and mining a lot of television, he has constructed an imaginary world called Nixonland. Nixonland, like Hobbitland, exists in the mind of the fabulist. Perlstein has also reconstructed, in this same manner, many of the events of the 50s and 60s in fascinating and often compelling narrative detail. As a popular history of these times, Nixonland is an exciting and sometimes fresh read. As a paradigm for understanding America in the postwar era, the concept of `Nixonland' is extremely limited. The limitations of the concept are readily apparent, for example, in the race narrative that Perlstein grapples with throughout the book.
To conclude, as Perlstein does, that Nixonland `has not ended yet' is true but meaningless. Nixonland does exist, but not in the way Perlstin imagines. It is in fact the place where the 60s go to die. It is the remote magic mountain nursing home for those unable or unwilling to recover from the past, where the patients live in the twilight of a rapidly fading era. Most of the kids today don't visit the nursing home, except occasionally on grandpa's birthday, when he tells them stories of cities burning, John and Yoko in bed for peace, and `radical' philosophy be-ins, but leaves out the part where he took acid and ran half-naked in the streets before becoming a lawyer and moving to the suburbs. Nixonland is the same kind of invented place as John Ford's American West.
Had Nixon never become president, the arc of his career would have still held some interest for historians, but he hardly invented the Orthogonians versus Franklins (Perlstein's rhubric) conflict, a theme that has been salient throughout American history. Nixon was one player in the postwar drama, and a fascinating one, skilled at exploiting social rifts for political gain, but hardly the master metallurgist forging a new social alloy. The subtitle of the book includes the phrase, `the fracturing of America'. It's hard to know what that means, especially after reading the book. Fractures, fissures, social conflict (think FDR and his `moneyed interests'), and violence have marked American life for centuries, driving the social dynamic of the country. Nixon is one variant of the venal, cynical, manipulative, and corrupt American politician. In this he has keen competition, including among those who achieved the presidency.
The book repays reading and one should anticipate with enthusiasm a further instalment where Perlstein will presumably draw out the picture of a fractured America.
A cracking read and terrific investigative journalism, 03 Jul 2007
I disagree completely with the long winded 1 star review. the 'reviewer' is missing the point. This is a terrific read and an insight into the character of one of the most charasmatic, interesting and colourful figures of the 20th century. The author interviewed people WHO WERE THERE!!
You will find 'Ari' available somewhere but I would recommend this book as one of the definitive books on Onassis.
I salute you Mr Evans ONASSIS DID NOT MURDER RFK, 12 Jul 2006
The most sensational claim Evans makes is that Aristotle Onassis indirectly paid for RFK's murder.His 'proof' is shockingly inadequate.
Central to Evans's thesis are entries in Sirhan's notebooks which purportedly connected Aristotle Onassis to the assassin. Evans alleges Sirhan's notebooks make reference to Alexander Onassis's girlfriend Fiona, whom his father detested, and Stavros Niarchos, his shipping rival, whom he also hated.
However, Evans's juxtaposition of names to prove Sirhan wrote about killing Onassis's enemies is misleading. Sirhan had placed the name FIONA in a list of racehorse names - Fiona, Jet-Spec, Kings Abbey and Prince Khaled. The Arabic script consists of one sentence "He should be killed" (not "They should be killed" as Evans alleges) and does not refer to either Niarkos or Fiona.
The diary entry "Niarkos" remains unexplained, as do many other entries in Sirhan's notebooks, but there is no indication it refers to anyone on a Sirhan 'Death List'. The words in Sirhan's notebooks were the result of simple stream-of-consciousness ramblings he learned from Rosicrucian literature as ways to improve his life. The notebooks are filled with names of people Sirhan knew - Bert Altfillisch, Peggy Osterkamp and Gwen Gum for example, and people he didn't know like Garner Ted Armstrong. The entries which refer to $100,000 were simply Sirhan's obsessions about wealth and appear a number of times in the notebooks.
Also central to Evans's thesis was the implication that Sirhan had spent a three month period before the assassination being trained by terrorists or undergoing hypnotic indoctrination. Evans was wrong in stating Sirhan's movements were unaccounted for, or "a blanket of white fog" as he put it. Sirhan's movements in the months prior to the assassination leave no unaccountable period when the assassin could have spent a considerable amount of time being "hypnotically indoctrinated." In the year preceding the assassination Sirhan was seen frequently in the Hi-Life bar in Pasadena by waitress Marilyn Hunt.He was also seen in Shap's Bar during this period. In July 1967 Sirhan filed a disability complaint for workmen's compensation. Between July and September 1967 Sirhan's mother and brother Munir said Sirhan went often to the Pasadena library.Library records confirm he borrowed books during the so-called 'white fog' period. Sirhan's mother said her son `..stayed at home for over a year (sic) with no job'(October 1966 to September 1967). Sirhan, by his mother's account, often drove her to work during the time he was unemployed. On 9th September 1967 Sirhan began work at John Weidner's health food store.Weidner reported no long periods of absence up to the time Sirhan left his employ in March 1968. So how did Sirhan `emerge(ed) from this `white fog' in March 1968, (and) joined the (Rosicrucians)' as Evans states? (Author's note: Sirhan actually joined the Rosicrucians in June 1966.) And, as I point out in my review of Evans' book in Crime Magazine, (http://crimemagazine.com/05/robertkennedy,0508-5.htm ), Sirhan's movements in the three month period before the assassination leave no time unaccounted for.
Dominick Dunne is wrong - this book will not change history.
The Powerful in the 60's, 12 Dec 2004
As I was born in the seventies this book was an excellent introduction to the remarkable world of the rich and famous during the sixties. The main body of the book describes the entaglement between the Onassis and Kennedy clans. Each key player is well introduced and Evans makes it easy to see the motives that drive these people. Throughout you will find yourself asking 'Does this kind of thing happen nowadays?'. As you would expect the last few chapters of the book describe the demise of Onassis. This part of the book I found very powerful as it really helps to open up Onassis' character. Overall, highly recommended.
A great read!, 11 Aug 2004
A great read that takes you to the very centre of the lives of the rich and famous. Couldn't put it down.
Nemesis - The True Story, 21 Jul 2004
Great read! I read Peters Evans' biography of Onassis (Ari)a couple of years ago and this book really adds to the story. I strongly recommend it.
Wonderful insight - what would you have done?, 20 Mar 2007
This is fantastic. Includes transcripts of key meetings where top US policy makers and the military discuss the evolving situation in Cuba. Each chapter begins with a summary description of information that puts the deliberations into context or otherwise refers to the outcomes of meetings, world events etc that do not form part of the transcripts. This makes for a wonderful history of the crisis and provides much more than the transcripts alone.
That said, it is the opportunity to read exactly what was said and by whom that makes this book unique and truly fascinating. While reading it, I constantly tried to forget that I knew the outcome and to put myself in Kennedy's position, weighing up the often conflicting advice he was receiving.
Anyone wishing to learn about the history of the missile crisis or gain a detailed insight into top echelon decision making on national security in the US must read this brilliant book.
Put yourself in his shoes, 29 Dec 2004
Make no mistake, this is required reading for anybody who wishes to understand executive decision making and the art of effective delegation. Moreover, for a detailed chronology of the highest level of politicking during the Cuban Missile Crisis, you need to read this book. If you do, I would strongly advise that you then watch Thirteen Days, Roger Donaldson's first rate dramatisation of these transcripts. The caveat is that these are transcripts and, as such, incredibly hard to follow. You're reading another man's thoughts as he expresses them. You're reading a decision making process. Frequently Kennedy states that he is simply thinking aloud. This is not an easy read. For all that, any supplementary reading will have given you insight into the characters that dealt with this dangerous situation and you will see their positions and influences relative to and on the president writ large in the dialogue. These transcipts are compelling and important documents. They should not form the beginnings of an understanding of the CMC but they are an invaluable supplement and an excellent piece of work.
Behind closed doors ..., 23 Nov 2004
Have you ever wondered what is being said behind closed doors, in those places where important decisions are made?. If you have, Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow allow you to learn just that, at least regarding the conversations that took place in the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This book contains the transcriptions of those discussions, and many notes that contribute to clarify certain details that the reader might well not be aware of. The editors of "The Kennedy tapes" are able to offer us this unexpected treat thanks to the fact that an audio tape recorded the conversations of the committee that was formed to deal with the crisis. It is generally thought that only President Kennedy and his secretary knew that their words were being recorded, and we can easily believe that when we realize that the different functionaries said exactly what they thought, without wasting time in order to formulate their ideas in a politically correct way :) It is almost scary to know how little did the persons involved in the decision making process know about what was really happening at that time, and about how would the URSS react to their optional courses of action. But then, I guess that complete information is never available, and less during a crisis of that magnitude... However, after reading these pages, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if, for example, USA had launched a preventive attack on Cuba. The answers to that question are many, and none of them is good. I suppose we should be grateful to President Kennedy and his advisors, for somehow arriving to a course of action that avoided the real possibility of a nuclear war. I think it is worthwhile to point out that the editors of this book wrote not only an interesting introduction, but also an excellent conclusion to this book. The introduction explains very well the Cold War context in which this crisis developed, and how recent and ongoing events affected the perspective of the decision makers. On the other hand, the conclusion sums up what happened, taking into account "the other side" (URSS), and the peculiarities of the decision-making process in Soviet Russia. The editors also include their own considerations, all of which I consider worthwhile remembering. For example, when they reflect on the kind of lesson they think this book can teach to the reader, they say that "Someone who wants to learn all that can be learned from this extraordinary record of decision-making needs not only to notice how the process stutters and veers amid barrages of detail but also to infer how individuals of different backgrounds and temperaments are sorting the detail, discerning choices, and electing among those choices (...)". "The Kennedy tapes" is a rather impressive book due to the fact that it is quite long. However, it is also very helpful if you want to know more about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the kind of environment that surrounds difficult decisions in the higher levels of authority. It is certainly more comfortable to believe that those decisions are at all times informed and rational, but unfortunately (as this book shows) that not always happens. May and Zelikow say that "Reconstruction that oversimplifies or ignores the incessant tension between realities and beliefs makes us no wiser. By coming fully to grips with the particulars of past moments of choice, we may become better able to handle our own". We can only hope that is the case... On the whole, I think you will benefit a lot from reading this book. It allows you the opportunity to really "listen" to what happened in the discussions surrounding the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, without intermediaries. Take advantage of the privilege of listening to what happens behind closed doors!.
A wonderful insight into the heart of the crisis, 28 Oct 1998
After all those years of looking at photos taken around the time of the Cuban miissile crisis of Kennedy and his advisors, deep in conversation, it's great to finally find out what they were talking about. What comes across is the perception and early understanding of the position they faced and their clear sighted thinking as they sought to come to grips with it. I was interested how the idea of the quarantine developed from almost an aside into the first line of policy. What is impressive throughout is how President Kennedy himself was able to ask probing questions, guide discussion and appear to be the only one to have a thorough understanding of all the influences and pressures. He was particularly strong in resisting hasty pressures to invade, a decision for which we can all be thankful now.
A book for future presidents to learn from., 31 Mar 1998
Reading these transcripts place you in a chair at the table in the Cabinet Room in 1962. What is history now is a current event then. Pearl Harbor and Berlin. The Cold War at it's peak. The world's worst potentially deadly crisis is being debated right before your eyes. Many options are available, and each could lead to global nuclear war. Immediate strike with no warning. Strike with warning. Blockade and no strike. All options are considered an act of war. This book allows you to see a president in office who listens to and learns from advisors, sifts through evidence, and makes decisions as best any man can. Definitely a book that future presidents can and should learn from. It taught me that my vote for president is the most important thing that I do in my life.
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Customer Reviews
Perlstein Land, 19 Jul 2008
Perlstein is a scion of the 60s. Through reading a lot of newspapers and mining a lot of television, he has constructed an imaginary world called Nixonland. Nixonland, like Hobbitland, exists in the mind of the fabulist. Perlstein has also reconstructed, in this same manner, many of the events of the 50s and 60s in fascinating and often compelling narrative detail. As a popular history of these times, Nixonland is an exciting and sometimes fresh read. As a paradigm for understanding America in the postwar era, the concept of `Nixonland' is extremely limited. The limitations of the concept are readily apparent, for example, in the race narrative that Perlstein grapples with throughout the book.
To conclude, as Perlstein does, that Nixonland `has not ended yet' is true but meaningless. Nixonland does exist, but not in the way Perlstin imagines. It is in fact the place where the 60s go to die. It is the remote magic mountain nursing home for those unable or unwilling to recover from the past, where the patients live in the twilight of a rapidly fading era. Most of the kids today don't visit the nursing home, except occasionally on grandpa's birthday, when he tells them stories of cities burning, John and Yoko in bed for peace, and `radical' philosophy be-ins, but leaves out the part where he took acid and ran half-naked in the streets before becoming a lawyer and moving to the suburbs. Nixonland is the same kind of invented place as John Ford's American West.
Had Nixon never become president, the arc of his career would have still held some interest for historians, but he hardly invented the Orthogonians versus Franklins (Perlstein's rhubric) conflict, a theme that has been salient throughout American history. Nixon was one player in the postwar drama, and a fascinating one, skilled at exploiting social rifts for political gain, but hardly the master metallurgist forging a new social alloy. The subtitle of the book includes the phrase, `the fracturing of America'. It's hard to know what that means, especially after reading the book. Fractures, fissures, social conflict (think FDR and his `moneyed interests'), and violence have marked American life for centuries, driving the social dynamic of the country. Nixon is one variant of the venal, cynical, manipulative, and corrupt American politician. In this he has keen competition, including among those who achieved the presidency.
The book repays reading and one should anticipate with enthusiasm a further instalment where Perlstein will presumably draw out the picture of a fractured America.
A cracking read and terrific investigative journalism, 03 Jul 2007
I disagree completely with the long winded 1 star review. the 'reviewer' is missing the point. This is a terrific read and an insight into the character of one of the most charasmatic, interesting and colourful figures of the 20th century. The author interviewed people WHO WERE THERE!!
You will find 'Ari' available somewhere but I would recommend this book as one of the definitive books on Onassis.
I salute you Mr Evans ONASSIS DID NOT MURDER RFK, 12 Jul 2006
The most sensational claim Evans makes is that Aristotle Onassis indirectly paid for RFK's murder.His 'proof' is shockingly inadequate.
Central to Evans's thesis are entries in Sirhan's notebooks which purportedly connected Aristotle Onassis to the assassin. Evans alleges Sirhan's notebooks make reference to Alexander Onassis's girlfriend Fiona, whom his father detested, and Stavros Niarchos, his shipping rival, whom he also hated.
However, Evans's juxtaposition of names to prove Sirhan wrote about killing Onassis's enemies is misleading. Sirhan had placed the name FIONA in a list of racehorse names - Fiona, Jet-Spec, Kings Abbey and Prince Khaled. The Arabic script consists of one sentence "He should be killed" (not "They should be killed" as Evans alleges) and does not refer to either Niarkos or Fiona.
The diary entry "Niarkos" remains unexplained, as do many other entries in Sirhan's notebooks, but there is no indication it refers to anyone on a Sirhan 'Death List'. The words in Sirhan's notebooks were the result of simple stream-of-consciousness ramblings he learned from Rosicrucian literature as ways to improve his life. The notebooks are filled with names of people Sirhan knew - Bert Altfillisch, Peggy Osterkamp and Gwen Gum for example, and people he didn't know like Garner Ted Armstrong. The entries which refer to $100,000 were simply Sirhan's obsessions about wealth and appear a number of times in the notebooks.
Also central to Evans's thesis was the implication that Sirhan had spent a three month period before the assassination being trained by terrorists or undergoing hypnotic indoctrination. Evans was wrong in stating Sirhan's movements were unaccounted for, or "a blanket of white fog" as he put it. Sirhan's movements in the months prior to the assassination leave no unaccountable period when the assassin could have spent a considerable amount of time being "hypnotically indoctrinated." In the year preceding the assassination Sirhan was seen frequently in the Hi-Life bar in Pasadena by waitress Marilyn Hunt.He was also seen in Shap's Bar during this period. In July 1967 Sirhan filed a disability complaint for workmen's compensation. Between July and September 1967 Sirhan's mother and brother Munir said Sirhan went often to the Pasadena library.Library records confirm he borrowed books during the so-called 'white fog' period. Sirhan's mother said her son `..stayed at home for over a year (sic) with no job'(October 1966 to September 1967). Sirhan, by his mother's account, often drove her to work during the time he was unemployed. On 9th September 1967 Sirhan began work at John Weidner's health food store.Weidner reported no long periods of absence up to the time Sirhan left his employ in March 1968. So how did Sirhan `emerge(ed) from this `white fog' in March 1968, (and) joined the (Rosicrucians)' as Evans states? (Author's note: Sirhan actually joined the Rosicrucians in June 1966.) And, as I point out in my review of Evans' book in Crime Magazine, (http://crimemagazine.com/05/robertkennedy,0508-5.htm ), Sirhan's movements in the three month period before the assassination leave no time unaccounted for.
Dominick Dunne is wrong - this book will not change history.
The Powerful in the 60's, 12 Dec 2004
As I was born in the seventies this book was an excellent introduction to the remarkable world of the rich and famous during the sixties. The main body of the book describes the entaglement between the Onassis and Kennedy clans. Each key player is well introduced and Evans makes it easy to see the motives that drive these people. Throughout you will find yourself asking 'Does this kind of thing happen nowadays?'. As you would expect the last few chapters of the book describe the demise of Onassis. This part of the book I found very powerful as it really helps to open up Onassis' character. Overall, highly recommended.
A great read!, 11 Aug 2004
A great read that takes you to the very centre of the lives of the rich and famous. Couldn't put it down.
Nemesis - The True Story, 21 Jul 2004
Great read! I read Peters Evans' biography of Onassis (Ari)a couple of years ago and this book really adds to the story. I strongly recommend it.
Wonderful insight - what would you have done?, 20 Mar 2007
This is fantastic. Includes transcripts of key meetings where top US policy makers and the military discuss the evolving situation in Cuba. Each chapter begins with a summary description of information that puts the deliberations into context or otherwise refers to the outcomes of meetings, world events etc that do not form part of the transcripts. This makes for a wonderful history of the crisis and provides much more than the transcripts alone.
That said, it is the opportunity to read exactly what was said and by whom that makes this book unique and truly fascinating. While reading it, I constantly tried to forget that I knew the outcome and to put myself in Kennedy's position, weighing up the often conflicting advice he was receiving.
Anyone wishing to learn about the history of the missile crisis or gain a detailed insight into top echelon decision making on national security in the US must read this brilliant book.
Put yourself in his shoes, 29 Dec 2004
Make no mistake, this is required reading for anybody who wishes to understand executive decision making and the art of effective delegation. Moreover, for a detailed chronology of the highest level of politicking during the Cuban Missile Crisis, you need to read this book. If you do, I would strongly advise that you then watch Thirteen Days, Roger Donaldson's first rate dramatisation of these transcripts. The caveat is that these are transcripts and, as such, incredibly hard to follow. You're reading another man's thoughts as he expresses them. You're reading a decision making process. Frequently Kennedy states that he is simply thinking aloud. This is not an easy read. For all that, any supplementary reading will have given you insight into the characters that dealt with this dangerous situation and you will see their positions and influences relative to and on the president writ large in the dialogue. These transcipts are compelling and important documents. They should not form the beginnings of an understanding of the CMC but they are an invaluable supplement and an excellent piece of work.
Behind closed doors ..., 23 Nov 2004
Have you ever wondered what is being said behind closed doors, in those places where important decisions are made?. If you have, Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow allow you to learn just that, at least regarding the conversations that took place in the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This book contains the transcriptions of those discussions, and many notes that contribute to clarify certain details that the reader might well not be aware of. The editors of "The Kennedy tapes" are able to offer us this unexpected treat thanks to the fact that an audio tape recorded the conversations of the committee that was formed to deal with the crisis. It is generally thought that only President Kennedy and his secretary knew that their words were being recorded, and we can easily believe that when we realize that the different functionaries said exactly what they thought, without wasting time in order to formulate their ideas in a politically correct way :) It is almost scary to know how little did the persons involved in the decision making process know about what was really happening at that time, and about how would the URSS react to their optional courses of action. But then, I guess that complete information is never available, and less during a crisis of that magnitude... However, after reading these pages, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if, for example, USA had launched a preventive attack on Cuba. The answers to that question are many, and none of them is good. I suppose we should be grateful to President Kennedy and his advisors, for somehow arriving to a course of action that avoided the real possibility of a nuclear war. I think it is worthwhile to point out that the editors of this book wrote not only an interesting introduction, but also an excellent conclusion to this book. The introduction explains very well the Cold War context in which this crisis developed, and how recent and ongoing events affected the perspective of the decision makers. On the other hand, the conclusion sums up what happened, taking into account "the other side" (URSS), and the peculiarities of the decision-making process in Soviet Russia. The editors also include their own considerations, all of which I consider worthwhile remembering. For example, when they reflect on the kind of lesson they think this book can teach to the reader, they say that "Someone who wants to learn all that can be learned from this extraordinary record of decision-making needs not only to notice how the process stutters and veers amid barrages of detail but also to infer how individuals of different backgrounds and temperaments are sorting the detail, discerning choices, and electing among those choices (...)". "The Kennedy tapes" is a rather impressive book due to the fact that it is quite long. However, it is also very helpful if you want to know more about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the kind of environment that surrounds difficult decisions in the higher levels of authority. It is certainly more comfortable to believe that those decisions are at all times informed and rational, but unfortunately (as this book shows) that not always happens. May and Zelikow say that "Reconstruction that oversimplifies or ignores the incessant tension between realities and beliefs makes us no wiser. By coming fully to grips with the particulars of past moments of choice, we may become better able to handle our own". We can only hope that is the case... On the whole, I think you will benefit a lot from reading this book. It allows you the opportunity to really "listen" to what happened in the discussions surrounding the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, without intermediaries. Take advantage of the privilege of listening to what happens behind closed doors!.
A wonderful insight into the heart of the crisis, 28 Oct 1998
After all those years of looking at photos taken around the time of the Cuban miissile crisis of Kennedy and his advisors, deep in conversation, it's great to finally find out what they were talking about. What comes across is the perception and early understanding of the position they faced and their clear sighted thinking as they sought to come to grips with it. I was interested how the idea of the quarantine developed from almost an aside into the first line of policy. What is impressive throughout is how President Kennedy himself was able to ask probing questions, guide discussion and appear to be the only one to have a thorough understanding of all the influences and pressures. He was particularly strong in resisting hasty pressures to invade, a decision for which we can all be thankful now.
A book for future presidents to learn from., 31 Mar 1998
Reading these transcripts place you in a chair at the table in the Cabinet Room in 1962. What is history now is a current event then. Pearl Harbor and Berlin. The Cold War at it's peak. The world's worst potentially deadly crisis is being debated right before your eyes. Many options are available, and each could lead to global nuclear war. Immediate strike with no warning. Strike with warning. Blockade and no strike. All options are considered an act of war. This book allows you to see a president in office who listens to and learns from advisors, sifts through evidence, and makes decisions as best any man can. Definitely a book that future presidents can and should learn from. It taught me that my vote for president is the most important thing that I do in my life.
'A' - level American History Lifesaver!, 08 Mar 2000
Our US history A level class at school has found it increasingly difficult to find textbooks that don't just ramble on and on and give a load of jumbled information in what, to us, seems like old fashioned writing by old fashioned historians. I bought Grand Expectations after seeing that the teacher seemed to use it again and again in the lesson and it was definitely a good move. Finally, I had found a book that was easy to understand and gave me all the facts that I needed without overcrowding my brain with useless information. So far, it has been a lifesaver and several others in the class have also purchased copies too. I highly recommend this for all struggling American history A Level students and even for all those who aren't struggling because it's well worth having.
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Customer Reviews
Perlstein Land, 19 Jul 2008
Perlstein is a scion of the 60s. Through reading a lot of newspapers and mining a lot of television, he has constructed an imaginary world called Nixonland. Nixonland, like Hobbitland, exists in the mind of the fabulist. Perlstein has also reconstructed, in this same manner, many of the events of the 50s and 60s in fascinating and often compelling narrative detail. As a popular history of these times, Nixonland is an exciting and sometimes fresh read. As a paradigm for understanding America in the postwar era, the concept of `Nixonland' is extremely limited. The limitations of the concept are readily apparent, for example, in the race narrative that Perlstein grapples with throughout the book.
To conclude, as Perlstein does, that Nixonland `has not ended yet' is true but meaningless. Nixonland does exist, but not in the way Perlstin imagines. It is in fact the place where the 60s go to die. It is the remote magic mountain nursing home for those unable or unwilling to recover from the past, where the patients live in the twilight of a rapidly fading era. Most of the kids today don't visit the nursing home, except occasionally on grandpa's birthday, when he tells them stories of cities burning, John and Yoko in bed for peace, and `radical' philosophy be-ins, but leaves out the part where he took acid and ran half-naked in the streets before becoming a lawyer and moving to the suburbs. Nixonland is the same kind of invented place as John Ford's American West.
Had Nixon never become president, the arc of his career would have still held some interest for historians, but he hardly invented the Orthogonians versus Franklins (Perlstein's rhubric) conflict, a theme that has been salient throughout American history. Nixon was one player in the postwar drama, and a fascinating one, skilled at exploiting social rifts for political gain, but hardly the master metallurgist forging a new social alloy. The subtitle of the book includes the phrase, `the fracturing of America'. It's hard to know what that means, especially after reading the book. Fractures, fissures, social conflict (think FDR and his `moneyed interests'), and violence have marked American life for centuries, driving the social dynamic of the country. Nixon is one variant of the venal, cynical, manipulative, and corrupt American politician. In this he has keen competition, including among those who achieved the presidency.
The book repays reading and one should anticipate with enthusiasm a further instalment where Perlstein will presumably draw out the picture of a fractured America.
A cracking read and terrific investigative journalism, 03 Jul 2007
I disagree completely with the long winded 1 star review. the 'reviewer' is missing the point. This is a terrific read and an insight into the character of one of the most charasmatic, interesting and colourful figures of the 20th century. The author interviewed people WHO WERE THERE!!
You will find 'Ari' available somewhere but I would recommend this book as one of the definitive books on Onassis.
I salute you Mr Evans ONASSIS DID NOT MURDER RFK, 12 Jul 2006
The most sensational claim Evans makes is that Aristotle Onassis indirectly paid for RFK's murder.His 'proof' is shockingly inadequate.
Central to Evans's thesis are entries in Sirhan's notebooks which purportedly connected Aristotle Onassis to the assassin. Evans alleges Sirhan's notebooks make reference to Alexander Onassis's girlfriend Fiona, whom his father detested, and Stavros Niarchos, his shipping rival, whom he also hated.
However, Evans's juxtaposition of names to prove Sirhan wrote about killing Onassis's enemies is misleading. Sirhan had placed the name FIONA in a list of racehorse names - Fiona, Jet-Spec, Kings Abbey and Prince Khaled. The Arabic script consists of one sentence "He should be killed" (not "They should be killed" as Evans alleges) and does not refer to either Niarkos or Fiona.
The diary entry "Niarkos" remains unexplained, as do many other entries in Sirhan's notebooks, but there is no indication it refers to anyone on a Sirhan 'Death List'. The words in Sirhan's notebooks were the result of simple stream-of-consciousness ramblings he learned from Rosicrucian literature as ways to improve his life. The notebooks are filled with names of people Sirhan knew - Bert Altfillisch, Peggy Osterkamp and Gwen Gum for example, and people he didn't know like Garner Ted Armstrong. The entries which refer to $100,000 were simply Sirhan's obsessions about wealth and appear a number of times in the notebooks.
Also central to Evans's thesis was the implication that Sirhan had spent a three month period before the assassination being trained by terrorists or undergoing hypnotic indoctrination. Evans was wrong in stating Sirhan's movements were unaccounted for, or "a blanket of white fog" as he put it. Sirhan's movements in the months prior to the assassination leave no unaccountable period when the assassin could have spent a considerable amount of time being "hypnotically indoctrinated." In the year preceding the assassination Sirhan was seen frequently in the Hi-Life bar in Pasadena by waitress Marilyn Hunt.He was also seen in Shap's Bar during this period. In July 1967 Sirhan filed a disability complaint for workmen's compensation. Between July and September 1967 Sirhan's mother and brother Munir said Sirhan went often to the Pasadena library.Library records confirm he borrowed books during the so-called 'white fog' period. Sirhan's mother said her son `..stayed at home for over a year (sic) with no job'(October 1966 to September 1967). Sirhan, by his mother's account, often drove her to work during the time he was unemployed. On 9th September 1967 Sirhan began work at John Weidner's health food store.Weidner reported no long periods of absence up to the time Sirhan left his employ in March 1968. So how did Sirhan `emerge(ed) from this `white fog' in March 1968, (and) joined the (Rosicrucians)' as Evans states? (Author's note: Sirhan actually joined the Rosicrucians in June 1966.) And, as I point out in my review of Evans' book in Crime Magazine, (http://crimemagazine.com/05/robertkennedy,0508-5.htm ), Sirhan's movements in the three month period before the assassination leave no time unaccounted for.
Dominick Dunne is wrong - this book will not change history.
The Powerful in the 60's, 12 Dec 2004
As I was born in the seventies this book was an excellent introduction to the remarkable world of the rich and famous during the sixties. The main body of the book describes the entaglement between the Onassis and Kennedy clans. Each key player is well introduced and Evans makes it easy to see the motives that drive these people. Throughout you will find yourself asking 'Does this kind of thing happen nowadays?'. As you would expect the last few chapters of the book describe the demise of Onassis. This part of the book I found very powerful as it really helps to open up Onassis' character. Overall, highly recommended.
A great read!, 11 Aug 2004
A great read that takes you to the very centre of the lives of the rich and famous. Couldn't put it down.
Nemesis - The True Story, 21 Jul 2004
Great read! I read Peters Evans' biography of Onassis (Ari)a couple of years ago and this book really adds to the story. I strongly recommend it.
Wonderful insight - what would you have done?, 20 Mar 2007
This is fantastic. Includes transcripts of key meetings where top US policy makers and the military discuss the evolving situation in Cuba. Each chapter begins with a summary description of information that puts the deliberations into context or otherwise refers to the outcomes of meetings, world events etc that do not form part of the transcripts. This makes for a wonderful history of the crisis and provides much more than the transcripts alone.
That said, it is the opportunity to read exactly what was said and by whom that makes this book unique and truly fascinating. While reading it, I constantly tried to forget that I knew the outcome and to put myself in Kennedy's position, weighing up the often conflicting advice he was receiving.
Anyone wishing to learn about the history of the missile crisis or gain a detailed insight into top echelon decision making on national security in the US must read this brilliant book.
Put yourself in his shoes, 29 Dec 2004
Make no mistake, this is required reading for anybody who wishes to understand executive decision making and the art of effective delegation. Moreover, for a detailed chronology of the highest level of politicking during the Cuban Missile Crisis, you need to read this book. If you do, I would strongly advise that you then watch Thirteen Days, Roger Donaldson's first rate dramatisation of these transcripts. The caveat is that these are transcripts and, as such, incredibly hard to follow. You're reading another man's thoughts as he expresses them. You're reading a decision making process. Frequently Kennedy states that he is simply thinking aloud. This is not an easy read. For all that, any supplementary reading will have given you insight into the characters that dealt with this dangerous situation and you will see their positions and influences relative to and on the president writ large in the dialogue. These transcipts are compelling and important documents. They should not form the beginnings of an understanding of the CMC but they are an invaluable supplement and an excellent piece of work.
Behind closed doors ..., 23 Nov 2004
Have you ever wondered what is being said behind closed doors, in those places where important decisions are made?. If you have, Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow allow you to learn just that, at least regarding the conversations that took place in the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This book contains the transcriptions of those discussions, and many notes that contribute to clarify certain details that the reader might well not be aware of. The editors of "The Kennedy tapes" are able to offer us this unexpected treat thanks to the fact that an audio tape recorded the conversations of the committee that was formed to deal with the crisis. It is generally thought that only President Kennedy and his secretary knew that their words were being recorded, and we can easily believe that when we realize that the different functionaries said exactly what they thought, without wasting time in order to formulate their ideas in a politically correct way :) It is almost scary to know how little did the persons involved in the decision making process know about what was really happening at that time, and about how would the URSS react to their optional courses of action. But then, I guess that complete information is never available, and less during a crisis of that magnitude... However, after reading these pages, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if, for example, USA had launched a preventive attack on Cuba. The answers to that question are many, and none of them is good. I suppose we should be grateful to President Kennedy and his advisors, for somehow arriving to a course of action that avoided the real possibility of a nuclear war. I think it is worthwhile to point out that the editors of this book wrote not only an interesting introduction, but also an excellent conclusion to this book. The introduction explains very well the Cold War context in which this crisis developed, and how recent and ongoing events affected the perspective of the decision makers. On the other hand, the conclusion sums up what happened, taking into account "the other side" (URSS), and the peculiarities of the decision-making process in Soviet Russia. The editors also include their own considerations, all of which I consider worthwhile remembering. For example, when they reflect on the kind of lesson they think this book can teach to the reader, they say that "Someone who wants to learn all that can be learned from this extraordinary record of decision-making needs not only to notice how the process stutters and veers amid barrages of detail but also to infer how individuals of different backgrounds and temperaments are sorting the detail, discerning choices, and electing among those choices (...)". "The Kennedy tapes" is a rather impressive book due to the fact that it is quite long. However, it is also very helpful if you want to know more about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the kind of environment that surrounds difficult decisions in the higher levels of authority. It is certainly more comfortable to believe that those decisions are at all times informed and rational, but unfortunately (as this book shows) that not always happens. May and Zelikow say that "Reconstruction that oversimplifies or ignores the incessant tension between realities and beliefs makes us no wiser. By coming fully to grips with the particulars of past moments of choice, we may become better able to handle our own". We can only hope that is the case... On the whole, I think you will benefit a lot from reading this book. It allows you the opportunity to really "listen" to what happened in the discussions surrounding the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, without intermediaries. Take advantage of the privilege of listening to what happens behind closed doors!.
A wonderful insight into the heart of the crisis, 28 Oct 1998
After all those years of looking at photos taken around the time of the Cuban miissile crisis of Kennedy and his advisors, deep in conversation, it's great to finally find out what they were talking about. What comes across is the perception and early understanding of the position they faced and their clear sighted thinking as they sought to come to grips with it. I was interested how the idea of the quarantine developed from almost an aside into the first line of policy. What is impressive throughout is how President Kennedy himself was able to ask probing questions, guide discussion and appear to be the only one to have a thorough understanding of all the influences and pressures. He was particularly strong in resisting hasty pressures to invade, a decision for which we can all be thankful now.
A book for future presidents to learn from., 31 Mar 1998
Reading these transcripts place you in a chair at the table in the Cabinet Room in 1962. What is history now is a current event then. Pearl Harbor and Berlin. The Cold War at it's peak. The world's worst potentially deadly crisis is being debated right before your eyes. Many options are available, and each could lead to global nuclear war. Immediate strike with no warning. Strike with warning. Blockade and no strike. All options are considered an act of war. This book allows you to see a president in office who listens to and learns from advisors, sifts through evidence, and makes decisions as best any man can. Definitely a book that future presidents can and should learn from. It taught me that my vote for president is the most important thing that I do in my life.
'A' - level American History Lifesaver!, 08 Mar 2000
Our US history A level class at school has found it increasingly difficult to find textbooks that don't just ramble on and on and give a load of jumbled information in what, to us, seems like old fashioned writing by old fashioned historians. I bought Grand Expectations after seeing that the teacher seemed to use it again and again in the lesson and it was definitely a good move. Finally, I had found a book that was easy to understand and gave me all the facts that I needed without overcrowding my brain with useless information. So far, it has been a lifesaver and several others in the class have also purchased copies too. I highly recommend this for all struggling American history A Level students and even for all those who aren't struggling because it's well worth having.
Good for US Army WW1 & WW2 webbing, 15 Aug 2007
Great book, with good detail, and lots of well captioned photos. It mainly focuses on WW1 and WW2 with the Vietnam items dealt with quite briefly at the end. The one thing I would point out is that it does not deal with US Marine Corps webbing at all. The book only looks at US Army webbing used between 1910-1967.
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Customer Reviews
Perlstein Land, 19 Jul 2008
Perlstein is a scion of the 60s. Through reading a lot of newspapers and mining a lot of television, he has constructed an imaginary world called Nixonland. Nixonland, like Hobbitland, exists in the mind of the fabulist. Perlstein has also reconstructed, in this same manner, many of the events of the 50s and 60s in fascinating and often compelling narrative detail. As a popular history of these times, Nixonland is an exciting and sometimes fresh read. As a paradigm for understanding America in the postwar era, the concept of `Nixonland' is extremely limited. The limitations of the concept are readily apparent, for example, in the race narrative that Perlstein grapples with throughout the book.
To conclude, as Perlstein does, that Nixonland `has not ended yet' is true but meaningless. Nixonland does exist, but not in the way Perlstin imagines. It is in fact the place where the 60s go to die. It is the remote magic mountain nursing home for those unable or unwilling to recover from the past, where the patients live in the twilight of a rapidly fading era. Most of the kids today don't visit the nursing home, except occasionally on grandpa's birthday, when he tells them stories of cities burning, John and Yoko in bed for peace, and `radical' philosophy be-ins, but leaves out the part where he took acid and ran half-naked in the streets before becoming a lawyer and moving to the suburbs. Nixonland is the same kind of invented place as John Ford's American West.
Had Nixon never become president, the arc of his career would have still held some interest for historians, but he hardly invented the Orthogonians versus Franklins (Perlstein's rhubric) conflict, a theme that has been salient throughout American history. Nixon was one player in the postwar drama, and a fascinating one, skilled at exploiting social rifts for political gain, but hardly the master metallurgist forging a new social alloy. The subtitle of the book includes the phrase, `the fracturing of America'. It's hard to know what that means, especially after reading the book. Fractures, fissures, social conflict (think FDR and his `moneyed interests'), and violence have marked American life for centuries, driving the social dynamic of the country. Nixon is one variant of the venal, cynical, manipulative, and corrupt American politician. In this he has keen competition, including among those who achieved the presidency.
The book repays reading and one should anticipate with enthusiasm a further instalment where Perlstein will presumably draw out the picture of a fractured America.
A cracking read and terrific investigative journalism, 03 Jul 2007
I disagree completely with the long winded 1 star review. the 'reviewer' is missing the point. This is a terrific read and an insight into the character of one of the most charasmatic, interesting and colourful figures of the 20th century. The author interviewed people WHO WERE THERE!!
You will find 'Ari' available somewhere but I would recommend this book as one of the definitive books on Onassis.
I salute you Mr Evans ONASSIS DID NOT MURDER RFK, 12 Jul 2006
The most sensational claim Evans makes is that Aristotle Onassis indirectly paid for RFK's murder.His 'proof' is shockingly inadequate.
Central to Evans's thesis are entries in Sirhan's notebooks which purportedly connected Aristotle Onassis to the assassin. Evans alleges Sirhan's notebooks make reference to Alexander Onassis's girlfriend Fiona, whom his father detested, and Stavros Niarchos, his shipping rival, whom he also hated.
However, Evans's juxtaposition of names to prove Sirhan wrote about killing Onassis's enemies is misleading. Sirhan had placed the name FIONA in a list of racehorse names - Fiona, Jet-Spec, Kings Abbey and Prince Khaled. The Arabic script consists of one sentence "He should be killed" (not "They should be killed" as Evans alleges) and does not refer to either Niarkos or Fiona.
The diary entry "Niarkos" remains unexplained, as do many other entries in Sirhan's notebooks, but there is no indication it refers to anyone on a Sirhan 'Death List'. The words in Sirhan's notebooks were the result of simple stream-of-consciousness ramblings he learned from Rosicrucian literature as ways to improve his life. The notebooks are filled with names of people Sirhan knew - Bert Altfillisch, Peggy Osterkamp and Gwen Gum for example, and people he didn't know like Garner Ted Armstrong. The entries which refer to $100,000 were simply Sirhan's obsessions about wealth and appear a number of times in the notebooks.
Also central to Evans's thesis was the implication that Sirhan had spent a three month period before the assassination being trained by terrorists or undergoing hypnotic indoctrination. Evans was wrong in stating Sirhan's movements were unaccounted for, or "a blanket of white fog" as he put it. Sirhan's movements in the months prior to the assassination leave no unaccountable period when the assassin could have spent a considerable amount of time being "hypnotically indoctrinated." In the year preceding the assassination Sirhan was seen frequently in the Hi-Life bar in Pasadena by waitress Marilyn Hunt.He was also seen in Shap's Bar during this period. In July 1967 Sirhan filed a disability complaint for workmen's compensation. Between July and September 1967 Sirhan's mother and brother Munir said Sirhan went often to the Pasadena library.Library records confirm he borrowed books during the so-called 'white fog' period. Sirhan's mother said her son `..stayed at home for over a year (sic) with no job'(October 1966 to September 1967). Sirhan, by his mother's account, often drove her to work during the time he was unemployed. On 9th September 1967 Sirhan began work at John Weidner's health food store.Weidner reported no long periods of absence up to the time Sirhan left his employ in March 1968. So how did Sirhan `emerge(ed) from this `white fog' in March 1968, (and) joined the (Rosicrucians)' as Evans states? (Author's note: Sirhan actually joined the Rosicrucians in June 1966.) And, as I point out in my review of Evans' book in Crime Magazine, (http://crimemagazine.com/05/robertkennedy,0508-5.htm ), Sirhan's movements in the three month period before the assassination leave no time unaccounted for.
Dominick Dunne is wrong - this book will not change history.
The Powerful in the 60's, 12 Dec 2004
As I was born in the seventies this book was an excellent introduction to the remarkable world of the rich and famous during the sixties. The main body of the book describes the entaglement between the Onassis and Kennedy clans. Each key player is well introduced and Evans makes it easy to see the motives that drive these people. Throughout you will find yourself asking 'Does this kind of thing happen nowadays?'. As you would expect the last few chapters of the book describe the demise of Onassis. This part of the book I found very powerful as it really helps to open up Onassis' character. Overall, highly recommended.
A great read!, 11 Aug 2004
A great read that takes you to the very centre of the lives of the rich and famous. Couldn't put it down.
Nemesis - The True Story, 21 Jul 2004
Great read! I read Peters Evans' biography of Onassis (Ari)a couple of years ago and this book really adds to the story. I strongly recommend it.
Wonderful insight - what would you have done?, 20 Mar 2007
This is fantastic. Includes transcripts of key meetings where top US policy makers and the military discuss the evolving situation in Cuba. Each chapter begins with a summary description of information that puts the deliberations into context or otherwise refers to the outcomes of meetings, world events etc that do not form part of the transcripts. This makes for a wonderful history of the crisis and provides much more than the transcripts alone.
That said, it is the opportunity to read exactly what was said and by whom that makes this book unique and truly fascinating. While reading it, I constantly tried to forget that I knew the outcome and to put myself in Kennedy's position, weighing up the often conflicting advice he was receiving.
Anyone wishing to learn about the history of the missile crisis or gain a detailed insight into top echelon decision making on national security in the US must read this brilliant book.
Put yourself in his shoes, 29 Dec 2004
Make no mistake, this is required reading for anybody who wishes to understand executive decision making and the art of effective delegation. Moreover, for a detailed chronology of the highest level of politicking during the Cuban Missile Crisis, you need to read this book. If you do, I would strongly advise that you then watch Thirteen Days, Roger Donaldson's first rate dramatisation of these transcripts. The caveat is that these are transcripts and, as such, incredibly hard to follow. You're reading another man's thoughts as he expresses them. You're reading a decision making process. Frequently Kennedy states that he is simply thinking aloud. This is not an easy read. For all that, any supplementary reading will have given you insight into the characters that dealt with this dangerous situation and you will see their positions and influences relative to and on the president writ large in the dialogue. These transcipts are compelling and important documents. They should not form the beginnings of an understanding of the CMC but they are an invaluable supplement and an excellent piece of work.
Behind closed doors ..., 23 Nov 2004
Have you ever wondered what is being said behind closed doors, in those places where important decisions are made?. If you have, Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow allow you to learn just that, at least regarding the conversations that took place in the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This book contains the transcriptions of those discussions, and many notes that contribute to clarify certain details that the reader might well not be aware of. The editors of "The Kennedy tapes" are able to offer us this unexpected treat thanks to the fact that an audio tape recorded the conversations of the committee that was formed to deal with the crisis. It is generally thought that only President Kennedy and his secretary knew that their words were being recorded, and we can easily believe that when we realize that the different functionaries said exactly what they thought, without wasting time in order to formulate their ideas in a politically correct way :) It is almost scary to know how little did the persons involved in the decision making process know about what was really happening at that time, and about how would the URSS react to their optional courses of action. But then, I guess that complete information is never available, and less during a crisis of that magnitude... However, after reading these pages, I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if, for example, USA had launched a preventive attack on Cuba. The answers to that question are many, and none of them is good. I suppose we should be grateful to President Kennedy and his advisors, for somehow arriving to a course of action that avoided the real possibility of a nuclear war. I think it is worthwhile to point out that the editors of this book wrote not only an interesting introduction, but also an excellent conclusion to this book. The introduction explains very well the Cold War context in which this crisis developed, and how recent and ongoing events affected the perspective of the decision makers. On the other hand, the conclusion sums up what happened, taking into account "the other side" (URSS), and the peculiarities of the decision-making process in Soviet Russia. The editors also include their own considerations, all of which I consider worthwhile remembering. For example, when they reflect on the kind of lesson they think this book can teach to the reader, they say that "Someone who wants to learn all that can be learned from this extraordinary record of decision-making needs not only to notice how the process stutters and veers amid barrages of detail but also to infer how individuals of different backgrounds and temperaments are sorting the detail, discerning choices, and electing among those choices (...)". "The Kennedy tapes" is a rather impressive book due to the fact that it is quite long. However, it is also very helpful if you want to know more about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the kind of environment that surrounds difficult decisions in the higher levels of authority. It is certainly more comfortable to believe that those decisions are at all times informed and rational, but unfortunately (as this book shows) that not always happens. May and Zelikow say that "Reconstruction that oversimplifies or ignores the incessant tension between realities and beliefs makes us no wiser. By coming fully to grips with the particulars of past moments of choice, we may become better able to handle our own". We can only hope that is the case... On the whole, I think you will benefit a lot from reading this book. It allows you the opportunity to really "listen" to what happened in the discussions surrounding the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, without intermediaries. Take advantage of the privilege of listening to what happens behind closed doors!.
A wonderful insight into the heart of the crisis, 28 Oct 1998
After all those years of looking at photos taken around the time of the Cuban miissile crisis of Kennedy and his advisors, deep in conversation, it's great to finally find out what they were talking about. What comes across is the perception and early understanding of the position they faced and their clear sighted thinking as they sought to come to grips with it. I was interested how the idea of the quarantine developed from almost an aside into the first line of policy. What is impressive throughout is how President Kennedy himself was able to ask probing questions, guide discussion and appear to be the only one to have a thorough understanding of all the influences and pressures. He was particularly strong in resisting hasty pressures to invade, a decision for which we can all be thankful now.
A book for future presidents to learn from., 31 Mar 1998
Reading these transcripts place you in a chair at the table in the Cabinet Room in 1962. What is history now is a current event then. Pearl Harbor and Berlin. The Cold War at it's peak. The world's worst potentially deadly crisis is being debated right before your eyes. Many options are available, and each could lead to global nuclear war. Immediate strike with no warning. Strike with warning. Blockade and no strike. All options are considered an act of war. This book allows you to see a president in office who listens to and learns from advisors, sifts through evidence, and makes decisions as best any man can. Definitely a book that future presidents can and should learn from. It taught me that my vote for president is the most important thing that I do in my life.
'A' - level American History Lifesaver!, 08 Mar 2000
Our US history A level class at school has found it increasingly difficult to find textbooks that don't just ramble on and on and give a load of jumbled information in what, to us, seems like old fashioned writing by old fashioned historians. I bought Grand Expectations after seeing that the teacher seemed to use it again and again in the lesson and it was definitely a good move. Finally, I had found a book that was easy to understand and gave me all the facts that I needed without overcrowding my brain with useless information. So far, it has been a lifesaver and several others in the class have also purchased copies too. I highly recommend this for all struggling American history A Level students and even for all those who aren't struggling because it's well worth having.
Good for US Army WW1 & WW2 webbing, 15 Aug 2007
Great book, with good detail, and lots of well captioned photos. It mainly focuses on WW1 and WW2 with the Vietnam items dealt with quite briefly at the end. The one thing I would point out is that it does not deal with US Marine Corps webbing at all. The book only looks at US Army webbing used between 1910-1967.
Fetzer is entertaining at the very least !, 08 Jan 2008
Well known for his rather off the wall views on the JFK assassination, one should not dismiss Professor Fetzer's contribution to the case. I certainly can't agree with his pro conspiracy stance, let alone the alleged Z film alteration postulated here, but he is quite an authority on the case and he should not be dismissed out of hand. This book is worth reading - though I find the suggestion that the Z film was altered to confuse and mis direct the public rather proposterous, but as a serious researcher I have to accept that there are some interesting observations here - having said that I am afraid to say that the prospective reader should know that the more "expert" community of JFK assassination researchers largely dismiss Professor Fetzer's theory. Worth reading, but rather off the wall.
Another twist to the plot, 18 Sep 2006
Who would have guessed that the film that everyone looked upon as a definitive record of the tragedy of 22nd November 1963, turns out to be, at the very least, dubious. James Fetzer has done some thorough analysis, and comes up with some compelling evidence that the film has many elements that simply defy reality, for example:-
The crowd lining the pavement in the foreground of Zapruder are provably not the same people that are shown in other films and photographs taken from different angles. They also show no reaction or emotion as the limousine approaches, as if they were superimposed from a different point in time.
There were many eye-witnesses who spoke of the presidential car coming to a complete, or almost complete, stop at the time the shots were fired. The car in the Z film makes a continually smooth forward motion, but when the figures in the car are examined closely, they are seen to suddenly lurch forward in a manner consistent with the car braking hard.
There are several examples of some of the figures on the lawn making sudden unnatural movements in the space of just one frame, indicating the removal of frames. Some of the figures just don't look human, such as the mysterious "running man".
If one compares the size of some of the figures in the background, with objects of known dimensions like lamp-posts, it becomes clear that these figures have been magnified so as to fit into the picture.
Fetzer has certainly done his homework, and goes into much technical examination of the film itself, which I must admit I found difficult to follow at times, but the features listed above, (and others), when studied closely, seem to bear out what he says. We are beginning to understand why the film was not made public for some ten years or so after the event. Fetzer's contention is that it is a montage of three distinct elements: the crowd in the foreground, the limousine in the road, and the grassy area behind. Adjustments appear to have been made for the removal of certain frames (presumably ones contradicting the official account of events) and the other elements in the film edited so as to produce an integrated result.
Of particular interest in the book is the chapter concerning the known still photos showing Zapruder and his companion on the pedestal. Again, there are inconsistencies from one photo to another. The two figures just don't look right; they appear shadowy and blurred, despite being in full sunlight, and vary in both size and colouration from one photo to another. It's Fetzer's opinion that their appearance was altered. Why? We begin to ask ourselves, did Mr Z take the film at all in the first place? Who is the figure discovered in the background near him, who appears to be filming with a camera on a tripod?
Somebody, somewhere,knew the truth, and the cover-up has been ongoing, up to the present day.
I'd recommend viewing Jack White's excellent video presentation (available on the Internet since July 2006) as a companion piece to this book - a graphic demonstration that the film's authenticity is now in grave doubt.
A " must read" for any serious student of the Kennedy affair.
Deceit and Deception in the title of this book, 04 Feb 2006
Well, where do you start? For me the most disturbing points about this book are not the alleged revelations about the Zapruder film, but the fact that this poorly written, poorly printed, poorly organised work will do more harm to the conspiracy cause than good. If you are new to the whole JFK thing, then make sure you read other, better researched and level headed books (Crossfire by Jim Marrs, Rush to Judgement by Mark Lane & On The Trail Of The Assassins by Jim Garrison are superbly written, exciting and eye-opening, and I strongly recommend these to give any beginner a good foundation in the case).
It would take ages to go into detail about every fault with this book, but the main concerns I have are: 1) I would guess that around only 50% of the contents deal with the actual details of the Zapruder film and the rest on irrelevant aspects of the assassination and promoting the authors seminars. 2) Photographs are very poorly reproduced (They look like too dark photocopies) making them useless. 3) There is no continuity, making the whole thing very confusing; The contents are erratic and have no flow. 4) There are so many silly spelling and punctuation mistakes, it calls into question the accuracy of the entire thing. 5) There is too much bitching about, and insulting of, other researchers and their work. 6) While there are some valid, interesting points which suggest that the Zapruder film MAY have been faked, these are not adequately explained or proven, and some issues are ignored all together. Not enough of the book is dedicated to explaining these issues. 7) The book is written in a way which assumes that you already know the assassination inside out, so not good for beginners. I could go on, but these reviews are limited to 1000 words!
In short, this book is too poorly written, printed & organised; I have given it 3 stars because it does contain some very interesting points and information
Analysis at its most intricate, 05 Dec 2003
"A picture can capture a 1000 words" or so they say. In this remarkable new text, the much talked about Zapruder film depicting JFK's assassination conveys many words, and raises numerable questions and areas of controversy, debate and authenticity of key events and witnesses. Although undoubtedly of great analytical and scientific skill, James Fetzer sets out his findings in a clear and gripping way and it is very much "edge of your seat" reading. Don't be put off by the numerous photos or diagrams. Any mystery this enormous requires back-up documentation and to study it will help you to fill in the gaps of your knowledge. After all it is video footage that is the centrepiece. The book also portrays the chilling background to which information was either made public, or distorted or withheld in the days when secrecy was everything.
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