Forty-five years after the JFK assassination, the interest in his murder continues unabated, and these two excellent books show in different ways—one scholarly and one personal—the assassination's relentless grip. Kaiser (history, Naval War Coll.; American Tragedy: Kennedy, Johnson, and the Origins of the Vietnam War ) presents a scrupulously researched account, which may be one of the best books yet on the assassination. Unlike David Talbot's Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years , Kaiser posits that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman although he did not act alone: the murder plot was hatched by Mafia bosses Santo Trafficante, John Roselli, and Sam Giancana as revenge for Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy's relentless pursuit of the mob and for the vast sums of money they lost when Castro closed Cuba's mob-controlled casinos. Other startling revelations are that Oswald might have been a CIA agent, even though he was promised a large sum of money by the mob to kill Kennedy, and that Jack Ruby killed Oswald on orders from the Mafia, to which Ruby was connected. This detailed, often chilling account stands out among the overwhelming number of assassination books. Highly recommended for most public and all academic libraries.

Bolden's autobiography includes little mention of Kennedy's murder yet the assassination affected his life tragically. He was appointed personally by JFK as the first African American on the White House Secret Service detail (1960–64), and although he was a conscientious agent his role angered racist agents. Bolden was not on the Dallas detail but he was well aware of the lax security the agents provided because of their drinking and womanizing. He first blew the whistle in October 1963 and then again reported poor security after the assassination. In 1964 he was convicted on trumped up charges of selling a government file and spent six years in jail. Much of the book engrossingly describes the trials and his harrowing years in prison. Ultimately, Bolden was vindicated when the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded in 1976 that the Secret Service's protection was inadequate. He has worked for the last decades in private industry. Recommended for all public libraries.—Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA