Which Six Books Would You Recommend to a Newcomer?

[Tom Graves]

The HSCA concluded that JFK was killed by a conspiracy, that two gunmen were involved, that one of the shots came from the grassy knoll, and that there were four shots.

Question: On what basis did the HSCA conclude that?

Answer: A Dictabelt recording of a stick-open microphone on a three-wheeler police motorcycle miles from Dealey Plaza.

[John Corbett]

I wouldn't recommend 6 books. The WCR is all that is needed to know the truth of the JFK assassination. If one wants to deal with the myths of the JFKA, they can read Reclaiming History by Vincent Bugilosi. He does a thorough job of demolishing those myths and addressing all the objections made about the WCR, at least the ones that had been invented up to the time he wrote the book. Newer and nuttier ones are being invented all the time.

Back when I first started studying the JFKA, I bought a sampling of conspiracy books, Plausible Denial, Mafia Kingfish, and Best Evidence. What I learned from these books is that I should be more discerning in what I spend my money on.

[Lance Payette]

Lance, thank you. I have high confidence that this is the woman you described. She was 16 during part of 1908. I'll delete this link if you prefer.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/190262426/sara_p-simmons

That is indeed Dear Old Granny. We called her Mammy. She was actually always very nice to me in a distant way. If folks here want a further freak-out, she was one of the "Baker girls," born in the Cayman Islands. The "Baker" was Lorenzo Dow Baker, one of the founders of the - wait for it - United Fruit Company! My middle name is Baker, establishing a direct connection between me and the CIA!

[Lance Payette]

Good grief Lance, what are you on about? You are the first and only person to my knowledge that has ever accused me of being lunatic fringe. I've said some stupid things, may be wrong on some things, but you're just out of line and I don't think you know what you are talking about.

If I knew what I was talking about, I certainly wouldn't be on a JFKA forum, would I?  It's right in the Terms of Service: "Those who actually know what they are talking about are strongly advised to refrain from interrupting the discussions with informed or rational contributions." No, like most everyone here I absolutely revel in not knowing what I'm talking about.

"Lunatic fringe" is just my catch-all for CT theorizing that strikes me as beyond the pale. Viewed from the 30,000-foot level - i.e., as an entire scenario - your theories of the JFKA and Tippit murder strike me as overly elaborate and convulted to the point of resembling science fiction, almost as though someone had set out on a mission to break new ground, believability be damned. I did appreciate your defense of Ruth Paine, whom I regard as the soul of innocence.

It probably is unfair to place you and MTG in the same pod, MTG being (in my opinion) the lunatic fringe of the lunatic fringe. In your case, I meant "lunatic fringe" in a kinder and gentler way. The larger question being, "Who cares what I think anyway?"

MTG slings ad hominem insults like they were popcorn, but Dear Old Lance and most of his other targets just consider the source and let the popcorn fall where it will.

[Lance Payette]

You just can't help yourself, can you? This thread is supposed to be a chance for people to list the top six books they would recommend to a newcomer. But, of course, you only list five books and then deluge us with more of your endless, pompous posturing that everyone who disagrees with you is part of the lunatic fringe and/or has a conspiracy-prone mindset and/or has a warped mind and/or has a form of mental illness, blah, blah, blah--after, that is, you announce that you will talk about your supposedly high IQ and academic honors if anyone asks.

Uh, you might want to review my first post here and YOUR response, he of the conveniently short memory. You will see that it was YOU who went off on a tangential rant. You repeatedly - incessantly - mischaracterize what others have said and then respond to that straw man. In my interactions on perhaps 30 internet forums dating back to 1996, you are among the most grimly humorless, thin-skinned, self-important, just-flat-whacked-out characters I have encountered. Fortunately, most here are perceptive enough to see you for what you are.

[Charles Collins]

I wouldn't recommend 6 books. The WCR is all that is needed to know the truth of the JFK assassination. If one wants to deal with the myths of the JFKA, they can read Reclaiming History by Vincent Bugilosi. He does a thorough job of demolishing those myths and addressing all the objections made about the WCR, at least the ones that had been invented up to the time he wrote the book. Newer and nuttier ones are being invented all the time.

Back when I first started studying the JFKA, I bought a sampling of conspiracy books, Plausible Denial, Mafia Kingfish, and Best Evidence. What I learned from these books is that I should be more discerning in what I spend my money on.

Yes, this! And I will add that Vincent Bugliosi’s huge book is worth at least five other books. So, I think essentially this should equal six books….   

[Lance Payette]

Yes, this! And I will add that Vincent Bugliosi’s huge book is worth at least five other books. So, I think essentially this should equal six books….   

I assumed we were talking about a newcomer with a genuine interest in becoming "involved" in the JFKA. Reading the WR report and Bugliosi right off the bat would certainly serve to indoctrinate a newcomer into the LN narrative, but this would be like a CTer suggesting that a newcomer read Doug Horne's or Jim DiEugenio's work first. In my responses, I was not talking about "indoctrinating a newcomer into my view of the truth of the JFKA" but more in the vein of "preparing a newcomer to think rationally about the JFKA" when he dives into the LN and CT literature. To be fair to MTG (eek!) his list is at least somewhat balanced, albeit with books I wouldn't recommend. If I were following his approach, I would've recommended what I regard as the three best LN-oriented books and the three best CT-oriented books, but I really don't think this is the way for a newcomer to begin.