Decent but Sanitized Account, April 22, 2012 By Scout (Whitehouse Station, NJ United States) – See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?) This review is from: The Kennedy Detail: JFK’s Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence (Paperback)

Not a bad read, some interesting tidbits, but overall, it appears to be an extremely “G” rated version, especially in protecting the reputation of JFK and of course the secret service. Whereas the authors admit that Johnson could often be a crude pig in language and actions, they place JFK in a holy light. The book also repeats constantly a Kennedy quote about “Ivy League charlatans” that appears to try and convince (brainwash?) the reader into what was simply an off-hand quote/joke by JFK into a proclamation of strict procedure protocol.

Interesting Read – But Video Tells A Different Story, April 23, 2012 By Patriot Sailor “Patriot Sailor” (New York City) – See all my reviewsThis review is from: The Kennedy Detail (Kindle Edition)

I was reluctant to review this book out of respect to the Secret Service as a whole — but since this is about the President Kennedy’s detail, then I will focus on them — and I have to agree with former Secret Service Agent Abraham Bolden: This IS the biggest CYA book to come about in a long time. While there are plenty of interesting factoids about how the Secret Service operated, impressions of the Kennedys, and of others associated with them, The President’s Secret Service Detail left John F. Kennedy a sitting duck. PERIOD. The agent’s claim that JFK didn’t want agents around him ALL the time is partially true. Kennedy was known for sneaking out of the White House — as was reported by actor Kirk Douglas. JFK popped in during a cocktail party where Douglas was in attendance and wanted to meet him. No one at the party knew JFK was coming to say “hello”.

HOWEVER — the book’s claim that JFK wanted agents off his limo is 100% FALSE. This is where the book loses all credibility. Veteran researcher Vincent M. Palamara, interviewed the following agents in 1998 and they all denied JFK said such a thing happened for the Dallas trip: *Gerald A. Behn (chief of JFK’s detail), *Floyd M. Boring (#2 JFK detail agent), *Arthur L. Godfrey (one of three shift leaders on the Texas trip), *Donald J. Lawton (on the Dallas JFK detail), *Rufus W. Youngblood (#2 agent on Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson’s detail), *Samuel A. Kinney (driver of the Secret Service follow-up car in Dallas), *Robert I. Bouck (head of the Protective Research Section), *Robert Lilley (a member of JFK’s detail from election night until one month before Dallas), *Maurice G. Martineau (agent in charge of the Chicago office) and *John Norris (a member of the Uniformed Division) Now — for the BLAME: Secret Service Agent [Donald Lawton] actually TRIED to get on the back of Kennedy’s limo and ride it starting at the airport before the limo left for Dealy Plaza! You can see the video on YouTube if you don’t believe me. Agent [Lawton] was ORDERED OFF THE LIMO — and it WAS NOT by Kennedy. WHO gave the order? Secret Service agent Emory P. Roberts who served as the COMMANDER of the agents in the follow-up car (the 1956 Cadillac limo right behind JFK’s). You can see the video where Roberts gets up from his seat, uses voice hand gestures and FORCES Agent [Lawton]to FALL BACK to the rear area of JFK’s limousine. [Lawton] stops and then raises his arms several times in disgust. [Lawton] remained at the airport — leaving the President to be murdered. Frankly, I would have disobeyed the order — I have served in the military and if you are given an unlawful order, you are bound by your duty to disobey it. WHY the authors of this book — ESPECIALLY Agent Clint Hill — does not make any critical commentary about Agent Roberts INSANITY is beyond comprehension. WHY did Roberts do it? No one knows or no one is talking — and they better hurry up! People are getting old! The other HUGE BLAME falls upon Kennedy’s drivers: Agent William Robert Greer (driver) and Agent Roy Kellerman (back-up/passenger). Simply put, they violated every rule of the road regarding the protection of the President when they turned the corner on to Elm Street. They violated the minumum speed mandates and actually SAW the President was in distress and NEVER reacted in time. The two agents sure did DUCK after the fatal shot to the President — Way to go guys! Nothing like protecting yourselves! That’s in the video too — and it turns my stomach every time I watched it. Watch the videos/films of the murder (Zapruder film, Nix film) — you can actually SEE the brake lights coming on the limo at one point during the shooting — AND you can see the agents TURN AROUND and LOOK RIGHT AT KENNEDY as he’s being shot BEFORE the fatal head shot. (BTW — Look up “unedited Altgens Photo” and you will see the agents looking BEHIND THEM — and NOT UP at the 6th floor depository window. If the volly of shots came from the 6th floor window, why aren’t the agents looking up? They never look up during the Zapruder film — seriously — they are supposed to be the best body guards in the world — trained in arms and they didn’t do squat until it was too late.) The actions of these three men changed the course of American history. I have my own suspicions — but this isn’t the place. The fact that this book tried to blame KENNEDY for his own murder is nothing short of amazing and disgusting — especially since there is OVERWHELMING TESTIMONY and VIDEO evidence proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Kennedy’s Secret Service Detail 100% FAILED to protect the President. That’s not my opinion — that’s a FACT.