As we approach the 50^th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination this Fall of 2013, we have much to be hopeful for: not only is the internet booming with information, as well as public opinion polls overwhelmingly in favor of JFK as a very good to great president and the notion of there having been a conspiracy in his death, but there are four publishers who are successfully getting out pro-conspiracy titles to the masses: Trine Day (my book “Survivor’s Guilt: The Secret Service and the Failure to Protect the President” is coming out via their fine company), Skyhorse Publishing (distributed by W.W. Norton and the publisher of best-selling books by Jesse Ventura, as well as several other prominent authors, in addition to reprinting several classic books), Counterpoint (Waldron’s three books) and JFK Lancer. That said, Pelican Publishing has Berry Ernest’s fine book, while Touchstone, a division of Simon and Schuster, has James Douglass’ classic work. Finally, with the recent advent of successful self-publishing avenues like Trafford and others, Doug Horne’s 5-volume masterpiece, as well as books by Harry Livingstone and others, have seen the light of day (the invention of kindle has also greatly helped spread the word, so to speak).

In addition, several books on JFK and/ or the assassination have been (huge) best-sellers very recently (despite misgivings many people have about the contents of some of these titles), including “The Kennedy Detail” (and accompanying Discovery Channel documentary with the same name), “Mrs. Kennedy and Me”, “Once Upon A Secret”, “Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero”, “Dead Wrong”, “Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations” and “Killing Kennedy.” If that were not enough, yet another book from Clint Hill, a dubious movie from Blaine and company, and the movie “Parkland” by Tom Hanks and a star-studded cast, among other items, await us this Fall.

In the category of recent Secret Service books, the aforementioned “The Kennedy Detail” and “Mrs. Kennedy and Me” (as well as the new Hill book and Blaine/ Hill movie) join Dan Emmett’s excellent “Within Arm’s Length”, the impressive “Echo From Dealey Plaza” by Abraham Bolden and the dubious “In The President’s Secret Service” by Ronald Kessler, not to mention “American Gunfight” (about the 11/1/50 Truman assassination attempt) by Stephen Hunter, with interviews with Floyd Boring, Vince Mroz, and others (going back just to 2005, we have also seen Secret Service books from former agents Joe Petro, Bill Carter, Mike Endicott, Mike Maddaloni and John Barletta).

So, onward and upward, as we approach a momentous anniversary.

Vince Palamara