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Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 8,330 ratings · 1,497 reviews

A riveting historical narrative of the shocking events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the follow-up to mega-bestselling author Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln

More than a million readers have thrilled to Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln, the page-turning work of nonfiction about the shocking assassination that changed the course of American history. No...more

ebook, 304 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Henry Holt and Co.

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Oct 11, 2012 Barry Krusch rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ever wonder why it's a good thing that there is a site like Goodreads? Well, here is one excellent reason: my video review of Bill O'Reilly's book on Amazon.com was listed as the 2nd most helpful of all reviews, and the most helpful of negative reviews. It was so helpful, in fact, that Bill O'Reilly decided to have it removed!! That's right, go to Amazon's webpage for "Killing Kennedy", and my review appears nowhere there. So, you won't find it on Amazon anymore, but luckily, you will find it on...more

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Doug Landis You would think that if it was a conspiracy somebody in last 50 years would have said something. People just can't get that peon like Oswald killed th...more
May 18, 2013 11:10am

Pete daPixie Doug wrote: "You would think that if it was a conspiracy somebody in last 50 years would have said something. People just can't get that peon like Osw...more Doug wrote: "You would think that if it was a conspiracy somebody in last 50 years would have said something. People just can't get that peon like Oswald killed the most powerful man on the planet...without help."Doug, so many people have given evidence over the last 50 years. Evidence of conspiracy is overwhelming. Try this. Go to your library or town or city bookstore and ask for 'Inside the ARRB' by Doug Horne. Or 'JFK & the Unspeakable' by James W. Douglass. Then try for 'Case Closed' by Gerald Posner. Bet I know which of those three are available.

Personally, I believe Oswald is stood in the doorway in the Altgens6. See www.oswald-innocent.com.
Are you seriously going with the Warren Report? 3 shots in just over 6 seconds with a Carcano bolt action piece of junk with a defective scope. Also identified as a Mauser! Are you swallowing Arlen Specter's magic pristine bullet too? Why did LHO fail his paraffin test? Why do modern V.S.A. tests on the recordings of LHO's statements to the press, i.e. "I didn't shoot anybody, no sir" strongly indicate he was telling the truth?
Why was the normal S.S. security level abandoned?
Why was JFK in two coffins at Bethesda?
Why was the Zapruder film suppressed and faked?
Why are autopsy photos and x-rays in the National Archives today either fake or useless.
Why was there two separate brain examinations at autopsy?
Why did LBJ lie to the Warren Commission?
Why do reputable analysts identify fingerprints of LBJ's hired killer, Malc Wallace, on boxes in the TSBD, but the FBI do not?
Why is there a unanimous shots from the front opinion from Parkland doctors & the opposite at Bethesda?
Why was the limo windshield with the through and through hole from the front, seen by DPD officers at Parkland, replaced and a 2nd fake one placed in the National Archives?
Why was Oswald killed by Jack Ruby?
WHY? Because it was a cover-up of a coup. President Kennedy was removed from office by violence because he was becoming demonstrably successful as a reformer in the area of national security affairs and international relations, and because he posed a very serious threat to the goals and entrenched power of the national security establishment in America-what Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex. Those cats don't go for world peace. Still don't.
As for that peon. He was a true nine carat patriot who admired JFK. He was a sheep dipped intelligence operative who was manipulated by Angleton to become exactly what he said he was. A patsy.(less)
updated May 18, 2013 07:10pm

Oct 15, 2012 Gary Schantz rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I see that many people have rated this book as high (or higher than the Lincoln book) but my viewpoint is that there is nothing new here...NOTHING.

One hundred pages in, there is a total of 2 pages on the assassin and the rest on Kennedy's lifestyle. Who cares? So what that Kennedy was the Elvis of presidents? So what the he cheated on his wife? This is new?

I enjoyed the book on Lincoln as I felt that it moved quickly with a new insight to how and why Lincoln was assassinated. Yet the Kennedy boo...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How a sequence of gunshots on a Dallas afternoon not only killed a beloved president but also sent the nation into the cataclysmic division of the Vietnam War and its culture-changing aftermath.

In January 1961, as the Cold War escalates, John F. Kennedy struggles to contain the growth of Communism while he learns the hardships, solitude, and temptations of what it means to be president of the United States. Along the way he acquires a number of formidable enemies, among them Soviet leader Nikita...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Patty rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

Written in a juvenile fashion, this book gave me nothing new. In fact, I knew more than the book was presenting. It begins with JFK's inauguration and goes until the assassination, and that section doesn't include anything about any of the conspiracy theories. Disappointed, because Killing Lincoln was so good.

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Nov 13, 2012 Tom rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: High school students wanting to know a bit.

Recommended to Tom by: The author

Shelves: biography, history-other

A very easy read written in a style of short vignettes that follow the various lives that converge in the killing of President Kennedy. The book includes a few interesting insights, altho not many.

It is an embellished essay about this epic tragedy.

If one wants a simple, easy to read, summary of what happened, this is a fair candidate. Were O'Reilly's name not on the cover, this would likely be lost in the dusty shelves and lists of nice books of little or no import in the world of literacy and...more A very easy read written in a style of short vignettes that follow the various lives that converge in the killing of President Kennedy. The book includes a few interesting insights, altho not many.

It is an embellished essay about this epic tragedy.

If one wants a simple, easy to read, summary of what happened, this is a fair candidate. Were O'Reilly's name not on the cover, this would likely be lost in the dusty shelves and lists of nice books of little or no import in the world of literacy and the voluminous undistinguished mountain of writings about Kennedy. However, because it is getting pitched to a huge and mostly adoring audience of millions night after night? Well, it is a "best seller" for that reason and none others.

Not a recommended book for anyone really wanting to know specifics, details, and in-depth investigation of the assassination. Nice cover though.

btw, some self-proclaimed officianados have determined that O'Reilly's write fails to come to correct conclusions. Frankly, while I'm disinclined to think it does not, I'm not sufficiently intriqued to have read enough to have an informed position about the Warren Commission's conclusion. For now, I believe those conclusions, having read and watched "enough." So until there is a clarion call proclaiming a new "truth" that might vindicate the conspiracy theorists' ideas, I think they are well-meaning, wannabe CSIers.

For now, I think this summarizes the true story, simply and succinctly.

btw, the manner in which the authors portray the Kennedys is sickening-sweet, dreamy-eyed and almost childish. Guess they had to work to get the book's content to play into the book's title that included the vision of Camelot. Not! Never was, and they do a mass disservice to anyone wanting to really know, imo. In the end, the only thing that links O'Reilly and this story is his contention that he "heard" one of the ancillary characters blowing his head off, as O'Reilly was "hot on the trail of truth." Yea, right. O'Reilly. Mr. No-Spin Spinster! (less)

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May 12, 2013 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my second read of this book. This book is absolutely amazing. I've listened to and read other accounts of this event, but I was only seven (7) years old in second grade when this happened. I've never heard a better work and heard something more passionate and more accurate. I really have a lot of respect for Bill O'Reilly. He did a masterful job of writing and narrating this. I can't believe how so much information was gathered to make this book come together. It was a marriage of appear...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: highly-recommended

There is something about major disasters that elevates them in the minds of most people. We understand them on a grand scale as national or world tragedies, but we seldom think of the countless personal heartbreaks they entail. I was a child during the campaign of 1960, but I vaguely recall hearing adults in my small, Protestant hometown worry over what would happen if a Catholic were elected President. I do not recall ever hearing about the Bay of Pigs or the Cuban Missile Crisis on the news. I...more There is something about major disasters that elevates them in the minds of most people. We understand them on a grand scale as national or world tragedies, but we seldom think of the countless personal heartbreaks they entail. I was a child during the campaign of 1960, but I vaguely recall hearing adults in my small, Protestant hometown worry over what would happen if a Catholic were elected President. I do not recall ever hearing about the Bay of Pigs or the Cuban Missile Crisis on the news. It was a time when children were protected from some of the more harsh aspects of life (would that it were still so!). But, like most Americans I will never forget exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard President Kennedy had been shot. I remember watching the funeral procession and seeing John, Jr. saluting his father's casket. Yes, these are real memories, not just recollections of news footage I've viewed as an adult. They made lasting impressions on me, but they grew from my own loss and shock, not from empathy for those involved.

Perhaps it's surprising that I never read any of the numerous Kennedy biographies that followed his death or any of the lurid debunking biographies that sought to reveal the dirt under the shining surface of Camelot. Perhaps I wanted to retain a bit of that simpler time when everyone, even the President of the United States, could have a private life beyond the public persona. I am no ostrich with my head in the sand... I was aware of the stories of Kennedy's many indiscretions and affairs but had no desire to wallow in the details. Therefore, I was reluctant to pick up Killing Kennedy even though I enjoyed O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln.

When both my sisters finished and recommended the book, I decided to try it, and I am so glad I did. Others have complained that there is little or nothing new here, and that may well be true, but for those like me who have avoided the subject, the story is presented in a highly readable narrative that neither skirts Kennedy's infidelity and failures nor puts him on a pedestal. Rather, O'Reilly and Dugard present a young man who was groomed for a life very different from the one Fate had in store, a bright idealist who grew through misfortune, doubt and pain to become a leader of great promise. Simultaneously, they share glimpses and insights into other key players in the tragedy, including Lee Harvey Oswald, Jackie Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and many more. The personal stories and details make the assassination more than a historical event, more than an American nightmare, but a personal tragedy for all those involved.(less)

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May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A riveting historical narrative of the shocking events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the follow-up to mega-bestselling author Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln.

...more

A riveting historical narrative of the shocking events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the follow-up to mega-bestselling author Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln.

More than a million readers have thrilled to Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln, the page-turning work of nonfiction about the shocking assassination that changed the course of American history. Now the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor; recounts in gripping detail the brutal murder of John Fitzgerald Kennedy--and how a sequence of gunshots on a Dallas afternoon not only killed a beloved president but also sent the nation into the cataclysmic division of the Vietnam War and its culture-changing aftermath.

In January 1961, as the Cold War escalates, John F. Kennedy struggles to contain the growth of Communism while he learns the hardships, solitude, and temptations of what it means to be president of the United States. Along the way he acquires a number of formidable enemies, among them Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, and Alan Dulles, director of the Central Intelligence Agency. In addition, powerful elements of organized crime have begun to talk about targeting the president and his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy.

In the midst of a 1963 campaign trip to Texas, Kennedy is gunned down by an erratic young drifter named Lee Harvey Oswald. The former Marine Corps sharpshooter escapes the scene, only to be caught and shot dead while in police custody.

The events leading up to the most notorious crime of the twentieth century are almost as shocking as the assassination itself. Killing Kennedy chronicles both the heroism and deceit of Camelot, bringing history to life in ways that will profoundly move the reader. This may well be the most talked about book of the year.

Review

"Immersively written . . . Mr. O’Reilly and Mr. Dugard succeed in investing a familiar national tragedy with fresh anguish. . . A powerful historical précis." —Janet Maslin,* The New York Times

"All the suspense and drama of a popular thriller."—Husna Haq, The Christian Science Monitor

About the Author

Bill O'Reilly is the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor, the highest-rated cable news show in the country. He also writes a syndicated newspaper column and is the author of several number-one bestselling books.

Martin Dugard is the New York Times bestselling author of several books of history. His book Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone has been adapted into a History Channel special. He lives in Southern California with his wife and three sons.

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May 07, 2013 Zach Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The subject of Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot was to really show what happened with the assassination of JFK. This book was written by Bill O'Reilly along with Martin Dugard, the genre of Killing Kennedy is non-fiction. Bill O'Reilly has his own show on Fox and Martin Dugard is a New York Times best selling author. The book takes place during the time President Kennedy was president, in the 1961-1963. It also gives background information about JFK's past in the military and during World War...more

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May 04, 2013 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There are a few moments of history that people can bring to life in there mind remember all that was going on during that moment. For those that were alive on November 22, 1963 they can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when they found out about the JFK assassination. The assassination was a key moment in American history that O’Reilly and Dugard have written about in a quick, dramatic way that would appeal to fiction readers. The information presented in the book has a g...more There are a few moments of history that people can bring to life in there mind remember all that was going on during that moment. For those that were alive on November 22, 1963 they can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when they found out about the JFK assassination. The assassination was a key moment in American history that O’Reilly and Dugard have written about in a quick, dramatic way that would appeal to fiction readers. The information presented in the book has a gossipy tone makes the book a fast read and enjoyable to many readers. The information though interesting was not scholarly and so may not appeal to history readers or JFK fans. Most of the book follows the facts presented in the Warren Commission Report with the exception of the epilogue that mentions some of the facts behind the conspiracy theories as well as O’Reilly’s own part in the story. I would recommend this book to most readers, especially fiction readers looking for nonfiction book. This would also be a great recommendation for reluctant readers looking for a nonfiction book because of the dramatic writing style used in describing this unforgettable moment in US history.

“Most people live their lives as if the end were always years away. They measure their days in love, laughter, accomplishment, and loss. There are moments of sunshine and storm. There are schedules, phone calls, careers, anxieties, joys, exotic trips, favorite foods, romance, shame, and hunger. A person can be defined by clothing, the smell of his breath, the way she combs her hair, the shape of his torso, or even the company she keeps.
All over the world, children love their parents and yearn for love in return. They revel in the touch of parental hands on their faces. And even on the worst of days, each person has dreams about the future-dreams that sometimes come true.
Such is life.
Yet life can end in less time than it takes to draw one breath.”

Appeal Notes (May contain spoilers):
Pacing: Fast
Character: Kennedy, Oswald and the other key players in Kennedy’s life described in simple detail allowing for so many people to be introduced without becoming overwhelming.
Language: Compelling and dramatic
Location: United States, Texas, Washington D.C., Massachusetts
Tone: Dramatic
Comments: I enjoy reading about the Civil War and decided to put myself of the list of patrons waiting for both “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy”. I have read very little about the assassination of JFK, and now after reading this book I am looking for more scholarly books on this topic (suggestions always welcome). My hope is that this book may do the same for other readers as well. Any book that inspires readers to delve more into a subject area is a great book (by my definition) to recommend. I received “Killing Lincoln” a few days ago and have just started reading it.(less)

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Apr 24, 2013 Kannonhall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I actually did not read this book I listened to Bill O'Reilly narrate it himself on the audio book version. This book was captivating. At times I had to remind myself that I was driving because of how consummed I was with this book. You begin at the start of his presidency and are taken on a near day by day rendention of the days leading up to his assassination. At the same time while you are discovering the pit falls and accomplishments of JFK's presidency you learn about Lee Harvey Osvald's li...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well I was a bit over my head on this one! I am fifteen years old and picked this up after my dad finished it. I consider myself to only be a mild history buff and many people who have read this book have read others on the subject of Kennedy's assassination. Because this was one of the only history related books I've read, my opinion is not the most trustworthy. I did find that Bill O'Reilly seems to think that Oswald acted alone. But he left holes. He didn't explain Oswald's motive for the mur...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A riveting historical narrative of the shocking events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the follow-up to mega-bestselling author Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln.

...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Russell Hamilton rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Killing Kennedy was a quick and interesting read that matched up pretty favorably with Killing Lincoln. The interesting part about this book was despite his assertion that Oswald killed Kennedy he puts forth a pretty strong case for La Cosa Nostra (aka the mob).

The Kennedy assassination was one of my first obsessions and I read numerous different books about all kinds of theories. I find the military theories put forth by folks like Oliver Stone to be absurd.

However even if Oswald did pull the...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Sheila DeChantal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

John F Kennedy took the White House by storm. He was young, we was intelligent and with Jackie Kennedy by his side they were a power team.

Yet behind the big white doors all was not well in what was commonly referred to during the Kennedy’s reign as Camelot. Kennedy had a liking of women and many throughout his tears as president visited the White House and John, while Jackie, knowing of some, suspecting more, of her husbands flings would take long weekends away from the White House giving both h...more John F Kennedy took the White House by storm. He was young, we was intelligent and with Jackie Kennedy by his side they were a power team.

Yet behind the big white doors all was not well in what was commonly referred to during the Kennedy’s reign as Camelot. Kennedy had a liking of women and many throughout his tears as president visited the White House and John, while Jackie, knowing of some, suspecting more, of her husbands flings would take long weekends away from the White House giving both her and her husband space.

Camelot was a place where actresses were entertained by both John and Jackie. Lavish parties were held by the couple, and while the above states an unfaithful man, in the end John really did love Jackie and Jackie loved John.

Of course, being President is not all fun and games and campaigning and keeping the country in order was a lot of work for both of the Kennedy’s. While in the White House Jackie had given birth to a son who passed away being premature, and of course she had the two children Caroline and John Jr.

This read however is not only about the time in the Presidency, but a war is at hand and a dark shadow that has been following JFK for some time… inches closer and closer.

Bill O’Reilly is not only an engaging writer, he is also a remarkable narrator. Much like when I listened to The Killing of Lincoln by this very same author, I was fully emerged in the world of the Presidency. No one can deny that the Kennedy’s were fascinating people. John’s battle with back pain *which according to this author eventually may have contributed to his death* , the delightful Jacklyn always holding it together even when things were not as they would seem, their children Carolyn and John Jr, and of course John’s brothers… especially Bobby.

If this subject is remotely interesting to you I highly recommend listening to it. All of the background of the JFK presidency, and the underlying side story of Oswald and his insane behaviors and political views. I thought it was a very good telling of the Kennedy murder.

For more of my reviews stop by: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/(less)

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Feb 26, 2013 Reid rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We decided to listen to O'Reilly and Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy on a couple hour drive this weekend, I typically don't get into audio books but it was a good way to pass the time on the road. I finished the book with the hardcover when we got home, but the audio was well done I thought, narrated by O'Reilly himself.

I read Killing Lincoln and enjoyed it well enough, but having read better and more in-depth books on the subject, I found it light and I didn't learn anything new (Not sure what...more We decided to listen to O'Reilly and Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy on a couple hour drive this weekend, I typically don't get into audio books but it was a good way to pass the time on the road. I finished the book with the hardcover when we got home, but the audio was well done I thought, narrated by O'Reilly himself.

I read Killing Lincoln and enjoyed it well enough, but having read better and more in-depth books on the subject, I found it light and I didn't learn anything new (Not sure what I expected on a 150 year old story I've read about before ;) ).

I ended up feeling the same about Killing Kennedy, it was a fascinating read/listen, but I don't think there's anything new there, nor is it detailed enough to be a biography, etc. I would describe it as High-Level Kennedy in A Couple Of Hours. Which to me was fine, I've read about the assassination and know the major events of his time in office, but I found some of the other content from his Presidency fascinating.

Killing Kennedy is a bit of misnomer as a title, only because the assassination is such a hot topic that I believe alot of people would think this would focus around those events. In fact, while there are allusions to his impending fate throughout, the murder is only covered briefly at the end. While they've included references to Oswald's whereabouts in brief snippets throughout the events leading up to Dallas, it does not go into any detail regarding his background.

Again, I don't think that's a bad thing in the context of what the book was, but some might be expecting more on the assassination meat and potatoes given the title. I don't subscribe to any of the conspiracy theories and believe Oswald acted alone, so another word of warning to the folks expecting something juicy beyond that, O'Reilly and Dugard seem to believe that as well, giving no further look into the physical evidence, Warren Commission or possible alternatives. To me that's just fine, but to others looking for some type of revelation, it won't be found here.

All in all it was an interesting read and I learned some things I didn't know, but I'm guessing you can find more indepth looks at Kennedy and his Presidency (which I hope to do one of these days), and I know there are a myriad of books that cover the assassination more specifically.

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Feb 10, 2013 Jeff Kelleher rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

History as National Enquirier feature.

I own a library of more than 50 volumes on JFK and have read them all. So I approached this treatment by the Fox News personality skeptically. Fortunately, I can report that, apart from a few careless mistakes (Kennedy was not a second lieutenant; Johnson did not appoint Sarah Hughes), the history is basically sound and unbiased.

What is distinctive is the staccato Walter Winchell/National Enquirer style. The book consists of set-piece dramatic scenes, with d...more History as National Enquirier feature.

I own a library of more than 50 volumes on JFK and have read them all. So I approached this treatment by the Fox News personality skeptically. Fortunately, I can report that, apart from a few careless mistakes (Kennedy was not a second lieutenant; Johnson did not appoint Sarah Hughes), the history is basically sound and unbiased.

What is distinctive is the staccato Walter Winchell/National Enquirer style. The book consists of set-piece dramatic scenes, with date, time, place, and dramatis personae set forth at the start of each. It is effective at transforming history into theater.

The title is misleading. I expected something along the lines of Williams Manchester's "Death of a President." But the events of November, 1963 take up less than a fifth of the book. Instead, it is a brief biography of JFK, and a rather lengthier account of his presidency. Lee Harvey Oswald's actions and movements are spliced into the chronology, so the finale lurks throughout.

O'Reilly recites the main conspiracy theories but, appropriately, endorses none of them.

My main criticism is the absence of sources. This was pointedly raised in one of the more titillating passages. O'Reilly reports that Jacqueline Kennedy became freiends with a cardiologist in his 30s. They were close enough that she confided that she thought the cause of her husband's infidelities might be her inability to satisfy him. The doctor coaches her on sexual technique, and she later reports that the coaching was successful, and she and her husband are much more intimate. This was about the only passage in the book that was new to me, and I wanted to know where it came from.

The style and tenor place the book as far at the opposite end of the spectrum from a standard academic history as you can get. For this reason, a lot of historians will disdain it. I disagree. As long as the basic history is sound, as here, books like this are desirable. There will be high school and college students out there who would otherwise have never given a sniff to a history book, but now might be inoculated with fascination for the subject. (less)

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Feb 08, 2013 Brenda Honeycutt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you are interested in the Kennedy assasination, you will enjoy this book just because of the subject matter. But having read many books on this topic over the years, I found this one very superficial. It gives very little detail, no more than you would get from reading a newspaper article written around that time. Most of the book is about Kennedy's earlier life and the first years of his Presidency. I did learn much about Kennedy's ealier life that I had not known. The book almost seems like...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was 10 years old when JFK was killed. This book, which I listened to as opposed to reading it (read by Bill O'Reilly) was very helpful to me. It allowed me to know the whole story as an adult, in order, written as a story but factual (as far as we have the facts today). The "facts" have been available for years, but to have it all at once and delivered well gave me a better understanding of world affairs, the Kennedys and other politicians as flawed people; an ego driven villain in Oswald and...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Johnplavelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have recently completed Killing Lincoln and enjoyed it. It read like a mystery novel even though anyone with a few seconds of consciousness in an American History class knew who it would turn out. It brought the killing of Lincoln to life in away that being in an American History class never did for me.

I was waiting outside the door of my English class when I heard the news of Kennedy's shooting in Dallas. At first all I heard was the line, "He was shot in the head." I grew up in Chicago and...more

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Jan 28, 2013 GeschiedenisBeleven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: amerikaanse-geschiedenis

De beroemdste whodunnit uit de geschiedenis, de moord op John. F. Kennedy, is dit jaar 50 jaar geleden. De populaire Amerikaanse president werd op 22 november 1963 door Lee Harvey Oswald doodgeschoten op Dealey Plaza in Dallas. In de open limousine was hij een makkelijk doelwit. Nog altijd verschijnen er nieuwe boeken over de moord en het ‘complot’ eromheen.

Wytse Vellinga bespreekt twee van deze boeken. Wie vermoordde J. F. Kennedy van de Nederlandse Perry Vermeulen en Killing Kennedy van Bill O...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Bud Hewlett rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received this book as a Christmas present and honestly it's not a book that I would have bought for myself. I'm not a big O'Reilly fan. That said, it was actually a pretty good book and I'd have given it at least 3 and a half stars if I could. Like many who are old enough to remember this event the shock of it is still fresh in my mind. The book is more, though, than just an account of the assassination. It has a review of Kennedy's life and lots of back round concerning his term including the...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Cordell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed the book in general. I read many things about The President that I didn't know and found interesting. For example I didn't know the the president swam every day because of back pain and I didn't know that he was wearing a back brace the day he was shot.

I was disappointed In a few of the details that where the author made inferences that are wrong. For example Oswald qualified as a Sharpshooter in the Marines. You can miss almost half of the targets you engage in basic rifle marksmansh...more

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Jan 06, 2013 hamptonenglish10 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Emmett Clark
Academic English 10
Period 9
1/6/12

Killing Kennedy is a riveting biography written by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard, Which explains president John Fitzgerald Kennedy's last days in the White House before his assassination in 1963. In the story O'Reilly talks about JFK's time in the Navy during WW2 on his ship PT-109, and goes into great detail about the Cuban missile crisis, and the Bay of Pigs invasion. These important events shape JFK's fate for the end of the book when Lee Har...more Emmett Clark
Academic English 10
Period 9
1/6/12

Killing Kennedy is a riveting biography written by Bill O'Reilly & Martin Dugard, Which explains president John Fitzgerald Kennedy's last days in the White House before his assassination in 1963. In the story O'Reilly talks about JFK's time in the Navy during WW2 on his ship PT-109, and goes into great detail about the Cuban missile crisis, and the Bay of Pigs invasion. These important events shape JFK's fate for the end of the book when Lee Harvey Oswald assassinates the beloved president.

The genre of this wonderful book is historical nonfiction, because the events in the book actually happened. In the book, the life of JFK's killer, Lee Harvey Oswald is told to paint a descriptive picture of the reasons and causes of that horrible day in Dallas in 1963. There were parts I found interesting about the ex- Marine sharpshooter, He was a brilliant mind with an IQ of 118. Another weird fact is 3 months before he killed Kennedy, He applied for assylum from the U.S to Cuba that application of course, was denied. There were many facts about JFK as well. O'Reilly wrote about his many affairs at the White House with his family and the world. For instance, I did not know that Jackie Kennedy had misscarried two childeren before her son of three days, Patrick Bouvier- Kennedy, died in 1963 a few weeks before JFK's death. Plus, I learned how JFK was a very important character in the Civil Rights movement, how he had worked with Martin Luther King Jr, a tepid minister from Alabama. This dynamic duo, helped create freedoms for the black community and free them from civil oppression.

In Conclusion, I would definitley recommend this book to my friends and family members. This book really gets into details of the events that transpired in the years before and after JFK's death. It is a part of History many people should know about this because of the Missile Crisis, which is important that the people of the U.S understand nuclear threats and war.It also helped me figure out what similarities happened then, and are happening now. I believe that is important. After all, people who don't study history are doomed to repeat it. This book teaches us that this quote is very true

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Jan 03, 2013 Shavon Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story reads like a movie. The way O'Reilly switches back and forth from the glorious Kennedy to the pathetic Oswald with objectivity makes Killing Kennedy seem like as accurate an account as we who were not born at the time can hope to have - devoid of the hero-worship spin put on Kennedy by other so-called reporters who come off as little more than fans rather than as historians. In this book, Kennedy was at once flawed and impressive - in other words, he was human. And the troubled Oswald...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As with the readability of "Killing Lincoln", the previous biography written by the same authors, "Killing Kennedy" is an engrossing read and difficult to put down once started. While it's very informative historically, it almost reads like a suspense novel.

In spite of being a well-liked president, Kennedy had many enemies such as Russia, Cuba, J. Edgar Hoover, the mafia, etc. So, whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald acted completely alone is still something I wonder about. I don't doubt that his w...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Dale rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Published in 2012 by MacMillan Audio
Duration: 8 hours, 25 minutes
Unabridged
Read by the author, Bill O'Reilly

I was a little reluctant to listen to this audiobook because of the author. Not Martin Dugard. This is the third book I have read or listened to that he has written or co-written and I know he can really tell a story. No, it's Mr. "No Spin Zone" that I cannot stand. Our politics are similar but I just find O'Reilly difficult to stomach.

That being said, I enjoyed this audiobook quite a lot....more

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Dec 21, 2012 Tom Smith rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

O'Reilly's "Killing Kennedy" is a major disappointment for anyone seeking new theories or information on the assassination. This book largely follows the inept findings of the Warren Commission despite O'Reilly claiming that he would "offer different scenarios for the reader to come to their own conclusions". In the end, however the reader is left with the same cliches and speculation that we have all known for years, ultimately right back to the original investigation.

I have a problem with an...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked the book, Killing Lincoln, so I had high expectations for this one. I was disappointed. While the authors are good writers and tell an interesting story I had some issues. 1. The story felt choppy. It jumped all over and from different places and perspectives. It wasn't confusing but it wasn't pleasant to read either. 2. I know that Kennedy's affairs are part of his history, but it felt like an unnecessarily large focus. The way the authors talked about it kind of felt like two te...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Mike McManus rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

O'Reilly spends the 80% of the book talking about all of the reasons people and countries had for wanting Kennedy out of office. And yet, when he gets to the end of the story, he leaves us to believe that a man who was not a proven sharpshooter, who was positioned 6 stories above the ground many, many yards away, who had little more than a grudge against Kennedy was the only one involved with his death. What about the 100 deaths (many of which were never explained) that happened to people involv...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Mrs. Meyer Bell 6: What makes the death of a President so fascinating to speculate about? Why are assassinations always written about and made the example of conspiracy theories?	3	10	May 23, 2013 11:01am
LEE HARVEY OSWALD IS NOT THE KILLER	4	77	May 21, 2013 06:14am
Clearly Controversial	19	97	Apr 29, 2013 07:39pm
Mr. Rainko	1	8	Apr 26, 2013 04:15am
And do we need to know...	8	46	Jan 07, 2013 05:58pm
Will Bill O'Reilly Take the $25K JFK Challenge?	1	50	Aug 09, 2012 01:24pm

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About Bill O'Reilly

Bill O'Reilly is an American television/radio host, author, syndicated columnist, and political commentator. He is the host of the cable news program The O'Reilly Factor. Prior to hosting The O'Reilly Factor, he served as anchor of the entertainment program, Inside Edition.

O'Reilly also hosts The Radio Factor, a radio program syndicated by Westwood One, and he has written seven books.

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Books by Bill O'Reilly

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever

Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama

The No Spin Zone: Confrontations with the Powerful and Famous in America

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“Most people live their lives as if the end were always years away. They measure their days in love, laughter, accomplishment, and loss. There are moments of sunshine and storm. There are schedules, phone calls, careers, anxieties, joys, exotic trips, favorite foods, romance, shame, and hunger. A person can be defined by clothing, the smell of his breath, the way she combs her hair, the shape of his torso, or even the company she keeps.
All over the world, children love their parents and yearn for love in return. They revel in the touch of parental hands on their faces. And even on the worst of days, each person has dreams about the future-dreams that sometimes come true.
Such is life.
Yet life can end in less time than it takes to draw one breath.” — 7 people liked it

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