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Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot
(The Killing of Historical Figures)
by
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. ...more
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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 ...more
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 ...more
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
I remember......... like so many Americans who were of age during the time of the Kennedy assassination exactly where I was, what I was doing and what was happening all around me.
I remember........ the announcement in school, the early dismissal, tears, shock, disbelief and then silence.......so much silence.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, sadly, had less than three years left to live when he took office in 1961 at the
...more
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.
Killing Kennedy? It was Lyndon Johnson, Texas oil executives & their friends in U.S. military intelligence who did it.
Is it worth your $20 and, more importantly, your precious time to read this book? No, because the author feels that he can just ignore 49 years of very fine research into the JFK assassination pretend this massive amount of quality research just does not exist.
The Warren Report farce has not just been machine gun riddled, shot up like Swiss Cheese. It has been put into a ...more
Is it worth your $20 and, more importantly, your precious time to read this book? No, because the author feels that he can just ignore 49 years of very fine research into the JFK assassination pretend this massive amount of quality research just does not exist.
The Warren Report farce has not just been machine gun riddled, shot up like Swiss Cheese. It has been put into a ...more
My experience this book is so intertwined with my experience of 11/22/63 that I can't mention one without the other. I'm cross-posting this review to King's book.
I recently was given Bill O'Reilly's Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot as a birthday gift. I probably would not have bought it although I like his television news show because, being a lawyer, I read enough nonfiction and like to escape to fiction to relax. But it was eminently readable and certainly took me back to that dark day in ...more
I recently was given Bill O'Reilly's Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot as a birthday gift. I probably would not have bought it although I like his television news show because, being a lawyer, I read enough nonfiction and like to escape to fiction to relax. But it was eminently readable and certainly took me back to that dark day in ...more
I read Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II's Most Audacious General and thought it a good and thought provoking book. Could I, I would give this book maybe a half star less, but that could be subjective.
Mr. O'Reilly tells us that there's nothing new here as he opens...he's right. So let me say this, if you were born too late to actually remember the events recounted in this book it will be far more valuable than it will to those of us who remember them.
There are events in history ...more
Mr. O'Reilly tells us that there's nothing new here as he opens...he's right. So let me say this, if you were born too late to actually remember the events recounted in this book it will be far more valuable than it will to those of us who remember them.
There are events in history ...more
As he demonstrates on FOX News, Mr O'Reilly has trouble separating historical fact from hearsay, history from his own prejudices. I read his previous book, Killing Lincoln, a year or so ago and while it did not contain much in the way of new information as it claimed, the book was actually well written and held my interest. Killing Kennedy did neither. In the introduction, Mr O'Reilly claims he will "cut through the fog and bring you the facts". Facts, to Mr O'Reilly are whatever he chooses to
...more
The man is a bonafide douchecanoe but he can write compelling accounts of world events. This was really fascinating.
Fascinating fact-based account of JFK's White House years highlighting the controversies leading up to his assassination. Picked up a few interesting details of the behind the scene lives of JFK and MLK, Jr.
This book was fascinating in a weird tabloid sort of way.
I was only 4 when JFK was elected, but at a young age I was happy to know that a Catholic like me was president of the United States. I knew that it was controversial that Kennedy was a Catholic; but I doubt that word was in my vocab at the time.
This is how I have always pictured JFK:
He even had children like me:
Although people would probably hate him today because he was such a rich guy (wink wink), no one cared back then:
As I grew ...more
I was only 4 when JFK was elected, but at a young age I was happy to know that a Catholic like me was president of the United States. I knew that it was controversial that Kennedy was a Catholic; but I doubt that word was in my vocab at the time.
This is how I have always pictured JFK:
He even had children like me:
Although people would probably hate him today because he was such a rich guy (wink wink), no one cared back then:
As I grew ...more
Nov 04, 2012
Tom
rated it
it was ok
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
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
Great non-fiction (that felt like a novel) about JFK and his assassination. There might not be a lot of "new" material, but it was a great refresher. Actually I did learn several things I didn't know and made me want to learn even more. My parents were teens/young adults when he was killed and could tell me exactly where they were when they heard the news. Highly recommend to anyone wanting an entertaining/short version on the details of the JFK murder.
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
I have a problem with an ...more
“Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot.”
Loved this book. OK, so for those who've read their share of "Kennedy" books, there may not be any real surprises here to speak of. And it certainly is not intended to delve into exhaustive details. But the writing style of the O'Reilly/Dugard duo is so incredibly entertaining. Reading like novels, describing the sights, sounds and context of the moments which shape history, the ...more
Loved this book. OK, so for those who've read their share of "Kennedy" books, there may not be any real surprises here to speak of. And it certainly is not intended to delve into exhaustive details. But the writing style of the O'Reilly/Dugard duo is so incredibly entertaining. Reading like novels, describing the sights, sounds and context of the moments which shape history, the ...more
Listening to this book in the audible format was a very emotional experience for me. I was a teenager when Kennedy was assassinated in the 1960s were a very significant decade for me. Listening to the story of Camelot was also very emotional for me because I am in the midst of what may be the end of my father's life. My father is just recently in a nursing home as he approaches is 96 birthday following a fall that resulted in some serious head injuries. My emotions from that experience our
...more
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
The ascension, administration, and assassination of President Kennedy is truly a riveting topic, but this text is poorly written and, furthermore, written to such a low reading level that the grammatical errors and simplistic style are entirely distracting -- perhaps that is based on the audience to which O'Reilly wishes to appeal. For example, "kids" should be "children" for heaven sake, unless you're writing to an elementary reading level, and the verb tense should be consistent and should NOT
...more
Very disappointing, exploitative book. Nothing new or enlightening on the murder of a sitting President. Robert Caro's book offers more on the assassination of President Kennedy then did O'Reilly. When all is said and done, Killing Kennedy was all about making a fast buck for O'Reilly. Skip it...you're missing nothing at all.
I think the tour of the White House by the First Lady to be shown on television should be reenacted. That's a great idea!
What a tragic time in our country's history. My heart broke for Jackie. What is amazing is that even though the author strayed from blaming Kennedy's death on any one conspiracy theory, his life still swarmed with conspiracies, so it's not a stretch to think.
What a tragic time in our country's history. My heart broke for Jackie. What is amazing is that even though the author strayed from blaming Kennedy's death on any one conspiracy theory, his life still swarmed with conspiracies, so it's not a stretch to think.
I give this book two stars because it was certainly entertaining. However, it will never get a Pulitzer Prize for history. Good historians lay the facts before their readers, and allow the readers to come to their own conclusions based on facts. That doesn't happen with this book. Bill just can't help inserting his own spin into the story. I loved how he tried to pin the Vietnam War on Kennedy rather than Eisenhower. I also was amused at his supposed inside knowledge of how people were thinking.
...more
Feb 20, 2019
Sherri
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biography-ish,
challenge-audio-2019
A sad and controversial time in American history. However, it's politics. Intrigue, back room deals, power trips, women and affairs, the list goes on.
What was reinforced was what a sex addict JFK was, his physical ailments, and the set up for political dynasty of their family. Then you look at all the major world and military trials he had to deal with.
Not a lot of juicy conspiracy theories.
What was reinforced was what a sex addict JFK was, his physical ailments, and the set up for political dynasty of their family. Then you look at all the major world and military trials he had to deal with.
Not a lot of juicy conspiracy theories.
WOW!!!! This was a good book, had trouble putting it down!!!! Of I am sure that everyone thinks read one book about President Kennedy you have read them all. I did not feel that that was the case for me with this book. I learned a lot about Kennedy and the beautiful Jackie. Of course in history class we learned about Kennedy and the day his life was taken, but we didn't learn so much about Oswald. This book had great insight into him and the way he thought all those years ago.
My LOVE for Kennedy ...more
My LOVE for Kennedy ...more
5 Stars
First off this book is really good. I did a lot more than what I already knew before. I have never read any Bill O'Reilly books before. K was not sure what to except. I loved everything about this book. I guess it is because it is a history book and I like to learn from these kind of books. I loved the writing and all the information that Bill O'Reilly gives through out the story from the beginning to the end. I would definitely read this book again. I would recommend this book to anyone ...more
First off this book is really good. I did a lot more than what I already knew before. I have never read any Bill O'Reilly books before. K was not sure what to except. I loved everything about this book. I guess it is because it is a history book and I like to learn from these kind of books. I loved the writing and all the information that Bill O'Reilly gives through out the story from the beginning to the end. I would definitely read this book again. I would recommend this book to anyone ...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.
...more
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
...more
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
This book was a slice of history for me! I've always loved all things "Kennedy" but this was like a trip to places I've never been and events I never saw before. What a great book, so much knowledge by Mr. O'Reilly. I recommend it to history buffs or general JFK fans!
Having read most of what has been written about the assasination, including the complete Warren Report, this makes for an interesting read, very much a.la 'readers digest' format.
A Fascinating Snapshot at A Significant Period of History
I’ve been hearing about the O’Reilly “Killing” books for years but never read or heard one of these books until KILLING KENNEDY. I listened to the audio book cover to cover and enjoyed it.
The authors weave a fascinating story filled with historical facts about the last years of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (predominately) but also other people in the story like Jackie Kennedy or Lee Harvey Oswald or numerous others. The detailed research and ...more
I’ve been hearing about the O’Reilly “Killing” books for years but never read or heard one of these books until KILLING KENNEDY. I listened to the audio book cover to cover and enjoyed it.
The authors weave a fascinating story filled with historical facts about the last years of John Fitzgerald Kennedy (predominately) but also other people in the story like Jackie Kennedy or Lee Harvey Oswald or numerous others. The detailed research and ...more
So fascinating! Didn’t care for the language and JFK’s exploits , but this was hard to put down.
O’Reilly did a good job setting the complex background... so many groups had to cause to kill JFK... It is so bizarre to think that Oswald did it alone—how could someone so inconsequential eliminate such a consequential figure by himself?!
The ending seems abrupt and I wish he would have given a synopsis of the Warren Commission and the House Committee. ...more
O’Reilly did a good job setting the complex background... so many groups had to cause to kill JFK... It is so bizarre to think that Oswald did it alone—how could someone so inconsequential eliminate such a consequential figure by himself?!
The ending seems abrupt and I wish he would have given a synopsis of the Warren Commission and the House Committee. ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEE HARVEY OSWALD IS NOT THE KILLER | 25 | 221 | Jul 26, 2017 04:20PM | |
| Milligan Family B...: Chapter 2 | 2 | 3 | Jan 14, 2016 06:46AM | |
| Milligan Family B...: Prologue | 2 | 3 | Jan 04, 2016 09:15PM | |
| Nonfiction Naviga...: President Assassination | 1 | 2 | Dec 03, 2015 06:55AM | |
| Nike Chillemi ~ ...: The End of Camelot | 1 | 2 | Apr 26, 2015 06:48AM | |
| Clearly Controversial | 21 | 138 | Aug 14, 2014 07:04AM | |
| And do we need to know... | 6 | 78 | May 08, 2014 08:24PM |
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Bill O'Reilly's success in broadcasting and publishing is unmatched. The iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor led the program to the status of the highest rated cable news broadcast in the nation for sixteen consecutive years. His website BillOReilly.com is followed by millions all over the world.
In addition, he has authored an astonishing 12 number one ranked non-fiction books including the ...more
In addition, he has authored an astonishing 12 number one ranked non-fiction books including the ...more
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The Killing of Historical Figures
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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.”
—
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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.”
“Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of right. Not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom—here in this hemisphere and, we hope, around the world. God willing, that goal will be achieved.”
—
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