The Zenith Secret: A CIA Insider Exposes the Secret War Against Cuba and the Plots that Killed the Kennedy Brothers

by Bradley Earl Ayers

The sinister inside story of the little-known, illegal, CIA field station on U.S. the Miami operation code-named JMWAVE. This elite CIA group selected Ayers, then one of the Army's top unconventional warfare specialists, to help train spies sent to Cuba. Under the corporate cover of Zenith Technical Enterprises, Ayers worked directly with JMWAVE Station Chief Ted Shackley, who lead CIA assassination attempts on Castro. Ayers met and worked with David Morales (who had ties to mobster John Roselli)and Orlando Bosch. Both are today considered key plotters of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Brad Ayers, now 70, is now ready to fully expose who and what made up JMWAVE, a dark place in time he calls the "seedbed of national tragedy."

287 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 2007

Reviews

[Drew C · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book reads like the diary of a CIA paramilitary trainer recounting his experiences in the field training a covert rebel Cuban exile force at the CIA-Miami Station in the early 1960s. If you are familiar with the Miami area, the mention of many locations around the city highlights parts of the obscure, less known history of the city and makes the read more exciting. There are many suspenseful moments that seem more like a Tom Clancy novel than a non fiction book. If you already know the various prominent names in 60s US Intelligence and 60s US Organized Crime, this book is full of good information, background and insider accounts and stories that you won't hear everyday.
One thing that makes this book extremely worth the read is the insight into the notorious CIA JM/WAVE Station based in Miami off 152nd Street. There are no other books written about the inside workings, structure, and names inside JM/WAVE. This updated version of Ayers 70s title "The War That Never Was" is a re-released, unedited version that names names like E. Howard Hunt, David Atlee Phillips, Ted Shackley, Rip Robinson, John Rosselli, Robert F. Kennedy and the infamous David Sanchez Morales (who the author later spends at least 1/3 of the book researching).

The last section of the book loses focus on JM/WAVE and the War against Cuba and meanders about, describing life on the move as a whistle-blower digging up a story certain 'dark forces' do no want uncovered. The author deserves a lot of respect in his perseverance to uncover the truth despite numerous attempts to silence him through use of extreme force and violence, social + financial manipulation other tools of the trade. It is clear that the people Ayers worked for and then against were unscrupulous characters who operate in a world where the end always justifies the means.
This second half also provides a lot of facts in the background of the JFK Assassination, the authors working theory and unequaled (to my knowledge) research on David Morales, a now-infamous CIA paramilitary agent/assassin that was known for his ruthless pursuit of success in covert operations from World War II until his mysterious death. Again, this, combined with the first part of the book make it a worthwhile read.
I understand Ayers desire for the reader to understand the process of writing these kinds of books and being in the position he was in, but since I bought this book specifically for the information Cuban/American conflict and JM/WAVE, I found myself ready to be done with the book a few times. This book isn't for everyone, but if you are interested in the specific things I mentioned above, it's great reading to piggyback a lot of other books about the 'war against Cuba' and this period of time.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. It's my second time reading it and the details get more interesting each time. Ayers version of the facts cannot be dismissed easily and prompt more questions. Conspiracy theorists will find much to think about in reading this. Highly recommended to those who are interested in the US/Cuban affairs of the early 1960's and, of course, the Kennedy Assassination.