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Promises to Keep
President Jack Cassidy slowly recovers from an assassination attempt in Dallas, while fellow politicians battle for power and a lone FBI agent pursues a gunman intent on finishing his job
643 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1988
22 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
George Bernau
7 books1 followerThe fledgling author made publishing history in 1987 when his derivative JFK manuscript was purchased by Warner Books for $750,000, a record advance for a first novel at that time.
“It really shakes out memories of growing up and having Kennedy die,” Bob Miller, Bernau’s editor at Warner Books told The Times about the manuscript then. ”
The story about President John Trelawny Cassidy surviving being shot in a Dallas motorcade – and getting a second chance to keep the promises he made as a candidate – stemmed from two of Bernau’s personal experiences.
The first occurred in 1977 when he was severely injured in an automobile accident. As the 6-foot-6, thirtysomething lawyer lay in the emergency room wondering if the doctor who predicted he would die was right, he reevaluated his life. Given a second chance to keep his promises to himself, he abandoned law in 1981 and began to write.
The second key evening came in 1983, after Bernau had completed a novel called “High Wire Act,” which he was too embarrassed to publish. He was in Palm Desert, talking politics with a friend and wondering how their lives and the world might have been different had Kennedy survived the Nov. 22, 1963, fatal shooting.
Bernau closeted himself in his Solano Beach, Calif., home and for five years wrote in longhand in spiral notebooks. By 1988, the 25th anniversary of Kennedy’s death, he had published a 641-page success. The book, which received positive reviews and sold well, was soon optioned for a television miniseries.
Unlike Kennedy, Bernau’s President Cassidy survives three bullets. He opts not to seek reelection but puts his brother on the ticket as vice president to a Lyndon B. Johnson stand-in called Ransome Gardner.
After the brother dies in a helicopter tour of Southeast Asia, the former president challenges Gardner in the 1968 primaries, forcing him to withdraw. Also involved is the revelation of a failed plot to assassinate Fidel Castro and its consequence of putting a second gunman in Dallas.
“This is a story of conspiracy and corruption, of assassination, of regicide. For a generation of Americans, it is the story of their age,” wrote former Democratic Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado in reviewing the book for The Times. “One believes, uncynically that Bernau was compelled to write this book. John Kennedy (with, it must be said, all his faults) was the Last American Hero.”
Bernau’s second book, “Candle in the Wind” published in 1990, dealt with another popular iconic figure, Marilyn Monroe.
That novel explored “what if” she had survived her 1962 drug overdose. Bernau’s movie star Marilyn Lane is spirited to a hospital, disappears, and her doctor and housekeeper are murdered. A Hollywood detective pursues the case to Baja California, shadowed by a hired assassin and both CIA and White House agents.
“Bernau
“There are plots tumbling on top of subplots, and there is enough skulduggery – at the international level, the national level, the Hollywood level and at the human-passion level – for a dozen books,” he added.
“This is an ingenious puzzler with tightly paced transitions of time, place and character that make it almost impossible to put down,” Campbell wrote.
Bernau’s less successful third novel, “Black Phoenix” in 1994, supposes that Adolf Hitler henchman Joseph Goebbels fakes his own death and continues World War II from outside Germany, using a deadly biological weapon.
“Bernau tells his story in a brisk, straightforward fashion. Unfortunately,” wrote reviewer Chris Petrakos for the Chicago Tribune, “the plot isn’t quite developed enough; it needs more expansion and adornment. Even with a neat twist at the end, this one never quite gets up to speed.”
Bernau also wrote occasional book reviews for The Times.
“It really shakes out memories of growing up and having Kennedy die,” Bob Miller, Bernau’s editor at Warner Books told The Times about the manuscript then. ”
The story about President John Trelawny Cassidy surviving being shot in a Dallas motorcade – and getting a second chance to keep the promises he made as a candidate – stemmed from two of Bernau’s personal experiences.
The first occurred in 1977 when he was severely injured in an automobile accident. As the 6-foot-6, thirtysomething lawyer lay in the emergency room wondering if the doctor who predicted he would die was right, he reevaluated his life. Given a second chance to keep his promises to himself, he abandoned law in 1981 and began to write.
The second key evening came in 1983, after Bernau had completed a novel called “High Wire Act,” which he was too embarrassed to publish. He was in Palm Desert, talking politics with a friend and wondering how their lives and the world might have been different had Kennedy survived the Nov. 22, 1963, fatal shooting.
Bernau closeted himself in his Solano Beach, Calif., home and for five years wrote in longhand in spiral notebooks. By 1988, the 25th anniversary of Kennedy’s death, he had published a 641-page success. The book, which received positive reviews and sold well, was soon optioned for a television miniseries.
Unlike Kennedy, Bernau’s President Cassidy survives three bullets. He opts not to seek reelection but puts his brother on the ticket as vice president to a Lyndon B. Johnson stand-in called Ransome Gardner.
After the brother dies in a helicopter tour of Southeast Asia, the former president challenges Gardner in the 1968 primaries, forcing him to withdraw. Also involved is the revelation of a failed plot to assassinate Fidel Castro and its consequence of putting a second gunman in Dallas.
“This is a story of conspiracy and corruption, of assassination, of regicide. For a generation of Americans, it is the story of their age,” wrote former Democratic Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado in reviewing the book for The Times. “One believes, uncynically that Bernau was compelled to write this book. John Kennedy (with, it must be said, all his faults) was the Last American Hero.”
Bernau’s second book, “Candle in the Wind” published in 1990, dealt with another popular iconic figure, Marilyn Monroe.
That novel explored “what if” she had survived her 1962 drug overdose. Bernau’s movie star Marilyn Lane is spirited to a hospital, disappears, and her doctor and housekeeper are murdered. A Hollywood detective pursues the case to Baja California, shadowed by a hired assassin and both CIA and White House agents.
“Bernau
“There are plots tumbling on top of subplots, and there is enough skulduggery – at the international level, the national level, the Hollywood level and at the human-passion level – for a dozen books,” he added.
“This is an ingenious puzzler with tightly paced transitions of time, place and character that make it almost impossible to put down,” Campbell wrote.
Bernau’s less successful third novel, “Black Phoenix” in 1994, supposes that Adolf Hitler henchman Joseph Goebbels fakes his own death and continues World War II from outside Germany, using a deadly biological weapon.
“Bernau tells his story in a brisk, straightforward fashion. Unfortunately,” wrote reviewer Chris Petrakos for the Chicago Tribune, “the plot isn’t quite developed enough; it needs more expansion and adornment. Even with a neat twist at the end, this one never quite gets up to speed.”
Bernau also wrote occasional book reviews for The Times.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 6, 2017
George Bernau delivers a powerful novel that addresses one of the great political conspiracies in U.S. History and explores it through the lens of alternate history, forcing the readers to ponder 'what if?' throughout. On November 22, 1963, US President John Trewlaney Cassidy is in Dallas as part of a pre-campaign swing and to address business leaders. After shots ring out, chaos ensues as it becomes clear that president has been shot in the head. Rushed to Parkland Hospital, President Cassidy is barely clinging to life, with half his head blown away and those around him covered in blood and brain matter. Doctors rush and the world waits for news, which is slow to come, exacerbated by the medical severity of the wounds and the notoriety of the patient. It is beyond grim and yet Mrs. Cassidy will not leave his side, while others hold vigil in the nearby chapel. Doctors work frantically to save the Leader of the Free World... and succeed in keeping him alive through the night. Thus begins a turn of the history wheel as Bernau weaves together a wonderful narrative where every turn begets a new unknown. While President Cassidy is clinging to life, Vice-President Ransom Gardner steps up and takes the reins of power, albeit temporarily, through a never before used presidential order to cover incapacitation. While Cassidy is unable to hold down the Office of President, Gardner takes the active role and works as best he can, alongside Attorney General and brother to POTUS, Tim Cassidy. The daily running of America waits for no man and so Gardner 'reluctantly' agrees to steer the ship. There is an election on the horizon, under a year away, and all eyes are on whether the elder Cassidy will be fit to run, or if Gardner ought to take the Demorats into this most auspicious battle against a group of eager Republicans, feeling they can strike at the opposition's instability. While Washington heats up, FBI Special Agent Jim Sullivan cannot accept the single shooter premise that was presented to the world. He saw something close to a grassy knoll and is not prepared to let everything be swept under the rug. However, he is being stonewalled by his superiors and must chase down leads all on his own. This leads him to Mexico, New Orleans, and even some whispers of a Cuban connection. What Sullivan discovers is not only monumental, but could show that the failure in Dallas could spell a continued threat for all Cassidys. The deeper Sullivan digs, the more people die, leaving him to wonder if there is a major cover-up underway within the American Government. Over the next few years, Vietnam rears its ugly head and talk of Castro's Cuba inundate political conversations in Washington, forcing the man in the Oval Office to make a major decision. Election Year 1968 is on the horizon and many are out for blood. A brilliant piece so full of twists and newly-forged history, Bernau leaves the reader wondering how much of those five years of the 1960s will be replicated in the book, and how much has been changed forever by the results of the assassination failure. Perfect for JFK buffs and history lovers alike, Bernau delivers a gem.
I have long been enthralled with the JFK assassination for as long as I can remember. Who did it? Why? What does the public not know? All this is slowly and methodically revealed in this powerful novel that allows Bernau to use the loose framework of what we all know and superimpose his own reality. The cast of characters is formidable, some of which are easily recognisable to the reader, though their altered names may force a brief scramble to recollect. The alternate history premise allows Bernau to weave an entirely new reality, which he does, while keeping a strong political flavour to the story. Of greatest interest to me was the development of the theory put forth by Jim Sullivan as to who planned and sought to execute the assassination, as well as how deep it went. Any reader who loves the Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories will be salivating as the story progresses and takes many turns, some of which make total sense, even based on the actual information on hand and available to the public. Even through the novel was published close to three decades ago, it still holds a massive gut punch that any curious and dedicated reader will love. I strongly recommend this book, which reads well, though can get bogged down in detail and numerous storylines.
Kudos, Mr. Bernau for such a sensational piece. I cannot believe I knew NOTHING about this book until I saw it online for a very reasonable price. I will surely be checking out some of your other alternate history books in the coming months.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
I have long been enthralled with the JFK assassination for as long as I can remember. Who did it? Why? What does the public not know? All this is slowly and methodically revealed in this powerful novel that allows Bernau to use the loose framework of what we all know and superimpose his own reality. The cast of characters is formidable, some of which are easily recognisable to the reader, though their altered names may force a brief scramble to recollect. The alternate history premise allows Bernau to weave an entirely new reality, which he does, while keeping a strong political flavour to the story. Of greatest interest to me was the development of the theory put forth by Jim Sullivan as to who planned and sought to execute the assassination, as well as how deep it went. Any reader who loves the Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories will be salivating as the story progresses and takes many turns, some of which make total sense, even based on the actual information on hand and available to the public. Even through the novel was published close to three decades ago, it still holds a massive gut punch that any curious and dedicated reader will love. I strongly recommend this book, which reads well, though can get bogged down in detail and numerous storylines.
Kudos, Mr. Bernau for such a sensational piece. I cannot believe I knew NOTHING about this book until I saw it online for a very reasonable price. I will surely be checking out some of your other alternate history books in the coming months.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 17, 2025
It's a sheer political thriller with the premise that JFK survived his wounds on November 22, 1963. Yes, maybe it sounds a bit hokey and in the hands of another, lesser author it likely would have been truly idiotic. But here's the thing-- not only does Bernau take complete command of his debut novel and shows that he's well equipped to take on the thrill genre, much more importantly the man did his homework before taking on the task. I admit that I have read an embarrassingly amount of Kennedy assassination/c0nspiracy books and in the past I could spot right off when a writer hadn't a clue as to what he was attempting to write about. Yet through every page of this fast paced work Bernau shows that he not only knows what he's writing about but has combed through the labyrinth of theories, setting aside the ridiculous and honing in on what likely took place. And having read far too many books on both the JFK and the RFK murders, gruesome as it may sound, only makes Promises to Keep more remarkable. I'm sure the book has been long out of print-- I'd bought it in 1988 and it sat on my shelf for thirty-seven years, figuring it was going to be exploitive crap and not really sure what I was thinking when I bought it all those years ago. But if you know the case or are just interested in what might have been, I can say go for it without a cringe.
April 29, 2018
And long to go before I sleep
Promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. I remember vividly the events of 11-22-1963, and have always thought there was more to the story than the American public has ever been told. I'm certain that we'll never know the truth of the matter. I did thoroughly enjoy reading the "what if" version though. It was a compelling story that kept me spell bound.
Promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. I remember vividly the events of 11-22-1963, and have always thought there was more to the story than the American public has ever been told. I'm certain that we'll never know the truth of the matter. I did thoroughly enjoy reading the "what if" version though. It was a compelling story that kept me spell bound.
July 14, 2022
Promises
What if the President survived Dallas in 1963 ? This alternate history novel reads like the real thing. You have to keep reminding ding yourself it didn't happen that way. I don't think I can pay this author a higher complement !
What if the President survived Dallas in 1963 ? This alternate history novel reads like the real thing. You have to keep reminding ding yourself it didn't happen that way. I don't think I can pay this author a higher complement !
April 21, 2023
Could it be?
I was 12 years old when JFK was assassinated. Questions about what really happened in Dallas started coming forth shortly there after. This story presents a "might have been" scenario. Given the America of 2023 perhaps it drifts closer to the true.
I was 12 years old when JFK was assassinated. Questions about what really happened in Dallas started coming forth shortly there after. This story presents a "might have been" scenario. Given the America of 2023 perhaps it drifts closer to the true.
July 5, 2018
Fascinating
Couldn't put this one down. Absorbed. From Very start. Just needed to find out what happens next.. Hopefully .people will stop this way of behavour
Couldn't put this one down. Absorbed. From Very start. Just needed to find out what happens next.. Hopefully .people will stop this way of behavour
March 24, 2019
It isn't you book, it's me.
August 5, 2018
I first read this book in 1989. I was a teenager and had recently become interested in the JFK assassination and this book was one of the best and most interesting thrillers I had read so far. Almost thirty years on, "Promises to Keep" lost little of its appeal. It's still an excellent thriller, maybe a little slow here and there, but a suspenseful and intriguing recreation of the sixties in a slightly paralel world where Kennedy survived and the conspiracy of the assassination is dramatically brought to light.
March 21, 2010
This was a cool look at how the world would be like if President Kennedy was not killed when he was shot, rather he was only majorly injured. It was pretty cool near the first half where all these things happen that wouldn't have happened, or happened in a different way. Towards the second half, I started losing interest as they started talking about Kennedy running for reelection, which was just freaking boring! Whatever.
November 13, 2011
Well thought-out alternate history where Kennedy (here renamed Cassidy) is seriously wounded at Dallas but survives. Simultaneously the story of the wounded President and the FBI agent obsessed with getting to the truth of the assassination attempt. Falters a bit by pretty much completely ignoring the social and cultural upheavals of the '60's; there is virtually no mention of the Civil Rights Movement, hippies, race riots, the Peace Movement, etc.
February 7, 2009
I first encountered this book while driving as it was read by the Radio Reader on NPR. I made a point to be in my car every day from 1-2 to listen to this wonderful story. I had forgotten about it until I saw it in a library for .25 which was all the sign I need to take it home.
I hope to reread it again soon!
I hope to reread it again soon!
January 30, 2011
To me, the most important part of alternate history/what if novels is to take events out where you see how things might have been different, not to keep you circling in the same place. Overly fixated on a second gunman, the book wastes a lot of time on unessentials, not the effect of JFK's survival. And just when the book starts to get into a truly interesting divergence, it abruptly ends.
June 5, 2012
An excellent novel that takes one on an awe inspiring exploration of how the course of history would have changed if that bullet fired from the Texas Book Depository did not kill President Kennedy.
Author George Bernau takes readers on a ride through a suspenseful mix of history, predictions and imagination.
Author George Bernau takes readers on a ride through a suspenseful mix of history, predictions and imagination.
November 29, 2007
Please see my review at Amazon.com:
Grace's Promises to Keep Book Review
Please click that my review was helpful at Amazon so that my rating continues to climb!
Please click that my review was helpful at Amazon so that my rating continues to climb!
June 5, 2016
Another what-if novel, imagining what might have happened if JFK had survived the Dallas shooting in 1963. Gets into the political machinations of the era and supposes that his shooting was a conspiracy.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews