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The Echo from Dealey Plaza: The true story of the first African American on the White House Secret Service detail and his quest for justice after the assassination of JFK
From the first African American assigned to the presidential Secret Service detail comes a gripping and unforgettable true story of bravery and patriotism in the face of bitter hatred and unthinkable corruption.
Abraham Bolden was a young African American Secret Service agent in Chicago when he was asked by John F. Kennedy himself to join the White House Secret Service detail. For Bolden, it was a dream come true—and an encouraging sign of the charismatic president’s vision for a new America.
But the dream quickly turned sour when Bolden found himself regularly subjected to open hostility and blatant racism. He was taunted, mocked, and disparaged but remained strong, and he did not allow himself to become discouraged.
More of a concern was the White House team’s irresponsible approach to security. While on his tour of presidential duty, Bolden witnessed firsthand the White House agents’ long-rumored lax approach to their job. Drinking on duty, abandoning key posts—this was not a team that appeared to take their responsibility to protect the life of the president particularly seriously. Both prior to and following JFK’s assassination, Bolden sought to expose and address the inappropriate behavior and negligence of these agents, only to find himself the victim of a sinister conspiracy that resulted in his conviction and imprisonment on a trumped-up bribery charge.
A gripping memoir substantiated by recently declassified government documents, The Echo from Dealey Plaza is the story of the terrible price paid by one man for his commitment to truth and justice, as well as a shocking new perspective on the circumstances surrounding the death of a beloved president.
From the Hardcover edition.
Abraham Bolden was a young African American Secret Service agent in Chicago when he was asked by John F. Kennedy himself to join the White House Secret Service detail. For Bolden, it was a dream come true—and an encouraging sign of the charismatic president’s vision for a new America.
But the dream quickly turned sour when Bolden found himself regularly subjected to open hostility and blatant racism. He was taunted, mocked, and disparaged but remained strong, and he did not allow himself to become discouraged.
More of a concern was the White House team’s irresponsible approach to security. While on his tour of presidential duty, Bolden witnessed firsthand the White House agents’ long-rumored lax approach to their job. Drinking on duty, abandoning key posts—this was not a team that appeared to take their responsibility to protect the life of the president particularly seriously. Both prior to and following JFK’s assassination, Bolden sought to expose and address the inappropriate behavior and negligence of these agents, only to find himself the victim of a sinister conspiracy that resulted in his conviction and imprisonment on a trumped-up bribery charge.
A gripping memoir substantiated by recently declassified government documents, The Echo from Dealey Plaza is the story of the terrible price paid by one man for his commitment to truth and justice, as well as a shocking new perspective on the circumstances surrounding the death of a beloved president.
From the Hardcover edition.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 4, 2008
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493 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 8, 2008
One of the most moving, and disturbing, books about race and racism in America that I've read in a long time. The facts outlined in this book are supported by the research of others (Mark Lane, William Manchester, Lamar Waldron and Thom Hartmann, to name a few), dating back more than 40 years. But now Bolden tells his story.
Bolden, the first African American Secret Service Agent in U.S. history, served briefly with the Kennedy administration. He was arrested on bogus counterfeiting charges in 1964, the day before he'd planned to speak to Warren Commission counsel J. Lee Rankin about the Secret Service's poor record of protecting JFK prior to and during November 22, 1963.
After two trials, Bolden was convicted based only on the testimony of two career criminals: one had been arrested previously by Bolden, and the other later admitted, under oath, that he had committed perjury against Bolden at the behest of government prosecutors.
Imagine Josef K. from Kafka's The Trial recast as an African American government whistleblower in the hostile racial climate of the U.S. in the early-1960s. He's sent to a maximum security federal prison after an unjust trial, then later to the prison psychiatric ward, where, if labeled mentally ill, he could be held indefinitely, long after his six-year sentence expired. Trying to plead his case with the prison psychiatrist, he's told that he is "paranoid" and "defensive." Then the psychiatrist says, "You are going to have to control your compulsions. They are the cause of what I see as antigovernment and sociopathic behavior" (p. 264). Then he's prescribed 150mg of Elavil, to be taken every day.
We always can remind ourselves, of course, that Kafka is fiction and allegory. We can't let ourselves off the hook this way with Bolden's book, which is why it's so unsettling -- and necessarily so.
Bolden, the first African American Secret Service Agent in U.S. history, served briefly with the Kennedy administration. He was arrested on bogus counterfeiting charges in 1964, the day before he'd planned to speak to Warren Commission counsel J. Lee Rankin about the Secret Service's poor record of protecting JFK prior to and during November 22, 1963.
After two trials, Bolden was convicted based only on the testimony of two career criminals: one had been arrested previously by Bolden, and the other later admitted, under oath, that he had committed perjury against Bolden at the behest of government prosecutors.
Imagine Josef K. from Kafka's The Trial recast as an African American government whistleblower in the hostile racial climate of the U.S. in the early-1960s. He's sent to a maximum security federal prison after an unjust trial, then later to the prison psychiatric ward, where, if labeled mentally ill, he could be held indefinitely, long after his six-year sentence expired. Trying to plead his case with the prison psychiatrist, he's told that he is "paranoid" and "defensive." Then the psychiatrist says, "You are going to have to control your compulsions. They are the cause of what I see as antigovernment and sociopathic behavior" (p. 264). Then he's prescribed 150mg of Elavil, to be taken every day.
We always can remind ourselves, of course, that Kafka is fiction and allegory. We can't let ourselves off the hook this way with Bolden's book, which is why it's so unsettling -- and necessarily so.
November 22, 2017
Historical, dramatic, insiteful, believable. Abraham Bolden is from my hometown and though he is a few years my senior, I gained knowledge of politics, and the U. S. Government and Secret Service of the 1960s and 70s. We also attended the same College: Lincoln University of Missouri. That being said, he lived such a different life that I couldn't imagine. My hope is that he finds Justice.
February 4, 2013
'The Echo from Dealey Plaza', published in 2008, is the incredible and frightening true story of Abraham Bolden, a member of John Kennedy's White House Secret Service Detail, who was framed by his superiors, convicted and jailed, his life ruined.
Bolden sets out his life story with clarity. The first African/American to serve in the S.S. at the White House. His memoir is very touching when he writes of his time with JFK. Unfortunately, his face didn't fit. Although he was not part of the security detail that went to Texas, he was critical of the S.S. and their shoddy protection of the Commander-in-Chief. Attempting to contact J.Lee Rankin at the Warren Commission, through the White House switchboard may not have been a good idea.
The Orwellian like world that Bolden became embroiled in is summed up in the words of his defence council, "How are we ever going to prove anything about what happened in Dallas? You weren't in Dallas. You have a chance to win this case as it stands now, and I don't want you to complicate things more than necessary. Judge Perry isn't going to admit anything about Kennedy or what happened in Dallas into evidence in your trial. The only thing that you would accomplish by bringing Kennedy into this is to put your life and the lives of your wife and children in jeopardy.
You're dealing with people who killed the president on the street in broad daylight."
Another story of someone who asked not what his country could do for him. A nightmare that could have been written by Franz Kafka.
Bolden sets out his life story with clarity. The first African/American to serve in the S.S. at the White House. His memoir is very touching when he writes of his time with JFK. Unfortunately, his face didn't fit. Although he was not part of the security detail that went to Texas, he was critical of the S.S. and their shoddy protection of the Commander-in-Chief. Attempting to contact J.Lee Rankin at the Warren Commission, through the White House switchboard may not have been a good idea.
The Orwellian like world that Bolden became embroiled in is summed up in the words of his defence council, "How are we ever going to prove anything about what happened in Dallas? You weren't in Dallas. You have a chance to win this case as it stands now, and I don't want you to complicate things more than necessary. Judge Perry isn't going to admit anything about Kennedy or what happened in Dallas into evidence in your trial. The only thing that you would accomplish by bringing Kennedy into this is to put your life and the lives of your wife and children in jeopardy.
You're dealing with people who killed the president on the street in broad daylight."
Another story of someone who asked not what his country could do for him. A nightmare that could have been written by Franz Kafka.
August 10, 2017
This book was very engaging. I started it on a Saturday and finished it on a Monday night. The story is a true story, and it was fascinating to read all of the details behind not only Abraham Bolden working for the Secret Service Detail in Washington DC under President Kennedy, but also his account of his trial and then his incarceration at the hands of the Government (Good 'Ole Boys). Its sad to know that the supposed greatest country in the world is one of the lowest. To set someone up to take a fall just because they spoke up about some tragic errors in their place of work. The errors that caused a man, the President of the United States, to be exact, to lose his life. This should have never happened in the US. NEVER!
.........If any of you watch the History Channel, there was a series that was on that showed that the CIA was behind the assassination of JFK.............and I'm sure, if this is true, other people in other government agencies helped with not only the assassination but the cover up. BTW The program in the US was stopped at the second show but the show can be seen on-line and in Canada.
Its sad that there are people in the world that want to do good and just get shut down every time they try.
The one thing that I want to mention about the story (again, it is a memoir so it is a true story) as my opinion, Mr Bolden should have known that him speaking out would not be good for him, especially in that time and him being an African American. I know he tried to do the right thing, but sometimes the right thing is protecting yourself and your family.
.........If any of you watch the History Channel, there was a series that was on that showed that the CIA was behind the assassination of JFK.............and I'm sure, if this is true, other people in other government agencies helped with not only the assassination but the cover up. BTW The program in the US was stopped at the second show but the show can be seen on-line and in Canada.
Its sad that there are people in the world that want to do good and just get shut down every time they try.
The one thing that I want to mention about the story (again, it is a memoir so it is a true story) as my opinion, Mr Bolden should have known that him speaking out would not be good for him, especially in that time and him being an African American. I know he tried to do the right thing, but sometimes the right thing is protecting yourself and your family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2008
This book terrifies me. Abraham Bolden was the first African-American member of the White House Secret Service detail. He was arrested, tried (twice), and convicted for attempting to extort money from informants/defendants in the Chicago Secret Service office. His trials were farces, and the federal government and the judge were complicit in the miscarriage of justice. He served his sentence in federal penitentiaries and mental facilities within the justice system. The reason for the federal government's action? Bolden was a member of the detail accompanying JFK on the fateful Dallas visit. He spoke out about the fitness for duty of some members of the Secret Service, and the lapses in protection for the President resulting in JFK's assassination. Bolden's race played no small part in all the machinations - he dealt daily with racism on the part of agents, supervisors, and the judge presiding over his trials.
It's difficult to hear the story of what this man endured just because he told the truth, even though it happened 40 years ago. I would hope that things have changed, but seeing the reaction of the current political situation ('08), I don't think that we've moved all that far. I can only hope that we can learn from Mr. Bolden's story.
It's difficult to hear the story of what this man endured just because he told the truth, even though it happened 40 years ago. I would hope that things have changed, but seeing the reaction of the current political situation ('08), I don't think that we've moved all that far. I can only hope that we can learn from Mr. Bolden's story.
May 22, 2017
Abraham Bolden was the Secret Service Scapegoat, the sacrifice lamb for the failure of the Secret Service to stay sober enough to protect Kennedy. Every now and then there are scandals in the news about Agents drinking and womanizing.
I think Bolden, being the first African American Secret Service Agent, and having had made enemies in the Agency's Racist leadership, as well as having reported specific Agents for drunken carousing, all these things combined to make him the perfect scapegoat. The case against him is carefully woven.
His decency and honesty have left him friendless and his enemies clearly have much experience covering up for their misbehaviors. I can't say I am surprised to learn this. Certainly saddened. This was the period in my life when I began to lose faith in The American Way. The first objective for any organization or agency is to protect itself so it remains in existence. Throw the honest guy under the bus! Protect the organization, no matter who suffers!
I think Bolden, being the first African American Secret Service Agent, and having had made enemies in the Agency's Racist leadership, as well as having reported specific Agents for drunken carousing, all these things combined to make him the perfect scapegoat. The case against him is carefully woven.
His decency and honesty have left him friendless and his enemies clearly have much experience covering up for their misbehaviors. I can't say I am surprised to learn this. Certainly saddened. This was the period in my life when I began to lose faith in The American Way. The first objective for any organization or agency is to protect itself so it remains in existence. Throw the honest guy under the bus! Protect the organization, no matter who suffers!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2018
Abraham Bolden writes his account of working for the Secret Service as one of the first African Americans on the detail, as appointed by President Kennedy. He moved on from the presidential detail. Kennedy was killed and he became vocal about his theories. This is an account of what he endured, including trials and prison, for crimes he didn't commit. He details the experiences and racial prejudice and the quest for justice. I had to keep reminding myself at times that this was an autobiography and not fiction.
November 12, 2020
If you are NOT inclined to think the U.S. government is corrupt, this book might be a good place to start examining that belief. It was fascinating to read how this man experienced the biggest high serving on the secret service and then the biggest low when those same men sabotaged his career. To me, this is a must read and I think high school students should be required to read about this time in history from someone’s personal account and not the propaganda we always hear about.
December 27, 2024
Mr. Bolden has written an outstanding account about his employment with the Secret Service and what he knew about President John Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, TX on November 22, 1963.
And because what he knew, the government put him on trial and was convicted. Mr. Bolden argues that President Kennedy was ill served by his Secret Service Agents. It was President Kennedy who appointed Mr. Bolden to the White House Secret Service Detail. Abraham Bolden was the first black Secret Service Agent assigned to protect the president. And for many within the Service Service, Mr. Bolden's ethnicity was not well received. Mr. Bolden argues that many of President Kennedy's Agents were not fit for duty on that tragic day in Dallas; many had frequented the nightclubs the previous night and were intoxicated on November 22, 1963.
After two trials Mr. Bolden was convicted on spurious charges of accepting bribes and other false charges. He was sentenced to six years in prison.
In 2022 President Joe Biden pardoned Abraham Bolden.
And because what he knew, the government put him on trial and was convicted. Mr. Bolden argues that President Kennedy was ill served by his Secret Service Agents. It was President Kennedy who appointed Mr. Bolden to the White House Secret Service Detail. Abraham Bolden was the first black Secret Service Agent assigned to protect the president. And for many within the Service Service, Mr. Bolden's ethnicity was not well received. Mr. Bolden argues that many of President Kennedy's Agents were not fit for duty on that tragic day in Dallas; many had frequented the nightclubs the previous night and were intoxicated on November 22, 1963.
After two trials Mr. Bolden was convicted on spurious charges of accepting bribes and other false charges. He was sentenced to six years in prison.
In 2022 President Joe Biden pardoned Abraham Bolden.
March 3, 2016
This is an important book. It details not just the injustices faced by the first African-American Secret Service agent to guard the president, but gives first-hand confirmation by a government agent of the existence of a plot to kill John F. Kennedy in Chicago just three weeks before that dirty deed was executed in Dallas.
The plot involved a patsy similar to Lee Harvey Oswald - an ex-Marine named Thomas Arthur Vallee, who was arrested after police found an M-1 rifle, handgun, and 3,000 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. There were four men with high-powered rifles who planned to shoot at Kennedy's vehicle as he drove to Soldier Field from the airport along a route that included the building where Vallee worked. The plot was unearthed thanks to an FBI informant who went only by "Lee" - was that actually Oswald? - and tips by a police lieutenant on Vallee and a landlady who discovered rifles in a room she rented to four men. Agents and police arrested Vallee and two other suspects, but the names of the latter two men were never released.
Kennedy's Nov. 2, 1963, trip to Chicago was canceled at the last minute. His life was extended by three weeks as a similar plot succeeded in Dallas with ex-Marine Oswald as patsy.
Bolden was a whistleblower of this plot and Secret Service security lapses. Less than a week before JFK's death, Bolden was suddenly ordered to report to Washington, D.C., where the IRS offered him an undercover position for an investigation of Congressional aides. That would require his old identity be entirely erased, even his birth certificate. He declined to the anger of superiors. He returned to Chicago fearful that JFK was about to be killed. The Chicago plot was never told to Dallas Secret Service agents, who as a House committee concluded in 1979, were lax in guarding the president on Nov. 22, 1963.
Shortly after JFK died, Bolden raised the possibility of a connection between the November 2 Chicago plot and the Dallas assassination to some Secret Service agents in Chicago. Most of them agreed, but Maurice Martineau, assistant special agent in charge of the Chicago office, ordered they forget about the plot and said that Oswald was the lone gunman with no connection to Chicago.
In January 1964, the Secret Service took the extraordinary step of ordering all agents to turn in their identification booklets for replacement. Bolden suspected this was because Secret Service credentials had been used to forge some possible conspirators identities on Nov. 22.
In May 1964, Bolden was in D.C. for training when he tried to contact a Warren Commission lawyer to tell him what he knew. His call was overheard by a fellow agent apparently assigned to monitor Bolden. The next day, Bolden was ordered back to Chicago on pretenses of participating in an investigation of a counterfeiting ring, but he was arrested by agents when he arrived and accused of trying to sell Secret Service files.
The first trial resulted in a hung jury, while the second resulted in a conviction after testimony from a counterfeiter who later admitted to perjury and said prosecutors ordered him to lie. Bolden was sent to federal prison, where he was committed to a psychiatric ward and subjected to mind-altering drugs. He was aided by his wife, Warren Commission critic Mark Lane and an assistant to New Orleans prosecutor Jim Garrison, who helped stop the ill treatment.
Bolden continued to speak out after being released from prison and successfully got this book published. It should be made into a movie.
The plot involved a patsy similar to Lee Harvey Oswald - an ex-Marine named Thomas Arthur Vallee, who was arrested after police found an M-1 rifle, handgun, and 3,000 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. There were four men with high-powered rifles who planned to shoot at Kennedy's vehicle as he drove to Soldier Field from the airport along a route that included the building where Vallee worked. The plot was unearthed thanks to an FBI informant who went only by "Lee" - was that actually Oswald? - and tips by a police lieutenant on Vallee and a landlady who discovered rifles in a room she rented to four men. Agents and police arrested Vallee and two other suspects, but the names of the latter two men were never released.
Kennedy's Nov. 2, 1963, trip to Chicago was canceled at the last minute. His life was extended by three weeks as a similar plot succeeded in Dallas with ex-Marine Oswald as patsy.
Bolden was a whistleblower of this plot and Secret Service security lapses. Less than a week before JFK's death, Bolden was suddenly ordered to report to Washington, D.C., where the IRS offered him an undercover position for an investigation of Congressional aides. That would require his old identity be entirely erased, even his birth certificate. He declined to the anger of superiors. He returned to Chicago fearful that JFK was about to be killed. The Chicago plot was never told to Dallas Secret Service agents, who as a House committee concluded in 1979, were lax in guarding the president on Nov. 22, 1963.
Shortly after JFK died, Bolden raised the possibility of a connection between the November 2 Chicago plot and the Dallas assassination to some Secret Service agents in Chicago. Most of them agreed, but Maurice Martineau, assistant special agent in charge of the Chicago office, ordered they forget about the plot and said that Oswald was the lone gunman with no connection to Chicago.
In January 1964, the Secret Service took the extraordinary step of ordering all agents to turn in their identification booklets for replacement. Bolden suspected this was because Secret Service credentials had been used to forge some possible conspirators identities on Nov. 22.
In May 1964, Bolden was in D.C. for training when he tried to contact a Warren Commission lawyer to tell him what he knew. His call was overheard by a fellow agent apparently assigned to monitor Bolden. The next day, Bolden was ordered back to Chicago on pretenses of participating in an investigation of a counterfeiting ring, but he was arrested by agents when he arrived and accused of trying to sell Secret Service files.
The first trial resulted in a hung jury, while the second resulted in a conviction after testimony from a counterfeiter who later admitted to perjury and said prosecutors ordered him to lie. Bolden was sent to federal prison, where he was committed to a psychiatric ward and subjected to mind-altering drugs. He was aided by his wife, Warren Commission critic Mark Lane and an assistant to New Orleans prosecutor Jim Garrison, who helped stop the ill treatment.
Bolden continued to speak out after being released from prison and successfully got this book published. It should be made into a movie.
July 10, 2021
The greatest merit of this short but important book is its account of the trial and imprisonment that the author had to endure from having been accused by his colleagues of soliciting a bribe. I had no trouble believing his innocence even before I read this, especially in light of the contortions and shenanigans that the national security state in America went through to cover up a conspiracy in the assassination of President Kennedy. The same sort of legal hokus-pokus was used against Abraham Bolden to put him away and ruin his career as a Secret Service agent. Bolden was a "straight shooter" by all indications. He was undoubtedly framed.
In 2021, it is reasonable to assert that outcries against anti-black racism in America are at least slightly overblown. Things like "critical race theory" and the political persuasions of some leaders of the Black Lives Matter organization are obscuring profound issues of community and equality in America and preventing the country from moving forward.
In the early 1960s, by contrast, when Bolden was first elevated to the White House Secret Service Detail, racism was virulent across America. There can be no question that Bolden was subjected to racism's ugliest side as he tried to fulfill his duties. Even though Kennedy was a white man, the same sort of venom killed JFK as framed Bolden. Once Kennedy was dead, certain beneficiaries of the late president's policies became conspicuous as people who needed to be removed from office if that hate was to survive and prosper. In that regard, Bolden was one of the most conspicuous employees of the federal government.
Today, while Bolden is eighty-six, wheelchair bound, widowed and half blind, he still seeks a presidential pardon for his conviction all those years ago. Every White House has turned a deaf ear to him. Even Obama, the first African-American president, ignored him. The reason: no president wants to touch anything connected to the Kennedy assassination with a barge pole. Nearly sixty years after the killing, apparently they are all still afraid. Yet Bolden's trial and conviction were deeply flawed, as this memoir explains, and its author has suffered enough. It's time to turn a new page in America's history, consign the Warren Commission Report to the dustbin of history, and wipe Abraham Bolden's record clean.
In 2021, it is reasonable to assert that outcries against anti-black racism in America are at least slightly overblown. Things like "critical race theory" and the political persuasions of some leaders of the Black Lives Matter organization are obscuring profound issues of community and equality in America and preventing the country from moving forward.
In the early 1960s, by contrast, when Bolden was first elevated to the White House Secret Service Detail, racism was virulent across America. There can be no question that Bolden was subjected to racism's ugliest side as he tried to fulfill his duties. Even though Kennedy was a white man, the same sort of venom killed JFK as framed Bolden. Once Kennedy was dead, certain beneficiaries of the late president's policies became conspicuous as people who needed to be removed from office if that hate was to survive and prosper. In that regard, Bolden was one of the most conspicuous employees of the federal government.
Today, while Bolden is eighty-six, wheelchair bound, widowed and half blind, he still seeks a presidential pardon for his conviction all those years ago. Every White House has turned a deaf ear to him. Even Obama, the first African-American president, ignored him. The reason: no president wants to touch anything connected to the Kennedy assassination with a barge pole. Nearly sixty years after the killing, apparently they are all still afraid. Yet Bolden's trial and conviction were deeply flawed, as this memoir explains, and its author has suffered enough. It's time to turn a new page in America's history, consign the Warren Commission Report to the dustbin of history, and wipe Abraham Bolden's record clean.
July 25, 2011
This was a very interesting read though it had very little to do with the Kennedy assassination. It had more to do with the discrimination and poor treatment of this black secret service agent who spoke out on conditions surrounding the white house detail. He end up getting railroaded and sent to prison for something he claims he never did. Based on the evidence presented and what seems to be bias during his trial which left him treated unfairly he seems to be innocent and probably railroaded due to prejudice on his outspokenness against the secret service and also using people's prejudice because he is black. However obviously the book was written by him so there is probably some bias there. Considering most of this went down in Chicago and during the late 60s early seventies I pretty much buy his take on events. But if you are looking for a book about the Kennedy assassination this wouldn't be it. This is really more about his experiences during the Kennedy presidency and time in the secret service and then mostly about the trial and events afterward in which he was railroaded. Sad thing is I could see the same thing happening today even in 2009. Maybe not as easily hopefully not in the government, but more places are still like this than we realize.
September 16, 2014
The Echo from Dealey Plaza is one of the most important JFK assassination books. Why? Because Bolden writes about his experience as a Secret Service agent on the Kennedy detail and in Chicago during the early 1960s. He reveals how he warned his superiors about safety concerns pertaining to JFK before the assassination. He later contacted the Warren Commission about his observations. That was a mistake. Shortly after, he was framed for a crime (up until that point he had one of the finest records as an agent in Chicago). To my knowledge no Secret Service agent has ever been convicted of a crime stripped of his job and thrown in prison - except Bolden - the one agent who tried to save JFK by warning of the dangers surrounding the president. Coincidence, huh? For the architects of the conspiracy to be so resolute to dismiss, ignore and then discredit Bolden's testimony (and ruining his life) demonstrates the extent of their effort to keep any Secret Service involvement in the assassination secret. Get his book and discover what they don't want you to know.
April 30, 2008
A book about a miscarriage of justice....unbelievable yet believable all at the same time.
Synopsis: Abraham Bolden is the first black Secret Service person on presidential detail, personally recruited by JFK. Initially thrilled to be asked, he soon encounters rampant racism from many of his co-workers and is shocked by the frat-boy mentality that pervades the service. After several months, he asks to be transferred back to the Chicago branch, but he is uneasy about what he saw while with JFK and tells anyone who will listen that the president isn't being properly protected. He later pays for this treachery when he is set up, tried, and convicted of divulging confidential material about a case he once worked on. He served several years of his sentence, partially in a mental ward. His vindication came when the Warren Commission found that the Secret Service was lax in their protection of the president.
Synopsis: Abraham Bolden is the first black Secret Service person on presidential detail, personally recruited by JFK. Initially thrilled to be asked, he soon encounters rampant racism from many of his co-workers and is shocked by the frat-boy mentality that pervades the service. After several months, he asks to be transferred back to the Chicago branch, but he is uneasy about what he saw while with JFK and tells anyone who will listen that the president isn't being properly protected. He later pays for this treachery when he is set up, tried, and convicted of divulging confidential material about a case he once worked on. He served several years of his sentence, partially in a mental ward. His vindication came when the Warren Commission found that the Secret Service was lax in their protection of the president.
January 29, 2015
When I started this book about the first black secret service agent to work the presidential protection detail I wasn't expecting to read anything I wasn't already aware of. It turned out to be a compelling read with a good deal of information new to me. There was the mention of a never identified person of interest Oswald had told the Dallas police about. I knew the agents had partied the night before, but I had no idea of the extent of the drinking and womanizing that went on all the time. I certainly didn't know that some of the agents hated Kennedy because of his promotion of civil rights, and said flat out that were he to be shot at, they would not protect him. And, while I expected Bolden to have faced a bit of racism, I had no idea that the service he had given his best to was capable of destroying his life simply to prevent him from testifying to the Warren Commission. This is a well written personal account that is hard to put down.
September 20, 2014
It's a very good book and a very important book. The fact that it doesn't directly address the JKF assassination is a bit deceptive, since the background and circumstances that Bolden documents certainly do have implications for security and other related concerns in that history changing event. Bolden was the first African American Secret Service agent and faced the usual and unfair and sometimes brutal treatment that pioneers like him faced at that time.
To be direct, when Bolden tried to testify to security concerns in the Service after the assassination, he was framed and imprisoned by the Secret Service. Yes, I know that is an incredible charge. Read the book and decide for yourself.
To be direct, when Bolden tried to testify to security concerns in the Service after the assassination, he was framed and imprisoned by the Secret Service. Yes, I know that is an incredible charge. Read the book and decide for yourself.
April 29, 2021
I was kind of thinking the book would have a bit more about the events surrounding the assassination of JFK. The book, while giving a tiny spot to that is excellent in describing the racial tensions of the 50's and 60's. A black man with integrity, fellow secret service agents who messed around too much. Frustration with inequality. JFK did want change for gender and ethnicity unity, unlike a democratic party of today using it as a weapon to brow beat anyone who does not believe or speak the same thing, rather than equality in diversity. This man has lived through a lot, and deserves our respect, and thanks.
April 9, 2014
Very interesting and very disturbing. The first African-American Secret Service agent, this gentleman was completely set-up and served time. President Kennedy requested for him to join his detail. Mr. Bolden was subjected to racism by some fellow agents, even his supervisor. He spoke up about agents drinking on duty and carousing when on duty. He spoke up saying that they were ill prepared on the day the President was assassinated.
He was finally vindicated, but it was long after his prison term.
He was finally vindicated, but it was long after his prison term.
November 15, 2013
This is perfect timing considering next week (11/22) marks the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination. Bolden will be a guest on my show "3600seconds" the day before to discuss his years as a Secret Service Field Agent, and how he came to be selected by Kennedy himself to what were the circumstances behind his eventually being the ONLY agent truly protecting him.
This will be Bolden's 3rd appearance on my show---> http://is.gd/5l6p5s
This will be Bolden's 3rd appearance on my show---> http://is.gd/5l6p5s
November 18, 2017
Another interesting and sad story of racial injustice as well as how far people are willing to go to protect their secrets of misconduct, unprofessional behavior and incompetence. I'm frankly surprised this man wasn't killed. I can't even talk about the behavior of the federal judge that presided over 2 of the trials. It also brings back those same nagging questions that will most likely always be asked about the circumstances surrounding the assassination of JFK. A very good read.
May 8, 2023
Astounding & Bittersweet
Mr. Bolden faced insurmountable obstacles and withstood heinous acts of prestigious with unfailing faith, strength and the love of his family. I am so sorry for the actions taken against him, all because of his truthfulness. May God be with him and his family.
Mr. Bolden faced insurmountable obstacles and withstood heinous acts of prestigious with unfailing faith, strength and the love of his family. I am so sorry for the actions taken against him, all because of his truthfulness. May God be with him and his family.
July 9, 2024
This man was treated poorly by his employer, The Government of The United States of America! Yet, he maintained his integrity. Now, he has shared his experience. It was so intense that I had to read it in small bites. Intriguing. Well written.
February 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I suggest this for anyone looking into the Kennedy assassination and cover up. This book is also a curiously Spiritual account of God's saving actions.
October 29, 2023
Fascinating read after discovering Abraham Bolden’s story in “JFK and the Unspeakable”. The injustices perpetrated on Mr. Bolden were infuriating and his perseverance is inspiring.
September 30, 2024
That the Secret Service was riddled by racist attitudes and had some bad elements working within it is sadly unsurprising. That there was something horrifyingly suspect about Bolden's court case (and the conduct of the judge and government lawyers) and in his subsequent treatment in prison is all laid-out very convincingly.
But Bolden does not make a winning case tying all of this into the JFK assassination. There is little that's insightful or directly useful with the subject's literature
The book really is guilty of over-promising and having very little do an awful lot of heavy lifting. Just two (very key) examples:
1. You would not know this from its synopsis or any summary but Bolden was only on the White House Secret Service detail for 30 days (he declined to extend his "trial period") and this was in the summer of 1961. While Bolden remained with the Secret Service working out of Chicago, he had no direct involvement with the WH team.
2. He reports witnessing off-duty Secret Service agents involved in heavy drinking sessions. But this is when JFK was himself spending vacation time at one of his secure family homes. And again this was in 1961. It wasn't like the President was travelling around, meeting the public, needing full Secret Service protection at that time.
The prose is frequently leaden and laboured as it meticulously - and needlessly - spells out every aspect of the court cases and his time in prison. It's pretty obvious that much of this is there for padding purposes. It's not clear how he is able to quote extensively from transcripts (all footnoted, sort of) when he spends much of the epilogue berating the courts for denying him them.
His reporting of the conclusions of the 1978 HSCA report is fine on its own, but if he is hinting that his input helped influence them, then that is more than a little disingenuous.
This book was first published in 2008. Bolden was pardoned in 2022 and I'm glad of that.
But Bolden does not make a winning case tying all of this into the JFK assassination. There is little that's insightful or directly useful with the subject's literature
The book really is guilty of over-promising and having very little do an awful lot of heavy lifting. Just two (very key) examples:
1. You would not know this from its synopsis or any summary but Bolden was only on the White House Secret Service detail for 30 days (he declined to extend his "trial period") and this was in the summer of 1961. While Bolden remained with the Secret Service working out of Chicago, he had no direct involvement with the WH team.
2. He reports witnessing off-duty Secret Service agents involved in heavy drinking sessions. But this is when JFK was himself spending vacation time at one of his secure family homes. And again this was in 1961. It wasn't like the President was travelling around, meeting the public, needing full Secret Service protection at that time.
The prose is frequently leaden and laboured as it meticulously - and needlessly - spells out every aspect of the court cases and his time in prison. It's pretty obvious that much of this is there for padding purposes. It's not clear how he is able to quote extensively from transcripts (all footnoted, sort of) when he spends much of the epilogue berating the courts for denying him them.
His reporting of the conclusions of the 1978 HSCA report is fine on its own, but if he is hinting that his input helped influence them, then that is more than a little disingenuous.
This book was first published in 2008. Bolden was pardoned in 2022 and I'm glad of that.
October 2, 2024
I’ve heard Abraham Bolden mentioned in a couple of books I’ve read about JFK (one of them even recommended this book which is where I learned of the title). Now that I’ve finally read it, I wonder even more why this man isn’t widely discussed (aside from certain reasons that can be assumed by many).
Abraham Bolden was asked by John F. Kennedy Personally to join his Secret Service team. Unfortunately, despite the president’s efforts for Civil Rights, many others on staff did not share similar views. Not only did Abraham endure racism, but he was set up and jailed when he dared to question negligence in Kennedy’s Secret Service detail after his assassination in 1963. Abraham was wrongly jailed and subject to even more mistreatment in prison.
I felt sick reading this book. Not only from the blatant racism discussed but also the entire judicial system and neglect of people in various powerful positions. When I read books like this, I don’t have to wonder why things are so disordered in America presently. It’s devastating all around. I was inspired by Abraham's faith and strength throughout. I’m so grateful that Abraham Bolden shared his story and that he received a full pardon in 2022.
Abraham Bolden was asked by John F. Kennedy Personally to join his Secret Service team. Unfortunately, despite the president’s efforts for Civil Rights, many others on staff did not share similar views. Not only did Abraham endure racism, but he was set up and jailed when he dared to question negligence in Kennedy’s Secret Service detail after his assassination in 1963. Abraham was wrongly jailed and subject to even more mistreatment in prison.
I felt sick reading this book. Not only from the blatant racism discussed but also the entire judicial system and neglect of people in various powerful positions. When I read books like this, I don’t have to wonder why things are so disordered in America presently. It’s devastating all around. I was inspired by Abraham's faith and strength throughout. I’m so grateful that Abraham Bolden shared his story and that he received a full pardon in 2022.
November 12, 2023
The book starts strongly but soon tapers off into a rather redundant and boring read that just fizzles out at the end.
When one steps back and looks at what is said and implied in the book it is hard to accept such a massive cover up involving a coordinated effort of so many to keep the author quiet. He simply was not that big of a cog in the wheel. Indeed, he wasn’t even at Dealey Plaza during the assassination. One look at the Zapruder film and it is clear to all that the Secret Service could not be proud of the conduct of their agents that day. Simply interviewing those who were there, including Clint Hill, lead to a conclusion of underperformance.
There simply never was a need for so vast a conspiracy to silence one rogue agent. At the end of the day the story defies logic, common sense and likelihood. The truth is likely an even less interesting read.
When one steps back and looks at what is said and implied in the book it is hard to accept such a massive cover up involving a coordinated effort of so many to keep the author quiet. He simply was not that big of a cog in the wheel. Indeed, he wasn’t even at Dealey Plaza during the assassination. One look at the Zapruder film and it is clear to all that the Secret Service could not be proud of the conduct of their agents that day. Simply interviewing those who were there, including Clint Hill, lead to a conclusion of underperformance.
There simply never was a need for so vast a conspiracy to silence one rogue agent. At the end of the day the story defies logic, common sense and likelihood. The truth is likely an even less interesting read.
January 2, 2025
Great read that keeps your attention throughout the narrative. Especially riveting if you're a fan of true crime/law. Mr. Bolden gives the reader the appropriate amount of backstory leading up to the central plot of the book, but without droning on too long. A must have for any JFK Assassination researcher's library, if nothing else than to gain an understanding of the mentality/makeup of the Secret Service before, during and just after Kennedy's assassination. Will read again.
November 17, 2020
An interesting insight on the secret serice. Unfortunately, I found the writer not very likeable.
March 26, 2025
Truth be told
Great book. I would have never heard about Abraham Bolden if it had not been revealed by a YouTube channel I viewed about the Kennedy assassination, and then they mentioned Bolden’s name.
Great book. I would have never heard about Abraham Bolden if it had not been revealed by a YouTube channel I viewed about the Kennedy assassination, and then they mentioned Bolden’s name.
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