Live By The Sword

by Gus Russo

Humiliated at the Bay of Pigs, John and Robert Kennedy sought desperately to eliminate Castro. Their strategies for overthrowing the Cuban leader were so elaborate and bizarre, they could only engender paranoia. Castro openly threatened to retaliate. Pro-Castro agitator Lee Harvey Oswald learned that Robert Kennedy was personally supervising groups plotting against the Cuban leader. Filled with rage and a sense of destiny, Oswald went to the Cuban embassy in Mexico, announcing he would kill America's president in exchange for sanctuary in Havana. Live By the Sword forces the conclusion that members of the Cuban regime accepted the troubled American's offer.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Espionage

Hardcover

First published November 25, 1998

About the author

Gus Russo is a veteran investigative reporter, musician, and author. His first book, Live By the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK (Bancroft, 1998), was praised by the New York Times as “compelling, exhaustively researched and even handed.” Kirkus Reviews called Sword, “Probably the last book on the Kennedy assassination you will need to read....Gripping and convincing!” The book was a Book of the Month Club and History Book Club Featured Alternate. Sword was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1999, and has been scripted for a mini-series by Showtime Networks. Russo next authored The Outfit: The Role of Chicago’s Underworld in the Shaping of Modern America (Bloomsbury, 2002). It was described as “seamless” (Baltimore Sun), “a tireless read...a saga...550 pages of good journalism” (Chicago Tribune), and “one of the essential works on the subject of organized crime” (Los Angeles Times). The Outfit was also nominated for the Pulitzer, and was optioned before publication by USA Networks.
Russo’s next book, Gangsters and GoodFellas (June 2004, M Evans Pub.), was a collaboration with former NY gangster Henry Hill, a sequel to his 1985 biography Wiseguy, which was the basis for the hit 1990 movie GoodFellas, starring Robert DeNiro.
Russo followed with Supermob: How Sidney Korshak and His Criminal Associates Became America’s Hidden Power Brokers (Sept. 2006); Supermob film rights were sold before publication to CBS-Paramount, and is being developed as a television series. Regarding this book, Publishers Weekly stated: “Veteran investigative author and organized crime expert Russo's magnum opus is a compelling look at one of the last century's major power players. Russo's extensive research is amply evident, and he has made use of recently disclosed records to paint a fuller picture than predecessors such as Seymour Hersh and Brian Ross were able to...a worthy addition to the genre.” Chicago Sun-Times: “An exhaustive look at [Korshak’s] exploits… Russo does a masterful job… The amount of research in the book is staggering… Russo pulls plenty of substantive dirty deeds done by Korshak into the light. Korshak would have cringed.” Kirkus: “there are plenty of revelations in this absorbing book.” SF Chronicle: “[Supermob] adds up to a compelling picture of the exercise of power in the 20th century… Russo’s chapter on the shameless plundering of the assets of imprisoned Japanese Americans during World War II, presided over by a bevy of Korshak’s associates, is particularly stirring.”
In January 2006, Russo, as co-writer with Wilfried Huismann, delivered a breakthrough 90-minute documentary for the German public television network WDR. The film, “Rendezvous With Death,” clarifies the relationship between Cuba’s intelligence service and JFK’s killer. At this writing, the film has aired in fifteen countries. In addition, Russo is also an occasional consultant to Hollywood screenwriter Ron Bass. Russo’s fifth book (w/ Steve Molton), is Brothers in Arms: The Kennedys, the Castros, and the Politics of Murder (October 2008). This book was inspired by the “Rendezvous” film. Brothers was named Winner of the 2008 History Prize by the New York Book Festival.


In 2009, Russo produced and co-wrote Generation 9-11, a documentary feature film on the West’s misconceptions about Islam, for Academy Award-winning director Nigel Nobel. Most recently, Russo’s The Outfit was optioned by top Hollywood producer Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland) as a television series, and his original feature script, Django, ¬is currently being read by Mick Jagger for possible purchase by his Jagged Films Production Co.

Russo released his sixth book, a memoir entitled Boomer Days, in May 2011.

Previously, Gus Russo has worked an investigative reporter for PBS’ Frontline series, as well as ABC News Special Reports w

Reviews

[Gus V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The question is not who killed JFK, but why he was killed. Russo's answer is that Oswald shot Kennedy because of the White House's secret war against Fidel Castro, a "secret" which was common knowledge in the city of New Orleans, from which many anti-Castro operations were based. Lee Harvey Oswald, a young communist sympathizer that had been in the Soviet Union, knew of these operations through acquaintances in New Orleans' Cuban community and decided to kill JFK to protect Castro. Russo discusses Oswald's failed attempt on General Walker's life, previous to his contact with Cuban agents in Mexico and his subsequent shooting of the President. Details of the Kennedy assassination and Oswald's escape attempt are provided, including his killing of officer Tippit. An important contribution this book makes to the discussion of the JFK killing is the photograph of the interior of Kennedy's limousine in Appendix A. It clearly shows that the seat John Connolly was on was about a foot lower than JFK's back seat. This seating arrangement validates the often dismissed "single bullet theory" -- the trajectory is obviously in line with the placement of the two men. A great read for those interested in knowing the truth about the JFK assassination. I recommend this book as a companion to a Kennedy biography (e.g. Dallek).

[De Wet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The definitive book on the JFK saga for me. If you want to get as close to the truth as we can reasonably get at this time (and possibly ever), read this. It's dense, but worth it.

Or, I guess, go watch Oliver Stone's nonsense and dive down yet another wormhole to nowhere again.

[James Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and rivoting! There is so much that I didn't know about the JFK assassination. This book was chocked full of information and evidence but more importantly, it has inspired me to weigh the evidence for myself.

The author makes a great case for the lone gunman theory but his greatest contribution in this work is to document the efforts of the Kennedy brother to thwart, subvert, and destroy the Castro regime. In doing so, the Kennedys were living by the sword and it was inevitable that one or both of the rival presidents would end up dead.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

There ya have it - there were multiple conspirators at Dealey plaza that fateful day: One was Lee Harvey Oswald, the other ... was JFK. JFK was conspiring with RFK to kill Castro and Oswald was conspiring to save Castro. Of course, if Oswald had implicit support (some would be happy to just not stop him) or explicit support (some would love to help him, if they could get past his dangerous neuroses. This is the ultimate tale of hubris ... and nemesis ... and tregedy.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't remember how I found out about this book. Maybe as I read a book on Helms or other books of JFK RFK LBJ....I dunno...This book connects all the dots and more about JFK/RFK/ Fidel/ Raul/LBJ/ Vietnam /Oswald...One can't help but to be time traveled psychologically and intellectually with the stories within stories. It is so engrossing that at times I found myself googling what has been written and sure enough Russo is on the spot meticulous.Its funny...The gold dust twins JFK/RFK vs the mountain dust twins Fidel/Raul. This story has more twists and turns than any historical fiction could parley. It is all fact.There are vignettes that will shock you..stun you....and scare the beejesus out of you. Rememberances of when one heard of events happening to when seeing it happen...The multitude of reports that appeared bizarre but turned out true...New Orleans/ Miami / Havana......Mafia......CIA....History repeating itself without cant or prejudice .....People waiting thirty or more years to cough up the truth .....Its a good book....I dare you to read it.

[Nate Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the current wave of fond remembrances of Bobby Kennedy, it's useful to check back and confirm that the Kennedy brothers were indeed cynical assholes: consumed by the impression that Castro was more Alpha than they were - and scheming, every day, how to reverse the Cuban Revolution by any means possible. The comedy script detailing the buffoonery at the highest levels of the American government has yet to be written. It would have the potential to be sobering - and hilarious.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Case Closed brought me here. how this book isn't the end all, be all, myth debunker I don't know.

also recommend Rethinking Camelot by Chomsky

[Joey Torrieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best book on the Kennedy assassination. goes into great detail about jfks war with Castro and gives Oswald a actual motive

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only book one needs on the topic,backed by facts not emotions and certainly not a Camelot laced and approved whitewashing of what happen.
Although I don't like the constant Right-Wing mentions the author doesn't smear any rightwingers and goes straight to the point.The author has put together not a fantasy or a Oliver Stone Make-Believe screenplay but a true book looking at not the how or the who but the why.Who had the most to gain,and the simple fact to this day as the author so finely points out is that Oswald was a Commie,a Castroite who hated this country and who was no patsy or dullard and was more complex than most so-called books paint the man.The conspiracy in all of this is the whitewashing and upholding the Camelot myth and blaming the Mob for something JFK started but was too chicken to finish and left brave Men on a beach to fight.By the time he and his brother wanted to avenge the embarrassment suffered by their own ineptness it was too late sadly.If you like Novels and kooky conspiracies maybe the book isn't for you,also the CIA isn't to blame they were just following Kennedy's orders,sadly the Company was soft in some aspects in regards to overthrowing Castro seeing as they were the same Liberal Establishment Eastern types then in the agency and were Kennedy Allies such as Dulles.I am glad I picked it up and read it and Own it,And I agree with most of it and he overall conclusion and theme of the book.

[Nicole C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these things I kind of knew, but new information has come to light in the last decade or so, and this book does it in more detail that one might want.