The Gunman and His Mother: Lee Harvey Oswald, Marguerite Oswald, and the Making of an Assassin

by Steven Beschloss

This “groundbreaking” biography of Lee Harvey Oswald’s formative years “provides new insight into the character of the man who murdered a president” (Michael Takiff, author of A Complicated Man and Brave Men, Gentle Heroes).

The narrative of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy has been told from many points of view, most significantly in the wave of books exploring the Warren Commission’s findings and the conspiracy theories that followed. But for journalist Steven Beschloss, the story of Lee Harvey Oswald began with the troubled bond he had with his mother.

Drawing on public records, key interviews with Marguerite Oswald and other family members, and Lee’s own writing and statements, Beschloss traces the origins of an American tragedy back to the lonely boy who couldn’t find a way to belong and the unstable mother with a grudge against the world. Often left to his own devices, young Oswald read heavily, skipped school, and hatched plans to make his mark on the world. The Gunman and His Mother reveals the complex parental relationship that turned a boy into a killer responsible for a crime that changed American history.

This updated edition, published in time for the sixtieth anniversary of JFK’s assassination, includes material from never-before-seen files containing Marguerite Oswald’s personal writings, as well as a series of lawsuits Marguerite brought against various people, including Jimmy Breslin, William Manchester, and Gerald Ford. Not only do these documents complete the portrait of Lee’s mother, but given her attacks on the media, conspiratorial mindset, and her sense of grievance, their inclusion sheds new light on our current political climate.

“Haunting and compelling . . . reads like a Greek tragedy.” —Ralph Pezzullo, author of Jawbreaker and Inside SEAL Team Six

Genres: Biography Memoir, True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2013

Reviews

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little obsessed with the whole JFK assassination thing. I've read a lot of books about JFK, Oswald and the assassination. The Gunman and His Mother: Lee Harvey Oswald, Marguerite Oswald, and The Making of an Assassin goes behind the man accused of shooting the president and give the reader insight into the man himself and the home life he endured growing up, as well as the relationship he built with his wife. Steven Beschloss gives the reader a clear idea of the dysfunctional childhood of Oswald and the bat crap crazy woman that was his mother. Marguerite was at least a somewhat sane person in a world of a whackadoodle family but unfortunately the damage was done before she met Oswald.

[Lexi Sølvhammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short book but what a journey!

The book is well written and gives the reader a different perspective on Lee Harvey Oswald. Most books I’ve stumbled upon have been about the assassination of John F Kennedy, and not much about Oswald. Therefore it was refreshing to be able to get to know more about Oswald, his upbringing and life.

Even though this is a short book I found it filled with information about Oswald I’ve never read elsewhere.

This book gave me food for thought and was really an eye opener.

*this review has been shared on multiple platforms.

[Hank Pharis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much new here for those of us that know the story. It does demonstrate how set up Oswald was by his mother to have something go seriously wrong.

(Note: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book. 3 = Very good; 4 = Outstanding {only about 5% of the books I read merit this}; 5 = All time favorites {one of these may come along every 400-500 books})

[Sandra Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cautionary tale

This child never had a chance. Tossed from person to person. His Mother, so wrapped up in herself, to raise her kids. She failed as a parent. Could have got Lee help, chose not to.

[Margaret Flood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting material on oswald’s mom

Very thoughtful observations on opportunities missed in oswald’s life especially his early teenage years in New York. Obviously, his mom wasn’t well mentally or emotionally either so it would have taken a miracle for lee to come out half way normal. Surprisingly his older brothers managed to emerge relatively normal but I suspect like the author that was due to other adults at the boarding schools the two brothers went to at young ages. Too bad, Mom wanted to be a mother to lee.

[Donna Peake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew about Lee Harvey Oswald's life as a boy. No wonder he turned out as he did his mother was not a good parent and never got him the help he needed. If only she had history would have been so different. She seemed to care more about money and publicity.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew little about Lee Harvey Oswald. Just the bare bones of his actions in Dallas. Therefore, this Kindle Single, was very enlightening to me as it talks about Lee’s beginnings and his middle mostly while touching just a bit about his ending.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this. I was hoping there would be some insight as to why Oswalt was where he was at the time of the Kenedy assassination, but was let down, as this subject matter was left to the end of the book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned an awful lot about Lee Harvey Oswald I didn't know. Great psychological profile and showcase of how a dysfunctional family can lead to a dysfunctional child.

[Jesse Ding · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read and I enjoyed learning this piece of history.

[Dody B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. Very informative. I found myself just wanting more information. He was a terrible man. And his mother was pretty terrible too! She was awful actually!

[Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, and written somewhat like a novella insofar as it begins with the characters (who, in this case, are real) and the hope that the reader will be interested in them. There isn't an introduction. If you do not already care about Lee Harvey Oswald or it has never occurred to you to wonder whether he had a mother, it might be hard for you to get off the ground here. But a lot of detailed research was done, and these characters do come alive.

It's not really about the assassination event. A third of the way through the book, President Kennedy is mentioned once (just to mention an occasion when he didn't answer the telephone?) and then not again until two-thirds of the way through. At the end, there's a good concluding chapter explaining why it might be informative to do biographical studies of assassins.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lee Harvey Oswald never had a chance in life. He was doomed from the time he was born. His mother was overbearing and paid no attention to him at all and failed (actually denied) that he had any problems and refused to get him help when he needed it. Brings an interesting insight to Oswald's life and what led him to commit the heinous act that he did.

[JustMe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing history of Oswald's dysfunctional relationship with his Mother

Great material not often covered regarding Oswald's life and relationship with his family. So many opportunities his Mother missed that could have impacted his life in a positive way, but she was far too self centered to care. All the more unfortunate for us.

[Dennis Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cogent, balanced narrative/bio of LHO. Author does not push an agenda but rather, lays out the facts and events of LHO’s life, no doubt fueled by the bizarre and narcissism of his strange mother. Highly recommended.