Mr. Cashill’s 218-page expose (with an additional 27 pages of endnotes) is all about the most controversial post-accident aircraft investigation of my lifetime. I have long believed at least one missile shot down the flight, and the evidence in Mr. Cashill’s book is overwhelming. It’s all there: Hoards of witness testimonies manipulated or hidden by the FBI, the FAA radar tape with the high-velocity untagged target, the laughable CIA zoom-climb cartoon video that aired publically and was redacted much-more quietly, the explosive residue, the missing and/or re-labeled aircraft parts, the confiscated missile video and photo, the active offshore warning areas, three submarines, the unaccounted for ship that was tracked on radar fleeing the scene, the P3 Orion intelligence aircraft overhead TWA 800’s demise, and a deep look into the deceitful acts of high-level politicians as well as their motivations for altering the official story.
His book TWA 800 – The Crash, the Cause, and the Conspiracy feels like a natural sequel to my story, and I highly recommend it. When I wrote my memoir about TWA Flight 800, I wanted readers to meet my late fiancée Susanne and become emotionally invested in her fate onboard the red and white Boeing 747 that exploded off the south shore of Long Island. By revealing TWA Flight 800 on a personal level, I hoped they’d yearn to learn—like I do—what really brought that flight down. I shared my perspective as a surviving family member, with my added insight as a career airline pilot flying for TWA at the time. Because mine is a personal interest story—and only one chapter reflects upon the aftermath investigation because—like many, I’ve had more questions than answers. I have been waiting 20 years for the truth to be revealed, and Mr. Cashill gave me the privilege of reading a pre-publication copy—a well-documented look behind the dirty investigation curtain.
Gave up only a few chapters in. The portion I read was in desperate need of an editor. Beyond the typos, which might be easy to overlook in a superior book, the author is all over the place despite having just barely begun. In better-written first-person conspiracy narratives, the author builds a case slowly, beginning in a state of naivete and then introducing the evidence that swayed their understanding. Cashill halfheartedly attempts this, but can't help himself and begins rhapsodizing about the cover-up perpetrated by "mainstream media", while occasionally and limply metioning his earlier skepticism of conspiracy. This would be forgivable further into the narrative, but at this point the author hasn't even described a theory of what occurred, or even explained the official narrative of the incident. He's also champing at the bit to describe the Clinton White House as the masterminds of the cover-up. Though I'm not totally sold on this at first blush, I would be open to it--I'm very suspicious of Clinton's possible involvement in Iran-Contra and his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. But Cashill just blurts this out without any buildup or evidence given. Again, his blame on the Clinton administration arrives before the official narrative has been described, before the presentation of any evidence indicating a missile brought down the plane, before any discussion of where the missile could have come from, before discussing the potential source of such a missile, and before any consideration of why a cover-up would be necessary! Cashill's narrative is as backwards as his priorities, which ought to place a clear presentation of the evidence before rants against Clinton and the media. Certainly these might turn out be worthy targets, but an author needs to earn their tirades, and Cashill has not. Perhaps in a more patient mood I could persevere through the author's deficiencies to encounter the evidence, which I'd be very interested in reading. For now, however, Cashill's writing and outlook are so grating that I can't stand to continue. This is the first conspiracy book I will put down. A disappointment.
I remember sitting in my living room at home when I was in college and this tragedy happened. Something 'always' seemed off with the incident. How does a random plane break in half ten minutes after takeoff after exploding? When I took a materials science mechanical engineering course later this exact crash was explained as a malfunction at the grain level in a part of the engine that caused a catastrophic failure. While that explanation is plausible, Cashill's evidence is damning and is part of the evidence why the common citizen doesn't trust the government that governs them. Most conspiracy theories are wacho, but this one I wouldn't consider along the lines of a traditional tin foil hat conspiracy theory. There are hundreds of eye witnesses that saw a missile firing and smoke trail heading toward the airplane.
Lastly, this one hits a tad different. By random chance I sat next to Mark Berry on a flight from Dallas to Chicago one time in 2018. I listened to his story and read the pamphlets he had as he was a TWA pilot at the time. This became personal as I saw the pain in the man's eyes and heard it in his voice. His fiancé was on the doomed flight and died as a result of the crash, and he also had other colleagues and friends perish. I do think about him every now and again and hope he's well.
This is an interesting book because the topic of a TWA 800 cover up is fascinating. The evidence that the plane was brought down by a missile is compelling. The author mentions a documentary by Stalcup and Borjesson on the subject. This was a good referral, because the video is well done.
Unfortunately, this particular book did not match the quality of that documentary. First, it is poorly written, and clearly not proofread very well. There are multiple typos and missing words, letters, and punctuation. Second, the author can barely hide his right wing political leanings, and pretty much implies that Bill Clinton was behind the cover up. That may be true...but I found the gratuitous political statements off putting.
Having said that, it was an interesting book in that it has inspired me to read more about the case.
I found the book compelling and explosive when considering all of the evidence, but (arm chair quarter backing) felt like it could have been organized better.
Either way, the disaster was covered up by Government bureaucrats, agencies flagrantly violating the scope of their power, The Clinton’s desire to preserve election momentum and Government workers of various agencies willing to discredit witnesses in order to tow the line on a narrative.
TWA did not “spontaneously” explode, this book gives light to some more likely scenarios without speculating as if it’s fact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This is the well researched case that says TWA800 was shot down accidentally by a Navy missile. Clinton was running for reelection and didn't dare let the facts come out.
TWA Flight 800 was a tragedy beyond belief. Over 700 eyes witnesses with 238 observing a missile rise out of the Atlantic east and strike the Boeing 747 into a fireball. Witnesses including pilots, engineers, military men, and aviation people all seeing and reporting the same thing. The government went into the cover up mode and never looked back. Doing what ever it took to discredit the witnesses, distort the events with impossible recreations, hiding artifacts and manipulating salvaged debris to support their cover up. This book does a great job of revealing the truth and divulging the background of just one more government lie. Why can't the people be offered the simple truth instead of complicated disinformation and fake news. Accidents happen, in a dangerous world, with lethal weapons and touchy sophisticated systems. We shot it down while on Navy exercises, a perfect confluence of error, parallel trajectories, and unlucky timing. Wrong place at exactly the wrong time. 230 people gone in a millisecond. An election year with the incumbent willing to do anything to keep his watch clean of anything reflective of incompetence. Call in the fixers and make it go away!
This was an interesting book. The premise of the book is that a friendly-fire missile shot down TWA 800, that this fact was known early on by the Clinton administration and was (and has been) covered-up for the past many years. I wish more time had been spent on the who, how and why of the cover-up as well as the who, how and why of the friendly-fire. The majority of the book is spent discussing the witness accounts that lead the author to his premise. But it is easy for the reader to get bogged down in these witness accounts as there seem to be over 100, many are referenced and re-referenced, and they are not revealed in a linear pattern.
worth a read, disturbing and insights on the 4th branch that most of us wish didnt exist
The author has written a compelling account disputing the official narrative of what caused flight 800 to go down. Theauthor implicates what people call the deep state andthe democrat party. The deep state has only grown in power since 2001. In light of recent events, it seems they have become more astute at false narrative then what transpired in 1996. Only three stars because the book rambles and repeats itself, but it is an important analysis as to why weneed to abolish andfully reign in the indescribable powerof the federal government.
TWA Flight 800 took off from JFK Airport for Paris on July 17, 1996. After investigations, it was determined that the cause of the crash was an in flight break up due to a fuel tank explosion. That explosion was caused by a short circuit in the electrical system. Hundreds of witnesses say that they saw an object or streak of light heading towards the plane, an explosion, and then the crash. Hundreds of witnesses say they were never interviewed. Detailed forensic autopsies were not undertaken, as it was deemed more pressing to simply identify the victims of a clear cause of death. A lot of people felt that this was a method of covering up. A US Navy ship was reported in the area at the time of the incident and many people believe that the US Navy shot the plane down with some type of rocket or missile. 230 people died in this crash, making it the third deadliest plane crash in the United States.
I have to say that the position of this book was certainly thought provoking. I made a lot of faces while reading this book. (Or listening, as it is available on the Audible Plus catalogue.) I think that any critical thinking person has to understand that they must take anything the government says with a grain of salt. I think that a coverup about an intentional or mistaken event that ended in catastrophe is certainly possible...even likely. I have no doubt that the HUNDREDS of people saw what they say they saw. They didn't know each other. They had no reason to lie. They certainly didn't have time to organize and get their stories to match exactly. I believe they saw something hit that plane. This was an interesting book, and it would be good for anyone into conspiracy theories, disasters, or planes.
Looking at the evidence does seem to point to a cover up and a probable missile strike bringing down TWA800. However, this angle is not helped by such a poorly written book.
As other reviews have said, a good editor could probably have saved this. Without it, it's all over the place. The same witness testimonies crop up, in the same detail, again and again and again. A fascinating subject becomes boring as he's just repeating the same stuff again and again and again, chapter after chapter. And although its likely the Clinton administration probably knew about and were involved in the cover-up, the fact that the author clearly HATES the Clintons with all his being, again does not help the book. Everytime its mentioned that the White House is involved we get a full-on rant about how EVIL the Clintons are.
The people who say TWA800 was brought down by a US Navy missile are dismissed by the authorities and mainstream media as conspiracy nutjobs. Unfortunately, the book designed to overcome this, is largely written in the style of a conspiracy nutjob.
Interesting and compelling conspiracy theory -- but bold claims demand bold proof, and on this front, Cashill falls down. He begins to weave his conspiracy theory by drawing upon the statements of scores of eyewitnesses who claim to have seen something resembling missile tracks intercepting TWA 800. A good start, but Cashill then attempts to weave together poorly-connected snippets from a truly chaotic "crash investigation" (many of which are poorly sourced or offered third-hand) to build a robust "theory of the case". It is, in my opinion, "thin soup". Once he builds this sketchy outline of a massive cover-up and conspiracy, the book dives into a messy recital of political intrigues which occurred during the multi-year crash investigation...which only muddy the waters. Then, suddenly, the final chapter "puts it all together" with a compelling hypothesis -- but it's a leap of faith.
I am intrigued by his supposition, but disappointed in his prosecution of the case.
Interesting read. I distinctly remember the video being on the news and wondering how on earth the crash could possibly have been an accident unrelated to any outside forces. This book discusses that at length. The video has disappeared, supposedly confiscated by men in black. And somehow the 250+ eye witnesses who saw something zig zagging up through the sky toward the plane prior to the explosion (which the rest of us could see on the video) were disregarded. I chuckled as the author repeatedly talked about how the conclusion told us what we saw going up to the plane was actually something coming down off the plane, like we don't know the difference between up and down. Will we ever know what happened to Flight 800? Probably not. But it certainly isn't what the officials told us at the conclusion of their investigation.
What I liked about this book was the detail it went into about a government cover up so bold that it denied families closure, involved the FBI, CIA, NTSB, the US Navy, the press & other government groups to Hide the Truth every chance they got! As a concerned citizen it possesses off that this not only happened, but has happened again & again no matter which political party is in control!! The fact that so many people were involved & so many of them benefited from the cover up financially & career advancement wise makes it even worse for the victims on the plane but the family members around the world!!!
Must read and share. The author, however, does not rage, nor call for a posse, and the destruction of these liars, fantascists, cynics, 'defenders' of freedom, slanderers, libelers, paid-for hacks, and ultimately deluded as to their power. If we Americans do not repent and beg for mercy, the judge will rule correctly no matter what fictions these foolish agencies concoct.
Blessed is that man who makes the Loed his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Rubbish - total rubbish - stayed without only for a deeper understanding of how conspiracy theories get spun and how brainwashing occurs by preying on people desperately looking to understand tragedies. This "book" is about pushing a theory in 10 different ways without hard evidence and expecting one of the methods resonates. On top of it all, its so badly written. Completely preposterous to assume this theory has managed to be kept under wraps all these years despite a preponderance of evidence to the contrary.
Excellent, well written and documented illumination of yet another misleading tale by our government. This book is more credible and straight forward than all the spin by our 3 Letter agencies. Seems like the NTSB wanted to do the right thing but were getting pressure to go along with the FBI and CIA.
I have researched this event extensively, as I have vivid memories of the night of the crash. I've seen those who gather to this day to remember the victims who lost their lives. This book provides the most in-depth, accurate picture of the witnesses, data, investigation, corruption and politics involved. I highly recommend to anyone wanting the facts and truth regarding TWA Flight 800.
I remember watching this coverage live and listening to the story unfold, develop, and be shaped. I recall watching the documentary Silenced years ago — it is very hard to find now. All of this to say I feel this book does a good job pointing to the holes in the official story. The sheer number of corroborating eyewitness accounts is stunning.
This is not just another Conspiracy Theory Book. I was very intrigued with the overwhelming evidence supporting the missile theory as well as the cover-ups, eye witness accounts, and surrounding political controversy. The book is well-written and the narrator does a good job with the audio version.
This is a hard book to read, for me, at least, because it makes me so angry. The sloppiness of the investigation (which I have to assume was dictated from high in the food chain; otherwise a whole lot of people would have become unemployed after this botched job) and the decision upfront that, "THIS is what we want the conclusion to be" just makes me crazy.
Thank you Mr. Cashill for uncovering the truth behind this tragedy. Every American should read this book and wake up to the fact of how your very own government can mislead and lie to you...over and over again for years on end.
I was too young to have known about the crash, so I looked to this book for answers. I just have more questions. I can tell the author had an incredible bias, so it makes me not trust the book, unfortunately.
Pretty good book. Lots of repetition from many witnesses. Maybe that was necessary to confirm the story, but makes for redundancy for a reader. Government coverups are nothing new.
I gave up reading this mainly because Cashill's need to tell the details of every person he interviewed, all of whom said mainly the same thing, just wore me out. Too bad because I like him and I'm sure there was a very good story embedded in all that data just waiting for an editor to help cobble together a compelling narration.
You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to see that there are lots of issues with this investigation. The author confides that he did not initially buy into any type of conspiracy--"I never intended to become a conspiracy theorist."
Using much of his prior research, Jack Cashill documents, in minute detail, the eyewitness accounts that appear to so starkly contradict the official version of the investigation. What is especially troublesome is that there are SEVERAL HUNDRED eyewitness accounts that strongly suggest a missile, not some equipment malfunction, caused the loss off TWA 800.
Furthermore, many of the witnesses are professional--even military personnel. That is, they are NOT pig farmers in the middle of nowhere, looking for publicity. Here is one of the clearest examples:
"Witness 558 was on fire duty for the Air National Guard at Gabreski Airport...He watched the flare ascend for as long as thirty seconds, lost it for a split second, and then observed ‘a large fireball erupt in the sky’ before becoming “a ball of fire which separated into two equally sized balls dropping from the sky with no audible sound.' "
Here's another one--eerily similar: "Witness 221 was sitting on the beach in Fire Island with his wife watching the surf come in. He saw a commercial jet fly by, surely TWA 800, and then 'saw a streak of light travel up from the water into the sky. [He] described the streak of light as though it was like a rocket or shooting star only going upward.' "
Many of the witnesses report very similar accounts. These accounts were concluded to be people seeing something AFTER the plane had exploded.
Making the whole investigation so odd is that the investigators seemed so drawn to blame equipment (fuel tank) problems--even though that possibility could never actually be proven--only inferred: "Its experts spent four years desperately trying to find the cause of the explosion other than the obvious, and the best its expert could conclude was that “the source of the ignition for the explosion could not be determined with certainty."
In a bizarre conclusion the FBI reported at a November 1997 press conference: “No evidence has been found that would indicate that a criminal act was the cause of the tragedy of Flight 800.”
The eyewitness accounts are the most compelling feature of TWA 800. The author has done a great job of documenting, and questioning what appear to be irrational interpretations of these accounts.
On the other hand, I thought the weakest part of the book is when Mr. Cashill draws his conclusion, accusing the White House of a huge cover-up: "...the uncorrected wrong began after the plane’s destruction. The Navy could not have—and would not have—concealed its responsibility unless authorized to do so. Nor would the FBI and CIA have intervened on their own initiative. These authorizations could only have come from the White House. This was the rare White House in American history, perhaps the only one, reckless enough to have authorized a cover-up this bold. “In my opinion, the author would have served his cause better by sticking with the facts of the case, and letting readers make up their own mind about cover-ups.
In any case, TWA 800 presents a mountain of evidence that calls into question the objectivity of the investigation. The reader will have to weigh the evidence for themselves, and see if they agree with Mr. Cashill's conclusions. TWA 800 documents perhaps one of the oddest investigations in U.S. history. I think Mr. Cashill has done a good job of marshalling the facts.
Advance Review Copy courtesy of Edelweiss Book Distributors.