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Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy
The big daddy of the conspiracy books on the JFK assassination, and one that can't be taken lightly. A sheer tour de force that may be the final word until 2039--when government files on the case can be unlocked."--Kirkus Reviews
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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About the author
Jim Marrs
55 books300 followersJim Marrs is an award-winning journalist and author. After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in journalism, Marrs worked for and owned several Texas newspapers before becoming an independent journalist/author. Marrs is the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy, the basis for the Oliver Stone film JFK, and Rule by Secrecy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
February 12, 2021
Excellent book by the late Jim Marrs. This book was eventually made into the film JFK. The one starring Kevin Kostner. The conspiracy of JFK assassination was blown wide open by the intrepid investigative journalist. I have used Jim Marrs's research in some of my own searching over the years. R.I.P. Brother.
"Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had men's views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the U.S., in the field of commerce and manufacturing, are afraid of somebody, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it."
Woodrow Wilson - In his book entitled The New Freedom (1913):🐯👍
"Since I entered politics, I have chiefly had men's views confided to me privately. Some of the biggest men in the U.S., in the field of commerce and manufacturing, are afraid of somebody, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it."
Woodrow Wilson - In his book entitled The New Freedom (1913):🐯👍
January 15, 2020
I never thought it possible for a book to offer too much in-depth research but Crossfire does exactly that. Every possible scenario, no matter how obscure or ludicrous, is explored and toward the end i was punch-drunk on JFK conspiracy. So much so that i became weary of the whole thing and skimmed the last 70 or so pages. The first half of this massive brick is interesting but the further i got the more fanatical Jim Marrs sounded. It got to the point where i really lost interest in the who/what/where. Did the government assassinate JFK? Probably. Do i care anymore? No.
October 10, 2016
Certainly, I have to say that if the torch is passed to a new generation of the twenty first century, who look back to the tumultuous years of the twentieth, i.e. 1914-19, 1929, 1939-46, the date that must live in infamy is not just 7th December 1941, but with far longer and greater impact is 22nd November 1963 in Dallas, Texas.
After almost fifty years, the official spin remains of the lone nut, and until that lie is eradicated from the pages of history, then the laws of moral justice and social values in the western world remain sullied and stolen.
'Crossfire-The Plot That Killed Kennedy' by Jim Marrs, published 1989, is the book that is the basis for Oliver Stone's movie JFK. As pronounced by David Ferrie's character, played by the excellent Joe Pesci in that movie, "It's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Maybe, but for the reader wishing to enter this enigma, Marr's 'Crossfire' is not far short of five star. It's an encyclopaedic work that covers a vast amount of research that acknowledges the legion of past truth seekers such as Jones, Lane, Salandria, Weisberg, Meagher, Ferrell, Garrison, Thomson, Prouty, Summers, Lifton, Fonzi, Groden...the list goes on. As the author writes in his preface 'whether it is read from start to finish or simply kept as a reference source, Crossfire is intended to be a thorough source book for the library of anyone with the slightest interest in learning what actually happened in Dallas in 1963.' Marr adds 'Why seek the truth of Kennedy's death? The answer is simple. Unless we, as a nation, (I take a wider view) come to a truthful understanding of what happened to our chief elected official in 1963, we obviously cannot begin to correctly understand the events that are effecting us today.' Marrs wrote this over twenty years ago, and it still stands.
Beati Pacifici. Has any world leader since 63 ever made a speech of such magnitude as that Commencement Address at the American University in Washington of June 10th 1963. 'What kind of a peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war.' This was blown away in Dealey Plaza, in a military coup, leading us all into the industrial-military complex led world we reside in today. 'For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breath the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.'
November 22nd 2013. Just purchased the revised and updated 'Crossfire' and signed by the author. New review to follow.
After almost fifty years, the official spin remains of the lone nut, and until that lie is eradicated from the pages of history, then the laws of moral justice and social values in the western world remain sullied and stolen.
'Crossfire-The Plot That Killed Kennedy' by Jim Marrs, published 1989, is the book that is the basis for Oliver Stone's movie JFK. As pronounced by David Ferrie's character, played by the excellent Joe Pesci in that movie, "It's a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Maybe, but for the reader wishing to enter this enigma, Marr's 'Crossfire' is not far short of five star. It's an encyclopaedic work that covers a vast amount of research that acknowledges the legion of past truth seekers such as Jones, Lane, Salandria, Weisberg, Meagher, Ferrell, Garrison, Thomson, Prouty, Summers, Lifton, Fonzi, Groden...the list goes on. As the author writes in his preface 'whether it is read from start to finish or simply kept as a reference source, Crossfire is intended to be a thorough source book for the library of anyone with the slightest interest in learning what actually happened in Dallas in 1963.' Marr adds 'Why seek the truth of Kennedy's death? The answer is simple. Unless we, as a nation, (I take a wider view) come to a truthful understanding of what happened to our chief elected official in 1963, we obviously cannot begin to correctly understand the events that are effecting us today.' Marrs wrote this over twenty years ago, and it still stands.
Beati Pacifici. Has any world leader since 63 ever made a speech of such magnitude as that Commencement Address at the American University in Washington of June 10th 1963. 'What kind of a peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war.' This was blown away in Dealey Plaza, in a military coup, leading us all into the industrial-military complex led world we reside in today. 'For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breath the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.'
November 22nd 2013. Just purchased the revised and updated 'Crossfire' and signed by the author. New review to follow.
January 1, 2010
Every page of this book was revelatory in a new aspect of the Kennedy assassination and the many problems with the official story. Essential reading for anyone with even a passing interest in the assassination, and, of course, for every history major who goes through their JFK phase.
It well combines all the existing theories at the time and lays them out, if not in a particularly scholarly fashion, than in an entirely readable and digestible way. If one is prone to think that Oswald acted alone, or has accidentally stumbled upon that trashheap of a scholar Gerald Posner, then this book is a great antidote to start asking the thousand questions that ought to immediately come to mind whenever a king is killed.
It well combines all the existing theories at the time and lays them out, if not in a particularly scholarly fashion, than in an entirely readable and digestible way. If one is prone to think that Oswald acted alone, or has accidentally stumbled upon that trashheap of a scholar Gerald Posner, then this book is a great antidote to start asking the thousand questions that ought to immediately come to mind whenever a king is killed.
March 16, 2010
This is THE book to read if you want an introduction to the conspiracy surrounding JFK's assassination and the subsequent cover up. This book, with its careful examination of the tiniest of details, still manages to intrigue me after having been obsessed with the JFK assassination for 20 years.
February 23, 2013
In the world of conspiracy theories, the JFK conspiracy reigns supreme as one of the enduring mysteries of the twentieth century whose effects are still being felt today. It was all the more shocking because the assassination was carried out in front of hundreds of people in broad daylight, and in its aftermath it seemed Camelot had died. With the subsequent government cover up, allegations of CIA, FBI, Secret Service, and Mafia involvement we in the twenty first century are still left wondering. Who did it? As a child growing up the sixties and seventies Oswald’s guilt was always accepted carte blanche by my father and passed onto me as gospel, a communist plot to get rid of the American president. It was only when I saw Oliver Stone’s film, JFK that I saw how a coup d’etat could have occurred, and when two of the retired pathologists were trotted out for the public in the hype around the film I sensed the stench of corruption again.
Jim Marrs’ book Crossfire, The Plot that Killed Kennedy is one of the books used as a reference point for Stone’s Counter Mythology to counter the Government Mythology. At 590 pages it’s a hefty tome and has an extensive bibliography at the back. It doesn’t tell us whodunit but it gathers all the evidence that had been uncovered from 1963 up until 1989 and lays it all out in easy bite sized chapters. At the end of every chapter you find a brief summary of the major points, which I found crucial when you have to absorb so much information at once.
Part one is the Kill Zone, setting the scene for the assassination, the Texas School Depository, the Triple Underpass, the Grassy Knoll, and also gives you background information on the Kennedy rise to power.
Part Two is Means, Motives, and Opportunities, which goes into who might have wanted Kennedy dead. Lee Harvey Oswald’s history, the Russians, the Cubans, Mobsters, the CIA, the FBI, Rednecks and Oilmen, and the Military.
Part Three is the Aftermath. Dallas, the two hospitals where two autopsies produced different results, the Jack Ruby connection, the evidence used to convict Oswald is debunked, the Warren Commission, the Garrison Investigation, the House Select Committee on Assassinations, the Oswald Exhumation years later and finally a list of ‘convenient deaths.’ Witnesses who could have or actually contradicted official FBI and Intelligence reports.
At the very end is a re-enactment, similar to the conversation Costner’s character has with X in JFK, where a possible assassination plot is put into motion.
It makes for stirring and thought provoking reading although other evidence that has since come to light obviously won’t appear. However for anyone interested in what happened that November 22, 1963 this is an indispensable book to have on your shelf. It is probably the base text that will start you on your own journey. The summaries at the end of each chapter as mentioned mean you can condense the critical information in short bullet points.
But why we should care about the assassination of a US president back in 1963? I could probably point to the many government cover ups, lies. From Watergate through to the invasion of Iraq to search for WMDs, but I think I’ll leave the last word to Jim Marrs, quoting from page 590 of the book where he states.
I’ve given it five out of five and lament the fact there are only five stars to give, it deserves more than that for its commitment to truth.
1 Crossfire The Plot That Killed Kennedy page 590
By Jim Marrs, Published 1989 Carroll and Graf Publishers.
Written by Alastair Rosie
Jim Marrs’ book Crossfire, The Plot that Killed Kennedy is one of the books used as a reference point for Stone’s Counter Mythology to counter the Government Mythology. At 590 pages it’s a hefty tome and has an extensive bibliography at the back. It doesn’t tell us whodunit but it gathers all the evidence that had been uncovered from 1963 up until 1989 and lays it all out in easy bite sized chapters. At the end of every chapter you find a brief summary of the major points, which I found crucial when you have to absorb so much information at once.
Part one is the Kill Zone, setting the scene for the assassination, the Texas School Depository, the Triple Underpass, the Grassy Knoll, and also gives you background information on the Kennedy rise to power.
Part Two is Means, Motives, and Opportunities, which goes into who might have wanted Kennedy dead. Lee Harvey Oswald’s history, the Russians, the Cubans, Mobsters, the CIA, the FBI, Rednecks and Oilmen, and the Military.
Part Three is the Aftermath. Dallas, the two hospitals where two autopsies produced different results, the Jack Ruby connection, the evidence used to convict Oswald is debunked, the Warren Commission, the Garrison Investigation, the House Select Committee on Assassinations, the Oswald Exhumation years later and finally a list of ‘convenient deaths.’ Witnesses who could have or actually contradicted official FBI and Intelligence reports.
At the very end is a re-enactment, similar to the conversation Costner’s character has with X in JFK, where a possible assassination plot is put into motion.
It makes for stirring and thought provoking reading although other evidence that has since come to light obviously won’t appear. However for anyone interested in what happened that November 22, 1963 this is an indispensable book to have on your shelf. It is probably the base text that will start you on your own journey. The summaries at the end of each chapter as mentioned mean you can condense the critical information in short bullet points.
But why we should care about the assassination of a US president back in 1963? I could probably point to the many government cover ups, lies. From Watergate through to the invasion of Iraq to search for WMDs, but I think I’ll leave the last word to Jim Marrs, quoting from page 590 of the book where he states.
‘The Kennedy assassination was a true coup d’etat, a sudden and violent shift of power to the right in this country. And that power, though weakened by revelations of corruption and unachieved goals, remains with us today.
Few people have shown a willingness to confront and accuse this power. But until the people of the United States confront the reality of Kennedy’s death and face up to the power behind it, the wars, near wars, the wasteful military build up, foreign adventurism, squandered millions, trampled human rights, moral decline, and environmental pollution will continue.’ 1
I’ve given it five out of five and lament the fact there are only five stars to give, it deserves more than that for its commitment to truth.
1 Crossfire The Plot That Killed Kennedy page 590
By Jim Marrs, Published 1989 Carroll and Graf Publishers.
Written by Alastair Rosie
January 28, 2025
I read the 1989 edition of this a few years ago and this 2013 edition is so much better edited. (The updated info makes for better reading also.) While I’m not a conspiracy theorist, I must admit this book makes some points worthy of note. JFK’s ever loyal secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, once wrote in a 1994 letter that, “it is my belief that there was a conspiracy...These five conspirators, in my opinion, were Lyndon B. Johnson, J. Edgar Hoover, the Mafia, the CIA and the Cubans in Florida.” This book makes some incredible connections between these “conspirators”, some more reasonable than others. More JFK assassination records are due to be released in 2039 per LBJ’s original orders. We’ll just have to wait.
July 23, 2009
One of the first books to explore the Kennedy Assassination conundrum and the first to be well-known, it is still one of the best places to start when exploring this subject. Along with anything by Harold Weisberg, brings the Warren Commission report into a glaring light and shows it cannot have happened the way they said it did.
December 27, 2013
The original 1989 edition of 'Crossfire' was one of my favourite JFK assassination books. Marrs' professional journalistic stamp got five stars from me. If it was possible to increase these star ratings, I wouldn't hesitate. The 2013 revised and updated 'Crossfire' is as comprehensive and pertinent to the coup of '63 as I have come across.
The new book of 555 pages follows closely to the '89 version. In three parts, Part I has the same content, minus the summary. Part II has been updated with additional work on Oswald that has come from other publications in the previous decade, such as from Judyth Vary Baker. Part III takes in other developments that have arisen since the '89 publication, Stone's 'JFK' and the exposures that resulted from the A.R.R.B., particularly the brilliant work of Doug Horne.
"Compelling". "The big daddy of the conspiracy books". "A sheer tour de force". These are all samples of reviews from the jacket of this book. Certainly a tour de force, but for me a lot more than just compelling, and certainly not a conspiracy book. Jim Marrs has put together a major historical tome. His writing is based strongly on reported facts, (which is why the author is an award winning journalist) that are presented clearly for the reader, without bias or theorising.
I utterly agree with his premise that the shooters in Dealey Plaza do not unlock the case, but the federal forces that were involved in the cover-up, and that disqualifies the Mafia, Cuban exiles, or any foreign involvement. While elements of organised crime and Cuban exiles were very likely recruited to the 'Big Event' the plotters came from the military/big business/CIA/FBI/Secret Service/LBJ cabal, which is why the cover-up persists today. Which is why Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were also killed. Which is why Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray and Sirhan Sirhan were fitted up as lone nut patsies.
It was a pleasure to meet and talk with Jim Marrs, he signed my copy of this book with the added phrase..."Always question authority"
The new book of 555 pages follows closely to the '89 version. In three parts, Part I has the same content, minus the summary. Part II has been updated with additional work on Oswald that has come from other publications in the previous decade, such as from Judyth Vary Baker. Part III takes in other developments that have arisen since the '89 publication, Stone's 'JFK' and the exposures that resulted from the A.R.R.B., particularly the brilliant work of Doug Horne.
"Compelling". "The big daddy of the conspiracy books". "A sheer tour de force". These are all samples of reviews from the jacket of this book. Certainly a tour de force, but for me a lot more than just compelling, and certainly not a conspiracy book. Jim Marrs has put together a major historical tome. His writing is based strongly on reported facts, (which is why the author is an award winning journalist) that are presented clearly for the reader, without bias or theorising.
I utterly agree with his premise that the shooters in Dealey Plaza do not unlock the case, but the federal forces that were involved in the cover-up, and that disqualifies the Mafia, Cuban exiles, or any foreign involvement. While elements of organised crime and Cuban exiles were very likely recruited to the 'Big Event' the plotters came from the military/big business/CIA/FBI/Secret Service/LBJ cabal, which is why the cover-up persists today. Which is why Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were also killed. Which is why Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray and Sirhan Sirhan were fitted up as lone nut patsies.
It was a pleasure to meet and talk with Jim Marrs, he signed my copy of this book with the added phrase..."Always question authority"
August 11, 2015
"In the three-year period which followed the murder of President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, 18 material witnesses died... the London Sunday Times concluded that on November 22, 1963, the odds against these witnesses being dead by February 1967, were one hundred thousand trillion to one." - Crossfire, page 555
Like so many people who changed their story following the assassination, The London Sunday Times later claimed that this quote was taken in the wrong context and that the odds were actually much lower, blah blah blah. If the odds that this many witnesses would die within 3.5 years of the assassination were 5% of this number, it would still be way too high. This shocking point is just one little tidbit that Jim Marrs has put in a book that will shock, disgust and terrify you by the time you finish it.
What impressed me the most about this 590 page book is how little the author repeated himself. At the end of every section he summarized the main points then quickly moved on to the mountains of other information he has researched. He is completely thorough and makes it easy for someone who knows very little about the Kennedy assassination to gain a solid understanding of the events that had begun to unfold decades before Kennedy took office through the years following and mass confusion about the events of that fateful day. The reader will have an idea of the political climate of the day and be horrified of the lies and mishandling of evidence and information in investigations led by our own government.
He presents an excellent case that will leave you without doubt that there was some type of conspiracy and leaves you with plenty of suspects. At the end of the day (and reading this book) you won't trust many of the people in power in this world and I think that is the point.
Like so many people who changed their story following the assassination, The London Sunday Times later claimed that this quote was taken in the wrong context and that the odds were actually much lower, blah blah blah. If the odds that this many witnesses would die within 3.5 years of the assassination were 5% of this number, it would still be way too high. This shocking point is just one little tidbit that Jim Marrs has put in a book that will shock, disgust and terrify you by the time you finish it.
What impressed me the most about this 590 page book is how little the author repeated himself. At the end of every section he summarized the main points then quickly moved on to the mountains of other information he has researched. He is completely thorough and makes it easy for someone who knows very little about the Kennedy assassination to gain a solid understanding of the events that had begun to unfold decades before Kennedy took office through the years following and mass confusion about the events of that fateful day. The reader will have an idea of the political climate of the day and be horrified of the lies and mishandling of evidence and information in investigations led by our own government.
He presents an excellent case that will leave you without doubt that there was some type of conspiracy and leaves you with plenty of suspects. At the end of the day (and reading this book) you won't trust many of the people in power in this world and I think that is the point.
August 29, 2009
Spoiler alert: The CIA did it. Now we can al rest easy. I read recently that it had become impossible to write an effective satire of American society because reality had become so perposterously absurd that any attempt to satirize it will strike the reader more as a prophetic nightmare than as a satirization. This is one of the primary texts Oliver Stone used to plot out the film JFK, and is basically the Encyclopedeia of JFK assassination theories. This also proves the satire quote from above, since the whole time you're reading this you think, "Oh my god! That could NEVER happen!"
But it did. Or, at least, I think it did, which brings me to the main point of what is interesting about this book, the JFK assassination in particular, and conspiracy mythology in general. That Lee Harvey Oswald was a patsy, that our own government murdered the president because he wanted to bring an end to the American military industrial complex matters very little as history, even if it is true. It matters not. What matters--why conspiracy theories are important to us--is as personal mythology. It doesn't matter if it happened. That so misses the point. What matters is that MILLIONS of Americans and HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of people around the world believe it happened. They believe in the conspiracy to assassinate JFK like some people believe in Jesus or Quantum Mechanics. It is part of their personal mythologies. It explains the internal workings of their personal cosmology, the spiritual universe in which they live. Paranoia. Determinism. Shadowy forces. This is what we believe in. This is the world we believe, in our guts, we live in. It cannot be explained. It is not benevolent. It doesn't want to kill us, it just wants to control us. We're okay with that.
But it did. Or, at least, I think it did, which brings me to the main point of what is interesting about this book, the JFK assassination in particular, and conspiracy mythology in general. That Lee Harvey Oswald was a patsy, that our own government murdered the president because he wanted to bring an end to the American military industrial complex matters very little as history, even if it is true. It matters not. What matters--why conspiracy theories are important to us--is as personal mythology. It doesn't matter if it happened. That so misses the point. What matters is that MILLIONS of Americans and HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of people around the world believe it happened. They believe in the conspiracy to assassinate JFK like some people believe in Jesus or Quantum Mechanics. It is part of their personal mythologies. It explains the internal workings of their personal cosmology, the spiritual universe in which they live. Paranoia. Determinism. Shadowy forces. This is what we believe in. This is the world we believe, in our guts, we live in. It cannot be explained. It is not benevolent. It doesn't want to kill us, it just wants to control us. We're okay with that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2015
Jim Marrs' "Crossfire" is what the Warren Commission should have been. The extensive documentation presents eyewitness account of what happened on one of most tragic days in our country's history. It also presents an extremely detailed history of who Lee Harvey Oswald was and the characters who surrounded him, as well as JFK, the Bay of Pigs, and the men who occupied president's cabinet. There's a map to show the route the motorcade took through Dealey Plaza as well as obscure photographs including a detailed analysis of the few frames of film that captured the event.
And yet with all the information, Marrs is still able to create a page-turner that is well written and jaw-dropping in its content. He also references lesser known sources such as "Lee and Me," "Dr. Mary's Monkey," taking into consideration multiple angles and taking on quetionable claims. Even today, most Americans do not believe the official story - that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman responsible for the death of the 35th President of the United States. It's long, but worth reading every word.
And yet with all the information, Marrs is still able to create a page-turner that is well written and jaw-dropping in its content. He also references lesser known sources such as "Lee and Me," "Dr. Mary's Monkey," taking into consideration multiple angles and taking on quetionable claims. Even today, most Americans do not believe the official story - that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman responsible for the death of the 35th President of the United States. It's long, but worth reading every word.
June 9, 2008
It's not so much "Was there a plot to kill Kennedy?" as *which* one of the various groups that wanted him dead did it, and in which combination. Kennedy was on the shitlist of the KKK, the Mafia, the Teamsters, and Cuban revolutionaries- not to mention people in his own government, LBJ included, who most certainly did not agree that the Viet Nam war should be ended in a timely fashion. This book is long (over 600 pages) but entirely fascinating- even the appendices are good reading. This book completely opened my eyes to the difference between what we see as our government, and what is actually going on beneath the veneer of the "executive, judicial, and legislative" model. There is a system of checks and balances, but it's nothing like we were taught in elementary school.
July 22, 2007
This book comes as close as any book I've read to expressing the questions and lingering doubts I have about the "official" conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of President Kennedy. There may be perfectly innocent and logical explanations for many things, but all I've heard is supposition -- excuses and alibis based on everything except cold, hard evidence. As far as I'm concerned, the case for conspiracy that this book makes is much more credible than the Warren Connission or any of the naysayers who would convince you that Oswald was a lone assassin.
July 5, 2010
This is basically a summary of the top possible murder theories surrounding the JFK assassination. For those looking to get into the topic or just wanting to learn about modern US History/Politics/War this is a great introduction. He doesn't pull any punches and is quite candid. I like how he opens the book with "Do not trust this book". And it's true, when it comes to JFK research it is nearly impossible to trust anything other than your own research. But I highly recommend this book to any JFK novice.
March 31, 2013
Very good. Easily read. Unfortunately I may have come across this book at the end of my assassination book series and it may have been one book too many for me. It is suggested by the author that the reader may just want to keep this book as reference. This is an excellent purpose for having this book. Each chapter is broken down by specific points of question and then a summary is given of the overview. Very concise. However, many scenarios are given leaving the answers somewhat open ended to allow for the reader to form his or her own conclusions.
August 27, 2011
Great, in-depth read about JFK's assassination. So many details, this author seemed to have an incredible amount of knowledge about this issue. Interviewed every single person involved, witnesses, suspects, Secret Service, and otherwise. So detailed it was almost overwhelming but a must-read for any and all JFK enthusiasts.
July 18, 2013
It's hard to imagine that anyone else has gathered together more information on the assassination, and placed it all into one book, than Jim Marrs. Whether or not he's 'solved the case' is for the reader to speculate, however anyone who is seriously interested in the assassination should read this book
June 5, 2014
Really great read, chocked full of provocative information. Only negative is that the massive depth of evidence and theories are presented without any real narrative, making it a slow read at times. If conspiracy theory or true crime interests you, this is a must read. Jim Marrs put together one of the most exhaustive and well written books on the Kennedy assassination, hands down.
August 12, 2013
If you see this in a bookshop or a library and you can't be bothered reading it all, read the last chapter - that's probably what really happened.
If you CAN be bothered reading it all you won't want to put it down.
Fascinating and well done but ultimately disturbing.
If you CAN be bothered reading it all you won't want to put it down.
Fascinating and well done but ultimately disturbing.
January 15, 2015
This is the quintessential report for those interested in the Kennedy assassination conspiracy! Jim Marrs does it again.. and this is a huge book packed with so many facts and footnotes it'll make your head spin...
A must read if you can put aside a block of time... does not disappoint :::
A must read if you can put aside a block of time... does not disappoint :::
March 16, 2025
Perhaps the most expansive collection of information about a single historical event that I have ever read. Jim Marrs’ magnum opus on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy compiles over 50 years of data, theories, evidence, and developments into one fantastic source.
The sheer amount of information Marrs presents makes it nearly impossible to construct a perfect through-line from start to finish, hence the reason for 4 stars—though I would give it a 4.5/5 if I could. Regardless, “Crossfire” should be a required reason for every serious JFK researcher to use in referencing any data pertaining to the assassination.
The sheer amount of information Marrs presents makes it nearly impossible to construct a perfect through-line from start to finish, hence the reason for 4 stars—though I would give it a 4.5/5 if I could. Regardless, “Crossfire” should be a required reason for every serious JFK researcher to use in referencing any data pertaining to the assassination.
May 7, 2013
Like everyone else around the world, I knew exactly what I was doing and exactly where I was when John Kennedy was assassinated on the 22nd November 1963.
I was only 16 then and I'm 66 now, and even though 50 years have passed we're still no nearer the truth, as to who had Kennedy killed.
I recall that I was well and truly caught up in the excitement of JFK's reign (the guy was charismatic with a capital C) and the sickening reality of his demise, and the crushing reality that the perpetrators will possibly never be caught, is galling to say the least.
Of course it's a fascinating scenario - the conspiracy theories run thick and fast, beautifully put before us in the Kevin Costner film "JFK", partly based upon this book by Jim Marrs.
Naturally one shouldn't be affected one way or another on the basis of reading one book BUT the sheer weight of possibilities and decoys, added to the incredible list of people involved who suddenly died mysteriously, lends tremendous weight to the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald truly was, as he declared himself to be, A PATSY!
The book throws facts and people at you at a rate of knots, so be prepared to be mind-shredded.
But if you're fascinated by this special moment in time, then this book is a must.
I must admit that I've kind of formed an opinion myself after reading it, that many people were involved and the ones doing the dirty work, at the end of the chain, were never aware of the real guys pulling the rug, at the top of the chain. That's why the secret has remained intact.
And anyone getting close to revealing too much suddenly disappears.
Hey ho, I'm not saying any more...please excuse me whilst I close the door quietly, pull down the blinds, and sit quietly in the kitchen, and pray that nobody's read this.
I was only 16 then and I'm 66 now, and even though 50 years have passed we're still no nearer the truth, as to who had Kennedy killed.
I recall that I was well and truly caught up in the excitement of JFK's reign (the guy was charismatic with a capital C) and the sickening reality of his demise, and the crushing reality that the perpetrators will possibly never be caught, is galling to say the least.
Of course it's a fascinating scenario - the conspiracy theories run thick and fast, beautifully put before us in the Kevin Costner film "JFK", partly based upon this book by Jim Marrs.
Naturally one shouldn't be affected one way or another on the basis of reading one book BUT the sheer weight of possibilities and decoys, added to the incredible list of people involved who suddenly died mysteriously, lends tremendous weight to the conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald truly was, as he declared himself to be, A PATSY!
The book throws facts and people at you at a rate of knots, so be prepared to be mind-shredded.
But if you're fascinated by this special moment in time, then this book is a must.
I must admit that I've kind of formed an opinion myself after reading it, that many people were involved and the ones doing the dirty work, at the end of the chain, were never aware of the real guys pulling the rug, at the top of the chain. That's why the secret has remained intact.
And anyone getting close to revealing too much suddenly disappears.
Hey ho, I'm not saying any more...please excuse me whilst I close the door quietly, pull down the blinds, and sit quietly in the kitchen, and pray that nobody's read this.
April 5, 2019
A very thorough breakdown of President Kennedy's assassination. Jim Marrs was a Dallas based investigative reporter and did a great job of presenting available material including coverage of the Warren Commission, and the House Select Committee on Assassinations. Marrs also presents District Attorney Jim Garrison's investigation--which was the basis for Oliver Stone's 'JFK' film. Years ago I read the Warren Commission Report--a lengthy cut and dried affair that paints Oswald as the lone gunman. Marrs points out the multitude of witnesses that were not interviewed by the commission, because they did not fit their preconceived narrative.
In the 1970s the House Select Committee didn't achieve much, but did determine that there was a conspiracy and that Oswald was not the only gunman. However, funding and a set deadline ended that investigative effort. At the end of the book Marrs presents a 'likely scenario' that certainly is supported by the available evidence. Most likely entities within our own government covered up this crime, and the national news media was manipulated to present stories that supported the lone gunman narrative. One example of the destruction of evidence includes the immediate shipment of the presidential limousine to be refurbished before evidence could be collected from it. The other is the botched autopsy of President Kennedy. The autopsy should have been completed in Texas by experienced medical examiners. Instead, his body was sent back to Bethesda Naval Hospital, where Navy doctors not practiced in conducting autopsies completed it.
A very detailed, well-researched book. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the subject.
In the 1970s the House Select Committee didn't achieve much, but did determine that there was a conspiracy and that Oswald was not the only gunman. However, funding and a set deadline ended that investigative effort. At the end of the book Marrs presents a 'likely scenario' that certainly is supported by the available evidence. Most likely entities within our own government covered up this crime, and the national news media was manipulated to present stories that supported the lone gunman narrative. One example of the destruction of evidence includes the immediate shipment of the presidential limousine to be refurbished before evidence could be collected from it. The other is the botched autopsy of President Kennedy. The autopsy should have been completed in Texas by experienced medical examiners. Instead, his body was sent back to Bethesda Naval Hospital, where Navy doctors not practiced in conducting autopsies completed it.
A very detailed, well-researched book. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the subject.
February 25, 2015
My grandfather had many JFK assassination books and, as a kid, I would leaf through them, mostly looking at the pictures. Little did I know that I would one day end up reading almost all of his JFK books and then some. Jim Marrs' "Crossfire" was probably the first JFK assassination book that I actually read. It is an infinitely readable book, aimed at a mainstream audience, and for that reason alone it set a standard for all the other JFK, political, or conspiracy books I would read after. If you wanted to read just one book on the conspiracy surrounding the killing of JFK (I do indeed lean toward conspiracy as the most likely explanation) then this, or rather the 2013 revised edition, is the book you want. It covers all the major elements, including a lot of the forensic details, and yet at around 600 pages it is still a brisk read, NOTHING like the enormous monstrosity that is the Vincent Bugliosi study from a few years ago. (To borrow from Truman Capote, what Bugliosi was doing wasn't writing, it was typing. And he did a LOT of it.) I have just purchased the revised edition myself, and I'm looking forward to once again immersing myself in the dark places of the shadow government.
August 18, 2014
I have always been intrigued by the mystery and tragedy of the assassination of John F Kennedy. It just blows my mind on how either a lone gun man or several people could of orchestrated such a unbelievable tragedy to not only him, his family but our nation. The innocence of our nation died that day in November 1963.
When I read this book was my first books on the assassination though I have read countless more since with each author with more information and theories than the last.
Jim Marrs definitely covers all his bases from Oswald's connection to Russia, to his visit to the Mexican Consulate, Hobo's on the Grassy Knoll, to witnesses seeing more than one gunmen in the windows of the Texas Book Depository, to a botched autopsy report and many more trinkets of facts either overlooked by the FBI and all other agencies.
This book will get your brain a churning on what you think may have happened. It's one of the Big Daddy's of conspiracy books I have ever read. It was made into a movie by Oliver Stone called JFK which was quite entertaining and it really makes you wonder could it really have happened that way. We will never know or will we?
When I read this book was my first books on the assassination though I have read countless more since with each author with more information and theories than the last.
Jim Marrs definitely covers all his bases from Oswald's connection to Russia, to his visit to the Mexican Consulate, Hobo's on the Grassy Knoll, to witnesses seeing more than one gunmen in the windows of the Texas Book Depository, to a botched autopsy report and many more trinkets of facts either overlooked by the FBI and all other agencies.
This book will get your brain a churning on what you think may have happened. It's one of the Big Daddy's of conspiracy books I have ever read. It was made into a movie by Oliver Stone called JFK which was quite entertaining and it really makes you wonder could it really have happened that way. We will never know or will we?
July 30, 2011
I was horrified while reading it and I dont think that has happened to me before. If I could have given this book zero stars or half of a star I would have. Marrs attacks everything that a historian does and also attacks the experts. I cannot fathom how anyone could write like this and actually have it published. Marrs does not do his research very well and I was so annoyed with the fact that he uses sources that he didnt even seem to check. In this book he attempts to be a historian and an expert but fails miserably. Horrible book! Please do not read! Marrs attempts to confuse and dilute the facts about the assassination of JFK while showing that a conspiracy exists because so many things went wrong. If you do choose to read this or are forced to, as I was, read with care.
November 12, 2013
This book, originally released in 1989, still remains the clearing house for the facts and theories (off-the-wall and otherwise)surrounding the assassination. Downright scary in the amount of unanswered questions that still remain. Will make even those who could care less think twice about the events on 11/22/63.
March 12, 2015
This book is my reference guide to the murder of JFK and the era that allowed such. I've learned so much about the time as well as the day this great leader was taken down for his stand against war and this book is so thorough and detailed that it makes me feel like I have actually met JFK.
August 26, 2007
Great overview of the JFK assassination. I recommend it for anyone interested in learning the truth about the day that changed the course of American history: November 22, 1963.
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