Not in Your Lifetime: The Defining Book on the J.F.K. Assassination

Deserves its reputation as the authoritative text. A compendium of sources and perspectives, practically all of which are reasonably vetted and presented without bias, and where necessary, appropriates caveats. Advances no particular theory and merely argues, convincingly, that the truth is unknown. I only caught Summers wrong-footing himself once, in failing to put any question marks over the evidence of Tom Tilson (JFK researcher Peter R Whitmey demonstrated the problems with Tilson in 1993/94). But Tilson appears only in a throwaway paragraph. In all, the book offers a very sound background, although perhaps stresses mafia involvement more than the military/intelligence aspect. Still waiting for someone to write an equally decent show more book about the political/historical implications. show less

This is an exhaustive look at the JFK assassination. Summers covers the events on that fateful day in Dallas in great detail. He also gives a thorough account of who Lee Oswald was and who he may have involved himself with. This book is long. It is detailed. It is well written, but it is as exhausting as it is exhaustive. Maybe it is the subject matter that wore me out so, but I could not bring myself to finish the last few chapters.

If you have any interest in the JFK assassination, especially conspiracy aspects of it, you will benefit from this book. Be aware, it is a mountain of information about a tragic and creepy event in U.S. history.

A very good book but not as comprehensive as Jim Marrs "Crossfire". Very invloved, complex detailing means one has to concentrate. Good explanations of some recent developments & discoveries about the case. Good but not a work of completeness. No overall summary lets it down, I feel, as well as a lack of a descriptive "what if" scenario. Worth a look for those with an interest in the case though.