The Kennedy Detail

JFK's Secret Service Agents Break Their Silence

By: Gerald Blaine, Lisa McCubbin

Narrated by: Alan Sklar

Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Even today, almost five decades after John F. Kennedy was slain, the public continues to be captivated by the "Kennedy Curse" and new theories about what really happened on that fateful day in 1963. For nearly 50 years, former Secret Service agent Clint Hill has lived with the unimaginable guilt of losing a president on his watch and has obeyed an honor code of silence, refusing to contribute to any books about the assassination. Until now.

Hill was just eight feet from President Kennedy when bullets pierced the president's head right before his eyes. Covered with blood, Agent Hill pushed Jackie Kennedy into the back seat. Clinging to the trunk of the open-top limousine as it sped away from Dealey Plaza to Parkland Hospital, he slammed his fist in anger, as he looked back to the agents in the follow-up car. His eyes, filled with despair, told them what they already knew.

Including contributions from over 40 agents who were on the Kennedy detail from November 1960 to November 1963 and those who knew them, never-before-published letters written by Jackie Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the bizarre unpublished story about a film Jackie made in September 1963 with the on-duty Secret Service agents about an assassination of the president, and the original November 18, 1963, Tampa security report from the author's personal files, which conspiracy theorists have long claimed was destroyed by the Secret Service, The Kennedy Detail provides an unfiltered look at the events surrounding this pivotal moment in American history.

©2010 Gerald Blaine with Lisa McCubbin (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"An important contribution to Kennedy assassination literature because it presents in riveting detail the assassination from the agents' perspective and describes the lifelong emotional burden the agents endured when their best efforts were not enough." ( Library Journal)

Emotional

More a story of how people feel than a history of the event. Glad it was over. B b b

Heartwarming, heartbreaking

Where does The Kennedy Detail rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Can't stop listening to this over the past two years....much of the book is about normal, everyday life in the Kennedy White House, which is detailed, interesting and heartwarming. I can listen to this happily as I doze off to sleep. The section leading up to and about the assassination and the aftermath is gripping, heart-breaking, and can't be listened to at bedtime. Just today was listening to the Parkland Hospital park and was in tears...once again. Great book, good performance.

Very important Historical Document

What did you love best about The Kennedy Detail?

This audiobook is a record of historical importance and tells the listener things that only those closest to the assassination would know. Many of the lies and conspiracy theories people blindly accept are refuted here.

What other book might you compare The Kennedy Detail to and why?

Eichmann In My Hands, by Peter Malkin. The first hand accounts given in both books shed new light on two very important historical events.

Which character – as performed by Alan Sklar – was your favorite?

Clint Hill.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not too extreme. But I felt more sympathy for the Secret Service Agents who witnessed the assassination.

Any additional comments?

I would strongly recommend this book, as it dispels several lies that have been told in connection to JFK, his death, and his security detail.

Reader ruins the story

What did you like best about The Kennedy Detail? What did you like least?

It was an interesting account of how the Secret Service viewed their role. I have a hard time reading a story in which the author believes that the SS never made a mistake. In his opinion they did everything right, yet the President still died.

What didn’t you like about Alan Sklar’s performance?

The most annoying part of listening to the tape was that the reader continuously mis-pronounce JFK's daughters name. How in Gods name did that get through the editing process. Low quality.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

New perspective on that tragic day in Dallas

A very engaging look at he tragic story we have all heard before with a different perspective. Wilkerson brings to life the pride and professionalism of the agents who tried to protect the president against great odds.

riveting incident

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

tedious telling

Did Alan Sklar do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

not as much as I had hoped

Was The Kennedy Detail worth the listening time?

It was fine for a drive

Any additional comments?

Those of us who lived through the assassination were so stunned by the events, it is interested to hear details, though they do become tedious.

The middle was intersting

What did you like best about The Kennedy Detail? What did you like least?

I normally listen to audiobooks at normal speed but after 60% of part one, I decided to listen at double speed just to get through it. Then about 75% through part 1, it got more interesting as it covered the assassination. I switched it back to normal speed again. It kept my interest through about 25% of part 2. I know this was not a "tell all" book about the Kennedy's but it seemed to be a whitewash of the Kennedy family as it seemed as if none of them could do any wrong. I wasn't impressed with the narrator. Overall, I did enjoy the perspective of the Secret Service agent Clint Hill and sympathized with him about blaming himself for something he could not have prevented. I have and will re-listen to many of the audiobooks in my library but probably will not bother to listen to this one again.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I was not impressed by the narrator. It seemed somewhat monotonousness and it would have been nice if the voice had been changed when quoting Jackie Kennedy and others.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes

An insider's detail

While I am too young to remember the assassination, I was always interested in the many theories that surrounded that day. (Who hasn't heard about the "the grassy knoll"?) While I am amazed it has taken almost 50 years to hear the side of the Secret Service, I am thankful for the book. I also took a look at Clint Hill's interview with Mike Wallace, and after seeing his grief, I don't know how anyone could believe in a vast conspiracy. And by the way, I liked the narration!

0 for performance

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Worst Narration ever! Not only does Sklar make JFK an Irish immigrant with his horrible New England Accent, he mispronounces Caroline's name throughout the book. This is unforgivable for a "Professional"narrator and I don't understand how it got by so many people involved in producing this book. I totally agree with an earlier reviewer that this error takes you out of the book.

The story is well told and paced and I really enjoyed the insight into life as a Secret Service Agent. I have a greater respect for what these guys do and what they sacrifice to protect the President.

I highly recommend reading this book in print not listening to this horrible narration.

How could the performance have been better?

Use of a professional narrator.

A new slant on the Kennedy Assassination

This book puts a new slant on the Kennedy Assassination, which has been approached from almost every conceivable angle. It was enlightening to read about this most horrendous of atrocities from the point of view of those who were sent to Dallas to protect the man who was killed. I feel sorry for the burden they have born all these years. With that said, though, I have never read a really satisfying account of the assassination, this book included. There are still just too many troubling details that are left unexplained. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I have to say that I do believe there was more to this killing than we yet know. Something just doesn't fit right with what we have been told. I hope someday we can really find out the truth.