Parkland

By: Vincent Bugliosi

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

Now a major motion picture! The exciting and definitive narrative of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

In Parkland (originally titled Four Days in November), author Vincent Bugliosi "has definitively explained the murder that recalibrated modern America" (Jim Newton, Los Angeles Times Book Review). Releasing this fall, the movie - starring Paul Giamatti, Zac Efron, Jacki Weaver, and Billy Bob Thornton - follows a group of individuals making split-second decisions after this incomprehensible event: the doctors and nurses at Parkland Hospital, the chief of the Dallas Secret Service, the cameraman who captured what has become the most examined film in history, the FBI agents who had gunman Lee Harvey Oswald within their grasp, and Vice President Lyndon Johnson who had to take control of the country at a moment's notice. Based on Vincent Bugliosi's Reclaiming History - Parkland is the story of that day.

©2013 Vincent Bugliosi (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

Great Read

Felt like I was there. Didn't want it to end and still want to know more. Really captured the feelings of this event in history.

Fascinating detail of a well-known four days

I cannot imagine what the research had to have been in assembling this book's almost-too-good-to-be-credible detail of a 50-year-old event. The methodical reporting (sometimes minute-by-minute) provides the reader with an experience as though they were there which, to a degree, many of us were.

Edward Hermann will always be one of the best Audible artists, his recent passing a loss for so many fans. I seek out titles he reads, which is how I found this gem. He could read a phone book and I'd buy it.

Just the Facts, Ma'am

If you could sum up Parkland in three words, what would they be?

Thorough, Unambiguous, Fascinating

Who was your favorite character and why?

This was nonfiction, there are no characters.

Have you listened to any of Edward Herrmann’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, and he is incomparable. If I could afford it I'd buy every audiobook he's narrated, whether I like the subject matter or not.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's a tad long for that.

Any additional comments?

If you want "just the facts" about the JFK assassination, then this is the book for you. It is thoroughly detailed, unambiguous, and simply states what happened, without hyperbole or a conspiracy-driven agenda.

Great narration, great book

Let's begin with the narration: Edward Hermann is one of the best narrators around, and I often choose books because he is the narrator. He once again delivers a fabulous reading that enhances the story being told.

Parkland is the detailed look of the four days in November 1962 when the Parkland Hospital became a central part of the story of the JFK, and then Lee Harvey Oswald, murders. The story is greater than that of the hospital, and the details and what seems objective retrospective look at what happened were fascinating. JFK's assassination seems to be one of the most dissected moments of US history, with many assumptions and inaccuracies perpetuated through the years. Bugliosi addresses some of these, and offers reasonable explanations as to why some of the decisions were made the way they were, even though 50+ years later we still debate the decisions. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys history.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Interesting Take on the Assassination

I wasn't even close to being alive when this assassination took place, yet I've always been drawn to learning about it. I've read a lot of books on it, both conspiracy and not. What I liked about this book was that he went basically minute by minute. Each minute, all of the things that were happening with all involved. The focus of this book was not just the President and Oswald, but their families, medical staff, law enforcement, bystanders, and the people of Dallas. It was an interesting way to experience the events of those four days. He doesn't spend much time on conspiracy, only a couple of mentions of it when certain events happen to say that those events would be used as fodder for years to come. I was OK with this. I think the way this book is setup, in order to make it flow and able to be followed, you need to stick with one story. Too many theories would have muddled it. This isn't a book of embellishments, it's very straight forward and to the point. Even after reading many books about the same events, I felt like I learned things I hadn't heard before, which is always great.

I love listening to Edward Herrmann as a narrator. This is my third book I've listed to that he's done, and he's one of my favorites.