On November 22, 1963, the 35th President of the US was assassinated, thus ending his life at the age of just 46 years old. This tragic event occurred mid-day, at 12:30 PM to be exact. The brutal assassination took place in Dallas, Texas, and was during a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza.
As evidence shows, John F. Kennedy was shot from a nearby building by a man known as Lee Harvey Oswald, a former US Marine.
JFK Short Bio
Most of the books that you are going to see on this list ultimately focus on the assassination of John F. Kennedy. However, you will also get to see a lot about his personal life, years of the past, and many other aspects of this man’s life. John was born on May 29, 1917. We all know him as a strong politician and the 35th President of the United States of America. Kennedy also served during the Cold War, and most of his acts during his presidency had something to do with the Soviet Union and Cuba.
Personal Life
John F. Kennedy was born to a wealthy family that was very familiar with the political world. His studies include Harvard University and immediately joining the U.S. Naval Reserve shortly after graduation. Let’s stop with the spoilers and uncover 10 of the best books on JFK’s assassination.
Best Books on Kennedy Assassination
JFK and the Unspeakable by James W. Douglass
Discovering Kennedy’s World
In this compelling book, the author James W. Douglass tells you everything there is to know on the reason why JFK was assassinated, and why uncovering those reasons to the general public is very important for the US and the entire world.
The reason why this is one of the best Kennedy assassination books out there is that it goes very in-depth on the topic and explains every detail of what was going on at the time. James explains how the CIA was trying to put JFK in the middle of a full-blown US invasion of Cuba, and how that raised tensions between the agency and the Kennedy administration.
Covering More of John’s Life
It also covers a few other topics, such as the US steel industry problem in 1962, when the Kennedy administration intervened after the top US steel companies decided to raise prices to control inflation. If you are looking for a detailed book that covers every aspect of JFK’s time as president and the events that led to his death, this is one of the best books about Kennedy assassination conspiracy.
Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane
Writing a Kennedy Assassination Best-Seller
Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane is one of the best-selling Kennedy assassination books of all time, spending 29 weeks on the New York Times’ best-selling list. It was released in 1966, just three years after the events on the 22nd of November in 1963, making it one of the first John F Kennedy assassination books. This is probably a big reason for its success.
Debunking the Shooting
This book focuses more on the actual day that the shooting happened, and questions the conclusion of the Warren Commission, which was established immediately after Kennedy’s death, in order to investigate what led to this. Mark Lane argues that the Commission’s conclusion of where the three gunshots came from could be false. He also talks about how not even professionally trained gun experts could duplicate the killer’s shooting feat.
A year after the book was published, a documentary of the same name was also released based on it, which includes footage of many witnesses that were in very close proximity to the president when the shooting happened, who are in support of Mark Lane’s claims. This book is one of the first ones to raise questions about the questionable circumstances of JFK’s death. Questions that still remain unanswered to this day.
On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison
A Witness’s Perspective
The main reason why this is another one of the top Kennedy assassination books out there is that it gives the reader an inside look at the investigations about the shooting, from the perspective of someone who was involved in the investigation – Jim Garrison, who was the New Orleans District Attorney at the time.
Garrison was one of the first high-ranking officials to publicly question the validity of the claim that L.H. Oswald was responsible for Kennedy’s death, and believed that factions of the US government were behind it. Despite harassment and pressure from the media, the FBI, and the CIA, Garrison was successful in bringing a conspirator to trial. As to not spoil any significant details, we will let you find out more about that while reading the book.
Inspiring a Huge Box Office Success
Garrison gives you all of the clues that he uncovered during his investigation, which led him to believe that Oswald is not the real killer and that bigger players were involved. This book inspired Oliver Stone’s movie titled JFK, which features Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison. Just like the book, the movie was also a huge box office success.
High Treason by Harrison Edward Livingstone
Investigating a Conspiracy
High Treason is a book that has come out with multiple editions over the years, with the first one being in 1989. The author, Harrison Edward Livingstone has been studying and covering the murder of JFK for over 30 years, and his book is full of details and proof that there was a conspiracy within the US government to eliminate the president.
Events Leading to the Assassination
Despite the size, the book is easily readable, apart from a few volumes that might be a bit too technical for the average reader, and full of critical data and justified speculation. That being said, this is one of those Kennedy assassination books that are best to read only after you have a general understanding of the JFK assassination conspiracy, which you can get through reading some of the other books on this list.
The reason for that is because while this book goes in-depth on some aspects of the conspiracy, other important aspects that are important for getting the full picture are left out.
The detailed analysis of the events prior, during, and after the assassination, as well as the inclusion of some never-before-seen photographs from November 22, 1963, make this one of the best books on Kennedy assassination, and one that is definitely worth a read.
The Killing of a President by Robert J. Groden
A Front Seat to Kennedy’s Assassination
Published in 1993, this book is unique in that it shows all the photographic evidence that one can find on the JFK assassination. It covers topics we already talked about, from Jim Garrison’s investigation to the invalidity of the Warren Commission’s claims. From the hundreds of books written on the topic, this is the only one that is created in this style, which makes it one of the best JFK assassination books out there, simply because it gives you a different perspective of the event – a perspective that makes you feel like you were there witnessing it all.
Analyzing Photographic Evidence
Over its 240 pages, it displays around 650 unique photographs, documents, drawings, and maps. All of the photos were thoroughly enhanced using the latest technology available at the time, showing even more important details than ever before. Many of the images were never even published before, which is another reason why you should pick up this book.
This unique photographic analysis of the events proved crucial in uncovering the truth of what actually happened, and turned many non-believers into believers that there was indeed something shady going on within the government.
Crossfire by Jim Marrs
Unveiling More Proof
Jim Marrs is a seasoned Texas journalist, and his wealth of experience and ability to create presentable and understandable stories is what made his book – Crossfire one of the best books on Kennedy’s assassination in existence.
It was originally released in 1989 and puts together all the facts that are there which indicate that there is a lot more about Kennedy’s death than what the general public knows. In the book, the author shows raw photos, documentation, and exclusive interviews that each play a part in solving the puzzle of the president’s assassination.
Research Results From a World-Class Reported
The author goes all out in exposing the government and its actions following the events on November 22nd. He talks about the falsification of documents, intimidation and bribery of witnesses, and manipulation of the Zapruder film in order to deceive the general public, and so much more, in 648 pages full of interesting facts and new information.
With levels of research that are only appropriate for a world-class reporter of Jim Marrs’ caliber, this is truly a must-read for anyone who is looking to uncover the truth about what really happened in Dallas on such a tragic day – a day that was hard to let go off and even harder to forget.
Plausible Denial by Mark Lane
The CIA’s Involvement and Intentions
Plausible Denial is the second book by Mark Lane on this list. While the first one mainly focuses on the events that transpired on the day of and shortly after the shooting, Plausible Denial takes a closer look at how the CIA operated during Kennedy’s administration, how CIA operatives were involved in a conspiracy to eliminate the president, and a few of the possible reasons and intentions for killing the president.
Kennedy’s Plans for the CIA
As one of the most popular Kennedy assassination books out there, you can expect to learn a lot of new details about the case from Plausible Denial. Mark Lane, who released this book 25 years after the first book he wrote on this topic, continues with his groundbreaking discoveries and reports about the case and uncovers how former CIA operatives either helped the convicted murderer or helped him in his plans to kill the president.
The reason why Lane claims that the CIA eliminated JFK is that he had plans of dissolving the agency. He also goes in on the media, blaming them for not covering the conviction trials of the alleged murderer closely, and for failing to give any sort of credibility to potentially promising conspiracy theories.
JFK by L. Fletcher Prouty
A Man on the Inside
Serving as a Chief of Special Operations under the Kennedy administration, L. Fletcher Prouty decided to put pen to paper and give us one of the best-rated Kennedy assassination books in existence. Prouty, a former colonel in the US Army, eventually turned to banking and became a critic of US foreign policy and the existence and practices of the CIA, the very same reasons that many believe JFK was killed for.
The book starts out with an introduction by Oliver Stone, the director of the famous JFK movie. Prouty’s theories, claims, and evidence were in fact some of the main inspirations for the director to produce the movie.
Crucial Facts Surrounding the Assassination
Prouty talks about details such as all members of JFK’s cabinet being on vacation at the time of the incident, which he considers to be too perfect to be just a coincidence. Prouty also discusses his own beliefs about the elite powers that are the true rulers of America, and how JFK’s disobedience to them eventually led to his death.
This is truly one of the books that you need to read if you are at least remotely interested in learning more about JFK’s death. It’s rare to see such an amazing combination of great storytelling, fact spitting, and valuable insight.
Killing JFK by Lance Moore
Stating Facts and Observing Evidence
Published in 2013, shortly before the 50th anniversary of the tragic event, Killing JFK is a fairly new book on Kennedy’s assassination. Lance Moore, an acclaimed author, puts together all of the facts in a conceivable and easy-to-read manner, and lists over 200 credible sources that JFK’s killing was in fact more than the act of a single actor.
He combines old with newly discovered evidence on the topic and is certain that a sniper placed looking directly straight at president Kennedy is the one who ultimately delivered the fatal shot to the president’s head. As with most other books on this topic, Moore also talks in detail about the many irregularities involving the Warren Commission.
50 Years of Digging
This book is great because it can be a compelling read for anyone whether they are already familiar or completely new to the subject. It lists most of, if not everything that was uncovered over the past 50 years about the assassination, and it could turn any skeptic into a believer that there was definitely something shady going on.
Dr. Moore has received overwhelming praise for his work on this book, and if you are interested in the topic of President Kennedy’s death, then this book is as good of a read as all of the other ones on this list.
Best Evidence by David S. Lifton
Analyzing Motives
The final pick from our list of the best Kennedy assassination conspiracy books is called Best Evidence. This compelling and convincing book by David S. Lifton closely analyzes everything that surrounded Kennedy’s death, from his policies to his final ride in Dallas. In the end, the analysis clearly points to the fact that the assassination was much more than an act of violence by a lone madman.
Lifton writes about how even the highest levels of the federal government were involved, and that somewhere during his short stint as president, JFK did something or multiple things that would make him a target, eventually leading up to him getting eliminated.
Answering Crucial Questions
Lifton, who is obsessed with answering all the important questions that would help you understand what happened to JFK, released Best Evidence in 1981, and it would become his most popular book and a national bestseller. Due to the controversial nature of the book, the publisher went to extreme lengths to fact-check and validate everything that was said inside.
A year after the book was originally published, the New York Times called it “one of the most durable” books about the JFK assassination, which is impressive considering the large number of publications that were written on the topic.
Michael Englert
Michael is a graduate of cultural studies and history. He enjoys a good bottle of wine and (surprise, surprise) reading. As a small-town librarian, he is currently relishing the silence and peaceful atmosphere that is prevailing.
