Jim DiEugenio on Caufield's General Walker Book

[James DiEugenio]

The book is so needlessly and pretentiously long, it took awhile to get through it:

http://www.ctka.net/2016/CaufieldPart1.html

http://www.ctka.net/2016/CaufieldPart2.html

And to put it mildly it wasn't worth the slog.

I feel like filing a lawsuit for mental torture. What a farce.

Edited March 5, 2016 by James DiEugenio

[Paul Brancato]

Thank you so much for the extensive time you put into this review. I couldn't read it - 20 pages in I realized Caulfield had no organizational skills and no editor.

[James DiEugenio]

Paul, 20 pages, wow that has to be some kind of record.

Since, I was reviewing it and paid for it, I had to read the whole thing.

BTW, the only JFK book I ever bought, or borrowed from a library, and could not finish was Weisberg's Post Mortem.

[John Dolva]

Last year I read a book about "the Iceman" ("The Man in the Ice: The Discovery of a 5,000-Year-Old Body Reveals the Secrets of the Stone Age" by Konrad Spindler).

It is a largish, partly very tedious and seemingly partly irrelevant book by one of the archaeologists studying the case who apparently is more accomplished in writing scientific papers than "popular" books.

If I had not been very interested in the subject matter I would not have read as much of it as I did. I'm not one to readily throw the baby out with the bathwater. I think Konrads' book is essential reading re the Iceman and the Middle European Stone Age.

_________________


I've followed Pauls' treatement of Dr Caulfields' book and now I've read part of Jims' review. Unfortunately both fall short of the objective treatment that I hope for. It'll be interesting to see what Ernie has to say.

However,as a student of the case, I do think that reading the book and what Jim and Paul have to say, plus any future reviews, it will be possible to make my own mind up about it.

[James DiEugenio]

John:

Please read the whole review before you pass judgment on it.

Second, Ernie is not an authority on the JFK case. And he freely admits that.

[Paul Brancato]

John - that's true. Ernie is an expert on FBI files, and generally on right wing movements. But not on JFK.

[John Dolva]

I appreciate the input. I still wouldn't let size of book or quality of pen man ship stand in the way. I read the second part and appreciated the conclusion. That's close to what I'd say is balanced. Later

[James DiEugenio]

BTW, I did include a link to Ernie's fine page on Harry Dean.

Boy, I don't know anyone who had done as much archival work on FBI files as Ernie.

That guy deserves a medal.