2012 book on the Bay of Pigs?

[Glenn Nall]

4 years ago i read a book on the Bay of Pigs, published that year, which was very enlightening to me since i'd never really delved into the events before then (don't judge, ya'll - it's why they make wallpaper). I don't remember its name or author, and in googling it I see that there were a number of similar books published in 2012. 

I remember two main items from the book. 1, that - according to the author, who seemed to me to be studied and reliable - the cabinet en masse did a real snow job on K that last night (the 16th?), and 2, the revelation - to ME, don't judge - that GHWB was involved, the 'coincidence' of the name Zapata, and that two boats were Houston and Barbara (a coincidence explained by Bartholomew, I think, as possibly named after Howard Burris' wife as easily as Barbara Bush).

This bit about GHWB came toward the end of the book, a late chapter or even the epilogue, as best I recall.

emphasis: anyone have an idea which book this might have been? Wyden's? Rasenberger's? Kornbluh's (tho not likely)?

not emphasized: and, not that i need to ask, but are there any opinions on which of these - or any since - would be more reputable?

[Ron Ecker]

8 hours ago, Glenn Nall said:

2, the revelation - to ME, don't judge - that GHWB was involved, the 'coincidence' of the name Zapata, and that two boats were Houston and Barbara (a coincidence explained by Bartholomew, I think, as possibly named after Howard Burris' wife as easily as Barbara Bush).

Glenn,

I don't know which book you're referring to, but I wouldn't consider it reliable if it was still peddling the old story that the Houston and Barbara may have been named by or in honor of the Bushes. The Houston was one of six cargo ships procured by the CIA from the Cuban-owned Garcia Line in Havana. (No one renamed it from something else.) The converted LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) "Barbara" was the BARBARA J, and Barbara Bush has no middle name.

You might want to read Decision for Disaster: Betrayal at the Bay of Pigs, by Grayston Lynch, one of the two American CIA agents (the other was Rip Robertson) who were at the Bay of Pigs.

 

 

[Glenn Nall]

3 hours ago, Ron Ecker said:

Glenn,

I don't know which book you're referring to, but I wouldn't consider it reliable if it was still peddling the old story that the Houston and Barbara may have been named by or in honor of the Bushes. The Houston was one of six cargo ships procured by the CIA from the Cuban-owned Garcia Line in Havana. (No one renamed it from something else.) The converted LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) "Barbara" was the BARBARA J, and Barbara Bush has no middle name.

Ron.

I know all of this.

I know you say you don't want to be nit-picky. whatever. I didn't say that the author "was peddling the old story that the Houston and Barbara may have been named by or in honor of the Bushes," but only that these things were mentioned near the end of the book. As best i can remember. I don't remember his exact assertion, but most probably that those BOP/Bush 'coincidences' bear mentioning - with which i wholeheartedly agree.

and, 'coincidentally,' Col Howard Burris' wife's name is (although she died 5 years ago) 'Barbara J.' In light of BOTH of their loyalties, that, too, warrants a nod.

 

You might want to read Decision for Disaster: Betrayal at the Bay of Pigs, by Grayston Lynch, one of the two American CIA agents (the other was Rip Robertson) who were at the Bay of Pigs.

I know who Robertson was - didn't I read he was the first agent/soldier/something ashore? 

Only two CIA agents present? i wasn't aware. there were certainly many Americans, too, right? but only two actual agents present at the beach...? (notwithstanding the untoward number of them "drawing it up...") I was thinking Sturgis and/or Hemming were there, but... my memories mingle if i don't keep them motivated...

 

 

Edited April 13, 2017 by Glenn Nall

[Ron Ecker]

1 hour ago, Glenn Nall said:

 

There were two American CIA agents, Lynch and Robertson, aboard the ships as "troubleshooters," is the way Lynch puts it. They weren't even sure what that meant, since they had no authority over the ships' captains.

 

[James DiEugenio]

Glenn, as an aside, I think the best book on Zapata is Bay of Pigs Declassified, by Peter Kornbluh.

That includes the Kirkpatrick Report, which the CIA did not want to give up and a very valuable chronology by Kornbluh at the end.

[Glenn Nall]

1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said:

Glenn, as an aside, I think the best book on Zapata is Bay of Pigs Declassified, by Peter Kornbluh.

That includes the Kirkpatrick Report, which the CIA did not want to give up and a very valuable chronology by Kornbluh at the end.

yeah, i had my eye on that one.

wish i could remember which one it was I read in 2012... it was really enlightening for the less informed like myself.