Murder Most Foul - by Stanley J. Marks - Reissue with Rob Couteau - REVIEWS?

[Mervyn Hagger]

Has anyone here read this book in its latest format?

What are your conclusions regarding the new 'half book' addition to the original by Rob Couteau?

What are your conclusions regarding the original 1967 text by Stanley J. Marks (which seems to have inspired the 2020 eponymous record release by Bob Dylan)?

I am currently reading this book.

[Pete Mellor]

9 minutes ago, Mervyn Hagger said:

Has anyone here read this book in its latest format?

What are your conclusions regarding the new 'half book' addition to the original by Rob Couteau?

What are your conclusions regarding the original 1967 text by Stanley J. Marks (which seems to have inspired the 2020 eponymous record release by Bob Dylan)?

I am currently reading this book.

I have read this book & posted my review on Goodreads:-

I first became aware of this lost manuscript from a thread on the Education Forum, posted by Rob Couteau, shortly after the release of Bob Dylan's seventeen minute epic entitled 'Murder Most Foul' which quickly reached number one on the U.S. Billboard charts. Jim DiEugenio followed up with his article on Marks' work on the 'Kennedy's & King' website. 'Murder Most Foul! The Conspiracy that Murdered President Kennedy' was self published originally by Stanley J. Marks way back in 1967, and revived by Couteau in November 2020. After over fifty years it remains a powerful broadside against the sham that was the Warren Commission Report.
Rob Couteau includes in these three hundred and ninety pages his serendipitous encounter with MMF which he follows with a ninety page essay on the life and works of Marks. It is not until arriving at page one hundred and fifty seven that the reader encounters the 975 questions and answers contained in twelve chapters of the original first edition, which was first published from a photostat copy of the manuscript produced on a typewriter. However, its importance in its time was recognised in 1973 by the JFK Library in Boston who sent a request to the author to purchase a copy of this paperback.
Plaudits must go to Rob Couteau for recognising the books importance today. 

I have also sent a review to DPUK's 'Dealey Plaza Echo', but that may take some time to publish.

[Mervyn Hagger]

25 minutes ago, Pete Mellor said:

I have read this book & posted my review on Goodreads:-

I first became aware of this lost manuscript from a thread on the Education Forum, posted by Rob Couteau, shortly after the release of Bob Dylan's seventeen minute epic entitled 'Murder Most Foul' which quickly reached number one on the U.S. Billboard charts. Jim DiEugenio followed up with his article on Marks' work on the 'Kennedy's & King' website. 'Murder Most Foul! The Conspiracy that Murdered President Kennedy' was self published originally by Stanley J. Marks way back in 1967, and revived by Couteau in November 2020. After over fifty years it remains a powerful broadside against the sham that was the Warren Commission Report.
Rob Couteau includes in these three hundred and ninety pages his serendipitous encounter with MMF which he follows with a ninety page essay on the life and works of Marks. It is not until arriving at page one hundred and fifty seven that the reader encounters the 975 questions and answers contained in twelve chapters of the original first edition, which was first published from a photostat copy of the manuscript produced on a typewriter. However, its importance in its time was recognised in 1973 by the JFK Library in Boston who sent a request to the author to purchase a copy of this paperback.
Plaudits must go to Rob Couteau for recognising the books importance today. 

I have also sent a review to DPUK's 'Dealey Plaza Echo', but that may take some time to publish.

Thanks Pete, very helpful in bringing all that info together in one place.

[Steve Cearfoss]

I Have a signed copy of that book when Marks visited Arizona State University in 1967 or 1968. 

[Mervyn Hagger]

Page 370 concludes that the major TV networks had delivered what is now called 'fake news' to hide the true story. Sounds just like the current ongoing Election results where someone just found another bunch of ballots stuffed in a drawer. At this rate this Election should be completed around the time that early votes begins the next cycle. But the point is, the idea that the US media is suppressing information and promoting propaganda is not new at all. Didn't someone shout 'Remember the Maine' some time before 1963?

[Mervyn Hagger]

7 minutes ago, Steve Cearfoss said:

I Have a signed copy of that book when Marks visited Arizona State University in 1967 or 1968. 

Did you read it?

[Steve Cearfoss]

Of course I read it. At that time I had read every book on the JFK assassination and was avidly following the developments in New Orleans. I received the book at about the same time that a group of us, who were following the Garrison investigation, received a copy of the Zapruder film from a gentleman in either Sherman Oaks or Thousand Oaks, California who had received his copy from Garrison– his name escapes me now— and we immediately procured a room and invited people to come and watch the film. One thing I will never forget is the alarm and fear on the faces of those who had just watched the film followed immediately by shaking heads and total denial, a response that continues to this day. 

[Mervyn Hagger]

21 minutes ago, Steve Cearfoss said:

Of course I read it. At that time I had read every book on the JFK assassination and was avidly following the developments in New Orleans. I received the book at about the same time that a group of us, who were following the Garrison investigation, received a copy of the Zapruder film from a gentleman in either Sherman Oaks or Thousand Oaks, California who had received his copy from Garrison– his name escapes me now— and we immediately procured a room and invited people to come and watch the film. One thing I will never forget is the alarm and fear on the faces of those who had just watched the film followed immediately by shaking heads and total denial, a response that continues to this day. 

Steve, I was not needling you, I wanted to know what you thought of the text inside the book, as in a book review, but you still haven't told us.

[James DiEugenio]

Steve:

Someone invited Marks to speak to the students at ASU on the JFK case in 1968?

That is really interesting.  Because he could not get a publisher to release his books. He marketed them on his own.

And he got an engagement at a major university.  Good grief.

[Steve Cearfoss]

Mervyn: You didn't ask me that  question: You asked if I read it. Be that as it may, as for the book, Marks uses a catechistic method somewhat along the line of the questions/answers posed by Bertrand Russell but much more thorough. As far as offering an analysis of ‘Murder Most Foul’ goes, trying to review a book that consists of 975 questions and answers is rather daunting, not to mention the fact that it’s been quite a while since I read it. The book consists of 14 chapters of what looks like typewritten pages photostated into a small booklet – – not professionally bound, etc. The publisher was Bureau of International Affairs. Sorry I can’t be more accommodating. 

 

[Steve Cearfoss]

Jim: I didn’t mean to imply that he was invited by the school to speak to the students. To the best of my memory, he  was invited by someone in our group and he came to speak to us snd whoever else we could rustle up. That’s when I bought the book and asked him to sign it. It’s been so long that some of the details are a little vague but to the best of my knowledge that’s what happened. I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t a bookstore event. But I wouldn’t place any money on that one either. Been a long long long time.

[Mervyn Hagger]

4 hours ago, Steve Cearfoss said:

Mervyn: You didn't ask me that  question: You asked if I read it. Be that as it may, as for the book, Marks uses a catechistic method somewhat along the line of the questions/answers posed by Bertrand Russell but much more thorough. As far as offering an analysis of ‘Murder Most Foul’ goes, trying to review a book that consists of 975 questions and answers is rather daunting, not to mention the fact that it’s been quite a while since I read it. The book consists of 14 chapters of what looks like typewritten pages photostated into a small booklet – – not professionally bound, etc. The publisher was Bureau of International Affairs. Sorry I can’t be more accommodating. 

 

Steve, a review of the book is part of the title of this thread. I have the republished version and its quality of presentation is on a par with other publications on sale, as far as production is concerned. So I am aware of what the original text is composed of, as well as the new section of text which comprises half of the new book. My reason for asking for reviews, is in light of the renewed attention that the book is now getting due to Bob Dylan. I would like to know what members of this Forum think of its contents. Obviously some here give it high praise, because one name in particular (James DiEugenio) appears as an endorsement on the back book cover.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Mervyn Hagger

[Robert Burrows]

9 hours ago, Mervyn Hagger said:

Has anyone here read this book in its latest format?

What are your conclusions regarding the new 'half book' addition to the original by Rob Couteau?

What are your conclusions regarding the original 1967 text by Stanley J. Marks (which seems to have inspired the 2020 eponymous record release by Bob Dylan)?

I am currently reading this book.

Not yet, but I ordered my copy today and am looking forward to reading it. 

[Steve Cearfoss]

Sorry Mervyn. I didn’t go back to the beginning of the thread. My bad.  Will follow up later. 

[Mervyn Hagger]

14 hours ago, Mervyn Hagger said:

I would like to know what members of this Forum think of its contents. Obviously some here give it high praise, because one name in particular (James DiEugenio) appears as an endorsement on the back book cover.

James, what is your opinion of the book and especially Chapter 14 in which the author details his conclusion regarding a conspiracy? Do you agree with all of it, some of it, and exactly what and why?