Thank you to NetGalley for this free copy of “ The Kennedy Assassinations” in exchange for a honest review.This book explores the never ending question - Was there more than one shooter in the assignations of both Robert and John F Kennedy.There are lots of interviews and eye witness accounts.A very well researched book.Recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A concise and well-researched book. A little repetitive and technical for me. Still a weighty subject and worth a read.

Wow such an interesting and insightful read. Read this one over two days….Few events have been the subject of more conspiracy theories than the assassinations of the two Kennedy brothers. Indeed, a great many people consider that there were other individuals than Lee Harvey Oswald and Sirhan Sirhan involved in both murders. Was a shot fired from Dealey Plaza’s grassy knoll? Why did Jack Ruby shoot Oswald? Was it the CIA, the Soviets, Cuban nationalists or the Mafia that arranged John Kennedy’s assassination? Was Robert Kennedy shot from in front and behind, and who had the most to gain from his death?

These are just a few of the questions that have been put forward by a myriad of conspiracy theorists and it is those people and their ideas that Mel Ayton has tackled head-on. Over many years, Mel Ayton has examined all the more substantial conspiracy theories and, through careful analysis of documents and eyewitness statements, he has demolished each one.

In each case, Mel Ayton presented the results of his detailed investigations in periodicals as he worked through the various theories. These have now been brought together to provide a comprehensive analysis of all the main theories as to who, how and why the two Kennedy brothers met their deaths in such unusual circumstances.

Though wild ideas will continue to be proposed and efforts will still be made to demonstrate that Oswald could not have fired off three shots with great accuracy in the few seconds available to him as the presidential cavalcade passed beneath the window where he crouched, or that there were sinister reasons why three CIA men were allegedly present on the night of Robert Kennedy’s assassination, the harsh reality is that the Kennedy brothers were each killed by lone gunmen.

This is an absorbing read, brought up to date with the addition of new material as it has been uncovered. Maybe, just maybe, this book will persuade people that the official accounts of both murders, although flawed, are not cover-ups but simply statements of fact.

A very informational book. Some stuff in the book I didn't even know about or thought I knew. A great book with more detail and information. I highly recommend!

The author of several published works on American assassinations, Mel Ayton’s latest contribution is an examination of the 1960s Kennedy brothers’ slayings. This book is divided into two sections comprising five chapters on John’s and six on Robert Kennedy’s deaths, as well as a handy index, detailed bibliography and substantial end notes. It also includes numerous historic photos and artifacts, as significant reminders of history in the making. A clearly presented debunking of specific conspiracy theories with comprehensive analysis and an informative review of the numerous characters and their motivations for the assassinations. Those familiar with the history of these events will find it a most interesting examination, that is both illuminating and an enjoyable insight into the fixation and folly of conspiracies. Although English, Mel has taught in the United States, specialising in American History. He writes in a serious but imminently readable style, that makes for a five read star rating. With thanks to Pen & Sword and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

I read anything about the Kennedys, so it's safe to say that I've been sucked into books that claim a conspiracy theory in both JFK and RFK's deaths. Of course, I don't believe them, but it's interesting to see how people can distort half-truths and information in front of them and bend it to suit their own narratives. This book takes those distortions and shoots them down one by one.

The book itself is a series of articles written during the first decade of the century, with a 2022 update at the end of each chapter. Because of this, there's a lot of repetition, in fact, there's word-for-word repeating of some information from one article to the next. And since the articles seem to be written for academic publications, the whole book comes across as a textbook. Maybe that was its intent, to counteract all the crackpot books that may find their way into libraries and bookstores. Because of this, it was a slog to get through the book, even though I was interested in the subject matter.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Senator Robert "Bobby" F. Kennedy on November 22 1963 (JFK) and June 6 1968 (RFK) have continued to shock and baffle many to this day. With such high-profile deaths, it was only inevitable that there would develop an array of theories behind the assassinations ranging from multiple shooters, cover-ups and even inside jobs.

Ayton has constructed a book with a collection of essays written by various authors. Each essay is comprehensive and very thoroughly researched within itself exploring the assassinations at different angles from the background of the killer, potential motivation for the crime and the cultural impact of their actions.

As with any book that utilises essays as a main narrative focus, there is repetition of facts which can sometimes give a sense of deja vu.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading how each essay worked through the theories and found ways to discredit them. I especially found it fascinating in certain essays when parallels were created between the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers and that of Martin Luther King Jr.

While this is a book for debunking theories, it is still very thought-provoking and leaves you with your own opinion in the end.

Thank you to @penswordbooks and @netgalley for an early access to this book!

A well done and informative look at the various conspiracy theories and how actual facts disprove them. The author used great logic and laid out the explanations on how the conspirators were misleading the public by twisting the truth or providing falsehoods. For the history fan, this is a must read novel.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm fascinated by all things Kennedy family but this book was a no for me. I'm not sure what it was, it read less like a story and more like a textbook that hopped around from subject to subject.

A comprehensive collection of Ayton's writings. I've read many books about the Kennedy's and the assassinations. I am neither a conspiracy theorist nor a believer in the lone gunman theory. I just read everything I can and evaluate it on its own. Ayton has presented compelling arguments to support his theories and has reviewed the important evidence thoroughly. I enjoyed reading these different investigations. As it is a compilation, there was some repetition of facts and details which hindered my progress a bit. Overall, a worthwhile collection to add to, what I think will be, the never-ending debate.

Thank you to NetGalley and especially to the publisher for granting my wish!

I've always held a fascination that the killing of JFK was more than the story relayed to the world. This book, however, looks to dispel the conspiracy theories which have always surrounded the event.
This book interestingly examines the key proponents of the slaughters. It looks at their motivation, including childhood influences. It's well written and researched if a little too detailed at times. It also examines how and why conspiracy theories came about. It also covers the assassination of JFK's brother Robert as some theories have linked them together.
It is an interesting read as it systematically discredits numerous conspiracy theories surrounding the assassinations. You would need to read it to make your own opinion.

Some interesting theories and facts about the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers and the conspiracy theories surrounding their deaths.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pen and Sword for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an in-depth look at the assassinations of JFK, Bobby Kennedy snd MLK. The author goes through all the conspiracies of these assassinations. It is a technical book that repeats itself a lot.

Thank you to NetGalkey and the publisher for the early read. This was an ok book. It’s not an historical book about the assassinations but rather the author’s take on why there was no conspiracy in either event.

Conspiracy theories are everywhere these days. Not all of them are stupid - real-life conspiracies do, after all, sometimes occur (for example, the cover-ups surrounding the Iran-Contra Affair and Watergate). However, many conspiracy theories are frankly ridiculous, believed only by those who believe nothing they read in a newspaper and everything they believe on the internet.
However, even for those of us who recognise that the Earth is not, in fact, flat or that the Apollo moon landings, September 11th attacks, climate change and Coronavirus pandemic were not made-up fictional events invented by the mass media, the Kennedy assassinations of 1963 and 1968 might still give us pause for thought.
Many of us may have speculated that the mafia or CIA may have had a hand in the killings of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and his brother, the presidential candidate, Robert Kennedy nearly five years later.
Mel Ayton's detailed, sometimes repetitive book tackles and refutes most of the outstanding doubts about the official verdicts on both assassinations head-on. It is unlikely to end the eternal, often web-fuelled speculation about such events, of course, but is a worthy and noble effort to close the door on the subject forever.