I went to my first JFK Conspiracy Symposium at 14 (I met Marina Oswald!) and have been fascinated ever since.

Maybe that’s why I found this book fairly uninteresting?

I’m generally interested in origin stories, but other than to build a picture of the author as credible and sympathetic, what was the purpose of the first half of the book?

All the interesting bits happened in the final two chapters, and by then I was ambivalent.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC.

The Final Witness follows the career of Secret Service agent Paul Landis. His early days in the Secret Service were spent on the detail protecting the Eisenhower’s grandchildren. He then worked his way up to Mrs. Kennedy’s detail. Protecting the First Lady led Paul on many adventures to places he never would have gone otherwise. He was also there in Dallas in the follow up car the day President Kennedy was shot. His account of that moment and the aftermath have never been told before now. The Final Witness was a very interesting look into the life of a secret service agent and his experiences with the president and his family. It is also a very interesting firsthand account of President Kennedy’s assassination and the hours and days after.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book because I learned a lot that I didn't already know about the Kennedy assassination. Not pertinent details, per se, but.... just a lot more about how it happened and what happened afterwards. Things that - as an American - I probably should have already known, but I didn't.

I've never been a history buff. In fact, I've always kind of detested history. It's only been in the last 5-10 years that I've gotten interested in history and started reading/listening to more historical books. So, while much of what was in this book MIGHT have been common knowledge for someone else, it was new to me.

Unfortunately, I almost didn't finish the book. The first half talked mostly about the author's life -- the things he did in his job for the Kennedys, the paths he took/choices he made that led him to the secret service, etc. And while it was a life, and every life is precious and worth living, I just didn't find his story all that interesting. In fact, there were a few points at which I felt the author was not the most sympathetic of people.

Anyway. The first half of the book barely held my interest. If I had been physically reading it (instead of listening on audiobook), I'm not sure I would have finished it. But I hung in there and got to the assassination, and things picked up a bit.

Although, I'm a little surprised that there were no major revelations or anything like that. As I said, most of it was probably pretty common knowledge for someone else. Still, it was worth the read in the end. And I hear they're making a Netflix (or some streaming service) documentary now, so kudos to this dude!

This book is told from a secret service agents point of view. He talks about how he ended up on the follow car and how it changed his life. Most of the books I have read about the Kennedy assaination have talked more the political side of things. It was interesting to hear about how their daily life was inside the white house with the secret service. What they dealt with and how they handled everything.
I really enjoyed the flow of the book. It always feels weird to say I love a book that's about a traumatic experience, but I can see how the author really put everything into this book. It told history without being dry.
The narrator was so good and I had a hard time shutting off the book when I had to do anything. Definitely recommend!

Colleen Chi-Girl

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my audiobook ARC in return for my honest review.

President Kennedy was my first president and I idolized him and his family. I've always been heartbroken over his death. When I requested this memoir it was based on the title of the book and publisher's blurb. I was excited to read it in hopes of shedding some light on the conspiracy theories and JFK's death.

I found the first half of the audiobook, which is about Landis' life not very interesting. Of course, I felt terrible for him because of his proximity to and witnessing of JFK's shooting, but I expected him to shed new light worthy of the dramatic title. I sped through much of the first half so that I could get to the parts about the assassination and thereafter. To his credit, I appreciated his honesty in learning that the shooting was so traumatic that he soon resigned as a SSA (and who could blame him). He was so traumatized that he didn't read the Warren Report or testify for the Warren Commission, even though his friend and partner, Cliff was asked to do this. Maybe they knew he was too traumatized to go through it. Now in his 80's, Landis was hopefully able to write his story and put behind this horrific event.

An Intriguing Glimpse into History - 4.5 Stars

"The Final Witness" by Paul Landis is a compelling nonfiction audiobook that delves into the intricate world of the Secret Service during the Kennedy administration. While it has faced criticisms for not offering groundbreaking revelations about the assassination, I found it to be an engaging and accessible introduction to this historical event.

One of the most appealing aspects of this audiobook is its concise length, running for approximately 6 1/2 hours. It's an ideal starting point for those like me, who are eager to explore the enigma of the Kennedy assassination but aren't experts on the subject. While it's true that the book doesn't focus extensively on the assassination itself, the narrative takes its time to set the stage, offering an insightful look into the author's early life and how he found himself in the Secret Service. I personally appreciated this background information, as I find it enriching to learn about the lives of ordinary people who played extraordinary roles in history.

Paul Landis, one of the youngest Secret Service agents during the Kennedy era, shares captivating anecdotes from his time serving the Kennedy family. These stories offer a unique glimpse into the inner workings of the Secret Service and his interactions with JFK, Mrs. Kennedy, and their children, particularly Caroline Kennedy. The author's fondness for Caroline shines through, making this aspect of the book particularly endearing.

The audiobook provides interesting details about Mrs. Kennedy's travels leading up to the assassination and her grief after the tragic loss of her son, Patrick Kennedy. This personal insight into the Kennedy family adds depth to the narrative.

While Landis was not directly involved in the events of the Kennedy assassination in Dallas, his first-hand account of what he observed and experienced on that fateful day is both intriguing and valuable, even if it was recorded decades later. His claim to have taken a missing bullet from the car remains a point of contention, and some readers may find it unnecessary. However, it did not detract significantly from the overall narrative for me.

The storytelling is well-paced, making it an engaging listen. The audiobook offers a comprehensive account of the events, and I enjoyed Landis's narrative style. It has motivated me to explore further books on the subject, and I look forward to reading Clint Hill's works in the future.

In conclusion, "The Final Witness" is a suitable choice for those interested in Secret Service history or seeking an introductory understanding of the Kennedy assassination. If you're looking for an exhaustive examination of the event, you may need to explore other sources. Nonetheless, I found this audiobook an enjoyable and informative journey through history, with a special focus on Mrs. Kennedy and the Kennedy children that set it apart from the rest.

Special Agent Paul Landis was in the follow up car during President Kennedy’s assassination. He will never forget his experience or the trauma he suffered because of this reality. This is the story of his eyewitness account and his life as an agent.

I fluctuated between 3-4 stars on this one. This is more of a 3.5 star read. So I rounded up. I expected so much more about the assassination. I felt there were quite a few inconsistencies. For instance, the bullet found by the author but never really turned into anyone or discussed in detail with the powers that be. He just placed it on the gurney.

I did enjoy learning about his role in guarding the grandchildren of President Eisenhower and the Kennedy family. The information about the general lives of the Kennedys is also fascinating. It is the best part of the book! This book is more about Paul Landis’ life as an agent rather than the assassination.

This is narrated by Lane Hakel. He definitely kept the story moving.

Need a good book about the life of a Secret Service agent…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for my honest rating and review.

4/5

I found this book to be incredibly interesting. As somebody who was born well after the Kennedy assassination, I don’t have the emotional ties to the event that I hear when people who lived through the event talk about it. I also just know/knew the bare minimum facts about the situation.

This book covers a lot of the early adult life of the author prior to becoming a secret service agent. These stories were captivating and really a lot of fun! I enjoyed reading about his adventures hitchhiking across the country and his mischievous pranks gone wrong.

The stories about his early days of working as a secret service agent included great deal of humor and sometimes left me wondering how he didn’t get fired! (To be fair, it seems he wondered the same thing at times.)

He really doesn’t get into the assassination until about 70% into the book. If you’re looking for a deep dive into just that tragedy, this isn’t it. If you want a nice memoir about the life of a secret service agent who worked under three presidents, this is it!

This book's title is extremely misleading. You think you're getting a deep dive into the Kennedy assassination through the eyes of a secret service agent. This is merely a memoir by the author of his life up to his retirement from the secret service. I personally found the first 60% to be very boring, and once we got to the Kennedy assassination, it was just a recounting of a traumatic experience for the author. This would have been more interesting had he explored his trauma further and discussed his healing process, but he basically said, "It was very difficult, and I had to step down from the secret service because of it." While he's allowed to not talk about it, maybe don't publish a book about a traumatic event you witnessed if you don't want to discuss the trauma surrounding it.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for this audio ARC.

The Final Witness is a memoir in search of an angle. Landis, a former secret service agent, details his early life, which is decidedly dull, and his tales of working protection for the families of JFK and Eisenhower are only mildly interesting or illuminating, and so Landis’ book relies heavily on selling itself as a new piece to the assassination of President Kennedy, even though only a fraction of the book is about that day in Dallis. Landis’ big revelation about pulling a fully intact bullet from the president’s limousine at Parkland and then tossing it on a gurney, (even in what one imagines was complete chaos), in order to preserve it as evidence seems so strange and difficult to understand. The memoir strikes me as a very old man’s attempt to be remembered and not someone—at long last—trying to bring some truth to light.

For this to be a book regarding the Kennedy assassination, there was not a lot of talk regarding the topic.

Where this was an interesting and informative book, much of the book was spent discussing his life and or experiences with the Secret Service. When the assassination does occur the author does give some conspiracy theories as to the events of the day.

Overall this was just an okay read for me but I thought that the main focus on the book would be the assassination as opposed to what the majority of the book discussed.

An excellently written memoir by someone who had a firsthand encounter to one of the most infamous days in American history. The chapters were short glimpses into Landis’ life leading up to November 22 1963 and his recollection of the day and aftermath. The audiobook was narrated wonderfully, I never felt like details were being embellished or exaggerated.

I’ve always been fascinated by anything to do with the Kennedy assassination. When I found out this book was written by an eye witness and someone who knew and protected the Kennedy’s I knew I needed to listen to it. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced audio copy. I listened to it in two days and was really wrapped up in Paul Landis story. If you like history and especially like reading about the Kennedys you definitely need to read this book.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Paul Landis,, and Dreamscape Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

A long-time fan of all things Kennedy assassination related, I was intrigued when I came across this book by Paul Landis. Telling of being a member of the Secret Service, Landis explores his time on the presidential detail, including some important years with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Landis was one of the agent who saw President Kennedy get shot, though he admits that things were going much too quickly. Filled with nightmares for years thereafter, Special Agent Landis shares some of his most personal moments to an event whose ultimate truth remains a mystery to the general public.

Paul Landis loved all things American. When he finished high school and would be faced with joining the military draft, he turned to government work to keep him stateside. After being accepted into the Treasury Department’s training program, Landis soon found himself within the Secret Service, where he would be charged with helping protect some of the most important people in the country. Landis worked alongside the Eisenhower grandchildren , keeping them safe and learning the ropes in a job that requires precision and attention to detail.

Landis was able to move up the ranks and eventually was assigned a position on the presidential detail when the Kennedys took over in the White House. He spoke of greeting President Kennedy every morning and remained baffled that Kennedy would return the greeting by name. Landis fills the pages of the book with stories about protecting the First Family, though never deigns to smear them or tell salacious details.

When the Kennedys made their way to Texas on a junket ahead of the 1964 presidential election, Landis was among the agents tasked with protecting the family, specifically Jacqueline Kennedy, who was as friendly as she was elegant. Landis speaks of the whirlwind time spent in the state, including luncheons and various events, all of which would require a great attention to he surroundings.

When the presidential limousine passed through Dealey Plaza in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963, Special Agent Landis remembers the event clearly, though admits that things were a blur as they passed so quickly. Kennedy came around the corner, was shot, and all hell broke loose, leaving people scrambling and Landis rushing to protect the First Lady as they rushed off to the hospital. Landis speaks of the stoic nature of Mrs. Kennedy and how she would not leave her husband’s side, even when death was imminent.

In the aftermath, Landis remained on her detail and kept an eye on her for months to come, revisited by horribly haunting nightmares related to the assassination. It was all too much for him, forcing Landis to resign soon thereafter and live a quieter life. This is his breaking the silence and sharing what he knew about those fast moments, many of which he documented clearly in his reports and journals.

While I had been hoping for something more assassination focussed, Paul Landis does a great job at exploring his entire time as a member of the Secret Service. The wonderful narrative style found within the pages of this book help to provide a great memoir for everyone to enjoy with ease. Succinct and yet full of detail, Landis speaks clearly, keeping things humorous as he details the events working within the Kennedy White House, including that fateful day in Dallas. That he was plagued with regrets, confusion, and nightmares is no shock, as Landis details through the latter portion of the book. Short chapters keep the reader pushing forward and a great sense of patriotism keeps Landis from seeming to be just another agent wanting his time in the limelight. While the book was not what I fully expected, I was pleasantly surprised by the detail offered and would love to her more about Landis’ time on the front lines, protecting the First Family.

Kudos, Mr. Landis, for a wonderful perspective here, told with such relaxed nature.

Right off the top, if you want another Kennedy assassination conspiracy book, this is not it. However, this is a very nice memoir from one of the lesser known Secret Service agents that was with the Kennedys on that fateful day in Dallas in November 1963. Paul Landis gives us some background about his time before getting his job at the Secret Service. But most of the book are his memories of working with the Eisenhower grandchildren and especially being on First Lady Jackie Kennedy's detail. These are very vivid and complete details and I found them to be a very interesting account. He doesn't go into any conspiracy theories, but just gives us his personal look at the Secret Service and the Kennedy assassination.

You may notice a one-star rating on this book from a particular reviewer. They state that they never even read this book and gave it a low rating based on some articles they had read. I find this totally unfair to the author. I don't know how you can even give a rating if you haven't read the book.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

So... the conspiracy behind the Kennedy assassination is my Roman Empire...

From 11/22/63 in both book and TV show format to the various podcasts, documentaries, and articles I've consumed that have speculated the placement and who was really involved that day in Texas will stay on my mind, with each passing day.

I am so thankful to Dreamscape Media, Paul Landis, and Netgalley for granting me access to this profoundly interesting audiobook before it's projected to be published on October 10, 2023.