One of the most distinguished aspects of David Talbot’s The Devil’s Chessboard is that it shows just what conflicts led to the termination of Allen Dulles by President John Kennedy. In his milestone biography of Dulles, Talbot showed that the prevailing wisdom, that it was only the Bay of Pigs, was likely incomplete. There were two other crises going on around the same time that multiplied Kennedy’s doubts about being able to live with Dulles as CIA Director.
everything we know about Dulles says he was capable of being part of conspiracy to kill JFK.The idea RFK wanted him on warren commission is laughable.yet they tried to sell people on that bs.of course it was really the dulles commission.
A few - a very few - post high school institutions will sometimes offer a course that focuses on the JFK adminstration and delve into the assassination, if they have a really motivated instructor willing to lobby for the right to do it. But in a nation of over 340 million, including, millions of university students, that's fairly pathetic.
So the correct answer might be, "not really, not effectively, it's a taboo subject."
Richard, I came across a University of Toronto (my almer mater) Professor that taught a course there on the assassination. I only discovered this after the fact. I found it by accident on Google. I sent him a note that I would have surely taken his course. He said he was persuaded by the conspiracy angle. I agreed. I did mention to him that a high school shop teacher, Tony Centa (R.I.P.), who knew Penn Jones and projected the Zapruder film, along with his hundreds of slides, as part of his presentations, which were done outside of school hours mostly. He did talk about the assassination to his students (many loved those talks and mentioned them on his memorial page). Tony even lectured police associations and judges too (2 of his sons were lawyers, and one became a superior court judge). I miss Tony. He gave me some cool stuff (books, magazines like the Rolling Stones one with the confession by Hunt and the ad by Hustler Mag's owner, IIRC).
Thanks James for shedding more light on the shallow waters of Kennedy and Dallas. Apart from Bay of Pigs treason, Talbot's "Devils Chessboard" provides the chilling history of Dulles from his youth growing up, his years in Europe in secret service, collision with Nazi Germany SS officers in avoiding imprisonment or death during the Nuremberg war crimes tribunal, foreign political assassinations, torture which sheds a dark, disturbed, and sadistic character. In one of the chapters, Eleanor Dulles, his sister, points out he was dark and more complex than his older brother. Talbot's book also clearly highlights his closelness and liking for elite Nazi officers including sabotaging attempts to save jews from Auschwitz. That's a chilling portrait of a dangerous man and that in itself would have kept JFK on edge. I always wanted to find out the intricacies and troubled waters before and during Dulles's removal of his reign from CIA. Few books highlighted in your article will now allow deeper understanding into the tenuous and dangerous ripples with JFK and RFK. Hopefully, my next book, 'Brothers: the hidden history of Kennedy Years' would add more context too.
everything we know about Dulles says he was capable of being part of conspiracy to kill JFK.The idea RFK wanted him on warren commission is laughable.yet they tried to sell people on that bs.of course it was really the dulles commission.
That is correct about the Warren Commission. Dan Hardway showed that this was a fake maneuver by the Johnson administration after the fact,
This is the best reason to subscribe to a sub stack, and you got mr. Dieugenio to comment!
Thanks Lance, let us spread the word and sign them up.
Excellent overview.
Thanks for this crucial wider context for 11/22/63 and the subsequent formation of the Dulles Commission.
I'm only part way through and grimly reminded, or 1st time astonished.
(I doubt Bugliosi discussed any of this in his tome. Do they teach this history in American schools?)
I don't think Vince did discuss this and no its not in schools.
A few - a very few - post high school institutions will sometimes offer a course that focuses on the JFK adminstration and delve into the assassination, if they have a really motivated instructor willing to lobby for the right to do it. But in a nation of over 340 million, including, millions of university students, that's fairly pathetic.
So the correct answer might be, "not really, not effectively, it's a taboo subject."
Richard, I came across a University of Toronto (my almer mater) Professor that taught a course there on the assassination. I only discovered this after the fact. I found it by accident on Google. I sent him a note that I would have surely taken his course. He said he was persuaded by the conspiracy angle. I agreed. I did mention to him that a high school shop teacher, Tony Centa (R.I.P.), who knew Penn Jones and projected the Zapruder film, along with his hundreds of slides, as part of his presentations, which were done outside of school hours mostly. He did talk about the assassination to his students (many loved those talks and mentioned them on his memorial page). Tony even lectured police associations and judges too (2 of his sons were lawyers, and one became a superior court judge). I miss Tony. He gave me some cool stuff (books, magazines like the Rolling Stones one with the confession by Hunt and the ad by Hustler Mag's owner, IIRC).
Thanks James for shedding more light on the shallow waters of Kennedy and Dallas. Apart from Bay of Pigs treason, Talbot's "Devils Chessboard" provides the chilling history of Dulles from his youth growing up, his years in Europe in secret service, collision with Nazi Germany SS officers in avoiding imprisonment or death during the Nuremberg war crimes tribunal, foreign political assassinations, torture which sheds a dark, disturbed, and sadistic character. In one of the chapters, Eleanor Dulles, his sister, points out he was dark and more complex than his older brother. Talbot's book also clearly highlights his closelness and liking for elite Nazi officers including sabotaging attempts to save jews from Auschwitz. That's a chilling portrait of a dangerous man and that in itself would have kept JFK on edge. I always wanted to find out the intricacies and troubled waters before and during Dulles's removal of his reign from CIA. Few books highlighted in your article will now allow deeper understanding into the tenuous and dangerous ripples with JFK and RFK. Hopefully, my next book, 'Brothers: the hidden history of Kennedy Years' would add more context too.
I have Tim Weiner's Legacy of Ashes, and maybe Arthur Schlesinger's book too. Thanks Jim. Very interesting post.
Thanks Gerry.