James W. Douglass - JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters

Advance Praise for JFK and the Unspeakable "JFK and the Unspeakable is an exceptional achievement. Douglass has made the strongest case so far in the JFK assassination literature as to the Who and the Why of Dallas. The conjunction of unrestrained elements in cold war Americadefense industry elites, Pentagon planners, and the heads of the intelligence community-were the forces that led inexorably to Dallas and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy." -Gerald McKnight, author, Breach of Trust: How the Warren Commission Failed the Nation and Why "With penetrating insight and unswerving integrity, Douglass probes the fundamental truths. about JFK's assassination. If, he contends, humanity permits those truths to slip into history ignored and undefined it does so at its own peril.

By far the most important book yet written on the subject." -Gaeton Fonzi, former Staff Investigator, U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations "Douglass presents, brilliantly, an unfamiliar yet thoroughly convincing account of a series of creditable decisions of John F. Kennedy-at odds with his initial Cold War stance-that earned him the secret distrust and hatred of hard-liners among the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the CIA. Did this suspicion and rage lead directly to his murder by agents of these institutions, as Douglass concludes? Many readers who are not yet convinced of this 'beyond reasonable doubt' by Douglass's prosecutorial indictment will find themselves, perhaps-like myselffor the first time, compelled to call for an authoritative criminal investigation. Recent events give all the more urgency to learning what such an inquiry can teach us about how, by whom, and in whose interests this country is run." -Daniel Ellsberg, author, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers "A remarkable book: devastating in its documented indictment of the dark forces that have long deformed the public life of this country, while also illuminating JFK's final vision of world peace and documenting beyond reasonable doubt the unspeakable assassination of our last partially admirable president. This book should be required reading for every American citizen." -Richard Falk, Milbank Professor of International Law Emeritus, Princeton University "For forty years Jim Douglass has been our leading North American Catholic theologian of peace.

But this monumental work on the witness of JFK is something deeper still. Douglass is trying to get us to connect the dots between our 'citizen denial,' the government's 'plausible deniability,' and the Unspeakable. This book has the potential to change our narrative about our country, and our lives as citizens and disciples. May we have ears to hear these truths, hearts able to bear their burden, and hands willing to build a new story. " -Ched Myers, author, Binding the Strong Man: A Political Reading of Mark's Story of Jesus "Jim Douglass's spiritual and eloquent telling of President John F. Kennedy's martyrdom for peace is a peerless and extraordinary historical contribution." -Vincent].

Sal andria, author, False Mystery: Essays on the Assassination of JFK "This book's story of JFK and the 'unspeakable' is a stunning mix of political thriller and meticulous scholarship .... Douglass's book offers a goldmine of information and is indispensable for building prophetic spirit and hope." -Mark Lewis Taylor, Princeton Theological Seminary "This is the most thoroughly researched and documented book ever written about President Kennedy's determination to prevent a nuclear war-and how his success in that struggle cost him his life. And yet, Douglass leads us well beyond the 'whodunit' dimensions of the story. He leads us straight into the urgent implications for the present, into what Thomas Merton called the 'unspeakable.' In the shadows of our own time we begin to become better prepared to break free of the violence that threatens all of us today." -Don Mosley, co-founder, Jubilee Partners "A remarkable achievement, outstanding even in an overcrowded field. It is profoundly conceived, researched, considered, argued, and written .... Not all will agree with his detailed speculation as to what happened in Dallas.

But Douglass's large picture of America's political agony is, I believe, incontrovertible and certain to last." -Peter Dale Scott, author, Deep Politics and the Death of JFK "Douglass writes with moral force, clarity, and the careful attention to detail that will make JFK and the Unspeakable a sourcebook for many years to come, for it provides us with the stubborn facts needed to rebuild a constitutional democracy within the United States." -Marcus Raskin, co-founder, Institute for Policy Studies "Jim Douglass never ceases to surprise us, taking us where we do not expect or often wish to go. In this fascinating work he links politics and spirituality. In reforming the past he reshapes the future, with hope, thank God." -Bill]. Leonard, Dean and Professor of Church History, Wake Forest University Divinity School "Jim Douglass is a courageous and single-minded Christian whose convictions are reflected in his life and witness. In this provocative new book, he brings together history and spirituality at the intersection of one of the most pivotaland yet still mystifying-events of the past century. " -Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School of Samford University "InJFK and the Unspeakable Jim Douglass steadily guides us toward a strategy of peace. " -Timothy George, Dean, Beeson Divinity School of Samford University "InJFK and the Unspeakable Jim Douglass steadily guides us toward a strategy of peace.

By dramatizing JFK's remarkable conversion away from a U.S. foreign policy based on military threat and force, Douglass holds forth hope for current generations to similarly dismantle our addiction to war." -Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence JFK AND THE UNSPEAKABLE Also by James W. Douglass The Nonviolent Cross Resistance and Contemplation Lightning East to West The Nonviolent Coming of God JFK and the UNSPEAKABLE Why He Died and Why It Matters JAMES W. DOUGLASS O ORBIS BOOKS Maryknoll, New York 10545 Second Printing, July 2008 Founded in 1970, Orbis Books endeavors to publish works that enlighten the mind, nourish the spirit, and challenge the conscience. The publishing arm of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Orbis seeks to explore the global dimensions of the Christian faith and mission, to invite dialogue with diverse cultures and religious traditions, and to serve the cause of reconciliation and peace. The books published reflect the views of their authors and do not represent the official position of the Maryknoll Society.

To learn more about Maryknoll and Orbis Books, please visit our website at www.maryknoll.org. Copyright 2008 by James W. Douglass. Published by Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.