Assignment Oswald is mostly a first-hand telling of the events surrounding the assassination as the author, James Hosty experienced them. It is written in an almost journal-like tone with him referencing time and dates for everything. The major points/themes in the book are:
1. The note that so many have made so much of (especially Oliver Stone in JFK) amounted to Oswald being mad that Hosty had interviewed Marina when they ended up in Dallas. Oswald basically told Hosty to leave them alone and if he did not Oswald would take action against the FBI. After Kennedy was killed and Oswald was arrested Hosty's boss told him to get rid of the note (for fear of incurring Hoover's wrath) and Hosty stupidly (which he admits) destroyed it. Of course, it eventually was uncovered, Hoover did find out about it, and Hosty was pretty much hung out to dry by the FBI.
2. Hosty was very critical of Hoover, the FBI in general, the Secret Service, Dallas Police, the Warren Commission, and the House Committee on Assassinations (who he felt were wasting their time trying to find a mob connection to the Assassination) and the CIA. At various points in the book, he skewers every one of them.
3. Hosty believed that Oswald acted alone in the assassination but believes that the Cubans and/or Russians either knew and possibly tacitly approved of Oswald's intention to kill Kennedy. This is mainly centered around the fact that when Oswald, after being given the run around in Mexico City while trying to get a travel visa to Cuba to get back into Russia, yelled that he was going to kill Kennedy, and only then got to meet with a KGB agent who was a part of the KGB group that took part in assassinations. Hosty then speculates based on circumstantial evidence that there may have been an agreement along the lines of an "if you can kill Kennedy and get back to Mexico City we will let you back into Russia" between the Soviets and Oswald. He further claims that the CIA knew this, never informed the FBI (claiming he did not know when he was investigating the Oswalds before the Assassination and never learned of it until the late 60s or early 70s), and that the Warren Commission knew of the evidence but did not pursue it and/or whitewashed (on the Orders of the White House) it in order to avoid a war that could have ended up in nuclear Armageddon.
The book is definitely an interesting read, although somewhat dry in parts and it is not likely to change anyone's mind about what happened and whether Oswald acted alone. For his part, Hosty lays out the evidence for why he believed Oswald was the lone assassin and provides some evidence for the Cuba/Russia link. Given that it is almost impossible to follow up on that thread after all these years, they will likely remain forever unverifiable unless Castro decides to fess up or there is something in the records that have yet to be unsealed which admits that connection was covered up. He staunchly defends himself against any accusation that he knew of Oswald's plan, assisted him in any way, or had any prior information that Oswald was capable of carrying out the assassination. No matter what side of the conspiracy fence you sit on, I think the book is worth reading.
1. The note that so many have made so much of (especially Oliver Stone in JFK) amounted to Oswald being mad that Hosty had interviewed Marina when they ended up in Dallas. Oswald basically told Hosty to leave them alone and if he did not Oswald would take action against the FBI. After Kennedy was killed and Oswald was arrested Hosty's boss told him to get rid of the note (for fear of incurring Hoover's wrath) and Hosty stupidly (which he admits) destroyed it. Of course, it eventually was uncovered, Hoover did find out about it, and Hosty was pretty much hung out to dry by the FBI.
2. Hosty was very critical of Hoover, the FBI in general, the Secret Service, Dallas Police, the Warren Commission, and the House Committee on Assassinations (who he felt were wasting their time trying to find a mob connection to the Assassination) and the CIA. At various points in the book, he skewers every one of them.
3. Hosty believed that Oswald acted alone in the assassination but believes that the Cubans and/or Russians either knew and possibly tacitly approved of Oswald's intention to kill Kennedy. This is mainly centered around the fact that when Oswald, after being given the run around in Mexico City while trying to get a travel visa to Cuba to get back into Russia, yelled that he was going to kill Kennedy, and only then got to meet with a KGB agent who was a part of the KGB group that took part in assassinations. Hosty then speculates based on circumstantial evidence that there may have been an agreement along the lines of an "if you can kill Kennedy and get back to Mexico City we will let you back into Russia" between the Soviets and Oswald. He further claims that the CIA knew this, never informed the FBI (claiming he did not know when he was investigating the Oswalds before the Assassination and never learned of it until the late 60s or early 70s), and that the Warren Commission knew of the evidence but did not pursue it and/or whitewashed (on the Orders of the White House) it in order to avoid a war that could have ended up in nuclear Armageddon.
The book is definitely an interesting read, although somewhat dry in parts and it is not likely to change anyone's mind about what happened and whether Oswald acted alone. For his part, Hosty lays out the evidence for why he believed Oswald was the lone assassin and provides some evidence for the Cuba/Russia link. Given that it is almost impossible to follow up on that thread after all these years, they will likely remain forever unverifiable unless Castro decides to fess up or there is something in the records that have yet to be unsealed which admits that connection was covered up. He staunchly defends himself against any accusation that he knew of Oswald's plan, assisted him in any way, or had any prior information that Oswald was capable of carrying out the assassination. No matter what side of the conspiracy fence you sit on, I think the book is worth reading.
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