A reader’s take on Our Man in Mexico:
“What a pleasure to read a fact-based, well researched, and completely documented book that covers, not only the JFK assassination, but the early soldiers of the WW II – OSS. Many of these same OSS people became the CIA’s senior management team by 1963. Unlike most books on these subjects, Mr. Morley allows the reader to draw their own conclusion(s). There are no wild-eyed, self-perpetuated, illogical theories here – only substantiated and referenced facts.”
“I strongly recommend Our Man in Mexico to any serious OSS/CIA/JFK historian or researcher …”
Tell me more about Our Man in Mexico.
I can see I’m not going to win this one. Better just do that review then. 🙂
Oh s*^t. I wasn’t really expecting you to post that one either!
Better post my comments on the book then, hadn’t I.
Could someone please remove my idiot waffling from this thread? It’s too embarrassing.
🙂
Okay, Jeff’s book has finally arrived here. Possibly after taking the same scenic route traced by my convict ancestors (yes, Photon, convicts!) in 1789 to these shores.
In any case, this is another chance for you to get in on the book club experience Photon.
I might add that it is also the perfect opportunity for you to disprove your status as a paid-up disinformation agent for the CIA (allegedly). You can read the book, agree with Jeff’s facts and “hey presto, credibility city” for you.
🙂
Our Man In Mexico by Jeff Morley is also a remarkable read. Bur will there ever be definitive proof of what happened that sad day with all the documents laid in front of thr American People & the whole world?
We also know now that Hoover, Helms, Angleton, Ford and so many others knew far more than we ever thought.
OSWALD was very much on most of their radar screens before 22/11/63.
Cuba, Cuban exiles, CIA, CIA Assassins, FBI, Hoover, Helms, Angleton. Grassy Knoll shootets who got away, no thorough autopsy of POTUS , Many many dead witnesses & so much witness testimony ignored. Even guns brougjht into.the TSD before 11/22/63.
.
This story is very very big and seems to have a little bit of everything.
And of course State Secrets and the careers of many had to be protected. At all costs.
It is so so very clear now that the JFK Assassination is as tangled & terrible as we have always thought.
I have read Simpich’s State Secrets a couple of times. It is so very frightening to read that a group of CIA Assassins likely committed the cruel & shocking act.
The Assassination couldnt be investigated properly as the CIA Assassins blackmailed the CIA and the FBI.
We can know more or less what happened before, on & after 2/11/63. Does this mean we will also never see all the withheld documents in our lifetime?
After some complicated foreign exchange transactions and the modern communications miracle that is Australia Post (only 9 days to deliver a simple envelope to the USA) it looks as though my copy of ‘Our Man in Mexico’ should be on its way. (Ah, the title has just clicked for me, any vacuum parts involved)?
Photon, better get yourself organised. Surely some of your CIA loot could go towards the purchase of this book?
And if you’re not going to buy it or haven’t read it could you at least say why? You freely spout your opinions on all sorts of other books. Is it because it must be the usual crazy conspiracy stuff or full of factoids or CIA says you’re not allowed to….?
Please, please, do me the perverse pleasure of saying why. 🙂
Hear that silence folks? I believe we are in the midst of an actual, live “Classic Photon” happening.
It usually happens every week or so but this is an unusually long one so please enjoy this rare event.
I think if we’re particularly quiet it might go on for a long time.
Just kidding Photon. You know I’m fond of you really. 🙂 Just looking forward to you getting back on here and answering some of those questions about your expertise and reading material. I’ll be waiting…..:)
Overall, I enjoyed the book, and would feel comfortable seconding all the compliments contained in the 5-star reviews. However, I did find myself frustrated with the (perhaps unintended) juxtaposition of the end of chapter 13 with the beginning of chapter 14.
From page 167: “Many, many people in the upper ranks of the CIA and Pentagon felt the resentments that rankled the likes of Halpern, Sanchez, and Angleton: Kennedy wouldn’t listen…busy-ness was not a policy…Godammit, you do it or you don’t…a secret agency does not have to comply with all of the government’s overt orders…there might be a revolt of some kind.” The author clearly is implying that motive to assassinate Kennedy existed in the National Security Apparatus of the United States.
Yet, two pages later, on page 169, the author writes: “Win (Scott) and two friends (Phillips and Angleton) were at the heart of the epic intelligence failure that culminated tragically on November 22, 1963.” Failure to do what, exactly? Failure to uncover coup plotting in which the CIA would no doubt have been an integral part? Or failure to notify the FBI and Secret Service that Oswald might be a bigger threat than previously thought?
I endeavored in vain throughout the rest of the book to answer the above questions. Perhaps I too had an “intelligence failure.” I’m afraid I must request assistance.
Jeff i must apologize that i have not read your book only read a number of reviews of Our man in Mexico. Win Scott and his roll in saga of Oswald deserves utmost scrutiny.
Jeff can you enlighten me on relationship of D W Richardson and Scott
http://www.baseballinwartime.com/player_biographies/richardson_don.htm
It’s been a little over a year since I bought and read the book. My first memory in response to Jeff’s question was, Win Scott” left out of the loop” in regards to Oswald. Thumbing through it tonight I find virtually those exact words. Why, how was he?
Actually tonight I started with the pictures, as when I first received the book. One in the back and it’s caption made a light go off for me. “Allen Dulles…Win’s friend, mentor and idol”.
The book is not about the Kennedy Assassination per se. It’s about Win Scott the person, the OSS, CIA, Dulles, Angeton, Harvey, and his son Michael Scott. While Jeff’s choice of quotes from others humanizes the book, the inclusion of Michael Scott’s perspective really does so.
I did not know previously of Scott’s closeness to Dulles or work with Angleton and Harvey. In 1954 when Eisenhower assigned two committees to investigate the cia Dulles chose Scott as point man to deal with both of them.
The discussion of Oswald’s visit, the taping systems and their operations/take, and most especially David Altee Phillips are all enlightening.
It left me with the impression Scott and the Mexico City Station were “left out of the loop”, or even told to stay out for their own protection. Which in turn left me more suspicious of the timing of of Phillips assignment there and role in the handling of the Oswald “incident”.
A lot more relevant info in these 287 pages plus 84 more of Afterword, Bibliography and Index than many other longer ones.
How about a book on Dulles o Phillips Jeff?
Jeff Morley had this to say to a conference audience marking the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Warren Report: “We have a new fact pattern about the JFK story that demands attention. This fact pattern is both growing in scope and detail over time… I think what we are doing is, we are getting to the point where we can describe a fact pattern rather than argue about theories, and we can transcend the old lone nut/conspiracy debate.”
His book, “Our Man In Mexico: Winston Scott and the Hidden History of the CIA” is one of the essential works ushering in a new era in JFK reporting — a trend towards document-sourced facts as a basis for the slow and steady construction of evidentiary hierarchies based upon what we can prove. It’s a recent (post JFK Records Act) development which could not have emerged during the first several decades of our efforts to understand the what and why of Dallas. And it exemplifies a wave of new research by a new breed of disciplined scholars.
Future historians will look back upon this period of discovery, because of investigators and historians like John Newman, Bill Simpich, Jeff Morley and others whose works are collectively contributing to our enlightenment as the final chapter of the government’s obsolete proclamations on President Kennedy’s death. It may also signify the last gasps of all those who have so adamantly and self-righteously opposed and obstructed our efforts to become informed before their own inescapable appointment with extinction.
Great idea Vanessa. Count me in. There’s far too much published garbage. Jeff’s book is one of the few that breaks that mold. It should be discussed in full.
I’ve always believed that, if there was a conspiracy (and I believe that there probably was), its roots go back to the OSS and all they dealt with, during and after the 1940’s. The OSS was given a free hand to do almost anything (including numerous assassinations) to win the Second World War. Those same players, armed with their self-directed methods, could have easily flourished well into the 1960’s, and beyond.
That’s why Jeff’s book is so important to understand the entire historical landscape, including the events of November 22, 1963.
Cut myself short in my comment above. This book did help convince me that there was at least a cover up in what the CIA testified concerning their surveillance of Lee Oswald before the assassination. Was already leaning in that direction but leaned even further because Morley set it out in such a logical, obvious way. It wasn’t far fetched or forced but yet obvious thanks to well documented facts.
I have finally put my money where my mouth is and organised my purchase of Jeff’s book.
Photon, you are always wittering on about ‘facts’. It sounds like Jeff’s book is full of facts, uncontestable facts about the CIA. You should be happy to support the promulgation and discussion of those. Right? 🙂
Perhaps we could have a little bookclub on this thread? Anyone else care to join?
Vanessa, Please put me in the book club too. Bob
Lovely to have you here Bob. Have you read the book already like some others?
Photon, are you going to join? Although surely with your commitment to facts you’ve already purchased this book and read it cover to cover?
If not, no getting an old buddy to borrow it from the CIA library – that would be cheating.
Or are you not really that keen on facts after all?
Actually 88% of the people who reviewed this book on Amazon gave it five stars. This shows it was very enjoyable and easy to follow. Yes, the characters are believable and one can really believe and follow the actions and attitudes of the CIA. Jeff Morley was fair, not opinionated, not trying to force feed the reader to a particular conclusion.