Edward J. Epstein, one of the original independent JFK scholars, talks with the conservative blog “Powerline” about how he investigated the case at a time when few others were interested.
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Lately there seems to be an attempt to portray Epstein as the first WC critic, but this is far from the truth. Read John Kelin’s book PRAISE FROM A FUTURE GENERATION about the real first critics. Epstein later fell under the influence of James Angleton.
Of related interest is the unpublished 1999 book by Harold Weisberg, Epstein’s Legend, a 175 page critique of Epstein’s approach to the case.
I found this study to be very revealing of some of Epstein’s reporting in Inquest and Legend. In some cases Weisberg compares the official documentary records with Epstein’s interpretation of them or lack of awareness of what they show.
You can find the book at the Weisberg Digital Archive. Use the search function and type in Epstein’s Legend, although the chapters will not appear in order.
As I remember, Mr. Epstein’s unanswerable question of ‘why Oswald did it?’ falls in line with what my educators were teaching in junior & high school. A popular speculation back then was that Oswald was told to ‘prove himself’ before he’d be allowed into Cuba or back into the USSR back in the day. This Oswald allegedly did on 22 Nov 1963. There is no evidence he was told this but his actions seemed to suggest it back then.
I can see J. Edgar Hoover turning over in his grave had he known his precious FBI had been penetrated by KGB agents. Ditto for Dulles & Bill Harvey.
High school students didn’t have much time for the JFK assassination back the late 1960’s; the males were being pushed to acquire good grades & stay in school so as not to get sucked into the draft, shipped off to Viet Nam & killed in battle.