Jim DiEugenio on The Devil's Chessboard

[Jim DiEugenio]

This is a little late because I had to read the book twice. No one can read it just once and digest all of the material in it. Simply not possible.

I also took 43 pages of notes. Which actually was not enough.

And even though I did a pretty thorough job, I had to ignore some of the book or the review would have been even longer. And no one would have read it.

This is the best book on Dulles there is, hands down. Which is why the MSM will not touch it. A distinguished and considerable achievement.

http://www.ctka.net/2015/TalbotDulles.html

[Jim Hargrove]

Thanks so much, Jim, for yet another of your patently thorough book reviews, this time of Mr. David Talbot's courageous new look at the Dulles brothers and JFK. I just finished skimming your review, but I'll read it much more carefully tomorrow. How reassuring it is that we can rely on you to bring us the best of the best of significant new works, long before we can find the time ourselves to read through them.

No doubt most people here know that Allen Dulles--former DCI fired by JFK--attended more WC hearings than any other member of the Warren Commission, that he set the stage for the "LEE HARVEY OSWALD--LONE ASSASSIN" theme, and, far more often than anyone else, he adjourned the WC whenever the committee was actually in danger of exposing CIA involvement in the assassination of JFK.

Thanks again, Jim!!!

[Jim DiEugenio]

Thanks Jim, let me know what you think after.


It is a huge book. With a very large scope.

[Tracy Riddle]

Excellent, Jim. You should write an Amazon review too, then leave a comment beneath the review and insert a link to CTKA in it. It won't let you insert links in the review itself.

[Dawn Meredith]

Great review Jim. It was posted on facebook, which is where I read it, and shared it on my page. My husband just read it too and said that Dulles should have been hanged for treason in 1943. Your reviews are so comprehensive. You really do your readers a valuable service. I got Talbot's book and Don Jeffries' this week and began Don's first. Will have LOTS to read over the Christmas break from court.

The part about Costner was quite a surprise to me as I had been told a long time ago that he was just reading his lines and had no interest in the actual case or Garrison's investigation. I have an attorney friend who is a good friend of Costner's- she worked in Hollywood prior to practicing law- so I will have to ask her to ask him about this. Too bad I never read this before today as I saw her in court yesterday and won't see her again til after the New Year.

Bravo!!

Dawn

[Scott Kaiser]

That's a lot of homework done there Jim. I quickly spotted where you quote Talbot saying "James McCord, [part] of the CIA's Office of Security, called the case a suicide. (p. 296)". I may be mistaken, but my understanding is McCord wasn't just [part] of Office of Security, but he was Director of Security. McCord was in charge of Security operations at Langley and JMWAVE.

​McCord was also responsible for heading up counterintelligence against FPCC and Lee H. Oswald. I have found a document which outlines Banister FBI reporting to McCord, McCord was also FBI at one time, this information is apart of my updated book.

Scott Kaiser

[Tracy Riddle]

I just found this about Robert Crowley's story:

http://www.isgp.nl/2014_08_Robert_Crowley_alleged_words

"Allen [Dulles] was never too bright. His brother was a dyed-in-the wool Nazi, just like another one of our DCI's fathers: Prescott Bush. But Allen was not a particularly deep or thoughtful man all in all. His son got shot in the head in Korea and came back an idiot [Allen Macy Dulles, Jr.] so Allen was very bad to him. He ignored him. [unknown, but, according to his sister Joan, he did say things like: "My father was a Nazi spy" until his anti-paranoia medication in 1977] Allen was not a kind or thoughtful man. But his wife really did a number on him at the end. Allen was dying in '69 and they had a Christmas party at his place. Wife was downstairs with the guests, having a wonderful time. Not a word about Allen except that he was not feeling well. Finally, one of the boys decided to go up and wish Allen a Merry Christmas. Guess what he found? Allen lying in a urine and shit soaked bed, completely out of it and mumbling to himself. She had left him up there for quite a while. Ugly. She really must have hated him. The boys picked him up, wrapped him in a clean blanket and took him to the hospital where he died about a month later. She didn't care at all and was very upset that they used one of her good blankets."

[Mark A. O'Blazney]

I just found this about Robert Crowley's story:

http://www.isgp.nl/2014_08_Robert_Crowley_alleged_words

"Allen [Dulles] was never too bright. His brother was a dyed-in-the wool Nazi, just like another one of our DCI's fathers: Prescott Bush. But Allen was not a particularly deep or thoughtful man all in all. His son got shot in the head in Korea and came back an idiot [Allen Macy Dulles, Jr.] so Allen was very bad to him. He ignored him. [unknown, but, according to his sister Joan, he did say things like: "My father was a Nazi spy" until his anti-paranoia medication in 1977] Allen was not a kind or thoughtful man. But his wife really did a number on him at the end. Allen was dying in '69 and they had a Christmas party at his place. Wife was downstairs with the guests, having a wonderful time. Not a word about Allen except that he was not feeling well. Finally, one of the boys decided to go up and wish Allen a Merry Christmas. Guess what he found? Allen lying in a urine and shit soaked bed, completely out of it and mumbling to himself. She had left him up there for quite a while. Ugly. She really must have hated him. The boys picked him up, wrapped him in a clean blanket and took him to the hospital where he died about a month later. She didn't care at all and was very upset that they used one of her good blankets."

I see the 'Original' of this piece is from one of Jim Di's favourite sources, our naughty Nazi boy. Achtung.

[Jim DiEugenio]

Checking the stats at CTKA, this review is now far and away the most highly rated article there. Going way beyond the previous leader, Carol Hewett's piece of Ruth Paine.

It is well over a thousand hits per day and about 1200 visits per day.

Maybe Talbot should give me a percentage?

[Ty Carpenter]

Jim,

The Cowboys were in Cleveland that weekend.