The book, “The JFK Myths: A Scientific Investigation of the Kennedy Assassination,” is an insightful and illuminating book exploring the death JFK from a scientific point of view. The book was written by Larry Sturdivan, an expert in scientific knowledge in regard to firearms and ballistics. Unlike other books written about the topic, Sturdivan’s book explains the killing of Kennedy using physical evidence in terms of ballistics, firearms, and forensic evidence. Fundamentally, it uses science to investigate physical evidence and quash the many misconceptions surrounding the assassination. Sturdivan begins his book with Kennedy’s two-day trip to Texas. He goes ahead to explore the president’s events and timeline to his untimely death at “Parkland Memorial Hospital” (Sturdivan 7). The author notes, “Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1:00 p.m. by Kemp Clark, the neurosurgeon” (Sturdivan 7). That being so, the author dives into the scientific aspect of the assassination, including forensic evidence, the trajectory of the bullets, and the rifle used by the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. To Sturdivan, the myths surrounding the murder and the ensuing conspiracy theories rose from the lack of comprehension of scientific facts. The book concludes that the scientific approach to the murder and the thorough examination of the evidence prove that Oswald was the only actor and that there was no plot or other shooters. Overall, the aforementioned book offers an evidence-based explanation and a rationale for the murder of Kennedy, which invalidates conspiracy theories and misconceptions that emerged in the aftermath of the tragedy.

An interesting fact of Sturdivan’s book is its keen emphasis on details. From the first chapter, “Nobody Can Stop It,” the book captures the attention of its readers with its focus on critical details and thorough examination of the 1960s political landscape. Evidently, the books go the extra mile of contextualizing Kenndy’s death with the broader political atmosphere of the Cold War. Following the death of Kennedy, the author notes, “this was during the height of the Cold War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis was a recent and disturbing memory in the minds of the individuals who worked in or near the White House” (Sturdivan 9). By contextualizing these events that were happening at the time, Sturdivan lays the framework for a fascinating and complex analysis of the circumstances that led to Kennedy’s assassination. Most importantly, it is clear that the book utilizes forensic analysis, critical thinking, and archival research to provide a rationale for the murder of Kennedy. By doing so, the book questions the pre-existing myths and gives room for its audience to re-examine their comprehension of the event rationally. Among the myths that surfaced following the tragedy was “the misconception that there was another shooter and that there was a conspiracy to kill the president” (Sturdivan 23). Many people believed that Oswald was just a pasty in a giant conspiracy involving even the Secret Service and CIA (Sturdivan 25). The book’s analysis of these misconceptions forces readers to go back and reassess their comprehension of the tragedy from a scientific approach.

Most importantly, the book deconstructs the official narrative provided by the selected Commission to investigate the murder, “the Warren Commission (WC).” As indicated in the book, the Commission was formed to investigate the murder due to the many rumors that emerged following the homicide (Sturdivan 23). This was fueled by the fact that Jack Ruby killed Oswald, giving no room for a trial to prove his innocence or guilt. That being so, the book takes a closer look at the details and findings put forth by the WC. While doing so, the author points out discrepancies within the findings, including inconsistencies that contributed to the many conspiracies and skepticisms that emerged in the following decades. Evidently, Sturdivan’s deconstruction of the WC is from a forensic perspective through its analysis of ballistic evidence, autopsy reports, archival materials, experiments, and even testimonies from eyewitnesses, including Oswald’s widow, Marina. The books also point out that despite their expertise, “the Warren Commission report is rife with hearsay and statements known to be inaccurate” (Sturdivan 32). Fundamentally, the book deconstructs the Commission’s research and report, pointing out its limitations. Instead of focusing on the actual murder of the president, the Commission focused on addressing rumors, which failed to solve the murder case. Additionally, the books further explore the WC’s analysis of the “magic bullet” theory (Sturdivan 33). Besides the forensic evidence, the book also dissects the trajectories of the bullets, which illustrates the fragility of the Commission’s report. That being so, the book exposes gaps within the WC official report, which challenges the actual nature of Kennedy’s killing.

Apart from criticizing the WC report, Sturdivan’s book also maneuvers through a series of conspiracy theories and other explanations that emerged to provide a rationale for the assassination. By introducing other explanations, the book offers a broad insight into many interpretations of Kennedy’s death. Evidently, Sturdivan highlights that the tragic death of Oswald set the foundation for numerous conspiracy theories over the decades that attempted to explain the homicide. What is more interesting is that Sturdivan’s book touches on other books from authors like “Harold Weisberg, Sylvia Meagher, Edward Epstein, and Penn Jones” (Sturdivan 37). All these authors, as mentioned above, repeated the various conspiracies surrounding the killing, even those that were already disapproved by the WC report. Among the myths that emerged include the “mysterious deaths whereby eighteen material witness in the assassination case died in the three years following the assassination” (Sturdivan 38). Others include the involvement of the CIA and a second shooter. Oswald was even believed to be a defector of the Soviet Union, given that the event occurred during the Cold War age. Sturdivan uses a scientific approach to reveal the flaws of logic and the lack of enough evidence to support these speculations. In exploring these conspiracies and other speculative conjectures, instead of dismissing them, the book teaches its readers the essence of addressing the whole scenario rationally. It also challenges its audience to consider the complex nature of history and avoid the temptation of misconception and manipulation.

Despite offering a fresh perspective exploring the infamous murder of Kennedy, “The JFK Myths” book reflects various flaws within its analysis. Evidently, the book lacks new evidence supporting the murder of the president. Even though the book offers a distinct and rigorous study of the event, it does not introduce new or breakthrough discoveries. In addition, the books lack accessibility. Basically, the book’s audience is general in that it targets all the people interested in the death of JFK. Unfortunately, some readers may find the book hard to comprehend as it uses technical terms and scientific language. This is evident in the forensic evidence and the detailed archival materials, which are complex for readers who do not comprehend forensic evidence and guns. For example, Sturdivan notes that “the muzzle velocity of bullets from Oswald’s rifle average about 2, 160 f/s. Due to its large weight and moderate aerodynamic drag, the WCC/MC bullet retains a residual velocity of 1900 f/s at a range of 180 feet” (Sturdivan 27). Readers without a background in forensic science and also history will find such complex forensics hard to comprehend. Hence, the book is inaccessible to a broader audience. It is also apparent that the book puts more emphasis on the WC, speculative conjectures, and conspiracy theories. While these aspects contribute to the comprehension of the assassination, its over-emphasis on these elements overshadows the paramount aspect of the murder, like the political implication of Kennedy’s death.

To sum up, it is evident that the killing of JFK was a national tragedy that remains a mystery in American History. In an attempt to solve this mystery, Sturdivan, in his book, uses a scientific perspective to provide an explanation for the murder. Ultimately, the book stands out as a unique and thought-provoking piece of writing that demonstrates the power of science and intellectual rigor in solving murder cases. Through its analysis of forensic evidence, conspiracies, the WC research, and reports, the book challenges the widely held myths regarding the death of Kennedy and offers an alternative rationale that is scientifically factual. That being so, the book stands as an attestation of the effectiveness of scholarly inquiry. However, despite its captivating analysis of Kennedy’s death, the aforementioned book, to some extent, is flawed in that it uses a complex language of forensic science that some readers might find challenging. As a result, the book is inaccessible to some audiences. In addition, despite its scientific approach, the book does not produce groundbreaking discoveries that the public does not already know. In fact, it concludes that Oswald acted alone in the murder. Overall, “JFK Myths” book is an eye-opener and well-researched piece that illuminates Kennedy’s killing and contradicts the numerous conspiracies surrounding the homicide.