I'm not a fan of Ross Perot, but Posner has no respect for him. If you read between the lines of this book, you'll see that Ross Perot is a fighter, inovator and gets what he wants(usually).
Posner is continually making statements that make Ross Perot look like a dufe. (Is dufe a word?)
It was an easy read and I learned a lot about Perot, if you read nothing else, read the last chapter which really shows that Ross has changed this country.

This is a thoroughly readible biography of one of America's key personalities. Gerald Posner has done excellent research. This book documents the highs and lows of Perot's life and personality. Here is a man of extreme talent, who knows how to get results. I am convinced more than ever that he could have been President. He would have shaken up the government for more good than bad. Perot's populist political ideas still have great merit even though he has basically passed from our political scene. I am surprised that I should be writing the first customer review of this book three years after its publication. I strongly recommend this book because it is good history, good writing, and completely documents Perot's impact on many significant happenings during the past 40 years.

Gerald Posner, who is the author of Case Closed, the best book on the Kennedy assassinarion, interviewed some of the children of Germans connected to the Nazi story, including children of Hans Frank, Rudolf Hess, Hjalmer Schacht, Dr. Josef Mengele, Admiral Doenitz, Claus von Stauffenberg (how ironic his father should be featured in a book entitled "Hitler's Children"), Goering, and three less well-known Nazis. Many of the children are ashamed of their father, but others are not. A good book to read.

A comprehensive account of the education, career, life as a fugitive, and strange death of one of the most notorious of the Nazi war criminals.

Posner and Ware use thoroughly researched historical sources, including Mengele's own autobiography to tell this story. To his education and strange doctoral thesis in anthropology on "Racial Morphological Research on the Lower Jaw Section of Four Racial Groups," to his bizarre medical career involving his well know human experimentation and his less well known job of interviewing and examining subjects to determine their racial purity, the authors do a fine job of recounting Mengele's early education and career.

Of greater interest, however, is the story of his escape from Europe and life on the run in various South American countries. The story of how he was able to evade for 33 years the most comprehensive manhunt (probably in history), makes for interesting reading. The book recounts how he was able to make and maintain strategic friends and alliances, in South America, and hold onto contacts, friends, and family still living in Germany. Included is the story of a fascinating account of the visit of his son Rolf, about 1 year before his father's death, in a secret rendezvous in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in which Rolf confronted his father and made him justify his involvement in some of histories worst atrocities.

This book shows how the world's most hunted man was able to evade capture, cultivate friends and alliances, and even receive medical care under an assumed identity.

In light or recent events, raises questions in the reader's mind if such a notorious figure (such as Osama bin Ladin) could do as well, escaping capture over a manhunt lasting decades.

A truly interesting story, well worth the moderate time investment to read. ...

Though genocide is something that continues to fill evening news and panel discussions on clashes and conflicts in countries that seem like an eternity away, this book explores the dark side to the Holocaust, darker than normal because, in this unbelievable biography, genocide and Nazi evil is given a human face in the form of the smiling and smartly-dressed SS doctor, Josef Mengele.

Known greatly by survivors and Holocaust historians/scholars, there is little literature out there that paints a complete portrait of this man, from his spoon-fed existence in Bavaria to his existence and later death in several South American havens, which, by sheltering this infamous Nazi, unwittingly spat in the face of international justice and law. The full story of his escape and hiding from the international community is described. Everything one could ask for on Mengele is contained within the pages of this book, sometimes shocking, sometimes sinister, sometimes bewildering, and often very thrilling.

Posner's book reads like a fast-paced thriller, in which the reader is transported back into time and placed before the spectacle of Mengele, the "Angel of Death." This is the first book by Posner read by the reviewer, and he admits that he was (and continues to be) very impressed. Meticulously researched and even given access to Mengele's unpublished and largely unused diaries and autobiography (still not released by the Mengele family), this biography stands out over all other 'attempts,' for they all fail miserably to even try to surpass or compete against Posner's masterpiece. He is to be commended on a fine job in painting a vivid portrait of Mengele. Hopefully, readers will begin to see the truth behind the many distortions surrounding the Holocaust and its perpetration - and that the perpetrators of this nightmarish bloodbath were human beings like everyone else, not a label of dissent that brings about a rift between Holocaust (or any other genocidal) perpetrators, and thus ensuring that genocide continues forever. Most certainly, Mengele's deeds were monstrous, but their monstrosity does not change the fact that he was still human, just like us. If we forget this fact, then genocidal forces existing within the souls of us all will continue forever.

Find out all this for yourselves, fellow readers, and read this book.

Posner delves deep into the life of one of the sickest, most disgusting human beings to ever walk the planet earth. The Angel of Death, as Mengele has been refered to was the chief "medical" officer at the Aushwitz death camp, during its hayday in the latter part of WWII. Posner examines his life from boyhood, through the end of his life, hiding in Peru. The chapters that involve Auswitz are the most horrific I have ever read. This book is an absolute must for anyone who is interested in the war or the Holocust. Mengele is arguably as sick as Adolf Hitler himself, and his life must be examined to ensure it never happens again. I am a huge fan of Posner. I believe this is his most important work.

Oliver Stone, meet your nemesis, Gerald Posner.

As the director of "JFK" may well know, Posner has made his reputation debunking fashionable conspiracy theories. His previous book "Case Closed" proved definitively that, Stone's fanciful drivel aside, lone lunatic Lee Harvey Oswald killed John F. Kennedy, aided only by chance and a U.S. Marine's sharpshooting skill.

Not one to shy from controversy, Posner now turns his attention to another 60s hero laid low tragically young by another assassin's bullet. Conspiracy theories about MLK's death have long been fashionable among the African American community; of late even King's family have bought into the notion that James Earl Ray was innocent. Posner once again sifts through the facts and speculation and concludes that Ray was the lone assassin.

In reviewing the case, Posner brings to light a surprisingly complete picture of the assassin's life. Ray grew up in a dirt poor family of criminals and cut his teeth on petty crimes before settling into his life's calling as a robber. His increasing tendency toward violence and continued brushed with the law finally resulted in a long prison sentence. Ray escaped prison and set his sights on one more criminal goal, one guaranteed to make him a hero amongst the underworld--the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Posner takes the reader through the events of that terrible day in 1968, weaving a masterful tragedy made more tragic by those unwilling to lay the blame for this hideous crime where it belongs: squarely on the shoulders of James Earl Ray.

Posner delivers yet again, and in so doing shines the light of truth on an incident almost submerged in the murk of paranoia and denial. I only hope that Coretta Scott King and the rest of her family take time to read this book. While nothing can dim their sorrow, they could at least gain some measure of comfort in knowing that King's murderer was brought to justice.

You might wonder if the author of "Case Closed" deemed it merely obligatory to debunk yet another batch of conspiracy theories, this time surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Not so. Some of the same conspiratorial characters who cascaded in and out of the murky John F. Kennedy tale have transitioned into the Martin Luther King tragedy without so much as a blink of an eye. Gerald Posner takes them on once again with no less fervor and no less a flair for exhaustive research than he did in "Case Closed," the fruits of which are compellingly told to a fact-hungry America. If you're tired of tabloidisms about the Monica Lewinsky/Ken Starr mess, jump right into Gerald Posner's highly readable "Killing the Dream." I loved it. The footnotes themselves are a richly textured book within a book, sprinkles of wisdom delivered with the sledgehammer of truth. In "Killing the Dream" we find that James Earl Ray is not only a petty criminal, he's a jerk (parks his pale yellow Mustang sideways taking up two spaces so as not to expose his precious getaway car to bumps and bruises; a liar ("He was the most reluctant, sarcastic, overbearing liar I ever saw," said Alton police chief Harold Riggins in 1954); and a bigot. And -- you will meet the real Raul in Posner's disturbing account of intrusion on an innocent by sarcastic, overbearing conspiracy buffs. This exceptional book has put the Martin Luther King assassination in proper perspective, elevating it at the same time to its rightful place in history.

I haven't ever given a lot of thought to James Earl Ray as Martin Luther King's lone assassin, despite the press that has been given to it over the past few months. I assumed, like many others, that the truth about his death was locked up in some government vault somewhere. Only in the future, would we know the truth.

I saw Mr. Posner on one of the early morning talk shows, and found him to be one of the most articulate and straightforward guests I had seen in a while, who offered some thought provoking views on the current conspiracy theories relating to King's death. I was so intrigued by this short interview that I purchased the book. I was not disappointed. I soon learned that the truth about the King Assassination was complex, but available to those who had an open mind.

Posner's clear, efficient writing style, and straight ahead delivery of the facts, as he has discovered them, were facinating. What I appreciated most about his work was the balanced and objective manner in which the facts in this case were presented. In an era when conspiracy theories abound, it is refreshing to read something where rational thought, common sense and exemplary research are found on every page.

I think Posner has done our country a valuable service by setting the record straight on such an important social issue.

Not only has this book contributed to clarifying history, once started, I couldn't set it down.

Bill Cronin

"Case Closed" is like "Triumph Of The Will," a well-made piece of fascist propaganda that has already brain-washed the readers who prefer to live in a safe world where nothing disturbing can possibly emerge out of the halls of the American government. There is simply too much evidence, testimony and obvious visual facts to go up against what Posner writes here. Consider that this book received the kind of media praise and promotion you would never see done for a book that supports a conspiracy theory. Oliver Stone's "JFK," an important American movie, received attention because it was made by an A-list director with an A-list star. And yet "JFK" even in it's assumptions makes more sense than "Case Closed" where Posner bashes credible and important witnesses for no reason, claims computer tests prove Oswald fired the shots (though the other half of the test said he couldn't have, but Posner won't write that here) and shows a laughable illustration to prove the magic bullet theory is credible when in fact, it looks like pure b.s. especially to someone who knows about guns. Is it so hard to believe that governments kill people? Through-out history leaders have been elected and snuffed out, at some point in American history it would have to happen in our shores. What Posner provides is a comforting dream, a fantasy that makes sheep out of the closed-minded and ignorant. This is the kind of dangerous book that tries to make fools out of people searching for truth and real evidence. If answers are what you seek, they are not to be found here.

Posner's "Case Closed" reads like a brilliantly prepared prosecutor's summation of the case against Lee Harvey Oswald. Most conspiracy theorists treat Oswald as an irrelevant cypher. He was the one guy they're all sure didn't kill Kennedy, so they virtually ignore his past. Posner takes a long hard look at Oswald the person and finds a violent, egotistical loner, disliked by most who knew him, largely ignored by the American Communists with whom he tried desperately to ingratiate himself with. His defection to the Soviet Union was almost rejected by the Soviets, whose opinion of Oswald was no better than that of those who knew him in America.

Posner creates a convincing portrait of a small, bitter, violent man who, by 11/22/1963, was a failure as a husband, father and as the revolutionary he saw himself to be. He had already failed to assassinate General Walker several months. The Kennedy motorcade gave Oswald one last chance to prove himself as a revolutionary, after having been rebuffed in his attempts to defect to Cuba.

Posner also give us a vivid portrait of Jack Ruby as a small-time hustler, a glory-seeking braggart who was too much of a bigmouth to be a member of any conspiracy, much less one to kill a president. If any one of several circumstances, completely out of Ruby's control, had happened even slightly differently, he would have missed his chance to kill Oswald.

We also get an unvarnished look at Jim Garrison, the corrupt and publicity-hungry DA who probably went after Clay Shaw to deflect media attention from his own legal problems.

Posner convincingly discredits almost all of the sources that conspiracy theorists accept as gospel and raises serious questions about the rest.

His examination of the event surrounding the actual assassination makes a few things unmistakably clear:

* The Manlicher-Carcano 6.5mm rifle was a far better rifle than conspiracy theorists would have us believe, more than capable of hitting the targets Oswald had to hit.

* The Zapruder film establishes that Oswald had about 8 to 8.6 seconds to get off three shots, with about 3 seconds between shots 1 and 2 and five more seconds to the final head shot.

* While not a great marksman by Marine standards, Oswald was sufficiently skilled with a rifle to do the shooting required in the time allotted.

* Kennedy and Connally were hit simultaneously by the second shot.

* The tumbling trajectory of the anything-but-pristine second bullet could easily have caused all of the wounds to Kennedy and Connally that the Warren Commission said it did,

* The movement of Kennedy after the fatal headshot was completely consistent with someone being hit from behind (as are the wounds to Kennedy's skull).

Whatever you do, don't take my word for it. Read "Cased Closed" and decide for yourself. I challenge anyone with an open mind to read this book and come to any conclusion other than that Oswald acted alone.

It takes each and every rumor prior to the day of its original writing and rips it to shreds.
Don't believe me? The proof is right here, in the reviews.
Notice how most all of the people that rated this book badly have their own apparent agendas. ... .
This book isn't for people with agendas. This book is for people who desire the facts. And you would think that makes it less exciting, but quite the opposite - outside of UFO sightings, no topic has been more sensationalistically covered than the JFK assassination, and that leaves the average person eventually wanting to know what the truth really is. ...
This book is also especially useful if you want to get a thorough background into Lee Harvey Oswald, his wife, and Jack Ruby. These people are usually given a paragraph or two of biography in the supermarket checkout books on JFK. But this book treats them properly - and you readers won't be disappointed.
This book methodically takes out theories and rumors and refutes them with evidence - many of them with short work. Any and every substantiated rumor or theory presented in JFK is utterly refuted. One reader wrote critically about a discomfort with the spasm theory, but no spasm theory is required actually - Newton's second law applied towards the ballistic reaction to the point of entry and exit adequately explain the tape, refute the grassy knoll, are repeatedly emphasized in this book, and all this is done without any need for a discussion on spasms.
Unfortunately, what this book probably doesn't do is refute new twists and spins of the JFK theorists since its original printing. In the past 2 months there have been new conspiracy theories, complete with "witness" accounts, which, although contradict *much* of the *prior *consipiracy theories publicized, are nevertheless presented as the current de facto conspiracy theory of the day. This somewhat new consipiracy spin is much in part to THIS BOOK and others like it, whose proof has slowly been tested, video taped, computer generated, and made available to general public, leaving a conspiracy theory vacuum which has only recently started to be refilled.
Therefore, this book is landmark not only due to how well it is written, documented, and presented, but for the mere fact that it has caused a total shift in the whole tabloid consipracy theory book market: read one a year before this book was published and read one now, and you will see the difference.
Read this book, and you will know the real scientific facts and be able to see through falsehoods and sensationalistic rumor presented as fact. Next time you watch a hyped-up JFK conspiracy documentary for the masses, you will feel like you are backstage at a puppet show.

One has to wonder what the point is behind this analysis of Motown. The problems can be seen right at the beginning of the book, as Posner describes in the preface that he was unable to interview virtually anybody. His main source of information is court records from the numerous lawsuits against Motown from artists trying to get their royalties. Therefore this is a very biased and lopsided book. First, Posner is clearly not a music writer and has extremely little understanding of the classic music of Motown and the social forces that shaped it and were shaped by it. When attempting to describe the sounds he can only use shallow adjectives like "funky" or "sharp." Posner instead focuses on the business behind the Motown phenomenon, as Berry Gordy started with $800 and built one of the greatest record labels in history, but then was unable to prevent its slow and painful downfall. However, as noted above, Posner mainly uses legal documents as evidence, so his stance on business practices is tilted toward Gordy's enemies from the outset.

Worst is Posner's coverage of individuals, especially Gordy himself. Since Posner admits that he interviewed nobody, then his descriptions of a person's private thoughts and beliefs, which he attempts frequently, can only be copied straight from other biographies with little surrounding context. Posner also easily joins the parade of disparagement against Diana Ross, who may just deserve people's wrath, but you should be suspicious when a person is criticized but is not there to give their side of the story. Posner also gets in over his head when trying to analyze the complex personalities of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Finally his slow-moving writing style doesn't give you the incentive to turn the pages, and the end of the story is appallingly weak with a halfhearted attempt to wrap up Motown's place in history.

If you are interested in the classic music of Motown and its talented stars, go elsewhere, please. This book does a better job of analyzing the business of Motown but is too fragmented and second-hand for true believability. If you're interested in that subject, also go elsewhere.

Motown Records is either a) a hallowed sanctuary of soul music best left to be adored from afar, or b) an empire built on dirty dealing and abuse (both emotional and monetary) best exposed as an example of exploitation. Or maybe it is both. Gerald Posner has a hard time making that decision, despite a well researched and historically well documented survey of Berry Gordy (and family's) legendary contribution to the music business.
Posner has crafted a study of Motown that presents its founders, and stars as less-than-perfect (though most often well-likable) pioneers in business and entertainment, working together, though often butting heads with each other, in defining a company built on a legendary sound. Everyone is familiar with most of the players - The Gordy Family (this book delves into the family more so than most other Motown studies, and makes clear that Berry was the head, though not the sole talent of the family), Marvin Gaye (who is painted as a head case through much of the book), Diana Ross (Posner adds some new "legends" to this diva's conduct file, none of them pretty or flattering), Stevie Wonder (both respected and severely exploited, given his youth), Smokey robinson (probably the smartest businessman in the Motown stable), and others. Posner shoots down the legendary "mob-connection" tale, but fills his book with court records, verified statements from insiders, and previously published facts to present a company where competition between artists fueled the hit pipeline, but with severe cost to artists (Florence Ballard's story is still painful to read) and creativity.
This book is a great, enjoyable read in many parts, but it fails to capture any of the joy of Motown. You are left feeling sorry for many of the artists you have come to love over the years. For this reason, I'm glad I saw "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" before reading "Motown: Money, Power...", for that movie is a celebration of the most important element of the Motown legacy - some of the best music ever recorded.

Mr. Posner has given us a well-written and most enjoyable book that has a clear-eyed affection for its subject. The book captures the magic of the early years, the painful maturity as artists decided to leave Motown, the meandering later years, and the eventual and multiple sales of Motown to different entities. The stories are told with enthusiasm and the accomplishments are given the praise deserved, but Mr. Posner doesn't flack for any personality or viewpoint. In fact, he often presents multiple points of view of some events so the reader can decide where the truth is likely to be hiding.

Since this isn't a book of encyclopedic length, it has to focus on certain key points and that means a lot gets left out. And though many artists contributed to Motown's fabulous accomplishments, the book centers on Berry Gordy, Jr., his founding of the company, how he gathered all that amazing talent, and how Motow provided an environment where that talent could develop and flourish.

The book also focuses on the biggest acts and on those employees who were closest to Gordy. Necessarily, a lot of talented and wonderful people get left out of this telling of the story. THe book is just over 300 pages and it would take thousands of pages to tell something approaching a complete history of Motown. However, this book is delightful to read and gets those of us without inside knowledge closer to these personalities than many of us have every been.

There are so many different and passionate views about who deserves credit for what in all the successes of Motown and who deserves blame for all the various failures that no book can satisfy everyone. However, Mr. Posner has done a great deal to talk to as many folks as would talk with him, did a lot of reading, and dug into court records to find out what really went on. He found out a lot about the truth of the charges and counter charges in key court cases and business practices that existed in Motown over the decades of its existence. The book takes an even handed view and isn't afraid to tell us about Mr. Gordy's rather sharp business practices, the self-delusion and self-destruction of many artists, as well as the glorious way they pulled together in the early years to make themselves into huge stars. The book isn't a puff piece, but it also doesn't drag the people discussed in the book through the mud.

If you haven't already made up your mind, I think you will enjoy this book very much. At least, I can say that I did. Thanks, Mr. Posner!