The author was the liason officer between the CIA and the military during the 50's and 60's. As an air force officer (Colonel), he was excempt from taking the CIA oath of secrecy and therefore was in a position to write the book in 1973. Apparently, shortly after the book's publication, almost all copies disappeared, probably bought up by the CIA. I was lucky to find a copy, published in Taiwan (Imperial Books & Records), in a used bookstore several years ago. The author details not only how the CIA conducts it's operations, but more importantly, how it manages to keep most or all of it's deeds from the eyes of congress, the population and even the President, if necessary. This is the best book I've read on the secret workings of the CIA and it's misdeeds during the 50' and early 60's. Not to belittle them, but The Secret Team is a far more informative book than Marchetti and Marks' The CIA And The Cult Of Intelligence. ....

This book is more popular in left-of-center, Oliver Stone, conspiracy circles. Colonel Prouty (the guy who inspired Mr. X, the deep-throat of Oliver Stone's JFK) is no doubt an amiable, patriotic and honorable man. Though, I just cannot come to swallow this book- hook, line and sinker... because its more speculation than anything. It is often speculated that had Kennedy lived, than the U.S. would never have sunk so deep into the quagmire of Vietnam. I find this book interesting, but it is a puzzle that isn't put together. Prouty doesn't produce a mountain of evidence showing who assassinated Kennedy. He basically asks the question of whose interest was it in Kennedy being assassinated. His insights on foreign policy and intelligence are intriguing. Nonetheless, the fact that he was out of the country during the assassination kind of lends creedence to those who debunk him. Though, his defense-intelligence background obviously gives him a great deal of insight. Prouty also downplays ideology (e.g. communism and capitalism) as the motivator for conflict in the world during the cold war... but instead chalks it up to imperialism- This kind of left-wing historical analysis shows why Stone jumped on Prouty's ideas. The book is a page-turner and hard to put down at times... I just take it with a grain of salt, because there is so little tangible evidence produced, but a great deal of speculation mixed with political intrigue.

Prouty gives us the point of view of both an ace historian and an insider taking us from the origins of the cold war up through the assassination of President Kennedy, and then on up through tomorrow night's evening news. It's haunting how the power elite's patterns of military strategies and propaganda tactics of that era correlate with many of today's current events. Just the other day somebody on TV was screaming, "Why wasn't there an objective in Desert Fox?!" while at the same time I'm reading the answer in Prouty's book, yet the book was written 6 or 7 years ago.

This isn't a book only on the Kennedy assassination, but Kennedy's bold decisions which led to his death and the forces behind it all. He explains clearly the post-H-bomb military strategy of aiding both sides of the fence in Vietnam to win the REAL war - big business. We get an inside look at the Dulles brothers and their direct line to the "High Cabal" which overrules even the White House.

I once heard Col. Prouty say in an interview that he's never read a page of the Warren Commission's 26 volumes of hearings on the assassination. He said he didn't have to because he knew who did it. I thought that was a bit odd, but after reading this book I understand what he means. Prouty had worked with these guys! These are the same forces that overthrew the Philipines, Greece, Iran, Bulgaria and Guatemala (to name just a few).

Out of all the books written about the Kennedy assassination this is easily one of the best. Check out his website!

As a United States Marine in the Vietnam war, I never challenged my country's intentions to stem the tide against communist aggression throughout the world. After my extended tour of duty in that war zone, I came home to ponder how we became involved in such a protracted war that divided the country (USA) so. It all points back to the tradgic event on 22 November 1963. With the death of our beloved President Kennedy, the powers to be had free reign to curtail the planned withdrawl of the small amount of troops in that zone. Only 16,000 at that time. This book is an excellent reference to how real events were managed to create so much grief for the people of South Vietnam and the United States. As a former Marine who left enough of his friends to pay the ultimate sacrifice, I highly recommend Colonel Prouty's fine book. "Those of us who made it have an obligation to find the goodness in man and make this world a better place in which to live." Long live the memory of JFK. Semper Fidelis