It Did Not Start With JFK Volume 1 - by Walter Herbst (Paperback)

About the Book

Walter Herbst examines the decades before Kennedy's presidency and how understanding why this right-wing group's interest in removing Kennedy from power is the key to unraveling the riddle.

Book Synopsis

Why have historians treated the assassination of JFK as if it occurred in a vacuum?

Within twenty-six months of John F. Kennedy's murder, there were fifteen attempted assassinations and government overthrows of leftist leaders and regimes throughout the world. All were perpetrated by right-wing anti-Communists.

A right-wing, anti-Communist movement emerged with the election of Franklin Roosevelt and grew with each passing decade. It consisted of the military, intelligence members, and business leaders who looked to change America's progressive direction. The military even resorted to treason, as many believed their duty was to obey the Constitution, not the President. They later turned their sights on JFK.

During the 1950s, the civil rights movement threatened an American way of life the right-wing wanted to preserve. It brought racist anti-Communist groups in Dallas and New Orleans together with ex-military generals, business leaders, and white nationalists with one goal in mind - to overthrow the US government.

One of their members? A young Lee Harvey Oswald.

In It Did Not Start with JFK, author and researcher Walter Herbst examines the decades before Kennedy's presidency and how understanding the "why" behind this right-wing group's interest in removing Kennedy from power is the key to unraveling the assassination riddle. And once "why" is understood, who was responsible becomes clear.

Review Quotes

It Did Not Start with JFK Volume 1: The Decades of Events That Led to the Assassination of John F Kennedy, by Walter Herbst, is an absorbing deep-dive into the view that right-wing anti-Communists were responsible for the JFK assassination. The author presents detailed information on this idea, and is puzzled as to why history books haven't addressed it from this angle. Herbst explains that fifteen assassination attempts and coups occurred around the world within the span of about two years around JFK's murder, all aimed at toppling leftist leaders worldwide. The author goes on to say that the election of President FDR was the catalyst for the movement, and was wide-reaching, including leaders in military, intelligence, and business sectors who wanted to intervene to uphold the Constitution--not necessarily the US President. This agenda, which included racism, trickled down to JFK, and his assassination was the result. Lee Harvey Oswald, according to the author, was used as a small cog inside this bigger machine.

No doubt, the assassination of JFK has been the subject of many books and theories, and the story-behind-the-story has been told in many ways. But not many have this author's angle, and Herbst does a tremendous job of putting it all together to give you a clear picture of where he is coming from. We all want to know why, and this author's reasoning is as logical as any, if not more. Even if you think we will never know the real truth behind JFK's murder, this is still an important, intriguing, and enlightening book. So many theories are farfetched, but this one has a ring of strong probability to it. Maybe you've heard of the anti-Communist angle before--I have in a broad sense myself over the years. But Herbst gives an overview and breakdown too plausible to ignore. This book is also a giant history lesson, told from the perspective of someone who's researched for decades. I admire the author's drive to know the truth and the courage to present it as he sees it. It Did Not Start with JFK, by Walter Herbst, isn't just another conspiracy book--it's an eye-opening theory of how the military-industrial complex most likely orchestrated one of the most tragic moments in US history.

-- Tammy Ruggles, author screenwriter