The news of an assassination attempt on President-elect John F. Kennedy in December 1960 didn’t make front page headlines. The reason? It was scrapped as the top newspaper story, because the day the story was scheduled to run, two planes collided over New York City, grabbing the attention of the media and the public for days. Within weeks of the JFK incident, “the story basically disappears—from the media and from the public’s consciousness.”
More Secret Service for the Kennedys
Throughout the 63 brief and fast-paced chapters, readers are brought on an exhilarated journey of two worlds. The first world is that of the JFK family, the meeting of Jack and Jackie, and the Kennedy family activities during the pre- and post-election season. It includes the remembrances from the Secret Service agents assigned to the family, and from Clint Hill in particular who, when first given the task of protecting Jackie, was “devastated.”Hill, who’d been part of former President Eisenhower’s security team, felt he’d been “benched,” and anticipated days filled with “fashion shows, and tea parties.” While he felt let down and frustrated that he’d be missing out on the action, he couldn’t have been more wrong.
Fans of the Kennedy saga will relish this up-close view of a political family facing increased public attention and expanded Secret Service protection.
An Assassin in the Making
The other world is that of Richard Pavlick, a New Hampshire resident and retired postal worker remembered as a “chronic complainer.” He often wrote letters to his town officials complaining about how American flags were left up on the pole overnight. Already on the side of those with anti-Jewish and anti-Catholic sentiments, the coming election with the church-going Kennedy made Pavlick “increasingly agitated.”It may be new for readers to read about the extreme anti-Catholic movement and its prominence in the 1960 election. Rev. Norman Vincent Peale was making speeches warning the American public about a nominee who may not be able to separate church and state. As the spokesperson for a new organization called the Conference of Citizens for Religious Freedom, Peale is quoted as saying, “We’re just raising the question as to how free he could be.” Rev. Billy Graham was more behind the scenes, not wanting to hurt his popularity, but did not believe that “a person of the Catholic faith should be President of the United States.”
At the same time, Pavlick’s darkness grew, and his disdain for Kennedy became his sole focus. With his anti-Catholic fervor festering and anger over his belief that Joe Kennedy was buying the election, this combination created a ticking bomb. Not long after JFK’s win in November, Pavlick took a trip to Hyannis Port to see the Kennedy compound and came upon the motorcade bringing the president-elect to the local airport. Standing in line with the other well-wishers, he came within 20 feet of shaking his hand.
A Religious Target
As the Kennedys prepare for the inauguration in their Florida winter home, Pavlick makes plans to drive south. Emboldened by how close he came to his target days earlier, he filled his car with enough dynamite, according to one explosives retailer, to “blow up a building.”The authors’ minute-by-minute account of both parties’ movements on the day Pavlick decides to act is riveting. Despite knowing the outcome, readers may find themselves astonished that not only did Pavlick gain easy access, but how close he came to a deadly act that would have changed the course of history.
Ironically, it was JFK’s Catholic faith that puts him in the most vulnerable position. Learning how Pavlick reacts when this moment arrives is the stuff movies are made of.
It’s only because Pavlick kept a postal worker acquaintance back in New Hampshire apprised of his movements that suspicions were raised. Calls were made to postal authorities, and vital information was passed to the Secret Service field office. Agents then made inquiries and tracked Pavlick’s movements.
The Authors
Meltzer and Mensch are no strangers to these detailed accounts of historic conspiracies, having published similar books: “The Lincoln Conspiracy”; “The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill”; and “The First Conspiracy” concerning the plot to kill George Washington.Both authors come with impressive backgrounds: Meltzer is a New York Times best-selling author with over a dozen thrillers to his credit, including his work as the host of two TV shows on the History Channel. Mensch is also a New York Times best-selling author and documentary producer who focuses on American history.
In Meltzer’s acknowledgement, he writes why these books are important: JFK was more than just an American president, he says, but also “a beacon of hope and inspiration.” He believes that “we can reach our potential only if we examine our history and are willing to learn the lessons it offers.”
The book concludes with over 20 pages of notes and reference sources, and a bibliography for those who want to read more on the Kennedy presidency.
