The Faces of Lee Harvey Oswald: The Evolution of an Alleged Assassin

The Kennedy assassination has produced a number of conspiracy theories based largely upon intriguing questions, speculation, and inference. Thousands of books and articles have been written about the assassination with a large majority of the published material arguing for a conspiracy of one kind or another. However, a relatively small volume of literature has been written from a scholarly and academic perspective. The Faces of Lee Harvey Oswald provides the first comprehensive scholarly analysis of Lee Harvey's Oswald's role in the JFK assassination. Scott P. Johnson objectively examines the various narratives of Lee Harvey Oswald created by researchers and authors over the last fifty years. He finds that at first glance any theory related to Oswald’s role appears as convincing as the next, particularly when researchers carefully select information that only advances their preferred theory. In reality, however, Oswald’s role in the assassination offers little certainty when one looks at the mystery surrounding Oswald’s life and death as well as the complexity and ambiguity surrounding the murder of President Kennedy. Rather than putting forth a single theory, Johnson lays out the known facts against each theory and allows the readers to make their own decision.

Table of Contents:
Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Oswald as Lone Assassin Chapter 2: Oswald as Conspirator Chapter 3: Oswald as Patsy and Hero Chapter 4: Two Oswalds? Chapter 5: The “Russian” Oswald Chapter 6: Critical Analysis of Oswald’s Role in the Assassination Bibliography

About the Author :
Scott P. Johnson is a professor of political science, coordinator of the Law and Society Program, and pre-law advisor at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland.

Review :
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Scott Johnson provides a thorough and objective explanation of one of history's most controversial and intriguing figures—Lee Harvey Oswald. Examining five scenarios for Oswald's role in the assassination—the ‘faces’ of Oswald—Johnson maintains the strongest evidence holds that Oswald, in fact, acted as the lone assassin. Johnson's book is sure to further dialogue on the events in Dallas and forces a reexamination of the mysterious Lee Harvey Oswald. In The Faces of Lee Harvey Oswald, Scott P. Johnson presents a unique and engaging scholarly analysis of the JFK assassination. By carefully examining fifty years' worth of claims, conspiracy theories, and documented evidence, Professor Johnson's critical perspective differs from the agenda-driven presentations of other authors and gives new clarity to what is known and still unknown about a historic event. A conspiracy can never be disproven—conspiracy theorists simply brand each new, contradictory revelation as yet another effort to hide the 'truth.' And, that summarizes the problem with the literature on Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In this volume, Scott P. Johnson takes another road altogether by directing our attention to Oswald’s place in the ethos of American culture with all its contradictions and incongruities. Bringing together the various socio-cultural images of Oswald developed from official records and investigations, serious scholarship, pop culture explanations and depictions, and conspiracy theory counter-mythology, Johnson draws heavily on the wide-ranging and diverse studies of the Kennedy Assassination. His work is an exceptionally sympathetic depiction of the cultural turmoil caused by the assassination of President Kennedy.