Book Review
SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES: WHAT IF KENNEDY SURVIVED DALLAS?
by Bryce Zabel
Alternative history fascinates me,
as it fascinates all novelists, because “What if” is the
big thing.
(Kate Atkinson)
Yes, life is full of “What ifs.”
Some are of little consequence. Some are quite big. And some are
very, very big – like the one posed by seasoned screenwriter and
professional journalist Bryce Zabel in his latest book, “Surrounded
by Enemies: What if Kennedy Survived Dallas?”
This is heady stuff, indeed, and to be
a successful writer of alternative history one must accomplish
several things: Is the book Meticulously Researched? Is the
storytelling Thought-Provoking? Plausible? Provocative? And a
non-stop Page-Turner? The answer in this case is yes, yes, yes, yes
and hell yes.
Zabel elects to cleverly present his
vision by way of a commemorative retrospective by the journalists
working on the staff of a fictitious newsmagazine. After all, it
will be 50 years since the tragic events in Big D snuffed out the
life of one of America's most beloved Presidents. Fifty years since
the hopeful, optimistic days of Camelot. And five decades for the
majority of Americans who still can't help but wonder what really
transpired at Dealey Plaza and then, just a day or so later, at the
Dallas Police Station.
Clearly President Kennedy had enemies,
powerful enemies within the Secret Service, the FBI, the Pentagon,
the Mob, the Federal Reserve, as well as Pro and Anti-Castro
Factions, Texas Millionaires and, of course, the Vice President
himself, Lyndon Baines Johnson. All had motive and means to remove
JFK from office, whether it be, initially, by bullets, or, by
resorting to exposing the scandalous, emotionally-charged dark
secrets of the Kennedy administration to an unsuspecting and naive
nation.
By expertly balancing historical facts
with plausible and insightful fiction, “Surrounded by Enemies”
takes the reader on a logical, inventive, credible narrative that is
clearly the work of a master storyteller. And from among all the
possible conspirators, each examined separately and in detail, we do
get a reasonable, albeit hypothetical answer to who was most likely
responsible. Speculative fiction at its best -- this is a bold, highly satisfying conclusion that places "Surrounded by Enemies" among the top “Never was but
might have been” books in contemporary literature.
Robert A. Nowotny
