4 out of 4 stars
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Four out of four stars – a well-deserved score for Walking The Razor's Edge: The Dutchman and The Baron, by Tommy and Hilde Wilkens. I would recommend this book to readers worldwide who are interested in the mysterious and tragic events of November 22, 1963 – the murder of President John F. Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald, who is commonly believed to have had “no assistance and no influence from anyone or any group.” In opposition to this official version, countless theories of a conspiracy have been brought forth over the years. The authors wiped the dust from the archives of Willem Oltmans, a Dutch investigative journalist, and revive the breathtaking emotions that Oltmans experienced in his close relationship with one of the most enigmatic individuals that circulate in and around the world of crime, the Baron George de Mohrenschildt.
The book’s illustrations brought to life the characters of the ’60 and ’70 involved in this enigma, and the true story threatened to draw me into cahoots with those who still attempt to crack the “wall of secrecy” which surrounds this prodigious case. A certain photo of one of these personages made chills run down my spine, so if you’re sensitive to images of the soul’s empty housing, I suggest avoiding this one. The Wilkenses analyzed the Dutchman’s personal and professional notes, thoroughly assembling “the hidden facts behind the crime.”
This book contained some minor editorial errors of punctuation and spelling which, honestly, I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t been looking for them, and I confess that it was difficult to focus on the rules of language, considering that the FBI, CIA and French and German Intelligence seemed to be breathing down my neck as Oltmans was drew closer to the behind-the-scenes details of the assassination.
This historical manuscript is a page-turner that kept me on edge right to the last word. Was Lee Harvey Oswald just a patsy, as he claimed? Did he have a controller? Under what circumstances did George de Mohrenschildt get involved? The in-depth research and extensive analysis of the authors were impressive, based on the insights from the Dutchman’s ten-year investigation regarding the greatest crime of the 20th century.
Tommy and Hilde Wilkens accomplish a remarkable task in describing all the implicated characters. The struggles and threats that Willem Oltmans faced were intense, only to sustain the fundamental premise of his journalism career: to bring to light the truth, regardless of the repercussions. Walking The Razor's Edge: The Dutchman and The Baron was a tense and vivid tour de force. I hope for a sequel. Although it’s difficult to bring out the full flavor of achieving the complete truth, the Wilkenses’ presentation woke up my detective side.
Was there really someone behind President Kennedy’s assassination? And if so, who was it?
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Walking The Razor's Edge: The Dutchman and The Baron
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