Remembering Bobby Kennedy

Forty years ago, as he was celebrating his victory in California’s Democratic presidential primary, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in the kitchen of the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel. Today, the Overlook Press brings to publication Robert Blair Kaiser's classic work "R.F.K. Must Die!": Chasing the Mystery of the Robert Kennedy Assassination" in a new trade paperback edition. Widely recognized as the primary document on the tragedy of R.F.K.'s death forty years ago, this book recreates the night of R.F.K.'s death and the subsequent investigation and trial. Now available in fine bookstores everywhere.

Robert Blair Kaiser's "R.F.K. MUST DIE!" in Los Angeles Times

Robert Blair Kaiser's riveting exploration of the RFK assassination and subsequent trial of Sirhan Sirhan receives praise from David Ulin in yesterday's LA Times feature story on new RFK books published on the 40th anniversary of his death: "For the rest of the story, there's Robert Blair Kaiser's R.F.K. Must Die!': Chasing the Mystery of the Robert Kennedy Assassination. Originally published in 1970 and now substantially revised, Kaiser's book is a definitive account of the shooting and its aftermath. The author talked his way onto Sirhan's defense team and spent more than 200 hours in interviews with him; he came up with the "Manchurian Candidate" theory, which suggests Sirhan was programmed (by himself or someone else) to fire on Kennedy and then programmed to forget.Of all the RFK conspiracy theories, this is the most compelling, for Sirhan dabbled in Rosicrucianism and self-hypnosis and always claimed not to recall what took place at the Ambassador. Still, the real value of Kaiser's book lies in its methodical re-creation of the crime and the investigation, as well as its insights into Sirhan. In one particularly vivid scene, Sirhan "re-enacts" the shooting under hypnosis: "Sirhan's right hand pounded climactically on his right thigh -- five times. His right forefinger squeezed and twisted three more times in a weakening spasm. Then he was still." Later, in an unguarded moment, Sirhan talks about the killing. Asked by a defense investigator why he didn't shoot Kennedy between the eyes, he answers calmly, 'Because the son of a bitch turned his head at the last second.That sounds like a confession, and it's to Kaiser's credit that he includes it, even though it casts doubt on his own theory. In the end, however, it matters less how the assassination happened than what we lost."

Meet THE OVERLOOK PRESS at BookExpo America in Los Angeles, May 29-June 1

The book world gathers in Los Angeles this weekend at BookExpo America, held May 29- June 1, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. To all those dedicated readers of The Winged Elephant, we wish to extend an invitation to stop by The Overlook Press at Booth #2800. On Saturday, May 31, from 2-3pm, Robert Blair Kaiser will sign copies of his acclaimed investigation of the Robert Kennedy assassination and trial, "R.F. K Must Die!:" Chasing the Mystery of the Robert Kennedy Asssassination.

Robert Blair Kaiser Chases the Mystery of the RFK Assassination in "R.F.K. MUST DIE!"

Robert Blair Kaiser's classic work on the assassination of Robert Kennedy will be published next month as the world marks the 40th anniversary of the RFK's tragic murder in Los Angeles on June 4, 1968. The new edition of "R.F.K. Must Die!" has been completely revised and rewritten by the author, who had unprecedented access to Sirhan Sirhan during the trial, which ended in a conviction in April 1969. Now available in paperback, "R.F.K. Must Die!" is an indispensable contribution to the literature of political assassinations and the quintessential book on Robert Kennedy's murder.

"R.F.K. MUST DIE!": Robert Blair Kaiser's Classic Work on the RFK Assassination to Be Published in June 2008

A new edition of the classic work on the R.F.K. assissination, "R.F.K. Must Die! Chasing the Mystery of the Robert Kennedy Assassination" by Robert Blair Kaiser, will soon be published by The Overlook Press to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Senator Robert Kennedy's murder. Newly edited and revised by the author, streamlining the facts and updating the argument, the book is arguably more relevant today than it was when it was first released in the aftermath of the trial. Widely recognized as an important contribution to the literature of political assassinations and as a primary document on the tragedy of R.F.K’s death forty years ago, Robert Blair Kaiser’s “R.F.K. Must Die” will be published in June 2008.