A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination

Presenting intriguing research and insight into the questions that have haunted the nation since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy: Was the President killed by a single gunman? Was Lee Harvey Oswald part of a conspiracy? Philip Shenon, author of the 2013 bestseller "A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination," asserts in his in-depth account of the Warren Commission that the panel of seven august men did not discover the whole truth of what happened on November 22, 1963. Shenon will speak about his research and his unprecedented access to surviving Commission staff members and other key players that contributed to his quest to uncover the mysteries of one of this country's darkest days.
In May of 2014, Shenon received the 57th annual Francis Parkman Prize, awarded by the Society of American Historians, based at Columbia University, for "A Cruel and Shocking Act: The Secret History of the Kennedy Assassination." Named for a 19th-century historian widely honored for his elegant prose style, the Parkman Prize is awarded annually for a nonfiction book that is distinguished by its literary merit and makes an important contribution to the history of what is now the United States.
Shenon also authored "The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation." He was a reporter for "The New York Times" for more than 20 years, where, as Washington correspondent, he covered the Pentagon, the Justice Department and the State Department. He lives and writes in Washington, DC.