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June 4, 2023

Interview with Paul Brandus, Countdown to Dallas

Interview with Paul Brandus, Countdown to Dallas

Year(s) Discussed: 1939-1994

As we've seen in the podcast, certain circumstances coming together at just the right time can change the course of history for good or ill. In this episode, I am joined by author, historian, and White House correspondent Paul Brandus to discuss his new book, Countdown to Dallas: The Incredible Coincidences, Routines, and Blind "Luck" That Brought John F Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald Together on November 22, 1963. In our conversation, we talk about Oswald's motivation and how his troubled childhood impacted his course in life as well as the impacts of the Kennedy assassination on his loved ones as well as presidential security practices moving forward. We also discuss some of the reasons this event has given birth to so many conspiracy theories, and Paul shares some insight on the experience of being a White House correspondent. Additional information can be found at https://www.presidenciespodcast.com.

Special thanks to Paul Brandus for his time and insight provided for this episode! Be sure to check out his new book, Countdown to Dallas: The Incredible Coincidences, Routines, and Blind "Luck" That Brought John F Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald Together on November 22, 1963 as well as his podcast, From First Lady to Jackie O. You can follow Paul on Twitter @WestWingReport.

Special thanks to Christian of Your Podcast Pal for his audio editing work on this episode.

Featured Images:

  • Paul Brandus headshot and Countdown to Dallas cover, courtesy of Paul Brandus
  • "John F Kennedy, photograph in the Oval Office" by Cecil Stoughton [c. 11 Jul 1963], courtesy of Wikipedia
  • "Robert Croft's picture showing JFK's car on Elm Street, taken around z161" [c. 22 Nov 1963], courtesy of Wikipedia