The Lone Gunman Podcast : JFK Assassination · Rob Clark

JFK Book Reviews - Assignment:Oswald By James Hosty

December 10, 2025·26 min·2 clips

FBI agent James Hosty's book defends his role watching Lee Harvey Oswald before JFK's assassination.

The episode is a book review segment of 'The Lone Gunman Podcast: JFK Assassination', focusing on 'Assignment: Oswald' by James P. Hosty Jr. with his son Thomas Hosty. Hosts Rob Clark and Joe Borelli introduce the book, published in 1996, noting its length and reprints of documents. They outline Hosty's background: a Notre Dame graduate who joined the FBI in 1952 and was assigned to Oswald in March 1963. The hosts read an excerpt where Hosty describes his panic upon hearing of JFK's assassination, fearing for his wife at the Dallas Trade Mart. They frame the book as a 'cover your ass' account, with Hosty defending himself as the FBI's scapegoat post-assassination. The discussion covers FBI informants like postal inspector Harry Holmes and Oswald's sister-in-law Veda, who secretly reported to the FBI. Hosty's surveillance lapses are noted, including Oswald moving to New Orleans and back to Dallas. The hosts detail Hosty's destruction of an Oswald note under orders, with conflicting accounts of its content. Hosty believed Oswald acted alone, aligning with lone gunman theories like Gerald Posner's 'Case Closed'. The book criticizes the CIA for the Mexico City incident and the Warren Commission for some failures. Hosty was reprimanded by J. Edgar Hoover and transferred to Kansas City. The hosts debate the book's merits: Joe Borelli gives it 4 out of 10, unsure of its truthfulness, while Rob Clark rates it 3 out of 10, calling it disappointing and poorly written. They recommend it only if obtained cheaply, noting it may anger conspiracy theorists. The episode concludes with a plug for their live shows and other content.

As heard by us

A grounded look at Hostie's memoir, the Oswald note, and the Bureau's handling of the case after the assassination.

Assignment Oswald is a book review built around James P. Hostie Jr.'s account of his FBI career and the Oswald file. It follows the book's publication details, his transfer to Dallas, the order to keep Lee Harvey Oswald under observation, and the later hearings that pushed him…

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Why you'd press play

For when you want a loose, document-heavy run through Hostie's Assignment Oswald.

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