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The story of a Secret Service agent who was in Dallas on that day 60 years ago when John F. Kennedy was assassinated and saw everything — but was never called as a witness to the tragedy highlights this week’s Newsmax Rising Bestsellers. Additionally, a Chinese immigrant who was a witness to Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution says he’s seeing it replay in America, and this is confirmed by a firebrand U.S. senator in yet another selection. There is also an offering telling something new and important that softens the reputation of a widely condemned 20th century U.S. president. But the novel of the week tells the tale of a hero tasked with solving the murder of a federal agent.
“The Edge,” by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing)
Analyst Travis Devine, “the 6:20 man,” is back, and is asked to solve the murder of a female CIA agent in a rural Maine town. He must also retrieve her phone and laptop computer before the information they contain gets in the wrong hands. Along the way, Devine must decide who he can trust (in a hamlet wary of strangers) and who wants him dead to prevent him from accomplishing his goals. “Have to say, I am a little in love with Travis Levine!” said Lee, reviewing for GoodReads. “Book (No.) 2 is as good as book (No.) 1 and I can’t wait for more. I do suggest you read these in order.” [Fiction]
“The Final Witness: A Kennedy Secret Service Agent Breaks His Silence After Sixty Years,” by Paul Landis (Chicago Review Press)
On November 22, 1963, the author was a U.S. Secret Service agent in the car immediately following the open limo containing President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in Dallas. From his position, Paul Landis had a front-row seat to the horrors of that day. Landis was also inside Trauma Room No. 1 at Parkland Memorial Hospital where the president was pronounced dead. Yet, the Warren Commission, tasked with uncovering the truth of the Kennedy assassination, never called for Landis’ testimony. This book is his opportunity to testify, as the event’s “final witness.” “Filled with nightmares for years thereafter, Special Agent Landis shares some of his most personal moments to an event whose ultimate truth remains a mystery to the general public,” said Matt, reviewing for GoodReads. “Kudos, Mr. Landis, for a wonderful perspective here, told with such relaxed nature.” [Nonfiction]
“Mao’s America: A Survivor’s Warning,” by Xi Van Fleet (Center Street)
Are you confused about the political discord, the “cancel culture,” the mounting calls for socialism and the teaching of Critical Race Theory and gender fluidity in America’s classrooms? Xi Van Fleet has seen it all before — in Chairman Mao Zedong’s brutal Cultural Revolution that she witnessed as a child, and the resulting horrors of communist China. Since escaping the People’s Republic of China, she describes herself as “Chinese by birth; American by choice, survivor of Mao’s Cultural Revolution, defender of liberty.” And her book is a warning of what she sees happening in the United States. “Xi Van Fleet’s book, ‘Mao’s America,’ is an essential read for American parents seeking to comprehend the infiltration of Marxism in public school classrooms,” said Tiffany Justice, co-founder, Moms for Liberty. “It sheds light on the formation of a ‘Red Guard’ within America and highlights the alarming parallels between Mao’s assault on traditional Chinese culture and the challenges faced by American parents. By reading Xi’s story, we can better identify warning signs and confront oppressive ideologies to fight the rise of Communism in America.” [Nonfiction]
“The Peacemaker: Nixon: The Man, President, and My Friend,” by Ben Stein (Humanix Books)
A half century after Richard Nixon resigned from office under a cloud of suspicion, Ben Stein offers a fresh perspective on the 37th president. Although universally disdained by the media pundits and congressional Democrats, Stein makes the case that Nixon was the right man for the job at the time he entered office. Stein, an economist who has authored numerous books on the subject and has written extensively for Barrons, The Wall Street Journal and Fortune among others, draws upon his experience as a Nixon speechwriter to describe his friend as a visionary and a peacemaker. And in that, he succeeded, by giving the United States its longest sustained period of peace since World War II. [Nonfiction]
“Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America,” by Ted Cruz (Regnery Publishing)
“Unwoke” might be considered a companion piece to “Mao’s America” described above. They both describe the disturbing trends taking place in America today — one from the perspective of someone who had lived under the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the other from the perspective of a conservative firebrand politician whose father had escaped similar conditions under Fidel Castro’s Cuba. The wokeness, the push toward socialism and totalitarianism, has led discord. Ironically, perhaps the best indicator of America’s impasse and political division can be found in the GoodReads reviews. There were two. One gave the book five stars, the other rated it one star. In addition to describing the problem, Cruz provides a roadmap to end it. “A clear, concise, and, at times, humorous description of Marxist infiltration into American life,” said Toni, reviewing foe GoodReads. “We become daily more like China, who buys off and reshapes our politicians, movie studios, universities and industry and erodes human freedoms.” [Nonfiction]