Oswald’s Tale

Norman Mailer's Oswald's Tale is a nonfictional portrayal of Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Oswald was born in 1939 and was accused of firing the shots that killed Kennedy on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Two days later, Oswald himself was shot and killed by Jack Ruby.12

The Warren Commission, established to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald acted alone. However, a later U.S. House of Representatives committee suggested the possibility of a second shooter and a conspiracy. Mailer's work delves into Oswald's life, including his time in the U.S. Marines, his pro-Soviet leanings, his marriage in the Soviet Union, and his return to the United States. The book examines Oswald's movements leading up to the assassination, including his alleged attempt on Edwin A. Walker and his activities in New Orleans and Mexico City.2