JFK and the Unspeakable

JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters
First edition
AuthorJames W. Douglass
LanguageEnglish
SubjectTrue crime, John F. Kennedy assassination, Lee Harvey Oswald, United States conspiracies
Published2008, 2010 (Orbis Books hardcover, Touchstone Books paperback)
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover, paperback)
Pages544 pp
ISBN978-1-57075-755-6
OCLC163707261
973.922092

JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters is a book by Catholic Worker theologian James W. Douglass that analyzes the presidency of John F. Kennedy, as well as the events surrounding his assassination. The book's central thesis is that Kennedy was a Cold Warrior who turned to peacemaking, and that he was killed by his own security apparatus as a result.

JFK and the Unspeakable was first issued in hardback by Orbis, the publishing arm of Maryknoll, in 2008. The book received an award from the Catholic Press Association and coverage in the religious press. Sales shot up after Oliver Stone went on TV and recommended the book, which then found itself featured in Amazon.com's Top 100 for a week. Touchstone published the paperback edition in 2010.