The JFK Assassination: The human narratives behind one of history's most scrutinised events (454)

Cold War Conversations - "vivid & compelling" The NY Times

Ian Sanders

History, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.8 • 865 Ratings

🗓️ 1 May 2026

⏱️ 83 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dallas, 22 November 1963. The main event is supposed to be on the appropriately named Main Street. News footage shows office workers leaning out of windows, peering at the motorcade through a blizzard of ticker tape. On the sidewalks, the crowds are fifty deep, a wall of noise and celebration. Everyone thinks this is the place to be. Well, nearly everyone.... A few blocks away, in Dealey Plaza, the scene is different. There is no ticker tape here, and the crowds are thin. A dressmaker with vertigo films the action balanced on a concrete plinth. A man is opening an umbrella even though it isn’t raining, a construction worker will claim he was sent here by God and three mysterious tramps who will shortly be arrested. I spoke with Martin Fitzgerald, who has written a new book, The Umbrella Man and Other Stories. This is not a book about who killed John F. Kennedy or why he was assassinated. This is a book about memory, how we construct our shared history and what happens when your life is defined by a single, fleeting moment. It’s a celebration of human nature, of the joy of research and the freedom of an open mind. Above all, it reveals the stories of a group of real people who thought they had opted out of the main event on the day JFK came to Dallas, only to find themselves at the centre of the most scrutinised six seconds of the twentieth century. Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode454 Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly or annual donation, You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off tips via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONTINUE THE COLD WAR CONVERSATION o BlueSky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Threads ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Twitter/X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ o Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Cold War Conversations, the home of real stories of the Cold War.
0:06.2	This episode is brought to you by Expedia and Visit Scotland.
0:10.4	Start your story in Scotland.
0:12.7	Experience the pool of wide, untamed landscapes and fresh cuisine that feels rooted in place.
0:19.4	Discover castles steeped in legend.
0:22.5	And feel the genuine warmth from locals you meet in a place that will stay with you long
0:27.7	after you leave.
0:29.3	Start planning your own Scottish holiday.
0:31.6	Today at Expedia.co.uk slash visit Scotland.
0:35.6	I see Dealey Plaza like a kind of Lowry painting of there's all these individual characters.
0:41.6	But what really interested me was that these people have chosen to avoid the main event of Kennedy and Main Street.
0:50.4	But then what happens if you opt out of that main event, but you then become part of the most studied six seconds in the 20th century?
1:01.5	Dallas, 22nd of November, 1963. The main event is supposed to be on the appropriately named Main Street.
1:09.1	News footage shows office workers leaning out of windows
1:12.0	peering at a motorcade through a blizzard of ticker tape. On the sidewalks the crowds are 50
1:17.4	deep. A wall of noise and celebration. Everybody thinks this is the place to be. Well nearly everyone.
1:24.9	A few blocks away in Dealey Plaza the scene is different.
1:28.5	There is no ticker tape here and the crowds are thin.
1:32.0	A dressmaker with Vertigo films the action balanced on a concrete plinth.
1:37.1	A man is opening an umbrella even though it isn't raining.
1:40.5	A construction worker will claim he was sent here by God and three mysterious tramps will shortly be arrested.
1:48.8	I speak with Martin Fitzgerald who has written a new book, The Umbrella Man and Other Stories.
	...

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