UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have to Be Crazy to Believe

"I'm not asking you to believe every conspiracy theory you'll find in this book. . . . I didn't write this book to give you all the answers. The Warren Commission did that, and the answers were all wrong. I wrote this book to inspire you to do what the powers that be wish you wouldn't: to question authority . . . and to keep an eye out for Elvis."
--Richard Belzer                                                                        [p. 4]

Is it just a coincidence that Richard Belzer plays a detective on the hit NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street? Maybe. But the fact is, when he's not busting criminals on TV, the acid-tongued, legendary search-and-destroy comic known affectionately as "The Belz" is doing real-life detective work: searching out evidence, sifting through long-buried facts, and destroying popular misconceptions involving everything from the JFK assassination ("There's only one living member of the Warren Commission, and that's Gerald Ford. He's also the dumbest member of the Warren Commission. Coincidence?") and the existence of UFOs to secret germ warfare and those ominous visits (long before the movie) from men in black.

In UFOs, JFK, and Elvis, the distinguished statesman of stand-up comedy tackles some of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups this side of Roswell. Just what is it that they don't want you to know about the assassinations of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and John Lennon? Alien abductions and the "face" on Mars? The downing of TWA Flight 800? The ancient order of the Freemasons and evidence of extraterrestrial experimentation?

Finally, one lone "nut" exposes the conspiracy to keep conspiracies a dirty little secret, standing up to the shadowy forces that would have us believe that Oswald acted alone, those lights in the sky are weather balloons, and fluoridated water is good for you (yeah, right). "Some of the smartest people I know . . . find it easier--and certainly more comforting--to believe that America is the only country on earth with no conspiracies at all." Just remember: do not ask on whom The Belz has told--he's told on them.

Belzer, a veteran comic and a versatile actor best known for his role as Detective Munch in the television series , is also a student of the media and conspiracy theories. He re-examines received wisdom fed to us by government officials and the media, revealing evidence behind controversial cover-ups and unexplained anomalies. In between the sobering and macabre facts are rants, factoids, side bars, and quotes from historical figures.
Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Includes bibliographical references (p. 219-224) and index.

Richard Belzer is perhaps best known today for his starring role as Detective Munch in the TV police drama Homicide. Before joining Homicide, The Belz was a popular stand-up comedian, who came up with Jay Leno on the club circuit. He is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show and has appeared on Tonight and Politically Incorrect and in other major national media.