Errata
The following errors in the hardcover edition of Family of Secrets were corrected in the paperback version:
- E. Howard Hunt did not attend Yale; he went to Brown University.
- The testimony of General Vernon Walters before Congress occurred on May 14, 1973, not March 14, 1973, as stated on page 235.
- Jack Gleason did not serve as best man at Lowell Weicker’s wedding, as stated on page 212.
- Joseph McBride found the J. Edgar Hoover memo at the Cal State San Bernardino Library, not in a public library as stated on page 7. He was not working for Variety in 1985.
- Lewis “Scooter” Libby did not receive a pardon from President George W. Bush. His sentence was commuted, but he was not pardoned.
The following error inadvertently reappeared in the paperback edition:
- Ben Bradlee did not attend Yale; he went to Harvard University.
- A second mention of Hunt attending Yale was inadvertently carried over from the hardcover to the paperback.

By Robert Foxworth, January 8, 2011 @ 11:53 am
This book blew my mind. It’s been hard to figure the”success” of W into the presidency but FAMILY OF SECRETS lays it out. I would listen and watch him and wonder, “How?”. This begins to answer the questions. In the eighties I did a radio show in which we did quite a bit of examination of Iran/Contra and there were always these huge questions behind the lesser questions that we could not fathom. Now I know what we were missing. What we all were missing. Also, if this is the way things work it helps to explain an awful lot about what we have seen in the behavior and attitudes of President Obama since he became President. Frightening. The Tea Party folks know something is wrong but they have been completely misguided, purposely, by many of the same interests that rear their ugly heads in this stunning piece of historical research and analysis. Thanks for turning on the light.
By Geoff H, January 25, 2011 @ 5:19 pm
Thanks, Russ Baker. Yeoman’s work. So no NPR interview for this book? I’m shocked! A search of the NPR site for “Russ Baker” turns up “Did you mean: “Ross Baker” “
By Barbara K, January 26, 2011 @ 8:50 pm
This is a must read…thank you for “clearing the smoke.” It leaves me depressed and frightened for my country’s future.
By B, February 19, 2011 @ 8:37 pm
Where’s the audiobook?
By Chip DeNure, April 17, 2011 @ 8:43 am
Russ, LBJ did not run in the 1960 primaries against JFK, as you assert in Family of Secrets. He only announced his candidacy a few days before the convention in LA.
By Anders Pedersen, September 13, 2011 @ 1:42 pm
Just started a great read by opening FOS, but one scary read too! However it’s a real pleasure diving into something as well-researched as this. Thanks for making that effort and connecting the dots.
Wondering if anyone’s drawn that map of connections yet?
By Chris Lemos, October 9, 2011 @ 11:44 am
Given the great job Russ did in spotlighting Poppy Bush’s bizarre actions around the JFK shooting, why does FOS not spotlight the even more bizarre facts surrounding the Reagan shooting? Hinckley’s brother was to be a guest at Neil Bush’s house the night after Reagan was shot, though Neil downplayed their relationship?
By tony bonn, January 9, 2012 @ 11:54 am
regarding hinckley – he was an mk ultra subject who was deployed by bush to gain the presidency just as he supported two failed attempts by nelson rockefeller to assume the presidency by the same means. (oooo ick that nasty need to campaign is beneath my dignity). and if that weren’t enough, an mk ultra subject was used to topple john lennon. all of these lone nuts just keep cropping up….
http://www.strawberryfields.net/ has a fabulous article on the murder explaining the connection to bush sr.
and while i am picking on mk ultra subjects i should mention sirhan sirhan….
By KT, January 19, 2012 @ 10:56 am
Seriously– where *is* the audiobook???!! I’m dying to “read” this, and I have a long commute to work so I would really love to listen to this during my long drive. I devour audiobooks, and lately I’m finding that some “good” books are not available in audio yet!
Someone needs to do a favor for the WORLD and read Russ’s book over at LibriVox (people can volunteer to read books and then LibriVox publishes them- no experience required!)
http://librivox.org/