335. Toxic Conspiracy Culture Completely Ruined the JFK Narrative with Martin Fitzgerald

Have you ever noticed that the JFK assassination is the only event in history where absolutely everyone feels entitled to an aggressive opinion? 🤬 The rich, human narrative of Dealey Plaza has been completely hijacked by toxic internet debates and dogmatic conspiracy culture.

But what if everything we've been arguing over misses the point entirely? 🕵️‍♂️ In this episode, author Martin Fitzgerald joins the pod to rescue history from the shouting matches. We move past the tired political theories to explore the incredible, bizarre, and deeply moving stories of the ordinary, reluctant witnesses who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

From the absolute chaos of an unpreserved crime scene to government agencies lying out of sheer institutional self-preservation, we unpack how official blunders birthed modern conspiracy culture. We also dive into the fragile nature of memory under trauma—including a witness who swore the six-second shooting lasted five minutes! Plus, Martin finally reveals the idiosyncratic, hilariously human truth behind the infamous "Umbrella Man".

Are you ready to drop the dogmatism and enjoy the fascinating mystery of the unknown? Click your favourite player below to stream the episode right now! 🎧

Links & Resources

Get the Book: Grab your copy of Martin Fitzgerald's fantastic book, The Umbrella Man and Other Stories, directly from the History Rage Bookshop to support the show: 👉 https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781837360253

Connect with the Guest:

Follow Martin Fitzgerald on Social Media: @4hundredblows

Recommended Companion Episodes:

Episode 54: Stephen Wisdom rages on the moon landing theories. Episode 265: Hallie Rubenhold rages on why identifying Jack the Ripper is completely pointless.

Support & Follow History Rage If you love tearing down historical myths and want to keep the rage alive, here is how you can support our independent podcast:

Become a Patron: Join the Rage Train on Patreon for £5/month to get early, ad-free episodes, access to monthly live streams, and the coveted History Rage mug! 👉 https://www.patreon.com/historyrage

Follow Us: Stay updated with our latest historical rants on social media. Spread the Word: Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and tell a friend to get aboard the Rage Train! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.