Treason For My Daily Bread
Encyclopedia
Treason for My Daily Bread is a spy thriller written by William Graham Stanton
about a man named Mikhail Mikhailovich Lebedev
, who became involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy
.
, UK. The book was launched on the proposition that Todd had met Lebedev, who was stateless and destitute in Beirut
at the end of the 1960s. In this account Lebedev sells Todd a manuscript written in German which is the account of his life, his connections with Martin Bormann
in Argentina and his involvement in Kennedy’s assassination. Both this account and the character of Lebedev himself are pure fiction. The only factual part of this account is that Todd approached Stanton to write the book.
, and on espionage and passed them onto Stanton who wrote a novel against these facts. The product was a book that passed as a factual account, in much the same way as The Day of The Jackal
had. Todd and Stanton had hoped to create some controversy and attract interest from the film industry. In the event by the mid seventies there was little interest in the project, and eventually in 1977 Todd published the book from his own publishing house, Vallancey International. The book sold a limited number of copies both sides of the Atlantic.
. Although some of the accounts are clearly fanciful, there were occasions when respectable journalists were beguiled by the presentation of the book, viewed it as a historical account, and cited it as evidence &. A respected journalist, the late Mae Brussell
, believed the book to be a genuine autobiography and used it as a source for a piece suggesting Nazi involvement in the assassination directed by Martin Bormann
. This final assertion was fatally compromised in 1998 by the conclusive DNA evidence on a body found in 1972 near Lehrter Bahnhof in Berlin
that Bormann did not escape from Berlin in 1945.
William Graham Stanton
William Graham "Bill" Stanton was a British author and radio playwright.- Early life :William Graham Stanton was born in Brightside, Sheffield, the seventh of eight children of John Stanton and his wife. His upbringing was in a working class Methodist tradition...
about a man named Mikhail Mikhailovich Lebedev
Mikhail Mikhailovich Lebedev
Mikhail Mikhailovich Lebedev is a fictional character created by William Graham Stanton, in a thriller novel “Treason For My Daily Bread”.The book purports to be Lebedev’s account of his life and dealings within the world of international espionage and crime, and climaxes with his involvement in...
, who became involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
.
Background
The original idea for the book was the brain child of the late Tom Todd, a publisher based in GuernseyGuernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, UK. The book was launched on the proposition that Todd had met Lebedev, who was stateless and destitute in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
at the end of the 1960s. In this account Lebedev sells Todd a manuscript written in German which is the account of his life, his connections with Martin Bormann
Martin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
in Argentina and his involvement in Kennedy’s assassination. Both this account and the character of Lebedev himself are pure fiction. The only factual part of this account is that Todd approached Stanton to write the book.
Production of the Novel
The book itself was meticulously researched. Todd gathered together anything and everything he could find on the assassination, on Martin BormannMartin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
, and on espionage and passed them onto Stanton who wrote a novel against these facts. The product was a book that passed as a factual account, in much the same way as The Day of The Jackal
The Day of the Jackal
The Day of the Jackal is a thriller novel by English writer Frederick Forsyth, about a professional assassin who is contracted by the OAS, a French terrorist group of the early 1960s, to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France....
had. Todd and Stanton had hoped to create some controversy and attract interest from the film industry. In the event by the mid seventies there was little interest in the project, and eventually in 1977 Todd published the book from his own publishing house, Vallancey International. The book sold a limited number of copies both sides of the Atlantic.
JFK Assassination Conspiracy Theory
Neither Todd nor Stanton had any notion at the time they published the book of the impact the Internet would have in inflating conspiracies, or that Lebedev’s account of events would become widely quoted as supporting evidence to a number of alternative accounts to the Warren CommissionWarren Commission
The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, known unofficially as the Warren Commission, was established on November 27, 1963, by Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963...
. Although some of the accounts are clearly fanciful, there were occasions when respectable journalists were beguiled by the presentation of the book, viewed it as a historical account, and cited it as evidence &. A respected journalist, the late Mae Brussell
Mae Brussell
Mae Brussell was a conspiracy theorist and radio personality.Born in Beverly Hills, California, Mae was the daughter of the prominent Wilshire Boulevard Temple Rabbi Edgar Magnin and great-granddaughter of Isaac Magnin, founder of the I...
, believed the book to be a genuine autobiography and used it as a source for a piece suggesting Nazi involvement in the assassination directed by Martin Bormann
Martin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann was a prominent Nazi official. He became head of the Party Chancellery and private secretary to Adolf Hitler...
. This final assertion was fatally compromised in 1998 by the conclusive DNA evidence on a body found in 1972 near Lehrter Bahnhof in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
that Bormann did not escape from Berlin in 1945.