THE DAY KENNEDY WAS SHOT

That metronome of public disasters tick-tocking through some 600 pages in the carpe diem documentary technique which Mr. Bishop handles so capably. When Mr. Bishop first began this work, a telephone call from Mrs. Kennedy, in tears, deterred Mr. Cerf from publishing it. Since then the Manchester book (among many others) raises further doubts of its necessity. But then, however familiar the scene which so many watched and others have later read about, there will be those for whom Mr. Bishop's last moments will be firsts; Oswald leaving Marina with his wedding ring and all the cash he carried except $13.87; John-John whispering ""Bzzzz-bzzzz-bzzzz"" in his father's cars on the fateful morning; Mayor Earle's ""roaring 'Not in Dallas, Not in Dallas'""; Mrs. Kennedy saying ""No"" at the emergency door when they came to get the President; Mrs. Johnson to Mrs. Kennedy--""You know we never wanted this""; Marina hanging clothes and muttering ""It was not my crazy one""; the morticians closing the casket--""We are ready."" The long day and night, in Washington, in Dallas, in New York and elsewhere--all the major participants and many unknown onlookers--it's all reactivated--""as accurate as I could make it""-- and reluctantly one must admit that whether you want to be or not, you are there, once again.