True Crime Books

The book was in excellent condition and shipped in good time. I believe it arrived even before the forecasted delivery date.

Having been a Frank Lloyd Wright "fan" for many years, and having taught a short course on his architecture at the college where I was a professor, before retirement, I appreciated the in depth research on this "scandalous" period of FLW's life. A daughter lives in Oak Park and I toured many of FLW's Prairie houses there, as well as visiting "Falling Water" from a later period of his career. Book arrived in good time, in excellent condition. I will lead a discussion next month on this book for my book club. After all, I recommended this book for discussion.

While Drennan wrote about his amount of research done for this book, he came to incomplete conclusions; completely misinterpreted his research; or lost his references in (I am sure) his piles of notes. It's apparent to those who have studied Wright, or have an interest in him, that, while Drennan refers to books in the bibliography, he didn't study them, particularly in his misunderstanding of a proper floor plan for Taliesin I.

There are things that he just gets plain wrong (page numbers refer to the hardcover version of the book).

Page 6, he writes that Taliesin is on the "banks of the Wisconsin River." It's not. It's just down from the top of a hill (on the brow of the hill, leading to the name "Taliesin", "shining brow" in Welsh) and also separated from the river by a road.

Page 16, he states that Wright spend "five summers" working on his family's farm. Wright spent summers there from the ages of 11-18.

Page 19, He writes that Wright went to Chicago and spent 2 dollars on a concert. Wright wrote in his autobiography that he spent $1.

Page 31, he states that Wright met CR Ashbee in 1896. They met in 1900, which Drennan would have known if he had read one of the books he cites in his bibliography, _Frank Lloyd Wright: The Lost Years, 1910-1922: A Study of Influence_, by Anthony Alofsin.

Page 67, A statue shown in a photograph on this page is referred to as "an [Alfonso] Ianelli sprite" (from Wright's Midway Gardens project in Chicago, IL) when it's actually _Flower in the Crannied Wall_, designed by Richard Bock for Wright's Susan Lawrence Dana House in Springfield, IL (which he would have known had he read Narciso Menocal's article about the statue in _Taliesin 1911-1914: Wright Studies, v. 1_, which Drennan cited in his bibliography).

Page 161 he writes that, "When Miriam Noel learned of Olgivanna, she lay siege to the place and dragged out divorce proceedings for five turbulent years." Wright and Noel were married in 1923, and divorced in 1927.

Page 168, he states that Wright had been buried "next to" Mamah. Their graves are about 20 feet apart. Drennan refers several times to the valley that the Lloyd Joneses lived in as "Bear Creek," but it's never been called that (Helena Valley is acceptable).

He also writes that Wright's family had come across the United States directly to Spring Green, Wisconsin, when in truth they'd actually settled in Ixonia, Wisconsin (on the eastern side of the state) for about a decade before coming to Spring Green.

There are various statements he made that have no citation in the endnotes:
Page 14, Wright's father's turn as a Unitarian minister is described on page 14 as "a 'sop,' it has been called" - no citation

Page 15, he states that Wright's half-sister Lizzie charged that his mother was "spoiling Frank rotten..." - no citation

Page 15, he states that Wright's father "pointedly" called Wright and his two sisters, "Anna's children" - no citation

Page 137, he refers to "One online source" with no citation

Et cetera.

All the while, he writes that all of these other writers have gotten things wrong or misinterpreted things. He is the one who misinterpreted the area, misunderstood Taliesin, Wright's family, and Wright's background.

If you want to know about Wright, read Meryle Secrest's biography. If you want to know about Taliesin I, get _Taliesin 1911-1914: Wright Studies, volume I_, ed. Narciso Menocal (this will also provide you with a Taliesin I floor plan). If you want to read about Wright's relationship with Mamah Borthwick, read Nancy Horan's book, _Loving Frank_. It's historical fiction that is better researched than _Death in a Prairie House_.

This books gives an account of the tragic event and the circumstances surrounding it -- the murder of Mamah Borthwick Cheney, her two children and other members of celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright's household at Taliesin, his sprawling hillside home near Spring Green, Wisconsin.

The book is a work of non-fiction; it gives the reader as detailed a portrait of the tragedy as possible, now, nearly a century later.

William Drennan's account of the events takes a closer and more scientific approach to the fire and murders than heretofore. Mrs. Cheney and her son and daughter, along with members of the Taliesin household, were having lunch when the disaster occurred. A servant set fire to the house, and as the frightened residents attempted to flee, he killed many and wounded others using an axe. Word reached both Mr. Wright and Mr. Cheney in Chicago, at about the same time; they took the same train up to Wisconsin, still unsure of who had lived, who had died, and what might have precipitated the disaster.

In earlier biographies of Wright, none of the authors analyzed Taliesin's features--floor plans, doors, windows and courtyards--with an eye toward reconciling the sequence of events as witnessed by the survivors. Drennan remedies their oversight and in so doing, shows Wright scholars and aficionados, as well as the general reader, what probably occurred on that sad day. If you enjoy history, true-crime, or are simply a fan of Wright, you will not want to miss reading this book.

Author William Drennan, professor of English (and it shows), wastes little time and few words in summarizing the events leading up to a horrific crime: the murder of his lover, Mamah Borthwick Cheney, her two young children (visiting the estate), and (eventually) four workers, who were killed by an ax-wielding arsonist servant at the home Frank Lloyd Wright designed for life with his mistress, Ms. Cheney. Theories on the motive, never firmly established because the killer died before trial, include the perpetrator's mental instability or possibly revenge for verbal insults by one or more of the victims. Although the subtitle, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders, indicates murder as the central theme, at least half of the (pre-reference section) pages leading up to the chapter entitled "A Summer Day That Changed the World" Murder at Taliesin, are filled with background, primarily of Wright: his ancestry, (pre-marriage) family life, career, married life, relationship with Cheney, and negative treatment by the press and people of Oak Park, Illinois. Drennan shares his views in several places, notably: in modifying the accepted version of the murderous rampage to better fit the evidence and that Wright was skilled at structural design of buildings. His examples, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, which performed well during earthquakes in the 1920s, and Midway Gardens in Chicago, which because of its stout construction, was difficult to demolish, confirm the latter point, others, notably Fallingwater in Pennsylvania and the Freeman House in California, which have not fared as well structurally, do not. The issue of Wright's structural design skills and the sensationalist title and cover photo (ax prominently displayed) aside, Drennan has done an excellent job of putting together a short, reader friendly book about the circumstances surrounding the Taliesin murders. It would have been even better about fifty percent longer, with more information on some of Wright's many architectural masterpieces. Hands down better than Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

This gives a very interesting insight into the "post Cold-War" intelligence operations of the Soviet/Russian intelligence community.

There's nothing truly earth-shattering as far as named sources go, but an interesting read nonetheless.

A somewhat over simplistic overview of Russian Intelligence operations of the time. To me this book was interesting but seemed to gloss over a lot of issues in order to keep the page count down. What the book did say was interesting and somewhat infuriating that we let this go on. But it offers insight however simple the author offered.

I enjoyed reading "Comrade J," by Pete Earley, and I imagine that most others who are specialists in Russian Affairs will find points of interest as well, but in the end the book stands as a flawed work with too many "Agatha Christie moments" (where uninteresting facts are replaced by more interesting fiction). Earley's book is most compelling when it quotes Sergey Tretyakov about his own personal activities, such as the recruitment of spies in Canada, the internal operations of the Russian Mission to the UN, or the disarray faced by the SVR in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It falls off the rails, however, when it ventures away from these relatively safe areas to a discussion of other spy operations in which Tretyakov played no direct part, and where his assertions are dubious at best.

Tretyakov talks disparagingly about the "Agatha Christie recruitments" that were consistently being touted by lesser spies, i.e., recruitments that were the stuff of fiction and never actually occurred. He provides some good examples from the work of several of his colleagues who claimed to have recruited good agents or trusted contacts, but turned out in the end to have been either fools who had convinced themselves of their own success, or knaves who were making up intelligence reports from newspaper articles. For someone who is so skeptical of his colleagues, I think that Tretyakov falls for the "Agatha Christie recruitment" gambit a few too many times himself.

A case in point is the alleged "Special Unofficial Contact" status of Strobe Talbott. Tretyakov claims that Talbott's close friend and opposite number, Georgiy Mamedov, was secretly working for the SVR. According to Tretyakov, "Yuriy" Mamedov was feeding Talbott questions provided by the SVR, and was getting valuable intelligence out of Talbott's answers. Despite strong denials by both Talbott and Mamedov, the implication remains that Talbott was either a dupe, or up to no good, and his reputation has been damaged as a result. Speaking as a person who knows both Talbott and Mamedov, and as one who sat in on many meetings with them, I would have to say that Tretyakov's assertions are entirely without merit. Both Strobe and "Yuriy" were supplied with information by their own governments, and both wanted to appear as cooperative with each other as possible, because real benefits were reaped by both sides from their meetings. Mamedov was a respected interlocutor, but there is no way that he was manipulating Strobe, or being manipulated. What Tretyakov was describing as an intelligence operation was just simple diplomacy, on both sides. In order to get, you have to give, and it is best if you can do it with a smile on your face.

Similarly, Tretyakov's allegations that the Soviets fooled the whole world into believing "nuclear winter" theories also sounds suspiciously like another Agatha Christie moment. The Soviets were no doubt cheerleading from the sidelines, but to claim that they were responsible for the nuclear freeze movement of the early 1980s, or the widespread belief in the possibility of a nuclear winter is mixing up cause and effect. It is like the rooster who thinks that if he doesn't crow at dawn the sun won't come up.

I also have some quibbles with the editing of the book itself. Many Russian words are not transliterated correctly, and in several cases the names of Russian officials are mangled. The most egregious of these mistakes is when the book talks about KGB Chairman Vadim Bakatin (pp. 126-131). After getting the spelling of his name right the first time, Earley proceeds to spell it as "Batakin" for the rest of the book. I also agree with many other reviewers that an index would have been very helpful, and a bibliography and a few footnotes wouldn't have hurt either. Because of these omissions, the book strikes me has having been rushed into print before it was actually ready.

In sum, the book is an interesting read, but could have been much, much better had some of the more sensationalist side stories been cut out, and the author had just stuck to what Tretyakov really knew. Maybe there will be a second edition.

This is a groundbreaking book, revealing the evolutionary changes in the modern spy game. One learns more about the political realities of modern Russia through this lens than anything any western journalist could find. One sees what today's leaders want hidden as well as what they want exposed. There are some golden oldy's here as well. I found the KGB "scientific" corruption of Carl Sagan and his nuclear winter to be hilarious.

Earley's book is a well written biography of one of Russia's leading and well-placed spies in Canada and the U.S. who defected to the United States bringing a great deal of valuable intelligence with him. The CIA and FBI will not openly confirm the details of Tretyakov's story, and because of the defection, traveling to Russia would submit the author to a risk to his own safety. Earley is therefore forced to relate the story in more of a "Sergei says" manner to avoid appearing to stand behind the details related in the book. While this style makes the book less than gripping, it is nonetheless fascinating.

I found the look into Russia, particularly since the dismantling of the Soviet Union, to be absorbing and chilling. I don't believe that the American public has had an opportunity to see the true effect of the swift political changes in Russia. We have been lulled into a false sense that Russia is now an ally, which could not be farther from the truth if what Sergei says is accurate. Although the author could not verify much of the information, the story rings true and Earley has made efforts to confirm many details as an indication of the truthfulness of his subject.

The book is an easy read and presents a view of the new Russia which is seldom presented in the media. I recommend it for anyone interested in national security or international relations.

This book is pretty well written, with only a few minor complaints. First some of the region specific killers are missing such as John Norman Collins, but over all is very complete. The addition of a quick reference guide in the back that explains both solved and unsolved cases is a nice touch.

This book along with Harold Schecters Serial Killer Files make a fairly complete analysis of the more deranged and sociopathic killers out there.

I recommend this book to anyone curious about some of the most despicable people out there.

This is a fascinating read for true crime buffs. The author's stated purpose is to "demystify, as far as possible, those predators in human form who have been with us since the dawn of history..." Serial killers at large are so frightening that they end up touching all of our lives--most especially in the United States, where 84% of all known serial killers have committed their crimes since 1980. I first became aware of this type of human predator when I was a student at the University of Michigan, and John Norman Collins was murdering coeds with pierced ears and long brown hair.

California native Michael Newton has published 181 books since 1977, including 147 novels but he is best known for his true crime and reference works. I have to say that I assumed this author was British because of his concise, witty style and also for his tendency to critique other true crime authors who failed to get their facts straight, including the names of a serial killer's victims. One of his special peeves is the term 'spree killer,' and he also doesn't seem to think much of profilers.

Most of the entries in this encyclopedia are concerned with the serial killers themselves, whether they acted alone, in twosomes, or in packs. One of the biggest surprises for me was the large number of serial killers who are or were women. Something like 12% of all serial killers are female, and Hungarian women seem especially prone to this behavior, starting with Countess Erzsebet Bthory in the sixteenth century whose final body count was somewhere between 300 and 650 victims. In the early 1900s,Vera Renczi murdered 35 husbands, lovers, and a son and was arrested by the police only after they searched her basement and discovered 35 zinc coffins. "Some evenings, Vera liked to sit among the coffins in an armchair and enjoy the company of her adoring beaux." Then there were the "Angel Makers of Nagyrev"...

Well, let me just close by remarking that "The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers" is an extremely interesting source of information on the darker side of human nature. In addition to the encyclopedia entries, there are also appendices on "Solo Killers," "Team Killers," and "Unresolved Cases," plus an extensive bibliography.

It's a pretty long read but it does contain some written material that might be inappropiate for some readers.What I really like about this book is the aspect of every serial killer which deals about their background as well as why would they committe such a crime that forever haunt us till this very day.Michael Newton does provide info that'll help us think and learn about who they are and what they are.Make no mistake that this book will give you everything you need to know about them except the only thing I wish that this book should have is more photos.Anyway,do yourself a favor and check this book out.

This is one of the best books availible for those interested in True Crime and the history of Serial Killers. The author has compiled a fast read and profiles for each person. Very detailed, It is a basic knowledge of the essential info. If you want more detailed profiles of certain serial killers i would recommend that you buy a book based on a certian individual.

But this is a great basic info source.

Most Recommended.

A friend of mine gave me this book, and normally I don't read. However, on a road trip, I decided to read some of the book and became very interested, QUICKLY! The book is quite detailed, and I liked the fact that there was information in the book on serial killers from the 1800's and earlier (Erzsebet Bathory born in 1560). A great, well-written book!

"Whoever Fights Monsters" by Robert Ressler can be summed up with a quote from page 125.
"Every ounce of information we can extract from a killer about his mind and methods gives us more ammunition to track the next one."

Mr. Ressler chronicles his career with the military and eventually the FBI.

He is credited with coining the term "serial killer" and he gives the meaning and origin of the term.

In the book the author documents the start of profiling and his unsanctioned venture into prison interviews with violent criminals.
It was risky, but over time has paid off with some candid interviews and useful information for future investigations.
Some of the interview highlights that Mr. Ressler shares in the book come from Edmund Kemper, Charles Manson, Tex Watson, Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, and Richard Speck.
He also gives examples of agent-interviewers who got too close emotionally to their subject.

He wrote about the compulsive confessor Henry Lee Lucas who never saw a murder that he wouldn't claim as his work much to the embarrassment of law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

Mr. Ressler's personal view of "Silence of the Lambs" and "Red Dragon" from his experience in the field was educational.

I was impressed with this author's writing style. Profilers have a reputation for being arrogant (whether that's just an impression or valid I wouldn't know) but Mr. Ressler humbly explains mistakes he has made over his career. He is efficient at detailing the psychology of the different types of violent criminals. A good book about criminal profiling!

Although written in 1992 this work outlines the evolution of the VICAP program from concept through to implementation. It provides a hands-on insight into law enforcement's commitment to track and categorise violent criminal behavior. An interesting read.

This is a great book for understanding how criminal profiling works and the depth of depravity of compassion in a psychopath!

The book was fascinating. It gave a good insight into the origins of criminal profiling and leads the reader through a number of cases from Robert's career. A must read for people interested in abnormal psychology, forensics and profiling.

In response to Michael J. Tresca's review, wherein he states:

"Alas, truth is stranger than fiction, and the tales Ressler tells are positively awful. There' just one problem: we've heard all of this before.

Where? That'd be "Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit," by John E. Douglas, a man I can only assume was Ressler's protégé. It's a bit murky as to their relationship (the two reference each other, but not often)."

...it should be noted that Mindhunter came out AFTER Ressler's book, not before.

Otherwise, much of his review is fine. I would note, though, that Ressler's book is far superior, and he is far more modest and measured than Douglas. Douglas makes himself the center of every story, often quite lovingly, and does an unsettling amount of grandstanding about his contributions. Ressler lets the stories speak for themselves and doesn't try to outshine his subjects in importance. I've also read that one of the killers Douglas claims to have interviewed angrily denied he ever spoke to him. Douglas's vanity makes him almost unbearable at times, and with the subject at hand, that can smack of being a bit mercenary and out of touch.

The stories Ressler tells about himself tend to be more interesting, too. For instance, he speaks of people mysteriously losing weight while working on cases, without seeming to change their diets or other habits. Frankly, the stories in this book are so distressing that I, too, experienced a sudden inexplicable weight loss after reading it. This is the kind of thing that is very hard to take.

Ressler dispenses this disturbing material very well. I've read more than a dozen books of this type, and Ressler's towers over the rest. I'd recommend anyone interested in the fascinating subjects of abnormal psychology and psychological profiling read this book first if they'd like a skeleton key to understanding aspects of human behavior so dark they can seem all but forever unfathomable.

This book is awsome, I even bought a second one to give as a gift! I love the fact that it has pictures to show what they are taking about. I use it as a reference before I get dressed every day!

This book is a great find - I don't understand why it took the fashion world so long to deliver what everyone has been asking for... practical advice on updating your wardrobe, how to select timeless pieces, and manage your closet. There is also great pictures and inspiration woven throughout. It makes a great gift too! I gave it to several friends as gifts and they all love it. Everyone can learn from this book.

I was really disappointed in this book. If your desire is to look like your favorite celebrity, then this is the book for you. It is more of a photo spread on how to copy a look like rather than creating your own style. There are other fashion 'how-to' books out there that are much better than this. 'In Style Secrets of Style' is a much better place to start. Try this book instead!

What a fantastic book! I refer to it frequently for various fashion tips whenever I am having a blank moment! Being a mum of 3 I often dont have time to think too much about my wardrobe so this book has been really useful.

Photos tell the story in this glossy beautifully presented guide for all shapes, sizes, and ages. It includes basic wardrobe must haves, as well as accessories and coats. Harper's Bazaar Great Style covers choosing your own personal look, what to wear in the office, what to wear on a night out on the town, the little black dress, weekend casual, and even in the bedroom. This coffee-table quality book will never be out of style! Recommended! Also recommend THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

In his book American Lightning, Howard Blum deftly handles the difficult task of taking a historic event and converting it to riveting narrative history. The event is the now almost forgotten 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times newspaper building in downtown Los Angeles California by men who lashed at the publishing company for its refusal to play ball with organized labor. The attack was designed to strike out at business in general and at the Times itself, which was viewed as a hypocritical institution that protected its freedom of expression at the cost of its workers.

Its one thing to rehash the facts of this sensationalist crime, however Blum animates the people involved in the action with brilliant believability, and eschews the pitfalls and useless side stories that would befall a lesser writer by staying on task and letting the story unfold on its own. The author knows that this is a good story on its own merits, and by bringing key characters alive through deft prose and dialog brings the reader into the rough and tumble world of American in the post Victorian age.

That the tale hasn't been told before and often in recent years as to the readers sense of discovery. It also can remind a causal reader of historical events that there exists the possibility of other such great tales in American history - so much so that one wonders what other events haven't been covered by other writers who seem fixated on retelling events such as the civil war, etc., over and over and over until they all start to seem like more of the same instead of works of discovery.

I enjoyed this book from all aspects and I have no difficulty in recommending American Lighting to readers of this genre, and to steadfast readers of fiction as well. This is one good read.

When I think of union activism and violence, I tend to think of the mine workers, the steel workers and other the meat packers. And, I always associate this activity with the Chicago or other eastern cities. I am not sure I even knew that the unions were all that active in Los Angeles.

The author has taken an unusual tack by mixing the stories of D. W. Griffith, William Burns and Clarence Darrow into a cohesive story of what happened during the labor unrest and subsequent bombing in Los Angeles. And, although the three men only met once, in a hotel lobby after the "trail", the actions of each had consequences on the others. Burn's investigation was a rallying point for the unions, Darrow defended the union using techniques created by Griffith and this was all occurring during an explosive time when union and capitalists were at each others throats.

An interesting and enjoyable read of a part of history that I never even knew existed. It is written in an easy to read style with enough detail to understand the circumstances, yet not some much that the reader becomes bogged down in tiny details that are irrelevant to the story.

The "Crime of the Century" in the Howard Blum's newest page-turner is the 1910 bombing of the Los Angeles Times building. The protagonist of the story is William J. Burns; the famed private detective is hired by the city for his experinces of investagating similar bombings of iron manufacturing plants. Althou many famous personages of the period, such as Birth of a Nation director D.W. Griffith and attorney Clarence Darrow -who defends the bombers in court, turn up between the covers, the story seems less character driven as Blum focuses his literary talent on detailing the climate of violence between workers and owners at the dawn of the Hollywood film industry. American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century is an intriguing read, one that will surely be enjoyed by any historical mystery lover.

Blum's ado is about less than the breathless title and subtitle of this nonfiction narrative. He weaves together thumbnail biographies of private investigator William Burns, film-maker D. W. Griffith, and lawyer Clarence Darrow as they pioneered the 20th-century essence of their professions and intersected during the investigation of the 1910 terrorist bombing of the Los Angeles Times building.

While the tale is moderately interesting, Blum's attempt to popularize the narrative by continually referring to William Burns as "Billy" is more annoying than endearing, and his frequent use of using the third-person omniscient voice (" . . . the detective realized with a sudden intuition . . ."), calls into question the seriousness and reliability of his account. Blum claims in his note on the sources that all such omniscient references are documented in his sources, yet felt it unnecessary in a "nonacademic history to give a full account of all the sources I consulted." These statements suggest that the reader must take at least some caution in relying on this account for historical veracity. Blum should give readers of popular nonfiction more credit for intelligence than this.

Also, while Blum commits at least an equal portion of his tale to Griffith, whose importance to film and Hollywood history is unquestioned, Blum failed to convincingly tie Griffith to the events investigated by Burns and tried by Darrow. While Griffith did make an early short silent film that depicted the labor/capitalist struggle at the root of the union organization efforts that were blamed (or credited) for the bombing, and while he did very briefly meet Blum's other two main protagonists, he was not directly involved in the investigations and trials. One might uncharitably suspect Blum of using Griffith to pad his tale with the excitement of early Hollywood scuttlebutt.

In any case, if you don't find it extremely annoying when a historical character most often known as "William Burns" is addressed as "Billy", and if you don't hold too high a standard for handling of source material, this is a relatively harmless way to pass a few hours.

The beginning of the 1900's was marked by a fierce battle between labor and owners as newly established unions joined forces trying to force management to accept their demands. The new medium of motion pictures was to sway the public to their positions and budding producer D.W Griffith produced movie reels for both sides. Riots and strikes were frequent, and both sides used the newspapers to further their causes. Those clashes were often violent and one sided. While the unions were trying to win the hearts and minds of the public, something more sinister was happening. Late in 1910 there were two bombings, seemingly unrelated, seemingly aimed at business. A bomb exploded in a train yard in Illinois and a second unexploded bomb was found at the scene. Soon after a bomb found at the site of the lavish Alexandria Hotel in Los Angeles was determined to be a fake. Another bomb was defused at Los Angeles' City Hall. Late in the night of October1, 1910 a series of six explosions rocked the Los Angeles Times building, killing 21 and injuring many more.



William Burns was one of the preeminent detectives in the country. He was asked to work on the bombings. Already heavily involved in the labor strife and having faced labors' legal attacks, Burns is anxious to bring the murderers to justice. He is also eager to embellish his growing celebrity and to build his detective agency's reputation. He soon would be facing renowned attorney Clarence Darrow in court as Darrow tried to defend the bombers. The trial would be marred by scandal and the image of the fledgling unions was at stake. The end of the trial effectively ended the attempts of the Socialist Party to win the mayoral election in Los Angeles. When viewed by the reader almost one hundred years later the abilities of Burns to doggedly track the guilty parties (without prints, cell phones, computers, and other modern devices) and bring them to trial is unfathomable. Darrow, Griffiths and Burns' paths converge for this brief time, producing men who continued on to various degrees of fame and success.

Howard Blum has crafted a book that challenges the reader to keep up. The story shifts viewpoints and really gives some depth to the character and makeup of the various individuals. It is a fascinating portrait of the United States' volatile labor growing pains and the depths to which each side would go to win the battle. Anyone wanting to understand the deep divide between labor and management needs to read American Lightning.

I read both in Japanese before this English translation. It was several years ago that I first read the original of "The Place That was Promised" (Part 2), and I have just read that of "Underground" (Part 1), which is the first time.
What I tried to do in rereading them in English was to know what had to be changed when they were introduced to other countries and if the language might change how I felt reading the text.
The impressions I got from the originals were still so vivid, though, even graphic, that the latter of my trying would be failed.
I even had a nightmare at the night I had just read how the interviewees described the incident at Kodenmacho station.
When the gas attack happened, I was a student and lived in a different area of Tokyo. Though I sometimes used the subway lines and went to the area which was attacked, the news, either live broadcasts or videos, gave me nothing much but feeling "Something quite weird happened".
In a few years, even when I went to work in the very same area using the very same lines at almost the same time of the day, I didn't remembered the attack at all.
The method Murakami used in "Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche" reminds me of a documentary film, "Capturing the Friedmans"(2003), which is "just kind of peels the onion and shows the unspoken contradictions and the difficulties" (said by the filmmaker, Andrew Jarecki), but the words captured by Murakami visualizes "what the truth is" more vividly in your mind.
In "The Place That was Promised", the writer (Murakami), who it is said that "Underground" (Part 1) gave a new understanding of his mission as an author, sometimes seemed to be being struck or at a loss.
He must have recognized himself as "Catcher in the Rye", and looking back at his works, he would have thought most of his way had been on the right track.
Through the interviews for "The Place That was Promised", though, he seemed to have just found that his works might have totally failled to catch people who he thought he could and had to catch, and that it might be much harder to reach such people than he thought.

Some reviewers (including Murakami, writing on himself) have asserted that after Murakami`s long stay abroad, this book was primarily written by Murakami for himself as the author sought to come to grips with Japanese society again. Whatever Haruki Murakami`s rationale, `Underground` is worth a read, particularly to anyone who seeks to understand topics ranging from our new `postmodern` existence, to Japanese society and modern life, or just the nuts and bolts of the future of terrorism.

A great deal emerges from these telling interviews; information that takes the form of insights which subtly impress themselves on the reader. `It made me realize all the more how frightening [mass media`s control] is` --victim Masanori Okuyama. `People raised in happy families probably wouldn`t join Aum` -- Harumi Iwakura, former Aum member. `The local police might not have any experience, but they were practically useless... they only showed up after the rescue operation was over,` --Naoyuki Ogata, victim. `People were foaming at the mouth... that half of the roadway was absolute hell. But on the other side, people were walking to work as usual` --Kiyoka Izumi, victim. Some of what came out of the interviews was information that came completely out of the blue, probably even to the author, such as the mention (in the book`s Japanese edition) that half the women interviewed suffered regularly from sexual assault while riding on Tokyo`s legendary so-packed-you-can`t-breathe trains.

And it all emerges because Murakami`s strength is his intense focus here-- `I intentionally set up my camera at one fixed spot,` he writes. Outlines of events are sparse; the narratives are front and center. His wide approach (34 interviews from victims alone) allows for sweeping perspective on a number of topical issues and permits the reader to take from the book what they may. A more in-depth look at the inner workings of Aum, the socioeconomic background of terror, or the disconnect of modern digital life are all natural follow-up reads-- the reader need only choose their path. While keeping it simple, Murakami has written and complied a work, a look at the dawn of the modern urban age of terror, that will be read for years.

This easy-to-read book is unique in Murakami's own catalog. First of all, its his most true to life `documentary-style' book, consisting as it does of interviews, recollections and observations of selected people who were affected by the deadly gas attack in the Japan Metro in the 1990s. The book is not a `novel' - instead it breaks new ground for the author, and at times makes you wonder if this is the same man who gave us fantasy novels such as "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle" and "Kafka on the Shore".

"Underground" is an easy book to read, but its also maddeningly difficult to finish in one sitting. It took me about two weeks to actually make it through the entire thing. Its quite long, and there is no clear narrative structure. I found the beginning of the book very odd. The actual restructured train incident has been pieced together by Murakami from newspaper reports, and he relies completely on eye witness reports to describe the shock and horror of the actual crime scene. He also does away with niceties, and is uncompromising in his criticism of Japanese society, the government, and Japanese mass media itself. In fact, through much of the book it did seem at one point that Murakami himself was sort of anti-Japanese (a fact that reaffirmed itself to me when I discovered he actually was sick of his fame in Japan and fled overseas instead to live in peace). But at other times, Murakami gives us a portrait of families who dealt with the disaster with great nobility and tenderness, and he empathizes whole-heartedly with all the victims of the incident.

Murakami is more successful at entering the minds of the terrorists and giving us various plausible explanations as to why they did it. The most telling reason (pretty much "my boss told me to do it") is shocking at how it managed to sway so many young and even successful young men (and women) into joining the cult and falling for its' very twisted message. Murakami dispenses with casual observations here and attempts to create the portrait of a killer. In the end, his chilling depiction of the Cult is reason enough to buy this book, because its evident that this sort of psychopathic mentality exists in some form in every country. Japan is no exception.

For all the horror here, there are also passages of great beauty and grace. One particular story of a woman who is a `living vegetable' because of the gas attack is endearing because Murakami sets the story up so well - we feel we know this person, and by the time tragedy strikes her, we are totally sold on reading a whole book only about her. Then you remind yourself that this is not fiction. Every word in this book is true, and Murakami's attempts at tracking down and scheduling interviews with some very unwilling participants (who still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder) are to be commended. Though thousands were affected on that day, the author seemed to have trouble pinning down even a tiny percentage of people who wanted to approach him and talk about it.

That such an honest and superb account of that fateful day exists, is gift enough for me. Though I was aware of the incident when it occurred, I was possibly too young or engrossed in my studies to really pay it much attention. As I grew older and gravitated toward Japanese music and literature, I discovered Murakami. I only read this because I wanted to finish everything that Murakami had ever written, but as I went along I found myself lost in the story and the brilliant work contained therein. Surely, this is a topical book and not for everyone - in fact, I would prescribe it more for research scholars and students of history - but if you adore the works of Haruki Murakami, you will surely want to pick this up. Its revived in me an interest in world affairs and geopolitical events, and if one single book can do that, well, then more power to that book.

Five Stars. Highly Recommended.

This book could have been good, but it's too long and too repetitive, the subject matter is very interesting, but the story gets retold a thousand times and it's just not very entertaining or insightful for that matter.

Murakami's analysis of the Tokyo Sarin Attack is exactly the kind needed to understand all terrorism occuring in the world today. A great antidote to main-stream media's simplistic "us vs. them" morality tale description of terrorism. For concerned citizens of the post-9/11 world, I strongly recommend this book, together with Erich Fromm's "Fear of Freedom".

...Of course, this is just my opinion after reading Charles Brandt's book, but I have to say Brandt makes a compelling case for the unsolved mystery of Hoffa's dissapearence. "I Heard You Paint Houses," reads like a good detective story and creates a profile of Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and his motive for killing Hoffa-- a leading suspect in his murder. The FBI could not get a deathbed confession out of "The Irishman," but Brandt comes close. The information is well researched, factual.

We'll never close the book on this case and Hoffa mystery theories will continue to abound, but myself, as a reader, have to say I think it was the way it went down.

November 22, 1963 was a defining moment for the Boomer generation and this book tells "the rest of the story" or at least more than I knew growing up in a sheltered Midwestern lifestyle. Autobiographical quotes of Frank Sheeran helped me to connect the dots between politics, unions and the mob families from WWII to the turn of the millennium. If you can stomach nonchalant murders, you may rate the book higher; you will find that Sheeran did not hesitate to paint "houses" and casually painted in towns all over the USA for cash or just to do what "needed to be done" without any apparent ethical consideration.
Charles Brandt does a good job of putting Sheeran's comments into historical, factual context so the outlandish story seems not only believable but also the personification of evil.

I bought the book for my husband, he started reading it and could not put it down he said it was wonderful. It kept his attention throughout the whole book.

Thrilling! The most interesting book I have ever read about the Mafia. Only exhaustion does keep one from finishing it at once. A must for everyone who is interested in either the Mafia or in union history.

I read this book twice, each time over a year apart. And in coming back to the book a second time, I found it to be even more chilling how the author provides clear and believable confession to a series of murders, including the murder of one the men he most admires in life, the late (and not very great) James P. "Jimmy" Hoffa, Sr.

Read this work slowly and carefully. Pay particular attention to what is said to Sheeran by Russell Buffalino about the death of John Kennedy. I am a skeptic where these types of books are concerned, but this book resonates with candor. I'm convinced that Sheeran, who had spent half of his life denying the murder, wanted to come clean before he died. Half of him wanted to continue to deny it all. But the other half of him wanted to help the family of the man he loved very much to bring closure to the disappearance.

The author of this book (who interviewed Sheeran over a two-year period) does not write sensational accounts, nor does he write from conjecture or theory in this or his other works. The author did his homework and conducted a series of highly detailed interviews with a man who knew how to kill, and did so when called upon by his bosses to do so.

I always knew that Jimmy Hoffa was tied to the Mafia, but I had no idea that Jimmy Hoffa WAS the mafia. "Dirty" would put it mildly, but at the same time, he was a man who did a tremendous amount of good for those he served.

Get this book. Read it. Draw your own conclusions. Write your own review.

The author did a lot of research and glad to have seen the interviews this Chris. I was a coworker of Jeanne and her murder/death was very shocking to all of us at Oxford who knew her. She loved her children very much and spoke of them constantly. Her desk was not disturbed for almost two months. Cards, flowers and photos of her appeared in her work space nearly every day. Even if bill sullivan gets another trial I sincerely hope that the verdict is the same and he stays permanently in jail. I don't think he'll every change.

When murder unexpectedly strikes a small New England town, hitting a single mother and affecting a teen daughter and her older internet lover, a tangled web of psychological drama ensues in this powerful investigative mystery, narrated by J. Charles - who has 50 years background in professional theatre - and perfect for any lending library strong in suspense audios.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Phelps really explores the characters involved in this human tragedy. Jeanne, the victim, was a struggling single mother working three jobs to support her two children. Her two teenage children could barely be brought to help with household chores. Jeanne was a loving person who reached out and tried to help others, even though her lot in life seemed terribly difficult.

The most chilling part of the story is that it was her daughter and her daughter's teenage boyfriend who planned the violent, sickening murder. The author explains the thought processes of the teenagers involved and they will make your flesh crawl.

One thing not covered was what I wondered about most, though. What was the moral background of the teenage daughter, and did she ever have any religion classes? There is a hint that she was into the occult, but that is not enough. The book was so good that I still want to know more!

Because You Loved Me is a case study of different sorts of love, platonic, parental, romantic, and obsessive. It's easy to predict which type will go wrong. The High Queen of the drama queens, Nicole, falls in a twisted sort of love with macho manipulator Billy, and in a metter of days, she is blind to all the good things in her life. Her mom, her friends, her education, her home - Nicole no longer sees value in any of this, and when Billy enters the picture, purely by chance, her daily existence changes from normal to, in her estimation, a living hell. And suddenly, she cannot fathom how she can possibly live without this guy whom she barely knows. Together, Nicole and Billy make fateful choices that will ensure that they will have to live without each other, forever and ever. What is surprising is that they were so blind to the fact that their actions would have irreversible, devastating consequences.

M. William Phelps is a skilled researcher who knows how to delve for facts and nuances, and page by page, he uncovers the details, delineating the story of this young couple's disastrous obsession from its inception to its miserable conclusion. He approaches this murder from three angles, that of the victim and her fiance, that of the besotted, daughter and her maladjusted suitor, and that of the legal system. This is no mystery story; rather, it is a dissection of the anatomy of a crime committed by two terribly misguided, hysterical teens. It is nothing less than chilling, another example about what can happen when children are improperly parented. Highly recommended.

I LOVE TRUE CRIME AND THIS AUTHOR IS A GOOD ONE. HE DID A GOOD JOB BRINGING THE VICTIM BACK TO LIFE. I FELT, AT TIMES, LIKE I'D KNOWN HER. SOMETIMES HE WENT A LITTLE OVERBOARD WITH THE FIANCE AND HIS FEELINGS.IT WAS A TRAGIC STORY TO TELL BUT HE HANDLED IT WELL.

A very good book. It is a collection of article by scholars, not media or politicians. We used it for a class on US intelligence and national policy (for security) at our university (National Defense Intelligence College)