True Crime Books

People today look upon the custom with contempt. Not completely unjustly. But everybody's worldview is ultimately based on unprovable premises and the contempt is usually based on the equally assumption that either God doesn't exist or doesn't care about the fate of a woman wronged. Under this assumption trusting justice to randomness is folly. As the opposite of that premise was generally held in those times, there is a superficial logic. It was not intended to be "might makes right" but "right gives might". The error was, as the author indicates that it "tempted God"; that is tried to force his hand. It would be the equivalent of a lawyer rushing into a jury room and demanding that they give a verdict right away, which is of course contempt of court. I say all this, not to condone the practice, but to attempt to filter out such elements of the condemnations that come from chronological snobbery. Our descendants will after all probably sneer at us just as much as we sneer at our ancestors.
The authors plain sympathies are with the plaintiffs. As, upon reading the book, are mine. Of course part is that male protective instinct that some will call chauvinism and others will call civilized sensibility but most will agree is preferable to Le Gris' type of instinct.
Marguerite, comes across as a grand lady. She was brave, virtuous, and strong of heart. Like many reviewers, I agree: she is the best character.
Jean is pitched to a less high note. He is in fact a rather ruffianly fellow and indeed his pride and quarrelsomeness helped provoke the incident. But there are almost no quarrels where there is no wrong on both sides even if it is obvious where the fault truly lies. And while courage can hardly be said to cover every fault, it can at least be strike awe even when coming from the most imperfect. Jean was willing to trust his wife in suspicious circumstance. And to prove his loyalty he was not just hazarding his life for her, which is to be expected of a knight and a husband. He also hazarded his good name and(as he thought) his eternal fate.
Of course this romantic way of looking at it only holds true if Le Gris really was guilty. Marguerite could have identified the wrong man. Or covered up an adultery. All this is conceivable. But that is not the author's opinion. And he makes a fair case that he is right.
This book is a fascinating insight into a curious custom. It is also a grand yarn of honor vindicated.

Jason Taylor(son of John Taylor)

Eric Jager does a marvelous job bringing the late middle ages to life. He uses the story of the infamous duel between Carrouges and Le Gris as a backdrop for an in-depth look at civil life during the period, which is surprisingly similar to our own. In addition, Jager masterfully builds the suspense and makes you care about the outcome like any good crime writer should. This book is a lot of fun and you'll learn something too.

Watched by the King of France, and an avid audience, two men in armor are enclosed in an arena. Armed with their wits, strength and skill, they will fight to the death, with only one man to leave the arena alive. Above, on a scaffold, a woman dressed entirely in black stands. If her champion dies, she will be taken be burnt alive at the stake for the crime of prejury.

Is this a Hollywood film, perhaps? Or a segment on the History channel?

No, it's the very last trial by combat in France, in the year 1387. It was the scandal of its day, and where an old friendship between two men turned into a vicious feud and finally led them both to a showdown where only one man would remain alive. Jean Froissart wrote about it in his Chronicles, and it spurred many stories and legends, and entered into public and romantic imagination -- Sir Walter Scott used it as the climax in his novel Ivanhoe and it has still some remnants in today's world.

Author Eric Jager shifts through old chronicles, notebooks, and legends to put together the truth. In the area of France known as Normandy, two men of knightly birth started out as friends, both of them vassals of a Count Pierre. Jean Carrouges was a knight, fought as a mercenary, and sought to gain more lands and add to his family name. He had a friend, named Jacques Le Gris (the grey) who was a squire (not quite a knight), but also a skilled fighter. Perhaps Le Gris had a more personable character, but as both men grew older, it was Jacques who was favored by the Count in land settlements, while Jean seemed to be forgotten and overlooked. Soon, fueled by jealousy, the two friends had turned into bitter rivals.

But Jean married a young heiress, Marguerite, for his second wife. She was modest, beautiful and an heiress to a sizable estate. Alas, she and Jean had no children, despite several years of marriage. After a time, Jean was off settling a dispute that lasted for several weeks, and Marguerite was alone in the care of her mother in law.

When Jean returned, his wife had a curious story. Ashamed, but proud, Marguerite told him late one night that Jacques Le Gris had come to her home and with the help of one of his men, brutally raped and beaten her. She had the bruising to prove it, and maintained that it had been rape. Even worse, she was pregnant, with possibly a longed-for son.

The husband sided with his wife, and together they went to their lord, Count Pierre, to see justice done. But the Count sided with Le Gris, and the couple were left with only one choice for justice -- to go to the King and appeal.

It's quite a story. And there is plenty of documentation to back it up as actually having happened. Jager also goes into the laws of inheritance and honor. And women -- one very large problem to Marguerite's claim in the eyes of the medieval mind was that she was pregnant. To them, a woman turning up pregnant after crying rape was thought to be lying -- pregnancy was thought only to occur if a woman enjoyed a sexual encounter, and that said that she had been a willing participant, not a victim.

I won't tell you how the tale turns out, but the author manages to mix in history and legend into a thrilling excursion into the past. He also remains true to the mindset of the period, and how religion played a part in resolving a difference. Here, it was thought that God would favor the winner in a combat, and justice would have been determined. While the style does get a bit florid in places, it's also a very enjoyable read.

Halftone illustrations from contemporary manuscripts, maps, and photographs of armor illustrate the volume, and there is an extensive series of footnotes and bibliography. It's well researched, and the tale of what happened afterwards is just as interesting as the story of the duel itself. If you are fan of the middle ages, this doesn't loose any of the romance of the period, nor does it get so wrapped up in the details.

The last paragraph of the book pretty well says it all:
"In its private and illegal later form, the 'duel' only dimly reflected the solemn grandeur of its medieval golden age, when angry nobles challenged each other and threw down the gauntlet, then sheathed themselves in armor, swore heavy religious oaths before priests, and spurred their warhorses onto a walled field to fight it out before thousands of witnesses with lance and sword and dagger, putting at risk their word and their honour, their fortunes and their lives, and even the salvation of their immortal souls. The world was not to see the like of such spectacles ever again."

An truly well-researched and dramatic story. Highly recommended.

I love this type of book. The author paints a vivid picture of the society the duellists live in - its customs and values and does a great job of linking these to their emotions and motivations. He describes the places where the action took place in detail, providing pictures and telling the reader where they were and what they are - or are not - now. Having created the world in which the duel took place, and the background, the account of the duel itself is riveting. All in all an excellent book.

Zimring and Hawkins provide a thorough and well-documented analysis of the reasons why homicide in America is so much more pervasive than in other industrialized countries. For journalists such as myself, this is one of the indispensible works. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand America's crime problem.

I have used this book in several classes (In Florida & SC--so I am happy that Inga isn't one of my students)w/ great success. Changing the frames of CJ policy is crucial, expecially after this most recent election (it may be over by the time you see this). In sum: Lethal criminal violence sets the US apart, and much of what we do about it is irrelevant &/or misguided. Zimring's formidable data analysis is convincing--not that we embrace simplistic and ineffective programs like capital punishment, 3 strikes, or gun registration--but that we have much more work to do. Zimring's calls for inductive policy development highlight the difficult and ongoing choices that we will make. We can either continue the haphazard & simplistic policies of the [year 2000] presidential candidates (& at least one college freshman) or we can actually prepare to do some hard work.

Ok, if you're thinking of buying it, first ask yourself "is misery really my friend?" if the answer is "yes" then by all means go buy this book. Of course if you have to read it for a class as i had to, I suppose you have no choice but to get it. I would tell you what its about, but my brain is still not back to normal functioning after trying to make sense of this garble. I think the title sums the whole thing up to be honest. Crime is not the problem, it's the lethal violence that is the problem. The book poses some questions, also suggests some vague answers. Ugh. Ewe. Spit spit. Have fun!

Reviewed by Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D., author of "The Human Predator".

"In addition to making the first DVD about H. H. Holmes available to viewers, John Borowski has done a great service by also publishing the four principle works by and about Holmes during the time of his arrest, as he awaited trial. Previously, one had to go to a place like the newspaper archives in Philadelphia to get access to these papers. Now they're all in one bound volume, along with provocative illustrations of the case and the infamous Chicago castle. In addition to Holmes's various "confessions," the volume includes the book penned by Detective Frank Geyer, as well as Robert Corbitt's description of the castle before it was destroyed and the analysis of evidence there - including bones and fine hair found in the stove. Holmes was so clever, it seems, that he would hire and discharge workmen each day so that no one could see what he was up to. It's fortunate that Borowski has been so interested in the case as to produce both a DVD and a bound collection of 19th century publications. Despite the availability of two excellent books devoted to Holmes in recent times, it's always valuable to read the documents from the relevant era."

This is Dillinger, from early childhood through his notorious days. The book captures everything you'd expect from a biography and gives the gangster enthusiasts enough mouth-watering drama. I love the timelines! Being from the midwest, I recognized many of the towns he targeted so this is a must read for fellow midwesterners and highly recommended for everyone else!

The authors seem to have forgotten the basics behind Dillinger, the guy was a cold blooded killer and thief...okay granted, a colorful and charming killer and thief, but a lowlife just the same. Instead, what we seem to get a glowing reivew of Dillingers life in crime, killing innocent cops who were doing their jobs and taking hard earned cash away from people who worked long and hard to make it and save it....in the depression.

My 1st "Dillinger" book and boy...it was a good one. I enjoyed the book and especially all the little extra facts etc. located in in the back.
I highly recommend!

In my opinion, one of the best and most underrated books written to date about John Dillinger. I picked up a copy by chance several years ago, not expecting much, and was soon totally engrossed. I feel that most of the contents are accurate (and certainly never before revealed in any published accounts I ever read) and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Dillinger saga.

I agree with the reviewer who recommends the Nash book.

As shocking as it may seem...
that book convinced me that the Feds killed a Dillinger imposter.

The death photos clearly show a 'Dandy'... and not Dillinger.
Lawrence liked to claim he was Dillinger...
and the woman in red used that fact to get herself.. and Dillinger, off the hook.

The thing that convinced me the most...
was not anything that was pointed out in the book...
but my own observation.
Look at the photo of the old man who claims to be Dillinger.
Yes, he looks quite different...
but look at the ears.
They are uniquely shaped... and they are identical to Dillinger's.

This wasn't even pointed out in the book.
Faces age... but ears retain their shape.

I enjoyed reading the book, but some of the things that the author hinged his analysis on, could be interpreted many ways. Another reviewer mentioned that English not being his native tongue, slips/verbiage could be attributed to that. That's true, but I guess one could also argue that maybe slips would be more readily apparent in someone not writing in their native tongue making his conduct more apparent in his words since he's not able to "weasel word" his explanations. But to me, the endorsements of the book/science were few and unknown. Perhaps this forensic science is still so new that we are just learning about it, or its a "junk science." Not sure, but I suggest the reader make his/her opinion. Certainly, profilers do look at writings for hints in a perp's psychological makeup, but whether it paints such a graphic and clear story is doubtful. Finally with the release of VanderSloot's covertly videotaped "confession" which I put more stake in, there was no mention of the K. brothers which makes one wonder.

With "Into the Deep", we return to the Natalee case, that horrible abduction and murder that won't go away. Author Hodges describes himself as "an experienced psychiatrist" and "forensic psychologist". ID is based entirely an email sent by Deepak Kalpoe to an American woman he had befriended. Hodges parses, picks, peruses and pores over the email from every conceivable investigative angle. ID is absolutely thought provoking and challenging. It demands the utmost in reader concentration. Also required is a basic familiarity with the Natalee case. Hodges' premise is that Deepak, in his rambling, ungrammatical, free flowing, and bizarrely punctuated message, "confesses" to the abduction, gang rape and dumping of Natalee Holloway's body into the sea off the black island of Aruba. The author draws a clear distinction between the conscious (Left) brain and the unconscious (Right) brain. The Left may deny guilt and cover up bad deeds-but the Right always wants to come clean. The email, according to Hodges, is Deepak's Right-influenced "confession". Strenuous attention is paid to use and placement-of periods, capitals, colons, quotes, parenthesis and spacing between words. Hidden meanings are also examined: "Holiday Inn" means "Holloway End" and "dropping Natalee off at the Holiday Inn" means she is "buried in the waters off the Holiday Inn". Besides the concentration mentioned above, ID requires an act of faith by the reader in the professional competence of the author. Fair Warning: Some of the findings here are very graphic and disturbing. Natalee must have suffered a gruesome death after she was gang raped. Those looking for light reading or basic true crime should stay away from "Into the Deep". The scenes depicted here may be uncorroborated but this reader had that sinking feeling that they are all too true to life. This reviewer has always wondered how these 3 quiffs can live with themselves. According to ID, Deepak cannot. Are their lives the living Hell that Beth predicted? How do they sleep at night? Are they seeing shadows in the dark? The bottom line is that "Into the Deep" is highly recommended. We true believers can only keep hope alive in this sad case. Will justice ever be done?

The analysis of Deepak's email message is thought provoking and makes sense in many ways. I certainly do think that he and his two cohorts are guilty of a heinous crime involving Natalee. However, when analyzing the email, what should be taken into consideration is the fact that English is not Deepak's native language, and it is obvious that he does not properly speak or write it. Because this was a typed email message, some of the the misspellings and "slips" might be attributed to those factors rather subconscious indicators of crime specifics. Indeed, the case for the analysis of thoughtprints in the message is definitely intriguing, but I think it may have taken in too much where improper use of English and spelling were obvious.

I recently read Dr. Hodges' book and in my humble opinion I believe it solves this horrific case. It is far more complex and ugly than most realize. Another writer wrote that perhaps it was God's saving grace that allowed Natalee to die because emotional recovery after such an experience would be next to impossible. If you truly want to know what happened that night in May I recommend this book because I believe it tells the whole shocking story. It brings to life aspects of the case that never crossed my mind but after reading this book it became so logical. There are so many factors that went into this crime from the time Natalee met Joran until her body was disposed of. I highly recommend this book. Judy from PA

. . . This guy tells you, based on Deepak's email to an older, female Amercian friend of Deepak's. Hodges dissects the email, line by line, to disclose the methods of means, opportunity and motive in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. As well as the panic that ensued afterward. The book utilizes three typefaces to distinguish between Deepak's email, what Deepak's thoughtprint is REALLY revealing and what Hodges interprets as having happened. Do I believe. YES. I always thought that this was a simple crime, perpetrated on an unassuming, conscious and hence, UNWILLING victim.

If you saw Talk Radio (the movie) you will like this book
I like the way they stooped the armored truck with a cardboard tube made to look like a bazooka
I never new the whole story until I read this book
Never new about how they twist bible passages to brainwash people.............

If you are a skinhead and think you know what it means to be one,or what this "movement" is all about. You must have read this book, if you haven't I suggest you do so you can get an idea about what it means to be a soldier in this war against ZOG!! This book tells the story of how Bob Matthews and the the rest of the Order took it straight to the Jew. A MUST READ FOR ANY WHITE RACIALIST

This is a "true crime" style account of Bob Matthews and The Order. It was a lot more fair and impartial than I expected. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination (and neither was The Order themselves) but even members of The Order have said it is more or less accurate except for minor details and the dialogue that the authors threw in. This is still a must read book if for no other reason its the best book about Bob Matthews and The Order that has been put out and is written in a way that keeps you interested the whole way through. Whether you consider them terrorists or freedom fighters you will probably get something out of this book.

"The Silent Brotherhood" is a well-researched and in-depth look at one of the most infamous domestic terrorist groups, The Order. It illustrates how alarmingly normal people can harbor deep and unrelenting passions against society.

You come a way with a sense of respect for both the FBI agents, who put a tremendous amount of effort into the case, and another strange sense of respect for Robert Jay Matthews, who becomes a sort of modern-day tragic hero. In the background, you have the other personalities of the far-right, who do provide quite the tapestry of characters.

I do fault the book on several fronts. One, I noticed a large number of typing errors into the end of the text. Two, since this was a second release, there should have been some updates on the other players. Third, the authors smear the entire militia movement with a broad brush. Most militias are nothing like the Order

Flynn and Gerhardt provide decent narrative and expository from both personal interviews (although they both failed to interview the broadest members of the Silent Brotherhood) and personal eyewittness accounts to bring you, the reader, at least a 15% portrayal of the actual story, while being 85% accurate in the telling.
Let the reader bear the burden of distilling the facts and lies of the parties involved; but none will come away from this book without feeling deep inside, a genuine appreciation of the nobility and courage of the men who comprise the modern day 'true believers' of racial tribalism, family, national survival, and the mystical interpolation of Blood. Read this to your children.

This book was much better than i first assumed it would be. Tony Accardo's exploits are well documented from early in his mob career all the way to his death. But Roemer,the author, tends to get in the way a little bit. He is the FBI agent that was after this guy, so he was fully aware of the vicious nature of Accardo and the Outfit as a whole. Yet he talks about Accardo as if he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Far too much praising of Accardo and self-promotion for my taste. But that aside, there isn't a boring moment in this book. It also clearly shows that Chicago held more power than all the east coast families combined. Overall, a very good read, if you can put up with the author.

Retired FBI Agent William Roemer (1926-1996) takes an interesting look at one of Chicago's most infamous mob bosses. Anthony "Big Tuna" Accardo (1906-1992) was a player in the syndicate from the prohibition-era 1920's until his death more than six decades later. Once complimented as "a real Joe Batters" by Al Capone for having killed another mobster with a baseball bat, Accardo had a mix of toughness, brains, and closed-mouthed brawn. As the author shows, these characteristics helped him rise through the syndicate ranks and avoid the downfalls (imprisonment, early death) of many associates. Accardo ran or helped rule the Chicago syndicate as boss, consiglieri, and finally as elder statesman. Readers also get a look at the Chicago mob and its many sources of illegal activities. The author regards his subject with a mix of distaste and respect, as did so many others in and out of law enforcement.

Roemer's books are very readable, but they suffer from a few doubtful claims and flirtations with the facts, not to mention some self-boasting by the author. Still, his easy-reading narratives on the Chicago mob are worth a look.

I find it amusing that every gangster biographer wants to elevate his subject to the level of being the most important figure ever in the history or organized crime. But one would expect a certain level of objectivity from a former FBI agent, even one who self-promoted himself for years as Chicago's number one Mob-buster. Roemer's admiration for adversary Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo is understandable in a way. Clearly one of the most untouchable mobsters of all time (though it is not true that he never spent a night in jail), Accardo's seventy year criminal career with no standing convictions shows he was no dumb hood. All the same, Roemer goes out of his way to inject Accardo into everything that ever happened in Chicago. His account of the Prohibition years is so far off the mark it's hilarious. He has Tony Accardo saving Capone from Hymie Weiss in the Hawthorne attack, which contemporary accounts credit to Frank Rio. He places Tony in New York with Jack McGurn, Anselmi and Scalise, and "a guy named Rio Burke" as the hitters of Frankie Yale in that city's first Tommygun killing. Strange, as I met the late Rio Burke and SHE never once mentioned handling a machine gun though she was a friend of Al Capone. Tony, McGurn, Anselmi and Scalise and "possibly Fred Burke" (in whose Michigan hideout the machine guns were found) are claimed to have been the St. Valentine's Day Massacre gunmen, on the basis of some bugged conversations Roemer claims to have heard years later and vaguely alludes to. More credible suspects, such as Gus Winkeler, who later ran Moran's former North Side territory for Capone and was highly publicized in the early Thirties, and Raymond "Crane-Neck" Nugent, who was once arrested at Capone's Miami estate, are dismissed as insignificant nobodies on the bare fringe of the Capone mob. Roemer goes on to have Accardo accompany Capone to the famous Atlantic City Mob convention, again at the expense of number one bodyguard Frank Rio, and conveniently oversteps the Philadelphia arrest and conviction of Capone and RIO by moving the meeting ahead one year to 1930. I find it amazing that a guy like Roemer could spend all that time investigating the Chicago Mob and display such little knowledge of its early years. No wonder the FBI took so long in catching up with organized crime! Roemer should have either stuck with the Fifties/Sixties time-frame he knew firsthand or else done some competent research on the pre-World War II era. As for the claim that Accardo had "more brains before breakfast than Al Capone had all day," well, like I said earlier, Tony's successful life in crime is impressive, and owes much to his low-key style but one doesn't need to distort history to emphasize this. And, when it all comes down to it, Capone was the guy who built the Chicago Mob and the guy who brought Accardo up through the ranks as well. Successful as he was, Tony was only following in Al's footsteps like so many others.

Finally there is a book about the man that was the driving force behind the Chicago Outfit.While Sam Giancana has the fame and if often credited as being the Outfit's boss in the 60's, little is there any mention of the man who put him there.This is a great overall book with plenty of history on the man who the law couldn't lay a hand on.If ever there was a "successful gangster" it was Accardo, and this book explains why.This is also a great book to famialize yourself with Chicago's major organized players from Al Capone down to Joe "The Clown" Lombardo.

Incredible. Here we have a retired FBI agent writing about a thug who he claims is the best godfather ever. He writes so admiringly about Tony Accardo that I really believe he wanted to give Joe Batters a foot massage, back rub and ticker-tape parade. I had to put the book down before I puked. True, the writer covers a lot of ground in his homage to this killer-thug and parasite, but it's all wasted by his glorification of a criminal.

So far this is the 10th book in Akashic's "Noir" series that I have read and it was more of a dud then I care to admit.
After reading the first "Brooklyn Noir" I was in love with the series but like many other things in life it is never as good as your first.
"Beef Kills" by Rosemarie Yu is the one noteworthy story.
The rest are a big yawn.

Brooklyn Noir bristles with urban grit and unique Brooklyn charm. You can hear the bustling streets, the babel of 50 languages, and you'll swear y ou can smell the chicken simmering on the stove. Excellent reporting from superb writers. Jess Korman's "The Creamflake Kid" is the cherry on the Charlotte Russe.

I just finished reading Crazy Ivan and found I couldn't put it down. Having put the USS Greenling in commission and being around during some of the earlier submarine 'adventures' I found very little that I could fault in your writing. Some of the nuke technical facts weren't quit right, but coming from a 'forward puck' it was close enough. I enjoyed your style and the stories more than I could ever say. Thanks for taking me back aboard.

Very well written. Contained material I did not know prior to reading the book.

W. Craig Reed needs to be veted out. I question many of the "facts" he speaks of. A submarine SCUBA diver getting closed circuit training, going along on a gas dive, riding in an SDV...come on! No Master Diver on his worst day would allow any of that to happen. His submarine details are marginal at best...it's STS! And, it's periscope photography school!

The book's a fair read as a fictional adventure, but ask any real Navy diver and he or she will say BS!

STS1 (SS/DV) 1982-95

Very disappointed. I'm ex-Royal Australian Navy and have a big interest in all things "Cold War". I thought that this book would add to the detail in "Blind Man's Bluff". Not so. The first half is a rambling diary of a sailor's life (including sexual references -who needs it?). The second half "alludes" to three major projects of the Cold War - Holy Stone, Ivy Bells and Boresight. I found more information on the web than was revealed in the book. I paid $15 to get the book from the US to Aust. as it's unavailable here - not happy Jan! (that's an Australian saying).
Don't bother.
John Bolton

I know other reviewers have stated that the book was "Hard to swallow" and "Exasperating" but I really liked it. The book was fast paced and reads easily. Mr. Reed has crafted an outstanding account of experiences that non-veterans (non-submariners) could only speculate about. While reading the book, one feels as if they are headed out on a WesPac. The story about the rat was great, and the sea snakes also added to the account. All in all, this was a great sea story and a credible account of service on cold war submarines.

Tight focus on the subject, the place and the people makes this history/tour guide fascinating and hard to put down. But it, then visit St. Paul.

You don't have to be from St. Paul to enjoy this book. It is one of my favorite Prohibition-Depression era gangster books. You got your Dillinger, Nelson, Barkers and the rest of the marquee names but then you also have Verne Miller, Holden & Keating and a vast array of others including the home growns like Dapper Dan Hogan, Leon Gleckman, the Gleeman Bros. One generally thinks of Chicago and New York City as the gangster paradises but the system St. Paul had in place proves otherwise. The treasure trove of photos is worth the cover price alone.

This is a great read for anyone who lives or works in St. Paul or just loves history.

Loved this book, I found out a lot of family history by reading this book!! Well written.

The book is a snoozer. Makes me wonder if the author got carried away with his parasitical attachment to the characters he embellished upon enough to blackmail the above reviewers. Really, don't bother.