True Crime Books

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.

This book is just uncredible. Obviously things are happening beyond our expectations, but facts related here are really over the hedge ! Second half of the book is breathtaking.

I enjoyed this book very much. I am from Decatur, IL and it was fun reading about places and people that I was familiar with. Can't wait til the movie comes out!

In short, this is a terrific book - a complex and absorbing read that has all the adrenaline and page-turning mojo of John Grisham's or Joseph Finder's best, while at the same time exposing graft, greed, corruption and bureaucratic bungling that, were this not a true story, would be discarded as being too unbelievable. It is also an exceptional character study, well drawn, sensitive, and convincing - one of those rare books that will have you telling friends and family "You've got to read this book."

Mark Whitaker, the "informant", was a young, high flying, near genius senior executive - a division president in global food processing mega-giant ADM. Whitaker reports an attempt at corporate espionage and extortion from a Japanese competitor, and ADM brings in the FBI to track it down. Soon the case moves from extortion to price fixing, and Whitaker as turned informant, an unprecedented boon for the Feds to have someone on the inside with this much clout and credibility. But as a convoluted story unfolds to the FBI Special Agents working the case, inconsistencies and developments of increasing incredulousness start stacking up, Whitaker's motivations come under scrutiny. Clearly there is more to this guy than he is telling, and a hidden agenda - perhaps multiple hidden agendas - which always seem to be just inches out of the FBI's grasp. The intensity ratchets up as the stories of ADP and Whitaker and the boldness and stupidity of their respective scams escalate, reaching a climax as mind-boggling as the journey there.

Author Kurt Eichenwalt, a reporter for the New York Times, does a remarkable job taking an extremely complex case, arcane anti-trust law, and Mr. Wizard-class science, and making it readable, understandable, and most important, entertaining. And give him credit for keeping politics and political commentary to a minimum - yet whether you're Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, expect to shocked - if not sickened - at the decidedly unhealthy bond between big business and the politicians whose hands are in their pockets. Sure, you'd be naive not to know corruption at the highest levels is far too common, but the blatant audacity depicted here is beyond frustrating - and all too relevant today as more and more corn-based ethanol finds its way into our gas tanks.

"The Informant" should be required reading for every Business and Law School, but is at the same time deserves broad appeal on the strength of the characters, the painstaking research and detail which adds depth and credibility without adding tedium, and a plot with more twists than a whole season of "The Twilight Zone." There's something for everyone here, and is perhaps the best non-fiction business book of all time, this one should definitely be on your "must read" list.

This is the second of Eichenwald's books I've read, and it is engrossing, involving and manages to take in the complexities of price-fixing in an easy to understand manner.

Regarding Lamet Vov's review - if you read the book you'll see why the Lamet Vov is so negative about the book. Clearly Whitacre is a complex, conflicted protagonist, and pointing out these human traits goes against Mr. Vov's (who appears in the book) single minded desire to raise Whitacre to a heroic level and to oust the Andreases.

International conspiracy, never-ending twists and turns, high-tech spy gadgets, cladestine meetings, wild plotting and scheming and larger than life characters - make this an "I can't stand to put it down" book.

Eichenwald has done a masterful job of taking a real and complex series of events and persornalities and bringing them into a fast-paced business thriller that's as good as any Joseph Finder corporate thriller, and even better because it really occurred.

Among true mobster stories, this book rates well for its nonstop depiction of events and exceptional character development. Henry Hill's narration provides considerable depth into the personalities of his cohorts allowing the reader to grasp the motives and mindsets of true gangsters as they pull of heist after heist. To give further credence to this book, my wife, who despises the very existence of the mob, also found this book enthralling, even in disgust.

Wise Guy details the life of Henry Hill from a young impressionable boy stumbling into crime to his life as a full fledge mobster. Henry's relationship with some made men in the Italian Mafia add intrigue; however it is his close friendship with fellow gangsters Tommy and Jimmy that prove to be the most fascinating as their personalities create a whirlwind of interest.

Henry eventually brings his own life to a halt due to his drug use and trafficking, and ends up entering the witness protection program by ratting out his friends and associates. This story has so many interesting twists and turns one wonders if Henry was not also guilty of embellishing his own life story to add further romance to the idea of the life of a wise guy. Whether one fully accepts every aspect of the book or views it as merely guided view on an otherwise despicable life, one has the luxury of finding out within a fully engrossing book.

good fellas was based on this book and this book was really based on a rat there is no good guys only foolish not so good not so attached to humanity type guys. the outline of the book and the movie stayed the same just like with casino

If you've seen the movie, then you've read the book. And that's a testiment to the movie producers because this book is awesome.

GREAT book. It's great to read about Henry Hill, of whom the movie Goodfellas was made. A must for any fan of Goodfellas!

If you've seen the movie GOODFELLAS and remain curious about the book...then definitely check out Nicholas Pileggi's "Wiseguy."

This is the whole story of "Henry Hill," the lower level mobster who could never be made (he was not a full-blood Italian) but was such a great earner that he made his own place in the Mob.

I'm a huge fan of GOODFELLAS and it's great to see how Scorsese & Company bring the book to life. You'll often run across lines of dialogue straight from the narrative that ended up in the movie. And the book is fascinating and chilling reminder that this stuff really happened.

But the book also fills in the story that the movie could only touch on. Henry's military service was completely left out of the film but is discussed here, a funny chapter about how he applied his mob money-making methods while serving his country. The book also discusses their biggest heist in detail, something not shown in the film (Henry hears of the heist while taking a shower and we never see or hear about how they pulled it off). Pileggi does a great job of weaving in New York and Mafia history as Henry tell his story.

All in all, "Wiseguy" is definitely a book for anyone interested in the Mafia, a lean, fast-moving biography that sheds much more light on the GOODFELLAS phenomenon.

I've read about half the book and I enjoy it very much. It's the best book I've read on this topic from a complete historical and objective perspective.

I've read this book and a few other Mafia books and I can say that after reading this one this is by far the best one. It is a very throughly researched and accurate account of the five main mafia families in the united states. It describes many different individuals in each family from the lowest soldier/associate to the heads of the family themselves.The book also describes about the power that the five mafia families executed throughout the whole New York City area from the beginning of the 1900's up until the 1980's when the were being sought after much more by the FBI and Rudy Gilliani, which eventually led to many of them being prosecuted and convicted.

Definitely worth the read, particularly if you are interested in exploring New York Mafia. Rita Schiano, author of "Painting the Invisible Man."

As an avid mob book reader, I found this book to be an extremely good read. A lot of the things about the New York families pretty much has been documented in other books, but it helped me figure out the complex way New Jersey is divided among the families. If you're a vet like myself at reading up on the mob, this may not excite you as much. But if you're a novice then this book is for you.

This book is the best MAFIA book written thatIve read yet. A very thorough, inclusive book where the authir is able to best describe the attributes of both the mafia lowlifes who prey on innocent people and the cops who chase them. In each description of each mafiosa, we see who they cower and betray any honorable code that they swore to.

Actually, theory was made from experience of real world. But, when we try to adjust it to real world, it isn't always available. Because during the book was wriitten, the real world was being changed. This book was wriiten by the authors who have experience of Intelligence community and they regreted not to protect attack of terrorists. (i.e. 9/11) I recommend this book them who have seek to the way to keep the security of nation.

Robert M. Clark's "Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach" is an up-to-date, practical manual on the conduct of analysis in the context of the current global war on terrorism. This manual is well suited for classroom use for intelligence professionals, whether in the military, in civilian government agencies, or private industry.

Clark divides his topic into three principal sections. In the first, he provides a detailed break-down of the target-centric approach as the collaborative, interactive, information network-enabled analysis that has replaced the hierarchial stovepipe architecture of the Cold War.

In the second section, on modeling, Clark explains in clear and understandable language the process by which analysts synthesize available information into a conceptualization of the intelligence problem. This key step produces the basis to which analysts will apply predictive analysis.

The heart of the book is Clark's exploration of the techniques and potential pitfalls of predictive analysis. Clark discusses a variety of methods to approach analysis, along with their practical limits and familar challenges such as bias and customer interaction. His liberal use of examples from recent intelligence failures help make clear just what a challenging combination of art, science, and team effort good intelligence analysis should be.

This book is not without some faults. His definitions of Strategic, Operational, and Tactical intelligence are imprecise and not those commonly in use in, for example, the Department of Defense. Strategic intelligence is better defined by the level of the customer served and not by whether it is long range or short range. Similarly, his breakdown of the standard intelligence disciplines achieves simplicity at the expense of considerable accuracy. As an example, his explanation of TECHINT confuses the acquisition of foreign materials with their actual exploitation for intelligence value. It should be noted in Clark's defense that the U.S. Intelligence Community lacks standardization, which fault contributes to the challenges of collaboration.

This book is very highly recommended to intelligence professionals interested in a systematic and unclassified exploration of the techniques of good analysis.

This is a great book and necessary for anyone who wishes to really focus and direct thier thinking on a tactical and operational level. Although more of a government/ military oriented book, I can see some real world applications as well dealing with planning and organizing a plan of attack for any problem an organization is dealing with.

Most books about intelligence end up being boring discussions about the intelligence cycle or intelligence sources and never get to the heart of the process. Clark begins with a brief discussion about the intelligence process, but quickly focuses on why it is important to accurately define the problem that you are trying to assess. This step is often missed, even by seasoned intelligence analysts, who frequently leave many of their assumptions unclarified. Clark uses many references to actual historical case studies to make valid points about common failure tendencies. The real value of this book is in the area of predictions. Clark states rather emphatically that "(D)escribing a past event is not intelligence analysis; it is history. The highest form of intelligence analysis requires structured thinking that results in a prediction of what is likely to happen. True intelligence analysis is always predictive". He goes on to dedicate a sizeable share of remainder of the book to predictive techniques. Many who claim to be intelligence officers do not employ the predictive techniques describes in this book. Intelligence folks have a propensity to gravitate to current intelligence and retell what has already been told, while neglecting to take on the challenging task of predicting what is next. This is one of the best overview books on intelligence analysis. Highly recommended reading.

The book was very revealing into the structure and tactics the intelligence community has to go through in the new age of terrorism. Intelligence gathering methods of the past and of our fathers and grandfathers is no longer effective in this age of technology and political ideology.

This book was very good at pointing out the problems now facing the intelligence community and revealed some really good stratagies and techniques now being explored in the world of intelligence gathering.

I would recommend this book as a good read for any educational institution looking for a suppliment to their academic requirements.

This book details the ATF's extensive attempt to infiltrate the Hells Angels. The operation put the undercover agents through hell and produced nothing. The agents discovered that the Hells Angels displayed far more loyalty and genuine caring for them than their supervisors did. The operation was poorly run and poorly planned. Millions of dollars of taxpayer's money spent with no results. This book does provide a limited "insider's" view of the Hells Angels, but provides a better illustration of federal law enforcement's paranoia and obsession with biker clubs.

This book is absolute GARBAGE. A middle schooler could write a better book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I want my money back

I thought this book would be much better from the hype I read. No so as it is long and boring. Not much action, constant repeating and not much of a story. Maybe they could not tell much because of secrets not being allowed out. Yeah, that's it!

The job done by the cops - tough and respectable. The job done by the Angels - tough and respectable. The job done by the author - weak. Reads like a fiction novel.

This was absolutely the worst wriiten book I have ever read. The subject matter is great and should be very interesting and informative but the author DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO WRITE. It makes no sense and the characters are unidentifiable. It is very unfortunate the ATF agents risked their lives and allowed the author to butcher their story. Please do not waist your time or money on this book like I did.

M. William Phelps stays true to his writing. This book kept me interested and I look forward to his next.

Once you start this book you can not put it down.
This is an excellent book by an excellent writer. This is an example of how all true crime books should be written. Look out Ann Rule you've got some competetion!!!

M. William Phelps continues to spin true horror stories with intense and precise decorum. Mr. Phelps has a way of not only telling a story, but his style will engross you from one page to the next. I like that the books he writes are not only fact driven, but his own research and interviews goes beyond the headlines.

If you are looking for a "page turner", look no further than "I'll Be Watching You", a fascinating look into the mind of a lost soul that even the Devil himself rejected. What Mr. Phelps has accomplished with this book is amazing. He crawls into the depths of a killers mind and exposes him as not only as pure evil, but also as someone who could be living right next door to any of us.

Read this book, it will change the way you look at that creep down the street or in your office. They are among us and that is the scary part.

Let's face it, Ned Snelgrove, aspired to be his hero, Ted Bundy, but he never got that famous like his hero. He was already in prison in New Jersey for murder and got off on good behavior after nearly killing a second woman. The author does an excellent job in explaining and detailing the lives of his victims, Mary Ellen, Karen, and Carmen as well as their families who suffered needlessly through the trauma of Ned's terror. For a young man who had a solid education and graduated from Rutgers University (my alma mater), he became a killer and rapist in New Jersey and his home state of Connecticut. Unfortunately, his last victim, Carmen, would catch him in his notorious lies. Of course, he did it. Carmen was seen leaving with him and nobody bought his story that he just dropped her off in the opposite direction of her apartment. Still, I am only three quarters through and it's an easy read with about 100 short chapters broken down into parts. There is no question that Ned is guilty of the murders of his college girlfriend, Karen Osmun, or Carmen, a beloved sister, mother, daughter, and grandmother. Her granddaughter died after her murder. Ned never amounted to be the serial killer with the likes of Ted Bundy, JEffrey Dahmer, or JOhn Wayne Gacy. Unlike them, he was much more sloppy, inefficient, and incompetent. He probably did not realize that Bundy was also a necrophiliac. He dumped Carmen's body in Rhode Island where she was found by Mr. Mareck, who knows personally what it is like to lose a loved one. His sister was murdered in the terrorist explosion of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988. He knows personally what it is like to lose a family member and not be able to find her. He found Carmen much to his own horror. The author paints a solid portrait of a crazed, brilliant sociopath criminal as well as the victims whose lives he claimed. Mary Ellen, the divorced mother and grandmother, survived but barely from her attack in 1987 while Carmen and Karen did not. Ned's crimes also took Karen's mother prematurely while Carmen's estranged husband in Puerto Rico died of a broken heart over her disappearance only two weeks after she was missing. Carmen would have never missed her daughter's baby shower or her birthday. Carmen was a fun loving woman who was vibrant and tried to overcome her hardship like her weakness for alcoholism. Karen had a promising future with a new boyfriend who treated her much better than Ned. She was killed right before Christmas in 1983. Her sister, Barbara, was pregnant and she would never get the chance to Aunt Karen. Phelps points these facts out about the loss of the victims. I thought the trial part was the least interesting part of the book because it becomes as always redundant and repetitive about Ned's lies and the facts about his guilt.

I AM OVER HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK AND THE MORE I READ THE BETTER IT GETS. THIS BOOK IS SO HARD TO PUT DOWN. MR. PHELPS DOES IT AGAIN!

Most citizens trust the justice system to do the right thing in enforcing the law. Actual Innocence provides an inside look at a criminal justice system that does whatever it takes to convict those who appear guilty, regardless of the truth. Overbearing prosecutors hide evidence of innocence; police ignore exculpatory evidence and alternative avenues of investigation to focus on someone they "like" for the crime; forensic scientists are incompetent or downright fraudlent; defense lawyers sleep through death penalty trials. Each chapter focuses on a part of the system that is vulnerable to wrongfully convicting capital defendants and uses actual cases to illustrate associated issues.

In the end, the authors take on the question of how the system can be improved and provide a laundry list of suggestions for reforms that would minimize chances of wrongful conviction. Every state and federal legislator should at least read this section. However, after reading the book, it is worth asking how many cases of wrongful conviction cannot be righted because of the lack of DNA evidence. This has serious implications for use of the death penalty.

This is an engaging and accessible book written in a compelling style. In the years I have assigned it for a college level course, countless students have reported that it changed their ideas about the criminal justice system.

This is a compelling study and points out how easy it is to circumvent the law. The cases cited and other cases won probably represent the tip of the iceberg of the real number of wrongful convictions, most of which will not have the possibility of exonerating DNA evidence. America has become a country with the "rule of man" rather than the "rule of law", a sad reflection on the justice system.

Easy read, if you don't know how the criminal justice system "really" works, this is an excellent introduction. I'm in law school so already pretty familiar with the injustice that happens in our system. The book clearly demonstrates some of the many things that can go wrong through actual stories.

I was not sure about this book after I watched the trial of OJ but really Barry and the others are doing a great job proving that innocent people do go to prison and I really didin't realize how bad it was as my husband worked in the judicial system in California for over 30 years. I think it is a must for anyone that may ever be called upon to serve on a jury. I have a new outlook on positive identificiations. I have always been for the death penalty but now I am not so sure. I sure don't like to think about how many innocent people have died due to mistakes and cold hearted lawyers.
Well done Barry but I still believe OJ did it but there was not enough proof especially after all of the games people played, but then this book was not about OJ or people that may have been guilty it is about people that have been proven innocent without a doubt. I would rather have an OJ acquited than to see an innocent man or woman on death row.

If you are at all involved in the criminal justice system or simply like watching Law & Order, this book is a MUST read. The authors are the founders of the Innocence Project, which strives to exonerate the wrongly convicted. Each chapter examines aspects of "what went wrong" in the convictions of people who are completely innocent. The authors also give detailed accounts of people they have helped to exonerate. As a soon-to-be law school graduate, this book is truly an eye-opener, and will certainly guide me in my future career. It's shocking at how easily the innocent can be (and have been) convicted of heinous crimes, and at how difficult it is for them to gain even a chance to prove their innocence.

Again, this book is a must read. It's a quick read, but will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.

Its a pretty in depth look at the biker gang and clubs.I am a motorcycle rider and I ride a chopper and it still shocks me that the mass people think that we are a bunch of drug addicts or drunks well its not true so read and LEARN.............

This book is really just a combination of stories from several other books. I have read many other books on this topic so I found the book to be old news, but still worthy of a read. If your only going to read one book on bikers this would be a good choice.

A superb and tantalising book that looks at the life of what one reviewer has described as "the last free people in society". Art Veno's collection of first hand accounts of motorcycle gangs both reinforces some myths about them but, at the same time, explodes others. It is not all sex, drugs and rock and roll in bikie land, though, thankfully, there is plenty here about the sexual mores and rather exotic sexual practices of those who defy the conventions of "normal" society. But the book is much more than just a snapshot into the private lifes of the bikie sub-culture. it is also a rivetting account of the politics and social structure of motorcycle gangs. At the same time it shines a torch on our own society and the hypocrisy and cant that we sometimes preach. A rivetting read.

In this impressive tome, Arthur Veno collects 40 first-hand accounts from various biker insiders and observers. In addition to classic reports penned by Daniel Wolf and Sonny Barger, Veno digs deep into biker history and lore, uncovering many gems along the way.

Consider this, an excerpt from a 1947 San Francisco Chronicle article detailing efforts by Hollister police to force a "lull in the terrorism" at the town. "Armed with tear gas guns," it reads, "the officers herded the cyclists into a block on San Benito Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, parked a dance band on a truck and ordered the musicians to play. Hundreds of individuals who invaded the town yesterday for the motorcycle show, about 10 percent of them women, halted their riotous 'play' to dance."

In The Mammoth Book Of Bikers, this antagonistic--often-comical-- relationship between bikers and the police is laid bare. Veno deftly shows that this relationship-- fueled by a sensational press-- is symbiotic at its core. As one Hell's Angel put it bluntly to Hunter S. Thompson: "Of course I don't like to read all this... because it brings the heat down on us, but since we got famous we've had more... women come looking for us than we ever had before. Hell, these days we have more action than we can handle." Veno's book goes a long way at deconstructing myths about bikers-- while at the same time adding to the allure of the One Percenter lifestyle.

This book is fabulous. Mcginniss really knows how to write a great true crime story. This is the most detailed book I have read on the Kissell family. It goes much much deeper into details than a family cursed.
If you like true crime you'll love this one!!
If I could give it more stars I would!!!

This is the sad, but true, story of love, greed and tragedy. The author gives the reader the backgrounds of Robert Kissel and Nancy Keeshin, the family situations they were each brought up in, how they met, their early married years, his meteoric rise in the investment banking industry, her enjoyment of their over-the-top wealth, their life in Hong Kong, and the decline of the marriage. Neither Rob nor Nancy is a paragon of virtue; greed runs Rob's father and brother; Nancy is a demanding, obnoxious snob.

The author says he had help from both families writing this book, so it must be close to the truth. Only the names of the children were changed. It's sad that money causes so much greed that a family is destroyed because zillions of dollars is never enough.

This is not the kind of story I usually pick up, but it's always interesting to see how the other half lives. And it's definitely a quick read.

I read the other book regarding the Kissel tragedy which befelt Robert and Andrew Kissel. They were the sons of Bill Kissel, founder and owner of Synfax Company. This book at first regarding the Kissels really shocked me because it's so much more detailed the previous book on the case. One of the reasons that I held off reading it was because I knew the case from television and the other book. When I picked up this book, I couldn't stop myself from reading it. It begins with Nancy telephoning her father. The author has done his homework in helping the reader understand Nancy's personality and psychology as well as the Kissel family clan whose hostilities and tensions which not only include sibling rivalry but the family's obsession on making money and ruining the family in order to get it. The author shows the patriarch Bill Kissel as the lone male survivor who has to bury his own sons after they are both murdered in separate instances. Nancy who was married to Rob, the ideal son who went to college and became a brilliant banker in Hong Kong, ended up in a rug in the basement of the condo complex where he stayed with his wife and children and servants. Sadly, Rob realized money didn't always take care of things until it was too late. Nancy had drugged and murdered him to get together with a cable guy in Vermont. She is now in a Hong Kong Prison for life. Then brother Andrew has made his millions in the old fashioned way by cheating, stealing, deceiving, and robbing people blind until he is caught. His death has been ruled a homicide but the question of who murdered him is still unclear. Still this book is gripping with McGinnis' writing to help explain Nancy possible behavior behind killing her husband. Andrew's case is still pending. But Nancy's cable guy is still living in a trailer with his new wife and has requested that the prison no longer send her letters to him a year after her conviction. I don't know why nobody noticed Nancy's behavior before like her snapping back at Aids-stricken friend, Alison Gertz, on her wedding day as she tried to educate her or when Nancy and her mother, Jean, fought to the near death. Nancy cuts people off and you never hear from her again. Still, I recommend this book as one of the best true crime books out there today.

The famous saying "The Rich are Different" is not true in all respects. For instance, a rich wife, unhappy with her husband, and one who could have easily lived as a divorced person on her half of her husband's $18 million estate, kills him instead, just like poor people sometimes do. And tries to cover it up, about as clumsily as anyone could possibly imagine. And then adopts the battered woman's syndrome defense, only without any credible evidence. Set this tale in a Hong Kong luxury condo, and within an American family of huge wealth and mutual hostilities, and you have a grim morality tale, but a good read. It is not as fascinating a case as "Fatal Vision" or "Cruel Doubt", two of Joe's previous crime sagas, but it is well worth reading if you like this kind of journalism.

As soon as I heard Joe McGinniss had a new book coming out I came to Amazon and pre-ordered it. I've been a fan of McGinniss's work since "Fatal Vision" so the news that he was returning to the True Crime genre and writing about the Kissel murders had me counting the weeks until publication. I wanted to love this book but ... maybe my expectations were too high. McGinniss has written three True Crime classics but this isn't his fourth.

The raw material is there: unstable Nancy Kissel, work-obsessed Robert his appearances obsessed, corner cutting brother Andrew and their repugnant father, glam expat lifestyles, fights over vacation homes, etc. What's missing is the greater context McGinniss so brilliantly provided in his previous books. These people don't seem to say anything about the way we live now, they're just generally appalling.

The book losses steam about three-quarters of the way through. It reads as if McGinniss totally lost interest or his publisher demanded that he complete the book within a certain timeframe. Not having the Andrew Kissel murder solved can't have helped but that alone doesn't explain the tacked on, hurry up and finish ending.

I can't recommend this book for True Crime or McGinniss fans, it doesn't deliver on any level, not even as an "instabook." Let's hope McGinniss returns to form with this his next book. I'll still be pre-ordering when he does.