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this2shallpass19
San Diego Super Charger's, CA
If you are interested in serial killers, this book is for you.
5 star rating

fan of true crime, love to read
Pros

    Informative, Lots of pictures, Big book


FEB
22
2009

True Crime: True Stories of the World's Infamous Murderers, Thieves and Con Artists — 

Like a lot of people, I have a morbid curiosity with serial killers and true crime in general.  When I saw the book True Crime: True Stories of the World's Infamous Murderers, Thieves and Con Artists, I had to get it.  It is filled with information about all the famous killers and crimes we have all heard about and some I never knew of.  The amount of information the book gives you is perfect - just a couple pages of each story's crime, history, ending and some pictures.

The chapters in True Crime are broken down into crime categories:

  • Outlaws and Anarchists
  • Ill-Gotten Gains
  • Miscarriages of Justice?
  • Mobsters and Monsters
  • Serial Killers
  • Assassination
  • The Act of Murder
  • Crimes of Passion
  • Kidnappings

Outlaws and Anarchists goes through some of the infamous Wild West myths and legends.  It mentions William Henry McCarthy, better known as Billy the Kid, Jesse James and of course Bonnie and Clyde.  It also includes the murders in Munich, along with several others.

Ill-Gotten Gains includes stories on the Great Train Robbery that took place in Europe during 1963 and the Enron stock market scandal that happened in 2001.

Miscarriages of Justice? includes Lizzie Borden who was presumed guilty of killing her father and step-mother with an ax, but later found not guilty at trial.  This section also goes over the sad history of lynchings, hangings and the story of Mississippi Burning along with the O.J. Simpson trial for murdering Nichole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

Mobsters and Monsters is an interesting section that includes the stories of: bootlegging during the Prohibition, Al "Scarface" Capone, who is claimed to be one of the most notorious gangsters and mobsters of all time, the infamous monster, Charles Manson, the Waco, Texas disaster of David Koresh and his followers, the Unabomber and the horrible, unspeakable crimes committed against American's on 9/11.

Serial Killers which is usually the most fascinating and interesting to most people, includes: Jack the Ripper, the Nuremberg Trials, Ed Gein, the Boston Strangler, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Son of Sam, the Green River Killer, the BTK Strangler, Jeffrey Dahmer and many more.  There are pictures of the killers as well as a couple of pictures of Jack the Ripper victims.

Assassination includes the stories of the assassinated: Abraham Lincoln, the Hitler Bomb Plot, JFK, Martin Luther King, the killing of Robert Kennedy in the Ambassador Hotel, and the murder of John Lennon.

The Act of Murder has the story of Jimmy Hoffa, and Scott Peterson who was found guilty of killing his pregnant wife Laci Peterson and her unborn baby.

Crimes of Passion has some of the most recent crimes we all know about: Harry Houdini, Black Dahlia, the Long Island Lolita (Amy Fisher) who had an affair with married, Joey Buttafuoco and tried to kill his wife Mary Jo, by shooting her in the head.  The Crimes of Passion chapter also includes the 1997 murder of Gianni Versace.

Kidnappings has all the famous kidnappings we have heard about over the years: the Lindbergh Baby, Patty Hearst and a few others.

The Scoop!

If you are interested in true crime, you will really enjoy this book.  It is filled with pictures, mug shots and hard-to-look-at murder victim photos.  This book includes 301 pages not including the alphabetized index of victims, murders and other criminals.

 

 

Last edited on Aug 25, 2009



I_thumb_up True Crime: True Stories of the World's Infamous Murderers, Thieves and Con Artists is recommended by this2shallpass19

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I_comment_shdw24 Comments about this2shallpass19’s Review

 


this2shallpass19 wrote on Mar 3, 2009 at 2:06PM

In response to SpokaneMan's comment from Mar 3, 2009 at 12:49PM:

This book is more my style because it includes mostly facts and pictures in an easy to read format. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is too story-like.

SpokaneMan wrote on Mar 3, 2009 at 12:49PM

You were right, this does sound like one I would be interested in. :)

AnnaBanana wrote on Feb 28, 2009 at 5:02PM

In response to this2shallpass19's comment from Feb 28, 2009 at 9:53AM:

You're cute! Yes, sometimes I watch that. "Cold Case Files" (true life) are another favorite of mine. Have you ever seen the "Autopsy" series on HBO? Some of it takes a strong person to watch but it is always fascinating. I think that we are fascinated by being able to watch or read about dark dangerous things while we are in a safe setting. You wouldn't want to think about scary stuff like this if you were walking down a dark alley late at night, which I hope y ou don't do!

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 28, 2009 at 9:53AM

In response to AnnaBanana's comment from Feb 28, 2009 at 6:34AM:

I am addicted to true-crime books. I know you like Ann Rule book, too :) Have you ever seen the show on the A&E channel called The First 48? It is just like CSI except there are real dead bodies...

AnnaBanana wrote on Feb 28, 2009 at 6:34AM

ATTAGIRL! Now're you're talking! This sounds like one that Grandpa and Grandma Bowen would have loved! Most of my family are true crime buffs. Thanks for an entertaining review!

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 27, 2009 at 5:18PM

In response to MikeMaroon's comment from Feb 27, 2009 at 2:44PM:

Sorry, I should have listed the ISBN # with the review. I am glad you found it. P.S. I have seen it on half.com before. Have a good day!

MikeMaroon wrote on Feb 27, 2009 at 2:44PM

In response to this2shallpass19's comment from Feb 27, 2009 at 10:21AM:

I finally DID find it at some online NY bookstore.

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 27, 2009 at 10:21AM

In response to MikeMaroon's comment from Feb 26, 2009 at 11:55PM:

Do you mean, you can't find this book?

MikeMaroon wrote on Feb 26, 2009 at 11:55PM

In response to this2shallpass19's comment from Feb 26, 2009 at 9:13PM:

Yes, but the trouble is, I can't find it on any of the usual suspect web sites!

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 26, 2009 at 9:13PM

In response to MikeMaroon's comment from Feb 26, 2009 at 8:44PM:

It's kind of addicting, isn't it :) Thanks for reading!

MikeMaroon wrote on Feb 26, 2009 at 8:44PM

This sort of stuff has always interested me. Thanks for the great review!

GigiandAdonai wrote on Feb 24, 2009 at 1:52PM

In response to this2shallpass19's comment from Feb 24, 2009 at 1:44PM:

His was a killing spree that went on for years like Dahmer and Green Mile River Killer. I think he was incarcerated in the 80s and 90s and electrocuted in either the late 90s or early 2000s. I'll google it and get back with you. Oh, and I don't know what his real name was.

So, will you start Tenth Circle today? I'm making homemade chicken & dumplings this evening and I will start the book too! This one has cartoon drawings in it!! Let me know how many pages yours has. If we don't have the same book format (paperback or hardcover) we can use the chapters as a guideline for when we can talk about something. Like if we both get past chapter 7 then we know we can mention something.

Let me go--I have a lot to do since I was out yesterday :+(

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 24, 2009 at 1:44PM

In response to GigiandAdonai's comment from Feb 22, 2009 at 5:31PM:

I wouldn't add a book like this to the Bookworms reading list, I know exactly what types of books you read.

When was Peewee Gaskins killing people?

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 23, 2009 at 10:14AM

In response to CyndiA's comment from Feb 23, 2009 at 9:56AM:

Wow! That happened in elementary school? That is horrible. Now the whole family, or what's left of it, is ruined. I don't have any interesting stories like that :)

CyndiA wrote on Feb 23, 2009 at 9:56AM

When I was in elementary school, one of the local teens chopped up his father. His mother told him the father had been invaded by aliens and was going to destroy the earth. No. I'm not kidding. The Mom went to the mental hospital. Kid went to jail. That's when I got interested in true crime. That was one odd case and esp reading about it as maybe a 5th grader.

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 23, 2009 at 12:49AM

In response to Fardreamer's comment from Feb 22, 2009 at 9:55PM:

Thank you! Besides this book, I am not familiar with Nick Yapp either. I think he writes generational books on specific decades. Thanks for reading my review!

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 22, 2009 at 10:11PM

In response to CyndiA's comment from Feb 22, 2009 at 9:30PM:

Me too! It is so fascinating. I'm sure some people think we are weird for liking this stuff :)

Fardreamer wrote on Feb 22, 2009 at 9:55PM

Cool review! I've never read anything by Nick Yapp, but I probably should check this book out. Kudos!

CyndiA wrote on Feb 22, 2009 at 9:30PM

I've loved true crime for years. Will have to check this out.

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 22, 2009 at 5:49PM

In response to GigiandAdonai's comment from Feb 22, 2009 at 5:31PM:

I love these kinds of book, movies, etc... I am fascinated by all of it!

GigiandAdonai wrote on Feb 22, 2009 at 5:31PM

I'm glad this isn't on The Bookworms reading list b/c I would be having nightmares while reading this. I did watch the Green Mile River Killers miniseries so I could record it for Debbie. And a bit of trivia: Peewee Gaskins, a serial killer was in SC and was electrocuted here several years ago.

this2shallpass19 wrote on Feb 22, 2009 at 4:49PM

In response to LaurieM's comment from Feb 22, 2009 at 4:41PM:

It makes a great coffee table book. Everyone who comes over can't help but open it and start reading :)

LaurieM wrote on Feb 22, 2009 at 4:41PM

Very interesting review! I don't think I could get into this though because I get too scared! :/


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