No comments about The World's Most Notorious Crooks (Edge Books).

3 comments about Memoirs of an Italian Terrorist.

1. This is a riveting and chilling true-life account of the Red Brigades and one of its members. I couldn't put it down. I also recommend The Cyclops Hammer. It is also about the Red Brigades, but is fiction. However, it blends fiction with historic fact. It's a must-read for anyone interested in this group.



2. With all the chatter about terrorism, this little book fills a gap with its unique insight into the mind of a terrorist. Written by an unnamed young man who joins a terrorist cell in Italy, this book neither glamorizes the life of a terrorist, nor does it condemn it.
   For anyone who wants to try to understand what might motivate someone to become a terrorist, this book is approachable. Since the author is a European, readers might find it easier to identify with him.



3. This book takes on a lot of issues, some of them with sensitivty that would surprise certain readers more accustomed to looking at 'terrorists' as something other than people. And this is the books main draw. As some sort of scathing indictment of the oppression of life under capitalism, as a revolutionary call to arms for today's generation...this book fails. But not that Giorgio even tries. This is also not a detailed analysis of the 'years of lead' in Italy or any time thereafter; This is not a critique of society. No, it's somthing much more personal, something deeper.

   It's a look into the mind of a young man driven by moral decency to take up arms, a stirring account of one giving up everything dear to fight for what is just and right.

   So if you're looking for the latter rather than the former, this is your book.

   A must read for anyone who would blindly brush social revolutionaries off as 'misguided youngsters' or anything of that nature.

No comments about Vida y aventuras del más célebre bandido sonorense, Joaquín Murrieta: sus grandes proezas en California.

4 comments about Crash Out: The True Tale of a Hell's Kitchen Kid and the Bloodiest Escape in Sing Sing History.

1. Every April I Was At The Ceremony Near The Front Gate For CO Hartye And PO Fagan. Days I Worked From 1984 To 1999, My 15 Years As A CO At Sing Sing. The Book Was Excellent. I Knew Well The Authors Brother Ken, He Was A Sargeant When I First Arrived And An LT, The W/C or SS 9 When I Left. He Used To Call Me Flanagan And Was A Top Notch Guy. The Story Of The Background Of The Shopping Bag Gang, How It Was In The City, Just The Plain History Of It Kept Me Glued To This One. Having Been A Part Of The Facility For Such A Long Time And Being Able To Picture This All Helped Alot Too. If You've Ever Been A CO This Is A Must.



2. This book tells the tragic story of Whitey Riordan who was executed for murder after a murderous breakout from Sing Sing Prison in 1941, this book contends that he was not a killer and l agree with it. However the book is more than that it is a well researched and written historical book that brings to back to life for the reader a time, place and people and tells their story.
   
   The book is divided into three parts, part one tells the story of the lives of Whitey and the Shopping Bag Gang and gives a good overall perspective of life in Hells Kitchen of New York in the early 20th century. It even delves back to the history of the area pre Hells Kitchen to colonial times, with running streams and meadows and later farms. Whitey's family like many endured hard times and did as best as they could to survive. Whitey's gradual descent into a life of crime is well documented as are the lives of his fellow criminals.
   
   Part two deals with Whiteys time in Sing Sing prison and contains some details of the day to day operations of the jail and its interaction with the town of Ossining where it is located. Some history of Sing Sing prison, including the reforms of Warden Lawes is also described. It was a tough place to survive and prison staff were liable to deliver a boot or a fist to keep order. Also described is the pre breakout time and the planning and circumstances that gave rise to the break out.
   
   Part three deals with the breakout and what a botched, bloody and pointless breakout it was, innocent, decent people killed and one escapee killed though his own stupidity and the other two caught within 24 hours. This is a well written informative book and is ideal for the true crime history fan.



3. Author David Goewey has given us a detailed account of members of the so-called Shopping Bag Gang that prowled the Hell's Kitchen area on the west side of Manhattan during the 1930's. The book is divided into three sections. The first section is devoted to the heyday of the Shopping Bag gang and their antics. Part two tells us about the environment of Sing Sing prison under the revolutionary rule under Warden Lewis Lawes who was often accused of running a prison focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment. Lawes lasted longer than any other warden of the institution (over 20 years) and had his watch marred by this one breakout in 1941 which unfortunately killed two guards. Part three is devoted to the escape, capture, and execution of two members involved in the escape. I found part three to be especially riviting to read and very well done. Prisoners often feared the sound of bloodhounds coming after them and what the dogs would do to them when confrontations arose. In reality the dogs would playfully jump on the individual, slobber their faces with their tongue, and wag their tail. Mention of how the term "third degree" came into use is told when people applying for a higher position in the Masons would face severe questioning by other members. This, in turn, was applied to suspects, or in this case by escaped convicts, who were often physically beaten by authorities to extract confessions. I did find a minor error on page 188 which is really unrelated to the story. The author mentions the Washington Senators beating the Baltimore Orioles in a baseball game. The Baltimore Orioles didn't join the major leagues until 1954 when they moved from St. Louis. The game the author refers to had to be Washington defeating the St. Louis Browns, not the Baltimore Orioles. Despite this the book rates a strong five stars.



4. I loved this book. It is a gripping tale and Goeway does a great job of telling the story.He captures the desperation of the prisoners at the same time that he manages to evoke an important period in American history. Thank you, David Goeway!

2 comments about Cut-Throat: The Vicious Life of Rod McLean - Mercenary, Drug Baron and MI5 Front Man.

1. I've read most of the true crime books written to date, but I think this one is a bit special. It will make you both laugh and cry - but as arguably one of the most gruesome books ever written, terrify. If it's sleepless nights your after - this is your book.!!!



2. I had so much fun with this book!! CUT-THROAT succeeds because it has all the cliffhanger elements of a good campfire story--- one in which the storyteller becomes a compelling and interesting figure as his web is woven--- regardless of the violence and mayhem in which he revels. Written in his words and with his style and manner of speech, the story of Rod's life is irresistible. Like Tony Montana, he is a character seeking something bigger and more dangerous than what is included in a "normal" life, a search that is driven by naked ambition and steely determination. Rod manipulates you ever so tenderly so you will sympathize with him even though he is a violent, ruthless, dangerous man. He's letting you inside his world and there's little chance that you won't at least understand his policy of "kill or be killed"--- even if only for a little while. Overall, the structure is that of the tough guy rise-and-fall narrative, with a variety of experiences that chronologically increase in sophistication and stakes until his untimely demise. Each section of McLean's life, from his mercenary days to the birth of his second-hand shop empire, is very intricate and full of emotion, all are mini-rollercoasters that excite and exhilarate. The writer expertly treats each portion with the same emotional respect.
   
   The themes in this project, particularly that of morality, engaged me the whole way through. I highly recommend this book to anyone who ever loved an antihero, anyone who ever sought out adventure or danger, and everyone who just wants to have a few hours of pure fun!

No comments about Kathy the Cannibal.

No comments about Marked to Die.

3 comments about Charles W. Colson: A Life Redeemed.

1. Whatever your opinion of Chuck Colson, you can't deny his powerful impact on American society, as a groundbreaking political strategist in his first life and as a leading evangelical leader in his second life.
   
   Evangelical biographies aren't always thorough and honest. Unlike the Bible itself, they often gloss over the weaknesses of their subjects. But Jonathan Aitken's look at Chuck Colson escapes that trap and delivers a complete look at a man who has made a significant imprint on American life and culture.
   
   Rarely has a person impacted the world with two separate lives like Chuck Colson has. His days as a Nixon hatchetman are legendary, but Aitken fills in some of the blanks for the post-Watergate generation. Clearly Colson was a win-at-all costs political tactician who engineered many victories, most importantly the election of Richard Nixon. His actual involvment in Watergate is sketchy at best and it is likely he went to jail for a trumped up charge, handed down in the hysteria of Watergate.
   
   However, rather than spending a life embittered by political losses and an unfair jail sentence, Colson found a relationship with Jesus Christ and thus his life was turned around. The drive to succeed was channeled into ground-breaking prison ministry, which included reform, one-on-one evangelism, and a variety of think tanks and worldview programs. Now Prison Fellowship is one of the largest and most successful evangelical organizations in the world.
   
   Many evangelicals, including myself, have one beef with Colson, namely his work to disregard the wide theological chasm that exists between Catholics and Evangelicals in his attempt to bring the two together. Martin Luther and other reformers would find this naive at best and appalling at worst.
   
   Still, no one can dismiss the remarkable influence of the political hatchet man whose life was dramatically turned around by the grace of God. Many prisoners will be in the Kingdom because of Colson's life.
   
   Aitken's biography is spot-on, thorough, and brutally honest. I recommend it whole-heartedly.



2. Notorious as Richard Nixon's hatchet man, Charles (Chuck) Colson's involvement in the Watergate scandal sent him from the White House to "the big house." Today, this former felon is a respected Christian leader. He is the founder of the far-reaching Prison Fellowship, which is one of the most respected and productive Christian parachurch organizations in America, powerfully reflecting the resurrection and redeeming grace of Jesus Christ.
   
   Colson truly stands as a modern-day Paul, whose life was radically changed after an encounter with the Lord. This book is well documented and well written. On the one hand, it presents Colson as a man who has had a very positive impact on American culture and religion; yet, on the other hand, it does not downplay the bad choices he made earlier in his life that led him to prison. There is a brutal honesty in the presentation of Colson's political ambitions, his drive for power, and his insensitivity to people who got in his way. However, this makes the story of his redemption all the more astounding.
   
   Noted British researcher and author Jonathan Aitken was given full access to Colson's personal papers and private archives. Additionally, he did extensive interviews with Colson's wife, children, co-workers, and friends. The result is an intriguing study of this Hyde-turns-Jekyll individual. This book will be of interest not only to Christians but also to anyone interested in the machinations of politics or the events of American history. - Leilani Joy Wells, Christian Book Previews.com



3. Nixon apologist and ex-con Jonathan Aitken serves up this loving tribute to his fellow ex-con Chuck Colson. Aitken serves on the board of Colson's prison ministry, so any expectation of objectivity flies out of the cell door. In Aitken's long-ago, forgotten biography of his hero Richard Nixon, he similarly soft-peddled Nixon's crimes. At least this time out the former Tory MP, who just got out of a British prison himself a couple of years ago, forgoes the ludicrous conspiracy theories that made his Tricky Dick biography such a joke. Unlike the unfortunate convicts unmercifully hounded and courted by Colson's ministry, Colson was preaching to the choir with Aitken, who returns the favors to Colson, with this way-too-thick inspirational sop.

4 comments about The Prince, His Tutor and the Ripper: The Evidence Linking James Kenneth Stephen to the Whitechapel Murders.

1. This book will be of interest to those studying the life of Prince Albert Victor (Eddy). His life along with those of James Kenneth Stephen and another Ripper suspect, Montague John Druitt, are examined The author shows how these people's lives and social circles were connected. Very interesting. There is also a photograph of Prince Eddy with James Kenneth Stephen, J.N. Dalton, Harry Wilson and others which was taken at Eddy's departure from Cambridge. I had never seen this photo before. All in all I found the book very readable, well researched and would definately recommend it.



2. It has been quite a while since I've read something "new" about the Ripper case. The majority of books (and I have purchased most of them) are a rehash of the same old material, much of which is composed of oft reapeated urban legends. This one has a fresh recap of the old evidence--and a lot that is new. The author has written a page-turner in a field that often causes more yawns than raised eyebrows.
   Absolutely a MUST for any serious researcher who wants to know more about the relationship between Eddy, J.K. Stephen and Montague John Druitt.



3. 'A well-researched and non sensational look at the fascinating life of a Ripper suspect. A must have for any Ripper enthusiast.



4. The subtitle of this book is "The Evidence Linking James Kenneth Stephen to the Whitechapel Murders". It should actually read "The Evidence NOT Linking James Kenneth Stephen to the Whitechapel Murders".....but then the book's prime selling point would have been eradicated. The added cover anouncement of a forward by Colin Wilson (one of the world's foremost Ripperologists) is also misleading in that given the subtitle and Wilson's foreword, the unwary buyer of this book is led to a quick conclusion that J.K. Stephen may well have been Jack the Ripper! Yet the book, and the foreword (once read) disavow this notion. The possible connection between Stephen and the Ripper murders comprises about 15% of the book, the rest of the text being a too-detailed bio of the lives of Stephen, Prince Eddy and another Ripper suspect named Druitt. While the lives of all three men are interesting in their own right, the book is tedious in its reliance on text quotations and detail that is, quite simply, just not needed. Rather Ms. McDonald focused more on her subtitle's implications....because there is, indeed, alot to the theory that J.K. Stephen was, in fact, Jack the Ripper. This conclusion was more directly addressed in two previous texts from years ago. So - while this book uses Jack the Ripper as its selling point - it in fact has very little to do with both the Ripper and the truly interesting feasibility of his identity. Plus - whilst Stephen's life is an interesting and tragic tale, as told so dryly and needlessly detail-laden as done in this book, it is neither dramatically, evocatively or interestingly related. A pity. A missed opportunity.

2 comments about Hello Charlie: Letters from a Serial Killer.

1. Books on serial killers are hardly rare, and most of them are written in a novelistic way that causes them to sensationalize the crime. This book is not your average true crime story, and rather than titillate the reader, it provides insights not usually found in most books of the genre.
   
   The book begins by detailing the disappearance of Heather Dawn Church from her home in the suburbs of Colorado Springs. It details the efforts to attempt to find her and the person responsible for her abduction. From that point, it shifts to the lives of the three men who would ultimately come together to work as volunteers on cold cases.
   
   After a relatively brief view into the apprehension and conviction of her killer, as well as his appeals, the book shifts focus again and begins to look at the aftermath of the crime. Robert Browne, who pled guilty to her murder, sent an interesting letter to the DA after he had lost all courtroom battles. The letter suggested that there were more bodies to be found, and that Browne was the responsible party.
   
   The book is a wonderful look at the way a crime is solved; not with bells and whistles, but with long, hard work. It is also a look, in depth, into the game of cat and mouse that is played by the hunted and the hunters. It offers an interesting look into the mind and psyche of a serial killer.
   
   There are no pictures, and this is not a "sensational" true crime story. Rather it is a methodical look at how police work is done in the real world. An excellent read, if you are not looking for the titillation factor.



2. As far as true crime goes, this book was quite a disappointment. It wasn't particularly gripping, it doesn't draw particularly strong portraits of the victims, and even the three self-appointed cold case detectives seem a bit dull.
   
   Among other problems in the text, there is entirely too much background information given for each person working the case. I started skipping many pages of this material because it simply wasn't interesting. The writing style of the book just wasn't gripping, and a great deal of material could have been cut out. The narrative gets quite sidetracked more than once.
   
   And some words on the "serial killer" label on the title page: it's there to sell books. The detectives were unable to locate or identify many of the victims pointed out by Browne (the killer). In fact, the impression I got from this is that Browne, like some other killers before him, was playing with detectives, upping the number of so-called kills in order to get attention and privileges. Browne is an unreliable speaker, and you begin to feel that the narrator is unreliable just for telling you all of this without ever taking a long, long hard look at Browne's credibility.
   
   While it seems likely that Browne killed multiple times, the book makes little effort to apply psychology to why Browne claims all of these kills now. Most true crime readers are probably used to a bit of psychology in their reading, and they should be warned that it is quite absent here. This is much more of the old-fashioned-detective-work, gumshoe, knock-on-doors (no CSI) approach to crime-solving. Such a book could have made for a very intersting departure from the norm, but, again, for the reasons listed above, it does not. A little psychology would help shore up the book's crumbling foundations.
   
   Another warning to true crime fans: you're probably used to seeing pictures of the detectives, snapshots of the victims while alive, perhaps crime scenes. This book has no photos. I'm not trying to be ghoulish; I'm just pointing out a departure from the norm.
   
   All in all, this was not a satisfactory experience. A week after reading the book, I can recall only a few details about the central victim and can say very little about the killer. What I do remember is frustration with the text and annoyance with the detectives' seemingly endless credulity.