5 comments about Fatal Justice: Reinvestigating the Macdonald Murders.

1. If anything is good about this book,it is that it reopens debate on an interesting criminal case.On the surface,Jeffery MacDonald appears guilty.Yet,when you dissect every aspect of the case,his motive for murder doesn't make sense.I read that Inez Folger,at the age of 100,passed away some days ago.She was the mother of Abigail Folger,who was the coffee heiress and a Helter Skelter victim.Inez donated her time at the Haight-Ashbury free medical clinic,during the mid 60s.She worked along side of Dr.George Hodel,who is suspected by his own son,for being the Black Dahlia killer and Zodiac master-mind. This info is not in joe McGuiness' book or in Potter's book either.Dr.Jeffery MacDonald also worked with troubled veterans of the Vietnam war and various teenagers at Fort Bragg,who became drug addicts for one reason or another.One Gregory Mitchell was a former Vietnam vet,who was suffering some the horrors of heroin addiction.Helena (Stucklein)Stoekley was the daughter of an advanced military officier,who also had troubles with psychodeliac drugs.Both Mitchell and Stoekley confessed to people they were involved in the Manson-like slayings and regretted their involvement.The Esquire magazine found in MacDonald's duplex apartment,had a smudged bloody fingerprint,on the upper right corner.Fingerprint was never confirmed as belonging to MacDonald.And no smudges were found along the pages of Manson article or throughout the interior of the magazine.Military lawyers contend that MacDonald killed his family after being influenced by the Manson article reported in the Esqire magazine,with wild one Lee Marvin,on the cover.Stoekley mentioned about the rocking-horse spring,being disconnected.Stoekley claimed to have reconnected the spring and tried to ride the hobby-horse.The hobby-horse spring was reconnected in the police photos.How could Helena Stoekley describe such detailed info about the interior of MacDonald's residence? The only way that MacDonald could be completely found guilty is if it can be proven that he collaborated with the LSD-junkies.For example,Jeff MacDonald wanted to start a new life and plotted a scheme to have the LSD-junkies kill his family and rough him up.They received free drugs from him and he received a new avenue to the West coast.Two things that struck me as strange were one his unwillingness to search for the killers and two his willingness to set-up his practice in the Los Angeles area with a new wife.Was he so shaken by the tragic event that he wanted just to forget about the whole thing? Both Greg Mitchell and Helena Stoekley were dead by the Spring of 1982 of liver disease.Was Mitchell cut-off from the medical clinic where Dr.MacDonald worked?Was Mitchell then searching for revenge by killing Dr.MacDonld's family?Or was Mitchell coexed into a murderous scheme hatched by Dr.MacDonald to kill his wife and daughters,because MacDonald wanted out of a young marriage and start a new life? The mystery continues.



2. I think the authors of this book took a lesson from Michael Moore in propaganda. Or perhaps Oliver Stone.
   
   This book pretends to be a "re-investigation," but is nothing of the sort. It is a one-sided money-grab that was written with the help of the MacDonald defense team. In fact, Jeff MacDonanld himself assisted with the final editing. The book is not only factually inaccurate, but it omits much valuable information. Such as: 1) Gunderson & Beasely (the books' primary sources) were trying to shop a movie deal in which they "solved" the case; 2) Gunderson (a first class wack job) later reported that the so-called cult was trying to kill him, causing him to live life on the run; 3) Gunderson & Beasely posted bail for Stoekly's husband & promised them they would be provided with jobs & new identities in California in exchange for their "testimonies," which they later recanted anyway.
   
   The authors' also try to convince the reader that Stoekley was a reliable source, but the truth is she would say anything to anyone, and recanted her so-called "confessions" many times. At other times, she reported that she saw MacDonald kill his family. Nothing she said can be taken seriously.
   
   Further, the authors make large use of FOIA documents, but are deceitful in their use of them. For example, they report one note in which an investigator describes the failure of a match on a hair found at the crime scene, and says "this won't be reported by me." What the authors don't show you is the complete note, in which it becomes clear that the analyst is simply reporting that she is not going to label the hair, because another analyst will catalog and write the final report.
   
   Additionally, the book fails to address the major points of the prosecution's case: 1) there was no forced entry; 2) not one single hair, fiber, foot or finger print linked to intruders 3) Jeff MacDonald, a well-trained & conditioned Green Beret, had no significant injuries, while his family was absolutely slaughtered; 4) MacDonald's story doesn't fit the crime scene - no fibers were found where supposedly a horrible fight took place; lots of fibers where there shouldn't be; 5) despite that fact that at least 6 "hippies" were wreaking all of that carnage, and the victims were screaming for help, no neighbors heard anything; 6) MacDonald cheated on his wife constantly, was spending every possible minute away from home, and lied about a trip to Russia during which time his son would be born, and never visited the graves even once (he even sold the contents of the family home, though he kept the stereo); 7) MacDonald lied about taking a polygraph, but in actuality failed two separate exams by defense friendly experts; 8) even the defense forensics expert acknowledged the fabric impression evidence was accurate & quite damning (in fact, Segal was advised by another defense expert who was quite shaken by this presentation to get as much into the record for appeal as he could).
   
   To believe MacDonald, is to believe the impossible, such as 1) at least 6 hippies strung out on multiple drugs such as LSD found the back door unlocked; 2) carried candles (even though it was raining); 3) brought no weapons; 4) left no finger or footprints behind 5) killed a woman & two children, even though they were supposedly after him 6) did this quietly enough not to wake the neighbors; 7) knocked him unconsious with a couple of superficial blows, then left him alive as the only possible witness; 8) carefully cleaned the fibers from where they attacked him, then spread them out in the other rooms to fool the police; 9) inexplicably staged the crime scend by putting each of the children back in their beds & tucking them in, and carrying Mrs. MacDonald back to her bedroom; 10) escaped without anyone noticing them, and letting Helena walk home.
   
   I could go on and on. But at the end of the day, though the crime scene was badly managed, it still all points to him.
   
   One final note - my challenge to anyone who thinks MacDonald innocent is for you to view the crime scene & autopsy photos, which are easily found on-line from several websites. They are gruesome, but it shows the true disparity between the horrible injuries his family received, and the absolute lack of injuries MacDonald received. In fact, you have to look really hard to see any scratches on him at all. Viewing those photos, it made me wish for the death penalty (though I'm opposed to it).
   
   The so-called "new" evidence has been reviewed by appeals' courts dozens of times, and the Supreme Court multiple times. To believe MacDonald, and the 10 or so people in the world who still think he was framed, is to believe the ultimate conspiracy, which of course involves hundreds of law enforcement personnel, judges, FBI agents, criminologists, DNA analysts, family members (which have turned against him), former friends & supporters, etc.
   
   It requires believing in the impossible. Don't waste your time with this book.
   
   My final recommendation for the authors' of this piece of trash is to write a follow-up on how O.J. Simpson is really innocent, the victim of a conspiracy.



3. When I read Fatal Justice I was hoping for a work of investigative journalism that slugged it out over the evidence (I understand that it's supposed to be an answer to Fatal Vision by Joe McGinniss), but FJ puts anything that supports it's central thesis - no matter how minor - under a spotlight and happily glides over anything that doesn't, even the most persuasive physical evidence. There's also an annoying reliance on retrospective testimony and dark hints that a massive conspiracy had taken place (and possibly continues) to silence witnesses.
   
   FJ presents a mix of conspiracy, misinterpretation and selective use of facts to stitch together a very contentious case for the innocence of the book's subject - who was found guilty of murdering his pregnant wife and two young daughters. It's dull and repetitive and a lot of the "killer" facts can eaily be disputed, if not proven incorrect by a basic google search.
   
   "Reinterpreting the Jeffrey MacDonald" case would be a more accurate sub-title as everything is put though a filter so that there can only be one conclusion. Like all conspiracies FJ is self referential and self fulfilling. The authors simply assign sinister motives to anyone that challenges their logic - the Army was out for revenge, the Justice Department wanted glory, the victim's father in law supposedly tuned on the subject because he moved to California! He then launched a life long quest to have him charged and convicted (anyone planning a move beware).
   
   I think the authors mention that no one from the presecution side would take part. This may well be the case, but isn't an excuse to then throw out all the evidence, except that which supports your particular point of view.
   
   The authors also seem to be fixated on Fatal Vision by Joe McGinnis which they spend and awful amount of time trying to discredit (unsuccessfully). This is strange, and distracting, as the book came out years after the trial and clearly had nothing to do with MacDonald being found guilty.
   
   This book will only interest hardcore MacDonald junkies, and only those on the "He's innocent, crazed hippies did it" side. There's nothing here for anyone else. The book is dense, slow and not really persuasive. You kind of have to believe the central idea already - it doesn't take you with it. This is it's greatest weakness - it fails as a book.
   
   There's no need to buy FJ, you can read it all quoted as gospel by the MacDonald supporters on their websites.
   
   I kept thinking that FJ is what the trial would have been like if the prosecution weren't allowed to take part.



4. On its face, this book appears to be an accurate accounting of the case. However, one only needs to begin comparing the footnotes to the actual CID reports to see that the authors have misrepresented evidence. Stombaugh's trial testimony is also falsely reported, and in general the book is so filled with errors and misrepresentations and inaccuracies that it's a worthless purchase.



5. Joe McGinnis was originally convinced of MacDonald's innocence, but came to believe in his guilt during the 1979 murder trial. His book, Fatal Vision, is the one book to read, not this. Fatal Justice appears to be nothing more than a sad commentary from people MacDonald has commissioned to write for him. It's merely his side, without any objective perspective. The authors were not there in the courtroom for weeks as McGinnis had been, nor had access to the amount of evidence McGinnis saw. What person in their right mind would believe a 26 yr old man could fend off 4 ice pick wielding attackers(Hell bent on killing him specifically)in his home---fighting for his life and that of his entire family---and suffer only a bruise and a small cut to the chest,while his entire family is slaughtered like animals? Remember, all this takes place in a small apartment, but almost no mess is made. Need more convincing? Just take a look at the autopsy and crime scene photos that are on-line, and judge for yourself. MacDonald, stressed out over feeling trapped in a marriage with his family (and longing to go far away as possible with his girlfriend) freaked out over the issue of his daughter's bedwetting (a sign of deep stress for any child who is already toilet trained) late one night. What probably started out as a slap or push turned into a fight to the death between a husband and wife protecting herself and her family. He is an animal and he belongs behind bars.

5 comments about Cruel Deception: A Mother's Deadly Game, a Prosecutor's Crusade for Justice (St. Martin's True Crime Library).

1. Wow, this mother in the book was truly troubled. To say the least!! To cause injury to your own child for the sole purpose of the fact that you need attention or you like the attention is really truly ill. The book baffled me to say the least, I'd only heard of cases of "Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy." I think the author describes it very well, but it's not too overly drawn out.



2. I just reread this book and was delighted to find it was just as good on the fourth or fifth read as it was the first time. This true account of a Munchausen by proxy perpetrator is utterly fascinating. The author does a superb job of telling Morgan and Michael's stories from their mother's childhood to the inexorable conclusion. It is impossible to put down. I hope this page-turner educates people about the mysterious malady that MBP is and prevents other deaths in the future. Kudos, Mr. Olsen.



3. excellent read,well written. My heart ached for these kids. Well worth the readers time and money. Very informative and may educate people.



4. Presently, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is rare "disorder" that few people are aware of; but that isn't the case after reading Cruel Deception by Gregg Olson.
   
   MSBP, even today, is difficult to prosecute for lack of evidence. In Cruel Deception, Olson relays the tale of Iowa prosecutors who worked diligently to convict Tanya Reid for MSBP....in the mid-80s!! Their efforts, as detailed in this book, were impressive; especially consider this a pre-internet era!
   
   Cruel Deception is riveting from beginning to end. I especially enjoyed the manner in which Olson tells us of a "devestating secret" that will be revealed at trial ONLY if Tanya Reid testifies. And that secret is well worth waiting for!
   
   Once again Gregg Olson has produced a piece of written work that keeps him on my top ten list of favorite true crime writers!



5. Tanya Thaxton Reid was a mother who almost got away with murder. When her infant daughter, Morgan, died at 9 months of age, the death was attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It was not until Tanya's young son began to suffer from a mysterious illness characterized by recurrent respiratory distress that medical personnel began to think the unthinkable. Was a mother making her own child ill to gain attention for herself? And, years earlier, did a baby die needlessly at the hands of her own mother?
   
   Gregg Olsen tells the riveting story of a young mother driven by overwhelming and compulsive obsessions to harm her own children. Oddly calm and unaffected each time emergency responders reached her home, Tanya would report that her son had suddenly stopped breathing and that she was forced to administer CPR to save his life. Had there not been so many 911 calls and unanswered questions about the child's misunderstood medical problems, Michael Reid may have eventually suffered the same fate as his sister.
   
   In a masterful collaberation by police investigators and prosecutors in two different states, Tanya Reid was finally brought to justice. In chilling black and white detail, using 911 call records as well as existing hospital admission records, an unmistakable pattern emerged that could not be reasonably explained or denied. On almost every documented occasion, Tanya Reid called emergency responders while her husband was at work and there were no other adults present in the home. In a pitiful and shameful attempt to remedy her own feelings of boredom and lonliness, Tanya forcibly smothered her son on multiple occasions. Once at the hospital, Tanya visited with the nursing staff and medical doctors as if greeting old friends. Odd behavior for a mother whose son was on the brink of death moments earlier.
   
   As the mother of 3 little girls, my youngest named Morgan, I was horrified by the images repeatedly witnessed by emergency medical responders. Sweating profusely and limp with exhaustion from the physical struggle of wrestling with his own mother, young Michael Reid gasped for breath and turned a terrified gaze upon his mother. Using the tried and true methods employed by other Munchausen by Proxy mothers, Tanya Reid used several different doctors and admitted Morgan and Michael to different hospitals to disguise her actions and obliterate any suspicious pattern of illness. In the end, her own odd behavior and her inability to stop smothering her son finally garnered more attention than Tanya Reid had anticipated... resulting in a felony conviction for child abuse and the long awaited conviction for the first degree murder of baby Morgan.
   
   Complete with a detailed history for this murderous mother and the denial that permeated her family of origin, Gregg Olsen writes a compelling story about deteriorating mental health, neediness, obsession, and the alarming behavior that defies the laws of nature and morality. True Crime lovers will not be disappointed. Without spoiling the intrigue of the book, I will state that there is a very interesting piece of Tanya Reid's past that was unearthed during the lengthy investigation that served as a symbolic point of reference for all that came after it. Shocking!

5 comments about Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly.

1. I bought this after watching the BBC miniseries on Sidney Reilly. Spence has produced a very scholarly book written in a friendly tone. While I still view the Ace of Spies (the series, not the man) with affection and admiration, this book demonstrates that Reilly's life was much more complex than the BBC series made out. While not wanting to give too much away, I'll just say, watch the series, then read the book.



2. It is obvious that Richard Spence is a diligent researcher and he did a great deal of homework for this book. The result is an exhaustive (and exhausting) compilation of Sidney Reilly's activities and associations over the course of his career. Unfortunately this wealth of information is not really drawn into any themes or any kind of coherent narrative. Some of the "Reilly myths" are convincingly de-bunked, but there's not much on offer here to replace them. This might be a helpful work for the history scholar looking for names, dates, and places associated with Sidney Reilly but it isn't much fun for the armchair history buff.



3. In the end, Sidney Reilly has the last laugh. He spent a lifetime covering his tracks, weaving a trail of deception and misinformation intended to obscure every aspect of his personal history and career. Spence takes on the noble task of trying to sift through the voluminous, vague, and usually contradictory material about this character. Unfortunately, almost nothing can be said with certainty about Reilly. We are unsure of his real name, place of birth, parentage, marriages...and those are just the biographical details. His work was obviously and carefully kept clouded. The author assembles as much data as one will probably ever find on this subject. He tries to be objective. However, the end result is a compilation of information mixed with supposition and conjecture. Yet, it is doubtful if anyone could have done more than Spence given the nature of the subject. In the end, we are not even sure if Reilly died as legend holds or if he lived on in mystery. No one will ever accurately chronicle the life of this remarkable enigma wrapped in a riddle...and that is exactly how Sidney Reilly wanted things to be.



4. Richard Spence's research is astounding in its depth. Although this is in some ways a very "scholarly" work and demands effort on the part of the reader, it's worth it. It's obvious that no easy or pat answers to the mystery of Sidney Reilly are possible....and any book that pretends otherwise is just another red herring being dangled before the gullible.



5. Oh dear. This guy has read about 27 too many Russian novels.
   
   The author sifted through a sea of jumbled information about one of the craftiest characters in the long history of espionage, and produced, well, another sea of jumbled information. After three paragraphs in any chapter, it's not clear what or whom he's talking about -- or even why.
   
   Less detail and more careful analysis and supposition would have been MOST helpful, thank you.
   
   I'm about to stop reading, give up, and stick with the TV series.

5 comments about Die for Me: The Terrifying True Story of the Charles Ng & Leonard Lake Torture Murders.

1. "Die For Me" is a true story of gruesome torture, terror, sex, rape, cold murder and videotapes. To identify both Leonard Lake and Charles Ng (pronounced 'eeng') as ex-marines is blasphemy at its greatest. Similarly, and more critical, is the statement the author made contrasting both Lake and Ng with being God;
   
   "...They had witnessed two young women enduring a nightmare, and two men (Lake and Ng) playing God with their lives."
   
   More correct would have been contrasting them with the devil. The references of being an ex-marines or acting like God is a complete and total blasphemy. Both Leonard Lake and Charles Ng are not worthy of being recognized as ex-marines and worst yet, acting like God.
   
   "Die For Me" is the horrifying story of the "Miranda project" by Leonard Lake and Charles Ng. Before Leonard Lake befriended Ng, Lake had a plan to prepare for Armageddon (day of reckoning) by building a military survival bunker. However, the plan by Lake went further than that since a secret holding cell was going to be built within the bunker. The cell would satisfy Lake's misogyny by enslaving, terrorizing, torturing, raping, and killing women he lured to his torturing den. Women were not the only victims in Lake's and Ng's Miranda project (based on the book "The Collector" by John Fowles), but men, children and babies as well. Both Leonard Lake and Charles Ng grossly took the lives of at least sixteen human beings.
   
   The author, Don Lasseter did well in not describing the gruesome, gross, and churning details of what the victims went through before being killed and disposed of as worthless trash. The toned down descriptions are bad enough to churn the readers' stomach and raises the readers' displeasure to infinity.
   
   Granite inscription at the sight:
   
   In Wilseyville We Found You
   Ou Lost Ones
   Though Taken In Darkness
   You Will Forever Live In Light
   Rest In Peace
   
   Victims Of The 1984-85
   Wilseyville Mass Murder



2. I am a fan of material that is a bit more hardcore and gory. This had potential to remind me of scenes from Silence of the Lambs when the girl was in that hole in the ground...but yet it didn't deal with enough of the experience of the victims. It seems to zoom through the victims and once you get half way through, all of a sudden the rest of the book dealt with court proceedings (I assume, I stopped after a few chapters of that part).
   But on a positive note, these guys WERE hardcore and Leonard Lake had some serious issues. There was some interesting reading in the beginning
   and is worth the read if you consider yourself a true crime buff.
   
   If you are like me....then of course The Shrine of Jeffrey Dahmer is a great read, but also read about Albert Fish (Deranged). I just read about Armin Meitwes (a German cannibal) and two books about Eddie Gein. Of course, I've read a small stack about Manson and his family. I'd like to suggest a book titled Love & Death about the MURDER of Kurt Cobain. Skeptics are the ones who should read it the most!!!
   
   
   [...].



3. I remember reading about the Lake-Ng crimes which are still unspeakable, unforgivable, unconsciousable, brutal, merciless towards the men, women, and children who were completely innocent. Lake and Ng were two men of a kind who enjoyed sadistic pleasure in torturing people at their compound in Northern California. Fortunately, Ng is in prison on death row I believe and Lake committed suicide. The story behind their lives is equally fascinating to result in two of the most demented serial killers and sadists around. I read a lot of real crime books and these two men were monsters in human form who enjoyed the sadistic pleasures of torturing women to death and humiliating them. The story of Lake-Ng is only partially told because there are other unknown victims but even after 20 years since the initial discovery of the house of horrors, the Lake-Ng crimes still penetrate a nerve in the community there like ghosts who refuse to go away.



4. Fairly familiar with events. Grew up near there. Lots of information her I was not aware of. Overall highly recomend to anyone interested in the case.
   Jon



5. I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't have giving it 5 stars for one reason. The author did a tremendous job talking about the victims and giving the reader a background to the crimes but unfortunately (and i hope i am not coming off to sick) there are no actual descriptions of the crimes. I understand that Leonard Lake is dead and Charles Ng maintains his innocence therefore there is no way to acturately tell the entire story. Overall a very good book. I finished it in a couple of days.

5 comments about Blood of Innocents: The True Story of Multiple Murder in West Memphis, Arkansas.

1. I bought this book after viewing the documentary, Paradise Lost. I was disapointed. I was expecting and hoping for an unbiased account of this brutal, terrifying crime. Instead, I bought a poorly-written and biased account of the crimes.
   Instead of focusing on the sensational crimes and the "Satanism Scare" that plauged the media for months, Blood of Innocents focued more on descriptions of the city and tedious biographies of minor characters.
   For those interested in the case of the "West Memphis Three," I would suggest they search elsewhere.



2. Two books have been written on this case; if you're only going to read one, though, do not choose this one. This case has turned out to be a very controversial one with seriously troubling questions about the manner in which the defendants were identified, incriminated, and prosecuted. But these authors, two of whom covered the trial as newspaper reporters, pretty much miss the story concerning those issues and instead choose to report on every lurid bit of unsubstantiated rumor and gossip concerning Satanic rituals and orgies and sacrifices that they can find; no tale is too absurd, no accusation too outrageous, to be harped on. A goth magazine found in the trash of one of the defendant's girlfriends gets twice as much ink (two pages worth) as the trial testimony of a defense expert witness on false confessions, an issue that is perhaps the central point of contention in this case. Two more pages go to a juvenile in confinement who is obviously improvising a false story about local Satanic street gangs affiliated with Bloods and Crips, while another defense expert who testifies about the lack of factual evidence or scientific basis to support the then-trendy theory of a national occult crime wave gets less than one page.
   
   Like national reporters who have recently been embarrassed by simply believing and uncritically reporting stories from government officials about things such as the Jessica Lynch ordeal, stories which it is now obvious were largely invented by those officials, these reporters basically accepted the word of the authorities - prosecution and police - hook, line, and sinker without doing any critical investigatory work. To take one example that represents the blind trust that these reporters had in the accuracy of what they were being told by officials, the authors repeatedly express how amazing of a coincidence it is that the case number happened to be 0666; it seems so improbable that a case in which the police claim teenage Satanists were involved would happen to get, just by chance, the number of the beast. But they quote the lead detective as their authority that this is purely a coincidence, and they accept his word. Had they only paid a bit more attention to the case files, though, they would have discovered what the author of the other book on this case discovered, which is that the earliest reports from this case were originally numbered 0555; apparently, this was not some "coincidence" after all, but a deliberate act.
   
   The book's Postscript, written years after the rest of the text, does acknowledge, though, that the authors may have erred when they wrote the disputable claim that, at the conclusion of the sentencing phase of the defendant Damien Echols, "all doubts that police had the wrong man began to evaporate." Apparently with the benefit of some hindsight, they have revised their stance and now claim that "given the void of evidence in this case - and developments since the trials - Echols' contentions [of innocence] may merit another look."
   
   And another book. "Devil's Knot" is a superior account in almost every way. However, all of this is not to say that "The Blood of Innocents" is not worth reading at all. It can be seen as a supplement to the other book; it does contain some useful background and interesting descriptions of the towns involved, and it describes early leads and police interrogations of other initial suspects that went nowhere. But for a detailed, accurate, insightful account of how this case unfolded, you have to look elsewhere.



3. Those who reviewed this book prior to me are MISTAKEN that this book is untrue. It was written by the reporter who was covering this case for the local newspaper during the 2 years it took place.
   
   This is the story the "other side" doesn't want you to hear. Namely, the FACTS in the case as they unfolded. He is unbiased in explaing why 3 teenage boys were arrested and eventually convicted in the brutal murder of 3 young grade school boys in the town of W. Memphis, Arkansas. The reporter does an excellent job of reporting both positive and negative behaviors of the community, families of all 6 boys, the police department, and those involved.
   
   Take a chance: become informed as to why these boys came to be in jail. Everything contained in this book can be verified through newspaper articles and police reports, both before the murder and after.
   
   
   
   It was not written to smear anyone, but rather to explain why a case that to outsiders appeared to be a "witch hunt" unfolded. Testimonies of many individual are given. The author wrote what he reported as he saw it unfolding in court.



4. This terribly biased book portrays the West Memphis Three as immediately guilty and evil while glossing over major portions of the case. Skip it and read Devil's Knot and see the movies instead.



5. I really enjoyed this book, it gave a good insight into the case and went into a lot more background and detail then was covered in the dvd. Well worth a read.

2 comments about Transportation and Cargo Security: Threats and Solutions.

1. Worth the Invest
   
   The authors have relevant and current information that highlights the importance of the topic
   
   Bernie Martin PE



2. On any given day at America's airport terminals, grandmothers are asked to remove their shoes, raise their arms, and submit to a wanding with a magnetometer. That is in stark contrast to commercial transportation security, where even nearly seven years after 9-11, risks far greater than grandma go unchecked.
   
   The book Transportation and Cargo Security: Threats and Solutions provides a comprehensive look at the myriad details involved with the complex, dynamic world of commercial transportation security. It includes information on maritime, land (railroad, trucking, mass transit), pipeline, and air transportation modes.
   
   The book's 14 chapters provide a thorough overview of the specific topics that cross sectors, such as threats, countermeasures, and personnel concerns, as well as laws, regulations, government agencies, and standards for specific sectors.
   
   Many books on these security topics include over-the-top statistics and fail to present a pragmatic view. Transportation and Cargo Security takes a practical yet hardheaded look at the core issues, which gives the reader a superb understanding of the various threats to the transportation system.
   
   What is frustrating is that the book often refers to laws passed just after 9-11, yet many agencies and industries are still noncompliant with the many requirements contained in those laws.
   
   Transportation and Cargo Security: Threats and Solutions is an excellent reference that anyone who deals with transportation security will find extremely valuable. This is the book that everyone in transportation security should have read.

5 comments about Secrets Of Surveillance: A Professionals Guide To Tailing Subjects By Vehicle, Foot, Airplane, And Public Transportation.

1. As a licensed private investigator, college instructor of private investigation courses, and an experienced covert surveillance operative, I can personally tell you that most of the techniques described in this book are of little value to private sector investigators like myself. The vast majority of techniques described assume that the "surveillance team" has an unlimited supply of resources and operatives (i.e. a law enforcement team). Anyone with even remote covert surveillance experience knows that this will seldom (more likely never) be the case.
   
   Most private sector covert surveillance operatives (i.e. private investigators) work alone or in teams of two (when and only when the Client can afford it of course). Therefore, the vast majority of the techniques covered in this book are of little use to most private investigators. There is some (emphasis added) good information in this book, but certainly not what one would expect based on the title.
   
   If you are looking for a title that actually contains useful (emphasis added) surveillance techniques/procedures, I would highly recommend: "Covert Surveillance: The Manual of Surveillance Training" by Peter Jenkins (ISBN: 0953537803). I have had the pleasure of reading this fine text, which I consider to be the only covert surveillance techniques/procedures book worth recommending. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a copy for purchase.
   
   As always, check with your local library or bookstore to see if you can read/review this or any title before deciding to make a purchase. This method has effectively allowed me to make the most of my investigative library budget.
   
   I hope you found this review helpful. [...]



2. The following is submitted by the author as a rebuttal to two of the Amazon.com customer reviews of this book:
   
   In general, this book was written shortly after the conclusion of the Cold War, and in a large part intended to be a tribute to the legacy of the cloak and dagger intrigue that characterized that era. In those days we knew exactly who the enemy was. At the time, none of us could have predicted the emergent environment wherein the threats to U.S. citizens and interests proliferated significantly. This new reality has made the book more widely applicable to security professionals now then when it was originally published, which is the reason its sales have steadily increased over the years.
   
   Although the review does state that the book is "worth buying", the three star review submitted by "RunAndShoot" criticizes the book for being written in a "simple" manner.
   This book is not intended to entertain, it is intended to inform. A primary purpose for this book is that it be used as a training resource by security professionals. For this reason, it is written in a very detailed and straight forward manner. The feedback received from security professionals is that the book conveys very complex techniques in a manner that is easily understood, and easily translated into training programs.
   
   As to the two star review by "truthsleuthpi" that criticizes the book for being of "little value to private investigators" -- I do not question the reviewer's credentials, but it is misleading to give a publication a poor rating because it does not necessarily apply to the specific circumstance of a resource-constrained PI. In fact, the book clearly addresses the premise of the reviewer's critique in the preface as follows:
   "A surveillance operation can be conducted from one extreme of detail to the other. This book instructs to the extreme of a fully integrated, systematic effort employed for extended periods of time with absolute discretion. Granted, the requirements of many readers may not reach this extreme, but the information herein will satisfy the objectives of surveillance at any point along the operational continuum. Although the degree of sophistication detailed in this book may not be necessary for many surveillance operations, any individuals with the expertise to operate at the extreme of sophistication can certainly adapt to any operational requirement."
   Therefore, the book is criticized based on its relevance to one reader rather than its technical content. Also, one would assume that even those who operate on a small-scale level would take professional interest in how the world's elite operate. Despite some questionable contradictions, it appears that the reviewer does exercise innovation in that he uses book reviews at Amazon.com as a means to advertise for business.
   
   The reviewers each have a perspective, but the facts are that this book is regarded as a "classic", has steadily increasing sales, is every bit as relevant today as the date it was published, and it is widely used as a training resource by such major professional security agencies as Wackenhut International.
   
   Although the book has five star reviews and the author agrees with these ratings, this "review" is submitted with four stars because a rating is required, but the purpose of this rebuttal is to address specific reviewer issues and not impact the Amazon.com average customer review for this publication.



3. I work plainclothes in law enforcement and found this book to be very practical. I thought it was very well written. I can tell that the author has to have real world experience because only somebody who's worked the streets could lay this out so clearly. I picked up some very useful tips that my team either never knew or just overlooked. I highly reccomend this book to anyone in a related field. I would've liked a little more detail on establishing a good
   observation post. And it is a little heavy on the unlimited resource end like the 4 member teams and the communications vest. Other than that it was definitely worth the read.



4. This book is OK, but all the information is described in huge blocks of hard to follow copy with very few diagrams or case studies. You could probably get the same quality of stuff from an open-source search on Google. The methods described are at a basic to intermediate level.
   
   I bought 'Advanced Surveillance" by Peter Jenkins as well and would recommend you buy it instead. You'll get far more value for your money! The techniques in this book (Advanced Surveillance) are at a far higher level and are described in more detail with lots of diagrams, case studies and examples.



5. I found this book to be quite informative and concise, it gives thorough situational advice pertinant to the particular circumstances. Well written, clear explanations and useful tips.

No comments about Bullets, Bombs, and Fast Talk: Twenty-Five Years of FBI War Stories.

5 comments about Art of Darkness: Ingenious Performances by Undercover Operators, Con Men, and Others.

1. This book is informative, but it's not a light or fun read. I've been reading spy biographies for years, so I can't say I learned anything new. A better book, that's just as informative but far more interestingly written, would be Frank Abagnale's Catch Me If You Can.



2. Deception is not strictly the avenue of the criminal. "Art of Darkness: Ingenious Performances by Undercover Operators, Con Men, and Others" is a look at the many uses of deception and how it has been applied on any and all sides of the law. Gathering complex tales of how these disguises have been used to track down con men and how con men have swindled thousands of dollars and made their form of crime something to be viewed as an art form, "Art of Darkness" is an intriguing piece of nonfiction all the way through. "Art of Darkness: Ingenious Performances by Undercover Operators, Con Men, and Others" is highly recommended for community library true crime collections.



3. Sara K. Schneider's book Art of Darkness captures the the essence of a number of undercover operators that I have had the pleasure of knowing on a social basis over the years. They are the kind of people you would want in your foxhole when a situation is in extremis. It is as if Sara was able to look into their soul and figure out what drives them to do this very dangerous work--and most times without any recognition for what they had accomplished.



4. Art of Darkness is a very interesting book on a topic that isn't often addressed -- The art and science of operating under false identities. It is clearly written and understandable, even from the point of view of someone who's never had anything to do with police work or crime and only knows about undercover work from movies, and the 17 pages' worth of sources listed in the back provide plenty of different viewpoints and firsthand information. It is impressively thorough, and amazed me with all the things that have to be considered for any false identity to hold up. The history of identity theft, cons, etc. is presented intermixed with descriptions and discussion, so no one section gets bogged down by anything. I would list it as a good book for anyone interested in crime solving or anyone who wants to find something new in the "How To Solve Crimes" genre, and as a good resource for any crime writers.



5. Art of Darkness is an outstanding book on the subject of assuming a fake identity whether it is for good (under cover agents) or evil (criminals). Sara Schneider has thoroughly researched this subject as is evident from the Chapter Notes and the Bibliography, but most evident in the text itself. Schneider truly demonstrates what she calls the virtuosic performance of those assuming a fake identity: blending truth with fiction artfully, submersing into and emerging from two different worlds physically, culturally, emotionally. I walked away from this book wondering if the price was too high to pay for a law enforcement individual to go undercover for any length of time. I was also left wondering if I could ever tell if someone was faking an identity after Schneider so carefully demonstrates this absolute virtuosic performance.
   
   the only thing lacking in this book was a case study of some of the most famous identities Schneider refers to throughout the book. In the appendix she does give an example using the prangsters of a tv show, but I would have rather had the case story of one of the famous criminal con artists or famous undercover agents.
   
   This would be a fascinating read to any one interested in law enforcement and could definetly supplement a college course on the subject. Even if you are not in law enforcement, this book is a fascinating read; I had trouble putting the book down as I was mezmerized by the intricacies one must perform to carry out a fake identity.

5 comments about The Blood Bankers: Tales from the Global Underground Economy.

1. Major U.S. banks have knowingly dealt with the corrupt elites of the world's developing countries.
   They have harbored capital flight from wealthy investors who had lost confidence in their country.
   They have extended loans to corrupt industrialists, who promptly skimmed the profits and, through their political connections, convinced the national governments to guarantee the loans, placing the burden on the backs of the poor.
   They have lent money to violently repressive military dictators.
   They have accepted bribes; they have offered bribes; they have turned a blind eye to untold human suffering.



2. An Amazing read! I didn't know what I never knew! After reading this book twice, I realize that International Bankers of all varieties dominate the buisness world and are at fault for irresponsible lending to many 'developing' nations. A result of which is massive poverty and wealth inequality througout the world.
   A timely and revealing look at the origins of the Iraq war are an excellent reminder of power of these wealthy few.
   
   Everyone should buy this book.



3. This book is an eye-opening account of the financial chicanery that lay behind countless poorly planned, badly executed, over-priced and economically unviable development projects that were undertaken in Africa, Asia and Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s. Henry exposes the role played by leading international financial institutions in fueling the growth of dubious forms of transnational economic activity and shows how their behavior has been tolerated and even encouraged by the IMF, the World Bank and the US Treasury. He also sheds light on the influence that international financial interests have had on political developments in the third world - from the overthrow of Allende's elected government in Chile and the funding provided to Nicaragua's Contra rebels, to the support of thieving dictators like Ferdinand Marcos, General Somoza and Carlos Salinas, just to mention a few.



4. "The Blood Bankers" is an important contribution to our understanding of global financial instability. Most often, liberalized (legitimate) capital markets, international trade, state power, and international regulatory institutions are cited as the causes of destabilization. However, J. Henry allows us to look behind these forces and bodies to see how the liberalization of the global economy has unleashed illicit and/ or immoral financial forces, often acting through otherwise legitimate enterprises. Thus, "The Blood Bankers" gives us another level of understanding and critique of the agents of globalization. Without understanding the underground players, it would be impossible to fully understand the instability of modern international markets.



5. Blood Bankers collates vivid insider stories on the pillage of developing countries by international banks and the piracy of finance by corrupt leaders. The book accounts for the fact that, in spite of immense financial flows to the Third World, many countries have not witnessed the expected benefits, and indeed have been damaged by corruption and debt.