The Big Book of Celebrity Autopsies

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1626363528
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (263 download)

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Book Synopsis The Big Book of Celebrity Autopsies by : Kevin Viani

Download or read book The Big Book of Celebrity Autopsies written by Kevin Viani and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-07-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From JFK to Marilyn--the morbid, medical, and mysterious facts behind the most famous celebrity deaths. When a life ends tragically whether by violence or accident, pathologists perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death. It is a methodical, morbid, and necessary task. These autopsy reports, often filled with medical terminology and intriguing diagrams of the bodies we knew so well from their lives on the big screen, offer an unusual insight into the nature of death itself. The reports you'll find here provide a fascinating glimpse into the underworld that hovers just beyond the reach of the living. Includes the autopsy files or transcriptions from dozens of famous people including: Presidents: Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy Politicians: Simon Bolivar, Adolf Hitler, Vladmir Lenin, and Malcolm X Assassins and Criminals: Lee Harvey Oswald, Jesse James, and Bonnie and Clyde Musicians and Movie Stars:Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Notorious B.I.G., Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, and Ludwig Van Beethoven In a world more obsessed with celebrity than ever before, these reports are a sobering reminder of how fleeting real fame can be--and how destructive and dangerous as well. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Celebrity Death Certificates 2

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Author :
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 1476611262
Total Pages : 207 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (766 download)

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Book Synopsis Celebrity Death Certificates 2 by : M.F. Steen

Download or read book Celebrity Death Certificates 2 written by M.F. Steen and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2024-03-07 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literally the last word for Hollywood trivia buffs, a celebrity death certificate is also strangely compelling. Its matter-of-fact reportage makes the famous ordinary, illuminating previously well-lit profiles with the unfiltered light of the everyday. A death certificate may also reveal information that stars assiduously concealed, such as actual birthdates. In California, home to many of Hollywood's brightest stars, death certificates are a matter of public record--and consequently an untapped mine of information. This follow-up to M.F. Steen's previous collection (2003) reproduces in full 169 of the death certificates of the entertainment industry's dearly departed. Brief biographical notes are included, listing birth and professional name as well as notable film, TV and entertainment credits. Mel Blanc, Lorne Greene, John Ritter, Gregory Peck, and Ronald Reagan are just a few of Hollywood's notables whose death certificates are collected here.

Death Scenes

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Publisher : Feral House
ISBN 13 : 1932595953
Total Pages : 167 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (325 download)

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Book Synopsis Death Scenes by : Sean Tejaratchi

Download or read book Death Scenes written by Sean Tejaratchi and published by Feral House. This book was released on 2000-04-01 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The strange and gruesome crime-scene snapshot collection of LAPD detective Jack Huddleston spans Southern California in its noir heyday. Death Scenes is the noted forerunner of several copycat titles.

Celebrity Death Certificates

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Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 1476611254
Total Pages : 209 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (766 download)

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Book Synopsis Celebrity Death Certificates by : M.F. Steen

Download or read book Celebrity Death Certificates written by M.F. Steen and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2024-03-07 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marilyn Monroe died at 36. Her death certificate lists "Acute Barbiturate Poisoning. Ingestion of Overdose" as the cause. Just below that line, you can see that the person who issued her death certificate typed "Probable Suicide." Many people question whether her death was a suicide, an accident, or possibly a homicide. A death certificate is an intriguing document. It encapsulates a person's life story on one page--the birthplace, parents, education, length of career, residence, time, place, and cause of death and finally, what happened to the remains. The information required for a death certificate can vary since each state looks at it differently. California regards them as public documents. Texas and New York makes them available only to family members and others showing a direct need. Satisfying curiosity is not considered a need. John Belushi, John Denver, George Harrison, Truman Capote, "Fred and Ginger" and Frank Sinatra are just a few of the 182 Hollywood notables from the Silent Era to today whose intriguing death certificates are collected here--fascinating!

Forensics

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781664136236
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (362 download)

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Book Synopsis Forensics by : Harry A Milman, PhD

Download or read book Forensics written by Harry A Milman, PhD and published by . This book was released on 2020-10-29 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Carrie Fisher, also known as Princess Leia from Star Wars, had been abusing cocaine and other pharmaceuticals for many years, so when it was announced that she died from sleep apnea, I was skeptical. A more plausible explanation would have been that she died from a drug overdose. A review of the medical examiner's report revealed that the Fisher family refused to give permission for an autopsy and toxicology tests to be done. Constrained by these limitations, the coroner labeled the manner of death "undetermined." FORENSICS: The Science behind the Deaths of Famous People is an analysis and description of how coroners determine the cause and manner of death. An investigation of twenty-three deaths of famous people was conducted based on a review of publicly available autopsy and toxicology reports, as well as published scientific and lay articles. Drug use was implicated in 70 percent of the deaths. Four celebrity deaths were the result of suicide or homicide. Four others were from natural causes.

The Modern Book of the Dead

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1451616538
Total Pages : 293 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis The Modern Book of the Dead by : Ptolemy Tompkins

Download or read book The Modern Book of the Dead written by Ptolemy Tompkins and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-03-19 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A modern, all-encompassing exploration of what happens after death combines spirituality with philosophy, history, and science, all of which guide readers toward the timeless truth that human consciousness lives on after death.

101 Medical Autopsy Cases

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Publisher : Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9352706129
Total Pages : 799 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (527 download)

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Book Synopsis 101 Medical Autopsy Cases by : Nandita Bharadwaj Kakkar

Download or read book 101 Medical Autopsy Cases written by Nandita Bharadwaj Kakkar and published by Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers. This book was released on 2019-02-28 with total page 799 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Morgue

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Publisher : St. Martin's Press
ISBN 13 : 1466875062
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (668 download)

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Book Synopsis Morgue by : Dr. Vincent Di Maio

Download or read book Morgue written by Dr. Vincent Di Maio and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2016-05-17 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this clear-eyed, gritty, and enthralling narrative, Dr. Vincent DiMaio and veteran crime writer Ron Franscell guide us behind the morgue doors to tell a fascinating life story through the cases that have made DiMaio famous-from the exhumation of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald to the complex issues in the shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Beginning with his street-smart Italian origins in Brooklyn, the book spans 40 years of work and more than 9,000 autopsies, and DiMaio's eventual rise into the pantheon of forensic scientists. One of the country's most methodical and intuitive criminal pathologists will dissect himself, maintaining a nearly continuous flow of suspenseful stories, revealing anecdotes, and enough macabre insider details to rivet the most fervent crime fans.

Body of Evidence

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Publisher : Pocket Books
ISBN 13 : 1982153911
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (821 download)

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Book Synopsis Body of Evidence by : Patricia Cornwell

Download or read book Body of Evidence written by Patricia Cornwell and published by Pocket Books. This book was released on 2020-12-01 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell’s suspense fiction classic, featuring gutsy medical examiner Kay Scarpetta. A reclusive author, Beryl Madison finds no safe haven from months of menacing phone calls—or the tormented feeling that her every move is being watched. When the writer is found slain in her own home, Kay Scarpetta pieces together the intricate forensic evidence—while unwittingly edging closer to a killer waiting in the shadows.

Good to Great

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Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0066620996
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (666 download)

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Book Synopsis Good to Great by : Jim Collins

Download or read book Good to Great written by Jim Collins and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2001-10-16 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Challenge Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the verybeginning. But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness? The Study For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and convert long-term mediocrity or worse into long-term superiority? And if so, what are the universal distinguishing characteristics that cause a company to go from good to great? The Standards Using tough benchmarks, Collins and his research team identified a set of elite companies that made the leap to great results and sustained those results for at least fifteen years. How great? After the leap, the good-to-great companies generated cumulative stock returns that beat the general stock market by an average of seven times in fifteen years, better than twice the results delivered by a composite index of the world's greatest companies, including Coca-Cola, Intel, General Electric, and Merck. The Comparisons The research team contrasted the good-to-great companies with a carefully selected set of comparison companies that failed to make the leap from good to great. What was different? Why did one set of companies become truly great performers while the other set remained only good? Over five years, the team analyzed the histories of all twenty-eight companies in the study. After sifting through mountains of data and thousands of pages of interviews, Collins and his crew discovered the key determinants of greatness -- why some companies make the leap and others don't. The Findings The findings of the Good to Great study will surprise many readers and shed light on virtually every area of management strategy and practice. The findings include: Level 5 Leaders: The research team was shocked to discover the type of leadership required to achieve greatness. The Hedgehog Concept (Simplicity within the Three Circles): To go from good to great requires transcending the curse of competence. A Culture of Discipline: When you combine a culture of discipline with an ethic of entrepreneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great results. Technology Accelerators: Good-to-great companies think differently about the role of technology. The Flywheel and the Doom Loop: Those who launch radical change programs and wrenching restructurings will almost certainly fail to make the leap. “Some of the key concepts discerned in the study,” comments Jim Collins, "fly in the face of our modern business culture and will, quite frankly, upset some people.” Perhaps, but who can afford to ignore these findings?

From Crime Scene to Courtroom

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Author :
Publisher : Prometheus Books
ISBN 13 : 1616144483
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (161 download)

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Book Synopsis From Crime Scene to Courtroom by : Cyril H. Wecht, M.D. J.D.

Download or read book From Crime Scene to Courtroom written by Cyril H. Wecht, M.D. J.D. and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2011-10-18 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From crime scene to morgue to courtroom, and finally the court of public opinion, this riveting narrative is essential reading for true-crime enthusiasts. If you think the media has told you everything there is to know about Michael Jackson and Casey Anthony, think again! This engrossing, almost cinematic page-turner, offers never-before-published information on the mysterious deaths of Michael Jackson and Caylee Anthony, plus five other ripped-from-the-headlines criminal cases. Based on the authors' long investigative experience, these two insiders offer revealing insights into the following high-profile cases: -Casey Anthony: An assessment of the Trial of this Century, during which a Florida mother stood accused of killing her young daughter, Caylee. At stake were issues that included accuracy of air sampling and cadaver dogs, post-mortem hair banding, chloroform, duct tape identification, computer clues, and deep family secrets. -Michael Jackson: The authors provide never-disclosed data on the autopsies of Jackson’s body and a microscopic view of the singer’s life and career, plus analysis of the cardiologist charged with his death: Was Dr. Conrad Murphy recklessly negligent or a fall guy for a hopelessly addicted celebrity? -Drew Peterson: Heroic Illinois SWAT team cop or wife killer? Did his third wife slip and fall in the bathtub, or was she beaten and drowned? The controversy over her death led to an exhumation and the filing of homicide charges against him, but can prosecutors prove their case? And what happened to his fourth wife, who remains missing? -Rolling Stone Brian Jones: Was the rock musician’s death an accident or something more sinister? And was he impaired by drugs or alcohol when he died? After more than forty years, there is finally an answer. In addition, the authors examine the tragic death of twelve-year-old Gabrielle Bechen, whose rape-murder changed her community; Col. Philip Shue, whose demise was a battle of suicide versus homicide until Dr. Wecht solved the case; and Carol Ann Gotbaum, a respected Manhattan mother who died in police custody in Phoenix.

The Girl Who Was Taken

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Publisher : Pinnacle Books
ISBN 13 : 0786041455
Total Pages : 399 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (86 download)

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Book Synopsis The Girl Who Was Taken by : Charlie Donlea

Download or read book The Girl Who Was Taken written by Charlie Donlea and published by Pinnacle Books. This book was released on 2018-03-27 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bestselling author of Twenty Years Later delivers a chilling thriller where nothing is at it seems and each reveal is more shocking than the last…right up to the jaw-dropping final twist. “A gripping thriller that will blow readers away." –Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author on Don’t Believe It “A superb storyteller.” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author Two abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn’t. The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost—until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods. . . . A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It’s a triumphant story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing. Nicole’s older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole’s body will be found and her sister’s fate determined. Instead, the first clue comes from another body—that of a young man connected to Nicole’s past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she’s increasingly sure the cases are connected. Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you’ve been looking for . . . “A fast-moving page-turner. . . . Donlea skillfully maximizes suspense by juggling narrators and time all the way to the shocking final twists.” —Publishers Weekly “Well worth the read.” —Booklist “Donlea’s sophomore effort is solid. He keeps the reader guessing and second-guessing until the end, thanks to an expertly crafted abundance of potential suspects.” —Library Journal

Tales from the Morgue

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Publisher : Prometheus Books
ISBN 13 : 1615921966
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (159 download)

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Book Synopsis Tales from the Morgue by : Cyril H. Wecht

Download or read book Tales from the Morgue written by Cyril H. Wecht and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Including the Scott Peterson and Chandra Levy CasesA certifiable genius, Wecht has earned degrees both in medicine and the law, but his great passion...is the ever illusive commodity, justice.... [I]f it's an objective opinion you desire, predicated on facts gleaned from forensic science, then Dr. Cyril Wecht is your man. If it's the truth you want in a murder case, he'll give you his conclusions without regard to politics or profit, in fact he often works pro bono. If I'm ever unjustly accused, he's the first one I'm going to call.- IntellectualConservative.comYoung people drawn to the broad fields of criminal justice, medicine, or science will be fascinated by the forensic findings presented here. The thought-provoking cases span 40 years of renowned pathologist Wecht's career....[T]his chatty yet analytical book is written to appeal to laypersons, and it does. Its whodunit aspect is magnetic.- School Library JournalDr. Wecht's evalutions of the evidence in the Gander Airplane Crash, which claimed the lives of 248 American soldiers, and in the police custody death of Jonny Gammage, as well as in the deaths of Laci Peterson and Chandra Levy, raise very troubling questions about compromised investigations that the country's leading forensic pathologist-attorney-coroner uniquely addresses.- Michael Baden, M.D., Former Chief Medical Examiner, New York City and co-author with Linda Kenney of the thriller Remains SilentDr. Wecht is a world renowned pathologist. Reading this book is like being on one adventure after another. For those interested in true crime, you must read this book!- Dr. Henry C. Lee, Author of Cracking Cases and Cracking More Cases and professor of forensic science at the University of New HavenWas Scott Peterson convicted of murdering Laci Peterson based upon circumstantial evidence alone? Did Washington intern Chandra Levy know her killer?In Tales from the Morgue, Dr. Cyril Wecht, one of the most sought-after forensic pathologists in the world, shares his insights and scientific expertise on nine cases that he has officially investigated - high-profile cases as well as other lesser-known but highly intriguing mysteries. Dr. Wecht takes the reader inside some of the nation's most bizarre and intriguing medico-legal investigations and shows how forensic scientists help to solve crimes - and why they sometimes fail in their efforts. His vast experience and his willingness to take on the establishment if necessary and provide proof that runs counter to popular opinion make this book a page-turner.Cyril H. Wecht, M.D., J.D., one of the world's leading pathologists, is the author of Mortal Evidence, Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?, Grave Secrets, Cause of Death, and hundreds of professional publications. He has served as president of both the American College of Legal Medicine and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and has appeared on numerous nationally syndicated television programs including NBC's Dateline, Larry King Live, 20/20, Burden of Proof, and many others.Mark Curriden is the senior communications counsel for Vinson & Elkins, LLP; the former legal writer for The Dallas Morning News and The Atlanta Constitution; and a co-author of Mortal Evidence.Angela Powell, former columnist and children's book reviewer for The Dallas Morning News, is now a freelance publicist.

The Education of a Coroner

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1501168223
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

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Book Synopsis The Education of a Coroner by : John Bateson

Download or read book The Education of a Coroner written by John Bateson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-08-15 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the vein of Dr. Judy Melinek’s Working Stiff, an account of the hair-raising and heartbreaking cases handled by the coroner of Marin County, California throughout his four decades on the job—from high-profile deaths to serial killers, to Golden Gate Bridge suicides. Marin County, California is a study in contradictions. Its natural beauty attracts thousands of visitors every year, yet the county also is home to San Quentin Prison, one of the oldest and largest penitentiaries in the country. Marin ranks in the top one percent of counties nationwide in terms of affluence and overall health, yet it is far above the norm in drug overdoses and alcoholism, and comprises a large percentage of suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge. Ken Holmes worked in the Marin County Coroner’s Office for thirty-six years, starting as a death investigator and ending as the three-term, elected coroner. As he grew into the job—which is different from what is depicted on television—Holmes learned a variety of skills, from finding hidden clues at death scenes, interviewing witnesses effectively, managing bystanders and reporters, preparing testimony for court to notifying families of a death with sensitivity and compassion. He also learned about different kinds of firearms, all types of drugs—prescription and illegal—and about certain unexpected and potentially fatal phenomena such as autoeroticism. Complete with poignant anecdotes, The Education of a Coroner provides a firsthand and fascinating glimpse into the daily life of a public servant whose work is dark and mysterious yet necessary for society to function.

LAPD '53

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Author :
Publisher : Abrams
ISBN 13 : 1613127758
Total Pages : 187 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (131 download)

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Book Synopsis LAPD '53 by : James Ellroy

Download or read book LAPD '53 written by James Ellroy and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2015-05-19 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A remarkable portrait of “true L.A. noir” with archival photos from the Los Angeles Police Museum and text by legendary crime writer James Ellroy (Los Angeles Times). James Ellroy, the undisputed master of crime writing, has teamed up with the Los Angeles Police Museum to present a stunning text on 1953 L.A. While combing the museum’s photo archives, Ellroy discovered that the year featured a wide array of stark and unusual imagery—and to accompany the pictures, he has written text to illuminate the crimes and law enforcement of the era. Ellroy offers context along with wild detail and rich atmosphere—this is the cauldron that was police work in the city of the tarnished angels seven decades ago, revealed in more than 80 duotone photos throughout the book. “These crime images resemble the work of photographer Weegee, but, Ellroy argues, they’re superior because they resist artistry; they were taken by police officers doing their jobs.” —Chicago Tribune

Murder in the City

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Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 1250128706
Total Pages : 244 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (51 download)

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Book Synopsis Murder in the City by : Wilfried Kaute

Download or read book Murder in the City written by Wilfried Kaute and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2017-06-13 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When night falls on New York, the shadows are everywhere and death wears many faces. How the victims leave their bodies is deeply personal, but the witnesses to their death and the factors that brought it about belong to the public world—a somber world which is encapsulated in this gruesome survey of crime and violence in the 1910s. Parts of the city that are today among its trendiest neighborhoods were once the battlegrounds of evil forces, which left their mark in unforgettable ways. Here, newspaper clippings, police reports and testimonies are placed alongside the scenes that they describe, fleshing them out and giving life to the departed. Complete with an introduction from German actor and writer Joe Bausch, this book is a must for anyone who has ever anxiously imagined how dark an activity like dying can be—and isn’t that everyone?

Assassination Vacation

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 0743282531
Total Pages : 273 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (432 download)

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Book Synopsis Assassination Vacation by : Sarah Vowell

Download or read book Assassination Vacation written by Sarah Vowell and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-04-04 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times bestselling author of The Wordy Shipmates and contributor to NPR’s This American Life Sarah Vowell embarks on a road trip to sites of political violence, from Washington DC to Alaska, to better understand our nation’s ever-evolving political system and history. Sarah Vowell exposes the glorious conundrums of American history and culture with wit, probity, and an irreverent sense of humor. With Assassination Vacation, she takes us on a road trip like no other—a journey to the pit stops of American political murder and through the myriad ways they have been used for fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage. From Buffalo to Alaska, Washington to the Dry Tortugas, Vowell visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood, reporting as she goes with her trademark blend of wisecracking humor, remarkable honesty, and thought-provoking criticism. We learn about the jinx that was Robert Todd Lincoln (present at the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley) and witness the politicking that went into the making of the Lincoln Memorial. The resulting narrative is much more than an entertaining and informative travelogue—it is the disturbing and fascinating story of how American death has been manipulated by popular culture, including literature, architecture, sculpture, and—the author’s favorite—historical tourism. Though the themes of loss and violence are explored and we make detours to see how the Republican Party became the Republican Party, there are all kinds of lighter diversions along the way into the lives of the three presidents and their assassins, including mummies, show tunes, mean-spirited totem poles, and a nineteenth-century biblical sex cult.