| Description |
332 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibilographical references (pages 291-325) and index. |
| Summary |
"In every decade of the twentieth century, one sensational murder trial riveted public attention and at the time was called "the trial of the century." This book tells the story of each murder case and the dramatic trial that followed. Starting with the murder of famed architect Stanford White in 1906 and ending with the O.J. Simpson trial of 1994, the authors recount ten compelling tales spanning the century. Each is a story of celebrity and sex, prejudice and heartbreak, and all reveal how often the arc of American justice is pushed out of its trajectory by an insatiable media driven to sell copy. The most noteworthy cases are here--including the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the Sam Sheppard murder trial ("The Fugitive"), the "Helter Skelter" murders of Charles Manson, and the O.J. Simpson murder trial. But some cases that today are lesser known also provide fascinating glimpses into the tenor of the time: the media sensation created by yellow journalist William Randolph Hearst around the murder trial of 1920s movie star Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle; the murder of the Scarsdale Diet guru by an elite prep-school headmistress in the 1980s; and more. The authors conclude with an epilogue on the infamous Casey Anthony trial, showing that the twenty-first century is as prone to sensationalism as the last century. This is a fascinating history of true crime, justice gone awry, and the media often at its worst"-- Provided by publisher. |
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"A lively review of ten famous murder trials of the twentieth century that became media sensations"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Contents |
1900-1910: "He deserved it" : the case of Harry Kendall Thaw -- 1910-1920: The death of Mary Phagan : the trial of Leo Max Frank -- 1920-1930: "Fatty" Arbuckle and the dead actress -- 1930-1940: Bruno Hauptmann and the Lindbergh baby -- 1940-1950: Wayne Lonergan and the bludgeoned heiress -- 1950-1960: Who killed Marilyn? : the Sam Sheppard case -- 1960-1970: eight dead student nurses and the Texas drifter -- 1970-1980: the Tate-LaBianca murders and a man named Manson -- 1980-1990: Jean Harris and the diet doctor -- 1990-2000: O.J. Simpson and the bloody glove -- Casey Anthony and the trials for a new century. |
| Subject |
Trials (Murder) -- United States.
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TRUE CRIME -- Murder -- General.
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SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Criminology.
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SOCIAL SCIENCE -- Media Studies.
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Trials (Murder) (OCoLC)fst01156368
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United States. (OCoLC)fst01204155
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| Added Author |
Phillips, Aryn Z., 1990- author.
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| Other Form: |
Online version: Phillips, Mark J., 1954- author. Trials of the century. Amherst, New York : Prometheus Books, 2016 9781633881969 (DLC) 2016008477 |
| ISBN |
9781633881952 (paperback) |
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1633881954 (paperback) |
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