THE HISTORICAL ATLAS OF AMERICAN CRIME

Softcover. From colonial times to the 21st century, crime has been a sinister but perennial element of American history. Emphasising unlawful acts that were the first of their kind, the author analyses how geography, shifting populations, western expansion, and technological innovations shaped crime, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system. From fraud to kidnapping to murder, from outlaw gangs to organised crime to terrorism, this book recounts key criminal events, specific to different settings and time periods, that influenced the development of the United States. This landmark reference book presents a new way of looking at crime in America. Organised into discrete historical periods, the entries are written in an engaging "you-are-there" style and are enhanced by more than 50 photographs, 40 b/w maps, and 16 colour pages of historical maps. Entries include : Salem, Massachusetts (1692) the Salem witch hunt murders; Western Frontier (1790-1800) Big Harp and Little Harp: frontier serial killers; Washington, D.C. (1835) the first assassination attempt on a US president (Andrew Jackson); John Brown, aka Osawatomie Brown (1800-1859) insurrectionist and criminal conspirator who led the attack on Harper's Ferry; Detroit (1892) Henry Ford invents the automobile, a machine that revolutionises both crime and law enforcement; New York (1903-1904) fingerprints as a means of identifying criminals comes into use; Chicago (1904) thrill-killers Leopold and Loeb are convicted in a sensational case dubbed the first "trial of the century"; a 12-hour plea by their lawyer, Clarence Darrow, saves their lives; Clyde Champion Barrow (1909-1934) and Bonnie Parker (1911-1934) aka "Bonnie and Clyde" interstate criminals who lead police on a wild chase across the southern United States; New York (1978) The Lufthansa heist: the largest robbery to date in the United States, with $5.85million seized in cash and jewellery; Maryland and Virginia (2002) the sniper case: in a 3-week shooting spree, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo kill 10 and wound others with a rifle concealed in the trunk of their car, plus much, much more. Illus., Bibliog., General Index, Geographic Index. 296pp. 4to softcover. From the library of true crime writer, Wilfred Gregg, with his personal b/plate. F. with no creasing to covers. A fairly heavy book which will require additional postage both domestic and overseas.