Reviews

...[a] worthy addition to any collection... The writing here is crisp and clean, offering plenty of detail without melodrama. - VOYA ""...useful..."" - American Reference Books Annual

Gr 9 Up-Nash's massive set places what he considers to be "the most important crimes in history" into graspable categories: assassination; bigamy; burglary; cannibalism; drugs; fraud; gangs, gangsters and organized crime; kidnapping; piracy; robbery; and secret criminal societies. Murder is broken down into celebrity slayings, mass murder, serial killers, and unsolved homicides. Each of these topical sections opens with a general overview and then explores individual crimes in chronological order. As befits the title, there are thousands of black-and-white photographs and illustrations and although their quality varies they are, by and large, helpful and interesting. Information on criminals' backgrounds and descriptions of the act(s) for which they gained notoriety are included. The bibliography is almost 100 pages of very small print, yet despite this apparent copious research, many quotes and scenarios are not clearly substantiated, and individual articles do not include citations. The author is bold in advancing his own opinions and theories, developed over years of studying and writing about crime. While these perspectives are often fascinating, they lead this work away from the status of a definitive history. It is, however, the most comprehensive true crime book available. Newton, conversely, has produced a succinct, poorly illustrated title that, while relating two centuries of worldwide cases that remain unsolved as of publication date, is fair and balanced in regard to its approximately 540 alphabetical entries. Black-and-white photos and reproductions illustrate this book. A six-page bibliography includes articles, books, and Web sites.-Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.