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| For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder That Shocked Chicago |
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List Price: $27.95
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Manufacturer: Harper
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 364.1523092
EAN: 9780060781002
ISBN: 0060781009
Label: Harper
Manufacturer: Harper
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 560
Publication Date: 2008-08-01
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: 2008-08-05
Studio: Harper
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Editorial Reviews:
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It was a crime that shocked the nation, a brutal murder in Chicago in 1924 of a child, by two wealthy college students who killed solely for the thrill of the experience. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb had first met several years earlier, and their friendship had blossomed into a love affair. Both were intellectuals—too smart, they believed, for the police to catch them. However, the police had recovered an important clue at the scene of the crime—a pair of eyeglasses—and soon both Leopold and Loeb were in the custody of Cook County. They confessed, and Robert Crowe, the state's attorney, announced to newspaper reporters that he had a hanging case. No defense, he believed, would save the two ruthless killers from the gallows. Set against the backdrop of the 1920s, a time of prosperity, self-indulgence, and hedonistic excess, For the Thrill of It draws the reader into a lost world, a world of speakeasies and flappers, of gangsters and gin parties, that existed when Chicago was a lawless city on the brink of anarchy. The rejection of morality, the worship of youth, and the obsession with sex had seemingly found their expression in this callous murder. But the murder is only half the story. After Leopold and Loeb were arrested, their families hired Clarence Darrow to defend their sons. Darrow, the most famous lawyer in America, aimed to save Leopold and Loeb from the death penalty by showing that the crime was the inevitable consequence of sexual and psychological abuse that each defendant had suffered during childhood at the hands of adults. Both boys, Darrow claimed, had experienced a compulsion to kill, and therefore, he appealed to the judge, they should be spared capital punishment. However, Darrow faced a worthy adversary in his prosecuting attorney: Robert Crowe was clever, cunning, and charismatic, with ambitions of becoming Chicago's next mayor—and he was determined to send Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb to their deaths. A masterful storyteller, Simon Baatz has written a gripping account of the infamous Leopold and Loeb case. Using court records and recently discovered transcripts, Baatz shows how the pathological relationship between Leopold and Loeb inexorably led to their crime. This thrilling narrative of murder and mystery in the Jazz Age will keep the reader in a continual state of suspense as the story twists and turns its way to an unexpected conclusion.
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Book......Until Bias Took Over
Comment: I was really enjoying this account of the famous Leopold and Loeb case of 1924, in which two smug late-teens decided to kill someone just for thrills, to see what it felt like, and to prove to the world they were smarter than anyone else by getting away with any crime.
The background of two killers was interesting, as was their plot to commit the crime, which is shown in detail by author Simon Baatz. So, too, was the description of the crime and what happened afterward, leading up to the trial of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb.
Unfortunately, beginning with Chapter 8 (page 165), Baatz took a far left turn and used the next 60 pages to discuss the attorneys. It ruined the book for two reasons: (1) it took away the suspense and continuity of the story; (2) the author began interjecting his own bias into the story and that continued the rest of the way. For instance, Baatz calls defense attorney Clarence Darrow as "a hero of the ages" and "the country's greatest lawyer ever," etc., while continually denigrating the prosecution. Come on! Just tell us what happened and let us, the reader, decide!
Why is it so many authors, especially today, cannot give us an accurate account of anything historical without injecting their own cultural/political bias?
This could have been a great book had it been written objectively (and edited down).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Two Wicked and Depraved Hearts and a Murder Most Foul
Comment: Rosehill Cemetery is located a few blocks from my Chicago residence. The corpse of Robert Emanuel Franks was laid to rest in the tomb of his father, Jacob Franks, in the Jewish section of this same cemetery in 1924. Bobby Franks is remembered today as the victim of one of the most cruel and fiendish murders in American history.
The fourteen year old was walking home from school one May afternoon, when he was called to the curb by someone that he recognized. It was one of his neighbors. The young man wanted to talk to Bobby about a new tennis racquet. The neighbor offered to give him a ride home in a car driven by his friend. The boy accepted the offer and sat in the front passenger seat of the vehicle.
Shortly after he had entered the rented automobile, without warning, Bobby Franks was abducted, bludgeoned and suffocated to death by a wealthy pair of graduate students, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. The two killers resided in the same exclusive neighborhood as did their victim and his affluent family. After the murder, the killers drove to a remote and isolated location where they stripped the clothing from the body, poured acid on the face and genitals, in an effort to conceal the victim's identity, and placed the naked corpse in a water filled drainage culvert beneath a railroad track in an obscure and not easily accessible forest preserve.
The two killers tried to obtain ransom money from the parents of the deceased child by falsely promising that their kidnapped son would be returned home safely if all of their demands were met: $10,000.00 was to be paid in old bills, the police were not notified and all of the other specific instructions in the kidnapper's note were strictly complied with. The ransom scheme failed when the dead body of the teenager was discovered by a group of laborers who summoned the authorities before the money was delivered.
Within a short period of time, despite extreme obstacles and hardships, the two murderers were identified as possible suspects, interrogated and arrested as the result investigation conducted primarily by the staff of the Cook County State's Attorney. A sensational trial followed and the nation was riveted by the efforts of the prosecutors to impose the death penalty upon the defendants and the arguments of Clarence Darrow to spare the murderers from capital punishment by changing their pleas to guilty and arguing in favor of mitigating circumstances.
As the title indicates, the two privileged perverts had selected Franks at random, kidnapped and killed him simply for the thrill of proving that they were Nietzchean supermen capable of committing the perfect crime. By choosing their victim without a particular motive and leaving a trail of false clues, the two depraved individuals felt that they could commit murder without ever being identified since they were superior beings not subject to the laws and morals that supposedly applied to other lesser human beings.
This new book on the subject is not free from problems. It is tiresome to note the all too common tendency of so many contemporary true crime authors, who have quietly studied the yellowed and brittle pages of time obscured books by other writers before producing new manuscripts of their own, who then proceed to proclaim in advance sheets, interviews and publicity materials that they have written the definitive books -- without ever acknowledging their indebtedness to prior historians or honestly admitting, in the worse cases, that they simply revised and updated prior titles. In many instances, the original titles that they examined were produced by now deceased authors and these books are largely forgotten, out of print and not widely available for library circulation.
I am not suggesting that there is no room whatsoever for new books upon familiar subjects, providing that something new and substantial can be added to the historical record. Frequently, newly discovered evidence and original research warrants that revised books be written. What I am arguing is that contemporary authors have a legal and moral obligation to give proper credit to previous authors where and when credit is due.
With that general statement as my preface, I was less than pleased to read Simon Baatz's dismissive claim that no "serious" book had ever been published concerning the murder of Bobby Franks by Leopold and Loeb before his own book. This pompous boasting overlooks that numerous publications have been previously published on this same crime dating back to the 1950s, including several listed in Baatz's bibliography, such as Meyer Levin's bestselling novel, "Compulsion," a roman clef which is a thinly disguised fictionalization of the crime and the trial which incorporated quotations from the court transcripts. More importantly, Hal Higdon's widely read and thorough nonfiction title, "Crime of the Century," predated Baatz's book by more than three decades.
When Baatz belatedly admits the existence of Higdon's earlier work in the conclusion of "For the Thrill of It," he trivializes its importance by describing it as little more than a popular history of the crime and suggests that it cannot be taken too seriously. In reality, the earlier book, which is still in print and available for purchase, is well written and researched and annotated. Many critics have described this superlative book as definitive. Personally, I found it to be reliable and concise.
Like so many recently released true crime titles, the layout and packaging of "For the Thrill of It" is glossy, the blurbs are filled with exaggerated praise, but the actual contents are less than wholly satisfactory. What does differentiate the newer book from the old is that Baatz makes greater use of the court transcripts, including lengthy references to the expert testimony of the alienists and physicians called upon by the defense team of attorneys. Whether or not the reader finds this additional piling on of repetitive testimonial details to be worthwhile or not is a matter of personal preference. Higdon summarized these same details while Baatz padded out the length of his book by quoting the psychiatric reports and transcripts verbatim in long excerpts. On the plus side, there are many more period newspaper photographs accompanying the text of "For the Thrill of It" which is a welcome development.
Unfortunately, despite the author's claims to have produced a comprehensive and authoritative book, "For the Thrill of It" is not entirely free of errors and omissions. Biographical details of some of the principals are incorrect and the political and background information contained in the book is not always entirely accurate. I was completely baffled by Baatz's omission of the impressive closing argument of State's Attorney Robert E. Crowe from the expanded text. Much has been made of the eloquence (or euphemistic verbosity) of Clarence Darrow's final plea to spare the lives of the two defendants on account of their youth and immaturity. Crowe's rebuttal is less well remembered today, but it was nonetheless brilliant. His response to Darrow's argument was to recite from the moving poem "In Flanders' Fields" and remind the court of the many seventeen and eighteen year olds who were conscripted into military service and killed in combat during the recently concluded Great War and whose corpses were buried, row upon row, in the former battlefields of Europe. If such youths were deemed mature enough to be sent to their deaths in the name of military necessity, how could the court entertain the argument that two wilful murderers could not be executed for their heinous crimes on account of their youthful ages? Regrettably, Baatz chose merely to summarize this particular argument rather than to provide the relevant quotes.
For a first time reader, who is not familiar with this celebrated criminal case, there is sufficient information in the book with which to learn the basic details of the crime and the trial, but I would not go so far as to rate the book as the absolutely definitive. The author wasted a significant opportunity to improve upon the previous books written about this same crime. I would rate this book as C+ effort (2.5), but, since half points are not available, my Amazon score will be rounded up to the next whole number.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A tale of two indulged, hedonistic boys
Comment: When I discovered this book, I was very excited. I have never read a comprehensive book on the Leopold and Loeb case before; I've only seen it mentioned in other books on true crime. And previously, I have only seen one to two paragraphs in these other books devoted to this case, which was a shocking crime in Chicago in 1924.
Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold both came from priviledged, indulgent backgrounds, and when they met in private school, they became friends. Loeb was the gregarious one of the duo who was fascinated by crime, and approached Leopold about commiting the perfect murder/kidnapping. The kidnapping/murder is accomplished. The body of the victim is discovered before Loeb and Leopold reap the financial benefits of their murder as intended. Leopold leaves behind at the crime scene a pair of eyeglasses
that ultimately lead to his and Loeb's capture. The current DA of Chicago, Robert Crowe, states publically that he intends to pursue the death penalty in this case.
The author Simon Baatz points out that the murder of Bobby Franks is only some of what lead the public in Chicago in the 1920s to be so fascinated by this case. The other part that is so interesting is in the defense of the assailants. The Loeb and Leopold families hire Clarence DArrow, arguably the most influencial attorney of the day, to defend their sons and to possibly save their lives from a certain death sentence. Mr. DArrow's defense of Loeb and Leopold-I won't give away this part of the book because it is a key element-seals Darrow's reputation as a leading defense attorney. Loeb and Leopold's defense, and their lives after the trial, are also painstakingly detailed in this book.
The events leading up to the murder, and the aftermath are rivetingly written about in this book. Also, the murder is discussed in an intellectual way that compares the ramifications of the murder in comparison to the backdrop of theprosperous roaring twenties in America. Mr. Baatz writing style is easy to read and there is never a dull moment in his description of this historical event.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Why Was This Crime Committed? The Answer Is In the Title of the Book
Comment: I've read Evil Summer by John Theodore and found it to be a gripping true crime book. I also found For The Thrill of It by Simon Baatz to be a compelling book on the senseless murder of Bobby Franks by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb on May 21, 1924. For The Thrill of It is a more detailed account, but I did find the courtroom drama between the state and prosecution to be somewhat tedious. Each side presented authorities on psychiatry to support their point of view, and it turned out that neither side influenced the judge. Both Leopold and Loeb needed the other to carry out their dastardly crime. Throughout the book the question comes up as to why these two teenagers threw away their futures. The answer can be found in the title of the book, For The Thrill of It. Neither Leopold nor Loeb committed the crime expecting to get caught. This was to be the perfect crime. They wanted to be equally guilty by each pulling on an end of a rope in killing their victim. They deviated from their plan at the outset by Richard Loeb swinging the blows with a chisel on the head of their victim Bobby Franks. Unbelievably Franks was a second cousin of his murderer Richard Loeb, and had played tennis together the day before. I especially liked the author's choice of placing photos in the book at their appropriate location in the story. I found the map of the Kenwood area of Chicago showing where Franks, Leopold, and Loeb lived, along with the nearby Harvard School for Boys which their victim attended, to be very helpful. My only drawback to the book is the dragged out courtroom question regarding insanity and mental disease. However, this is a very worthwhile addition to your crime library.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Leopold and Loeb: "Crime and Punishment"
Comment: Baatz, Simon. "For the Thrill of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder that Shocked Chicago", Harper, 2008.
Leopold and Loeb: "Crime and Punishment"
Amos Lassen
I have always been fascinated by the Leopold and Loeb affair and it is without a doubt one of the most shocking crimes in the history of America. From the moment I read Meyer Levin's "Compulsion", I have been compelled to read whatever I can about the entire business. Simon Baatz, professor of law and history takes a look at how the crime affected not only those who perpetrated it but America in his new book, "For the Thrill of It" and it is on my best books list.
Most of us have trouble understanding how two young and wealthy men can still live in the memory of this country for murdering a young boy in 1924 just "for the thrill of it. It seems that they went far beyond the conventions of good and evil and it has been suggested that the crime was better psychologically explained--an attempt to cover up feelings of rage and inadequacy, cultural boredom and sexual passion. What Leopold and Loeb claimed was their motive was only an iota of what the reasons were.
Baatz spends time looking at the psychological and psychiatric testimony of three witnesses--Bernard Gleuck, William White and William Healy who, like the attorney for the defense, Clarence Darrow, felt that criminal law depended upon psychology and that criminals who were victims of some kind of social disorder should be treated and not punished. Even though Darrow offered a guilty plea it was his hope that the sentence might be lessened by proving to the jury and judge that the crime was committed while Leopold and Loeb were insane. We know that this strategy failed and that the two were given 99 years. Loeb was killed in prison and Leopold was eventually paroled and died as an expatriate in Puerto Rico.
Baatz gives us the history of the crime and takes us into the courtroom where he has a good look at the plea of insanity. I was totally into the narrative and the book is a fascinating look at human behavior and the criminal process. The research is excellent and the book is extremely readable. Baatz can tell a story and bring the reader in. The crime is imbedded in our imaginations and the fact that the plea of insanity is something we still talk about. It is good to have this record of the crime, the trial and what happened later. Baatz does not explain why anything happened but he does give us great detail about what happened. The book is something like what Truman Capote did with "In Cold Blood" and that is to create a non-fiction novel.
I have read several negative reviews of the book and I think that perhaps this is not the kind of book that appeals to those reviewers and I disagree with their evaluations. Of course I am somewhat biased as I have read everything I could about Leopold and Loeb. The crime they committed was so out of character for Jewish gay men to take part in but they did.
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