Monthly Archives: February 2023

book review, Murder & Mayhem, Non-Fiction, True Crime, United States History

NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT – REVIEW

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Litercurious Book Review

Nothing But The Night By Greg King & Penny Wilson
Nothing But The Night By Greg King & Penny Wilson
TitleNothing But The Night
AuthorGreg King and Penny Wilson
PublisherSt. Martin’s Press (September 20, 2022)
FormatKindle, Hardcover, and Audiobook
Pages352
GenreTrue Crime, Murder & Mayhem, United States History
LanguageEnglish
ISBN # 978-1250272669

AUTHOR

Greg King is the author of many internationally published works of history, including The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Majesty Magazine, Royalty Magazine and Royalty Digest. He lives in the Seattle area.

Greg King bio source: Macmillan

Penny Wilson is the author of Lusitania and The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria with Greg King and several internationally published works of history on late Imperial Russia. Her historical work has appeared in Majesty Magazine, Atlantis Magazine, and Royalty Digest. She lives in Southern California with her husband and three Huskies.

Penny Wilson bio source: Macmillan

SYNOPSIS

On 21 May, 1924, 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Franks was found brutally murdered. Bobby was the son of a millionaire business owner. Although murders were commonplace, Bobby Franks killing was, arguably, the first of its kind for America; its first “thrill killing.”

The two accused, both teenagers, viewed themselves as Übermensch; a phrase meaning Supermen as described by nihilist and philosopher Frederick Nietzsche in his book1 Thus Spake Zarathustra. Übermensch is a term to describe men for whom the normal rules do not apply. The grim truth of the crime was even more vomitus than anyone could ever imagine.

Dubbed “the crime of the century,” the court case proved to reveal more than the details of a crime, but introduced America to a sickening new criminal trend; the thrill killers! In the dock were the two accused: 18-year-old Richard “Dick” Loeb and 19-year-old Nathan “Babe” Leopold Junior.

Richard Loeb was the son of a wealthy lawyer who became a senior executive at Sears, Roebuck & Company. He was handsome, well-healed, charming and liked by his peers. Next to Loeb sat his co-conspirator, Nathan Leopold Jr. In contrast to Loeb, Leopold was described as “sinister.” He was once admired for his prodigious intelligence and yet he appeared to some of his cohorts to be “peculiar” because of his haughty attitude and aloof nature; preferring book-learning to social situations. 

Due to the nature of the crime, the two teenagers faced a charge of murder in the first degree. Their legal counsel was the highly esteemed defense attorney, 67-year-old, Clarence Darrow Esquire. Who was arguably the most feared attorney in America at the time. 

Their case was infamous for being the first recognized case of a ‘thrill kill.’ It was also noteworthy due to the fact that it was extensively planned and coordinated for the sole purpose of committing the ‘perfect’ crime and escaping subsequent justice. You can probably appreciate by now that the latter part of the plan failed, or we would not be here analyzing it today. A crime committed not by the usual suspects, but exceptional because of the social status of the individuals, their education and their religious/national identity.

The horrendous crime that Leopold and Loeb committed was so complex, notorious and shocking to the world, that it inspired Alfred Hitchcock to write the 1948 movie Rope starring James Stewart.

CONCLUSION

In a carefully crafted narrative, King and Wilson breathe new life into an old case of murder and mayhem with this, their latest literary masterpiece. Nothing But The Night is a high quality detailed accounting of ‘the murder of the century,’ as it was labeled at the time. The authors provide an unocculted view into the devious nature of the two murderers covering how they conspired together to kill without risk of capture. They guide us through the comprehensive, elaborate, and intricate planning that preceded the crime; to the actual murder, their eventual apprehension and their subsequent trial.

The trial is the end of the book, but the beginning of the conundrum. It is a view into the minds of men who believe that they were outside the norm, superior in every way, exceptional, special and entitled. They believed they held dominion over the life of their chosen, hapless victim.

King and Wilson avoid the trap of focusing on the deviancy of the two men, Leopold and Loeb. Hints of sexual indiscretion are implied but not explicit. Some things are obvious without reference, and this technique adds to the power of the work overall.

There are some books that one reads and discards without a second thought, and then there are others that resonate with us. Well, this is a work that you will contemplate for some time. You will find yourself dwelling on some aspect of the story, and weeks or months later still remember the contents and imagery of this book.

Nothing But The Night is written with consummate skill and unrivaled clarity. It is an exceptional work of its kind, and an absolute must have for true crime aficionados, students of psychology, law, or criminal justice.

If you enjoyed todays review and would like to see more of the same subject matter please like, comment and subscribe for more content.

1Nietzsche F. Thomas Common (trans.), New York: The Modern Library Press, 2017 (1883–5).

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

OTHER BOOKS BY THESE AUTHORS

COMING SOON

BARRED: Why the innocent can’t get out of prison

By Daniel Medwed

Aviation, Aviation History, Biography, book review, Military History, Non-Fiction, Survival, World War 2

LOST AT SEA – Review

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Litercurious Book Review

Lost at Sea – John Wukovits
TitleLost at Sea
AuthorJohn Wukovits
PublisherDutton Caliber (May 16, 2023)
FormatKindle, Audiobook, Hardcover
Pages‎432 pages
GenreBiographies of World War II, Military & Spies Biographies, WWII Biographies
LanguageEnglish
ASIN#B0B9WKFWT7

AUTHOR

John Wukovits has a detailed biography on his website: https://johnwukovits.com/about-the-author

SYNOPSIS

Lost at Sea is an epic journey of the human spirit, the will to survive and faith!

In October, 1942, eight men took off from Hawaii in a B-17D Flying Fortress bound for Canton Island; its first stop enroute to the South Pacific. The plane never arrived. Having drifted off course by hundreds of miles, the plane and crew were hopelessly lost. As with Emilia Earhart, the crew became frantic and the plane was low on gas. With no other option the pilot, Captain Cherry, was forced to ditch at sea.

It is a testament to Captain Cherry’s piloting skills, that he was capable of landing the aircraft on a rolling ocean without it coming apart and killing everyone instantly. The eight people onboard were able to escape the sinking plane and mount three life rafts. What followed was a twenty-four day struggle for survival adrift a vast ocean.

On board the aircraft was WWI most famous aviator and flying Ace Eddie Rickenbacker. He was accompanied by John Bartek, Wiliam Cherry, John De Angelis, Alexander Kaczmarczyk, James Reynolds, and James Whittaker. Unfortunately, only seven would survive the ordeal.

CONCLUSION

Lost at Sea is a very good book! John’s unrelenting research into this incident is evident in his writing. He takes the reader alongside Eddie Rickenbacker on his sojourn through life. The reader actually feels as if he is sitting right next to Eddie as he his racing his car around the track, or sitting in an open cockpit WWI fighter earning his Medal of Honor. The reader is right there with Eddie and those men crammed in little rubber rafts drifting on the Pacific Ocean. I literally got hot, hungry and thirsty just reading about their trials and tribulations.

Lost at Sea is a book for every aviation enthusiast. Anyone who has flown an aircraft over the ocean outside the sight of land can definitely sympathize with those men. I heartily recommend this book. It will certainly keep the reader engrossed and captivated.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank John Wukovits, Dutton Caliber, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review Lost at Sea.

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book review, Litercurious Archives, Medical Ethics, Medical Science, Medicine, Non-Fiction

THE RED MARKET – REVIEW

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Litercurious.com

Audio & Book Reviews Site. Why watch when you can read?

The Red Market - Scott Carney
TitleThe Red Market: On the Trail of the World’s
Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers,
and Child Traffickers
AuthorScott Carney
PublisherHarper Collins e-books; Illustrated edition
(May 31, 2011)
FormatKindle, Hardcover, Audiobook
Page272
GenreAnatomy, Physician & Patient Medical Ethics,
Business Ethics
LanguageEnglish
ASINASIN : B004FEF6OW

A trade that exists on the boundaries of what is considered ethical, moral and legal. Scott Carney’s investigation exposes the inequity and abuse of the current systems as they relate to the market in human genetic material that include whole body sales of adults, children and babies. Litercurious.com

AUTHOR

Scott Carney is an investigative journalist, author and anthropologist, as well as the creative talent behind of such notable works as: The Enlightenment Trap, What Doesn’t Kill Us’, The Wedge and The Vortex.

SYNOPSIS

For more than a century, graves have turned up empty across the Indian countryside; the bodies sold abroad as anatomical skeletons. Until recently the trade was so extensive that just about every classroom skeleton in America is rumored to have come from India.

The Red Market is a look at the contemporary markets for human sourced materials and their uses. It examines the cultural, sociological, moral and ethical aspects of an increasing market in everything from human organs to humans themselves; and everything in-between. Carney reflects on the disparity and inequity of the trade in human genetic materials and the methods used by ‘richer’ nations to harvest from the poorest people.

Carney initiates a sobering self-appraisal of the financial worth of his own body on the Red Market. He shares with us that the value of his physical being is approximately a quarter of a million US Dollars. From his skeleton to his plasma and from his corneas to his heart, he calculates the possible income from the sale of his body. He explains why the ‘Red Market’ is booming across the world; a trade that Carney estimates to be calculated in billions of dollars.

Carney addresses the critical nature of the many people who are unable to receive donated organs in the West. Due to legal hurdles, these people often travel to such diverse locations as India or China to exploit the poverty of those nations citizens. Through middle men who tend to make the greatest financial profit from every transaction, they purchase their organs on the ‘Red Market.’ The huge demand for human sourced materials combined with the wealth that can be earned, encourages the unscrupulous and the criminal element. Thus ensuring the donor receives the lowest possible amount of compensation; often without appropriate post-care support.

Whilst most procurements are abhorrent, the sales are more often than not legal and sanctioned due to the implicit moral argument that it is to save human life. Any hint of criminal activity is concealed from the glare of publicity behind a veil of altruistic propaganda. Carney notes that Western attitudes to such things as organ donations for transplants create an unhealthy one-way market. Flesh donations only move up the social classes and never down in an inherently inequitable system. Carney opines that the donors are doubly disadvantaged. There is no benefit to the donor beyond a small financial incentive, and they face only disadvantages as a result of their misguided altruism.

The Red Market is essentially a peak behind the hidden world of organs and human genetic materials donations and the trade in children internationally. A trade that exists on the boundaries of what is considered ethical, moral and legal. Scott Carney’s investigation exposes the inequity and abuse of the current systems as they relate to the market in human genetic material that include whole body sales of adults, children and babies.

CONCLUSION

I realize many may be unaware that a human genetic source market exists or possess any knowledge of just how lucrative a business it is. If you are healthy, you probably never even consider it at all; unless you have a friend, family member or an associate with a condition that requires medical intervention. We never think about the significant life challenges that might ensue for the donor and their family. It prompts the question, in my mind, of what are the limits of responsibility that the recipient has to the donor. The laws that prevent the recipient from knowing who provided their life-extending genetic material, also prevents appropriate post-operative care for the donor.

There are some who are awaiting for the alternatives known as xenotransplantation; transplanted organs that come from animals rather than from humans. One thing seems apparent, with the increasing aging population, the demand for a vast range of human based medical interventions is likely to expand. In any economy, scarcity drives the price and according to Carney the current system only benefits those with significant resources; to the detriment of those least likely to benefit from the trade.

Whilst the subject is sometimes grim, disturbing and alarming, I am still delighted that I took the time to read it. There is a lot to digest here, and I took a long time before producing this review. The weight of the subject lays heavy on your heart and it is a struggle to remain objective and dispassionate. You may find The Red Market a challenging page turner. However, I expect the real-life stories will touch you and remain with you long after you have put the book away.

If you enjoy reading The Red Market, I strongly recommend you equally consider reading The Organ Thieves by Chip Jones. Although the two publications cover many of same ethical dilemmas, they approach the subjects from very different time frames and stand-points. The Organ Thieves provides a broader historic perspective on the topic. It is invaluable in advancing an understanding of the ethical complexities of the subject handed down from the past to the present day.

Read our review of The Organ Thieves here.

The Organ Thieves by Chip Jones

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Scott Carney, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to review The Red Market: On the Trail of the World’s Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers.

OTHER WORKS BY THIS AUTHOR

Scott Carney The Enlightenment Trap
Scott Carney The Wedge
Scott Carney What Doesn’t Kill Us
Scott Carney On Diamond Mountain

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