March #LibraryLoveChallenge - American Heiress by Jeffrey Toobin

The March edition of the #LibraryLoveChallenge is another non-fiction, this time about the Patty Hearst kidnapping; her "alleged" crimes and trial. It's not my favorite type of non-fiction as it doesn't read as a story but a journaled detail heavy account of a tumultuous time in our country's history. I did enjoy it and I know that tonight's discussion will be a lively one.
Enjoy! 

ISBN-13: 978-0345803153
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Release Date: 08-02-2016
Length: 480pp
Source: Library - Book Club Read
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffrey Toobin

A National Bestseller

From New Yorker staff writer and bestselling author of The Nine and The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson, the definitive account of the kidnapping and trial that defined an insane era in American history

On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst Family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbonese Liberation Army. The weird turns that followed in this already sensational take are truly astonishing—the Hearst family tried to secure Patty's release by feeding the people of Oakland and San Francisco for free; bank security cameras captured "Tania" wielding a machine gun during a roberry; the LAPD engaged in the largest police shoot-out in American history; the first breaking news event was broadcast live on telelvision stations across the country; and then there was Patty's circuslike trial, filled with theatrical courtroom confrontations and a dramatic last-minute reversal, after which the term "Stockholm syndrome" entered the lexicon.

Ultimately, the saga highlighted a decade in which America seemed to be suffering a collective nervous breakdown. American Heiress portrays the electrifying lunacy of the time and the toxic mic of sex, politics, and violence that swept up Patty Hearst and captivated the nation.

My Review:

American Heiress
Jeffrey Toobin

Toobin’s recounting of The Patty Hearst kidnapping and participation in the SLA (Simbionese Liberation Army) is a wild ride from the kidnapping in 1974 through her trial, incarceration and finally her release in 1979 It’s not for the faint of heart and not for fiction lovers who don’t want sometimes numbing amounts of facts. It does however paint a real picture of the vagabond existence of this band of fugitives and their life of crime. And it does recount the polarization of a county in turmoil and what led to the “counter-culture radicalism” that was a direct result of the re-election of Richard “Tricky Dicky” Nixon. It’s also proves that wealth and power can influence the system.  What it doesn’t prove but lets the reader decide is weather Patty was a villain or a victim but gives them enough facts to make up their own mind. The author does get a little wordy but with the breath of information he has to work with this is understandable. All in all Non-Fiction fans and readers who love the dissecting of turning points in the history of our country will eat this up.

Other Toobin works

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Meet Jeffrey:

Jeffrey Toobin is the bestselling author of The Oath, The Nine, Too Close to Call, A Vast Conspiracy, and The Run of His Life. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the senior legal analyst at CNN. He lives with his family in New York.