Lane did his research well. But to title this book "Murder in America" is not wholly accurate. After reading this book, one would think that 9 out of 10 murders are lynchings, race rioters clog the streets of our major cities, and so forth. With all of two pages in the book devoted to the gangland violence of the 1920's, Dillinger given a whole paragraph, and domestic violence mentioned in passing, this book skips a whole helluva lot. The last chapter, dealing with the past 15 or so years, is mostly statistics, and breezes through the drug trade and inner city gang murders in about half a page. Serial killers get a few pages. The sensationalism that Lane clearly hates is hypocritical since he uses so much of it in his book. The small murders don't count for much even though they add up, but those riots, and I think he covers every single one the US ever had, where a few people died in sensational ways, were given front row seats. I had really high hopes, but they were replaced by frustration. It's too bad. It started out so good.

The recent precipitous drop in the U.S. murder rate has been variously--and fairly plausibly-- attributed to prosperity, the "war on drugs", fudged reporting statistics, and anything else that may reinforce someone's political or social preconceptions. In a surprisingly engaging and entertaining style, Professor Lane examines the murder rate at different times and in different regions of the country, drawing on original records, and convincingly arguing for his basis for inferring the actual murder rate from records of coroners, cops, and courts. The results are often surprising, and probably counter-intuitive for many readers who will nonetheless find themselves satisfied with the conclusions they ultimately draw. Few readers, though, will find their initial notions supported, and part of the charm of this book is how painlessly it persuades. Those who enjoy the styles of Tuchman and McCullough will be very comfortable with this author's intelligent but definitely accessible approach.

This is clearly a well-researched work, written with an academic's sense of obligation to discipline and to standards of scholarship, but Lane never allows his professionalism to interfere with the lay reader's sheer enjoyment derived from learning something new and interesting on every page.

First-class study of the social and political circumstances determining rates of murder in the population overall and within particular groups. Gave this (non-US) reader many new insights. Particularly enlightening was the account of lynching in the post-Civil-War South as a continuation of the war by guerrilla methods - "murder as social policy". For me, it threw new light on the history of America in every period, and greatly deepened my (sympathetic) understanding of the nation's development.

book is backwards, writers early years are at the end of the boo

I loved reading this book, even without chapter headings and even with dubious captions (I cannot point these out, as I am not an expert.) I do, however, live in the Sulphur Springs Valley, and have some knowledge of the Chiricahua Mountains where the Rucker Ranch was located. Gray's memories of the tall grass and red clover that filled our valley before it was overgrazed by the cattle consortiums, his stories of life as a cowboy and its dangers from Apaches and outlaws cannot, in my opinion, be replaced by technically correct second-hand histories however accurate. This is like sitting on the veranda listening to your grandfather spinning tales of cattle drives, Apache raids, and trips to Tombstone, with glimpses of the characters we have grown up knowing. His view of them is personal and reflects his preception and experience. As primary history, I recommend this most colorful account. Read it with a salt shaker if you must, but enjoy it as an authentic memoir of his life and times.

This is a superb book, well indexed, footnoted, etc. The notes in other reviews about misinformed captions and lack of chapters is bogus. The historic memoir had no chapter headings. The photo captions are absolutely accurate. Mr. Rogers has done western history a marvelous service by his obviously through research that has provided the readers of the Gray Memoir with valuble insights into the people, events and places that Gray wrote about... Enjoy!!! When is Rogers going to bring out another book? This and his Crimes and Misdeeds: Headlines from Arizona's Past are wonderful reads.

This 1924 book tells about five famous murders that occurred decades earlier. Pearson was "one of the best trial and crime reporters" in the 1920s-30s. "In all five cases, the determination of guilt or innocence rested on circumstantial evidence".

"The Borden Case" attracted national attention, and divided public opinion as no criminal prosecution had ever done before, or since. Families were divided, and argued over this fascinating case. The Bordens were not of a class where these crimes are common. The verdict did not solve this puzzle. On that "intensely hot morning of Thursday, August 4, 1892" (p.9) Andrew Jackson Borden walked back to his house. In half an hour he was dead; later the body of his pre-deceased wife Abby was found. His youngest daughter Lizzie was charged with these crimes, and found "Not Guilty". This crime remained a mystery until Arnold R. Brown's "Lizzie Borden: The Legend, the Truth, the Final Chapter" was published in 1991 with its solution.

"The Twenty-Third Street Murder" of Friday, July 29, 1870 was of Benjamin Nathan, a New York financier. He was beaten to death in his own room, while his two sons slept in their house. The blood spattered walls and door spoke of a violent struggle; the open safe and empty cash box spoke to the motive (p.132). A newspaper pointed suspicion to one son of irregular morals. The inquest named no one. A convict in Sing Sing named a burglar. This burglar was found in Texas and brought to New York. But a case could not be made (p.155), and the suspect returned to jail in Illinois. It was never solved.

"Mate Bram" concerns the voyage of the barkentine 'Herbert Fuller' from Boston on July 3, 1896. Most of the crew was new to the ship and each other. The boat carried a load of lumber below and on top of the deck. There were some quarrels between the first and second mate. Early on the morning of July 14 the captain and his wife, along with the second mate, were murdered. The Grand Jury indicted Thomas Bram, the first mate (no bloodstains were found on him). Seaman Charley Brown testified he saw Bram kill the captain. Cross-examination revealed incidents from Brown's past that lessened his credibility. Bram was sentenced to life in prison; he served 15 years before being paroled. Six years later he was granted a full pardon. He became a prosperous businessman (p.224).

"The Hunting Knife" is about the murder of Mabel Page on March 31, 1904. Her retired father came home at 2:10PM and found her dead; money was missing from her purse. The police questioned all who had been in the neighborhood. One of these had his picture in the newspaper. A driver who gave him a ride saw this; he found a leather sheath for a knife afterwards. Charles Tucker was taken to the police station and given the usual warning of having his words used against him (p.241). While examining his overcoat, the police asked if this sheath was his; he admitted it was (!), then denied owning a knife. When his house was searched they found a pin of Mabel Page, and parts of a knife; he now admitted it was his. He was then arrested, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death. No plea for mercy was considered (p.255).

"Uncle Amos Dreams a Dream" is about the Boorn case. Russell Colvin disappeared on May 10, 1812 from Manchester, Vermont. Seven years later his Uncle Amos dreamed that Russell was murdered by his brothers-in-law, and buried in a filled-up cellar hole. A dog began to dig by a hollow stump; bones were found. Some physicians said they were human, one didn't agree. Jesse Boorn was arrested, jailed, then admitted his brother did the killing. Stephen Boorn was arrested, but protested his innocence; he was chained in the "inner dungeon". The Grand Jury indicted them both. Russell's son described a fight; a forger in jail testified to a confession from Stephen. Stephen then confessed and said it was self-defense. Both were found guilty and sentenced to death. The brothers protested their innocence, people petitioned the State Legislature. Jesse's sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, Stephen was left to the gallows. The Rutland Herald printed an advertisement for Russell Colvin, and the death sentence of Stephen. The NY Evening Post reprinted an article from the Albany Daily Advertiser. A man from Shrewsbury NJ said a Russel Colvin from Manchester Vermont was living there. This person was asked to visit New York, then taken to Troy, then to Bennington. He was recognized and identified beyond all doubt. The Court was criticized for allowing a conviction without a dead body. A new trial was held, the charges dropped, and the Boorn brothers freed. They later moved to Ohio. People wondered why they would confess to a crime they didn't commit, but no answers were given except an "Act of God" (p.285).

Outstanding overview of five famous murders of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with the lion's share of the pages going to Miss Lizzie Borden and the bizarre goings-on in Fall River, Mass in 1892. The other, less familiar cases are at least as interesting. I especially liked the chapter on the Nathan murder, a cause-celebre in New York City in the 1870's. Pearson's wonderfully biting sense of humour comes out in his disdain for the masses, and for those bizarre characters who, simply for the notoriety, manage to insert themselves into famous cases.

I would like to point out to the reviewer from Perth Amboy that the Borden case was not solved by Arnold Brown or anyone else. He came up with a solution, and like so many true crime writers, labeled it "Final". The genre is filled with books purporting to be the "Final Chapter," "The Final Solution" etc. But the real solutions to cases like this are lost in time. We can't solve the Borden murder (though I think we can all figure out the LIKELY murderer in this case without too much difficulty), we can only luxuriate in it's delightful domestic creepiness, preferably while sitting by the fire on a winter's evening reading this book.

Enjoy.